Storiesonline.net ------- Banner Year by Shrink42 Copyright© 2005 by Shrink42 ------- Description: His values, his beliefs, his attitudes, and his skills had been developed since a young age, through many experiences - some unique, some thrilling, some terrifying. There came a time when he had to evaluate them all and depend on them all as never before. Codes: MF mf mF cons rape violent ------- ------- Chapter 1 Cal should have been used to it by then. His three golfing partners were outwardly polite and friendly to the eleven-year-old, but underneath, two of them were seething at the drubbing he was handing them. Cal had a feeling one of them would lose his cool before the round was over, so he used his standard escape strategy. Walking up the fifteenth fairway, he pointedly looked toward his house and announced "Sorry, guys. I need to drop off here. That's our house and the signal is out for me to come home." It was, in fact, his family's home there on the fifteenth, but there was no signal. If anyone ever pushed the issue, he would point out the orange card that he kept in his own bedroom window. After several angry, embarrassing scenes from beaten club members, Cal had worked out the tactic of bailing out at fifteen, before his defeat of the adults was final. And a defeat it almost always was. Having lived on the course as long as he could remember, Cal had almost grown up with a club in his hands. On top of that, he had an unbelievably smooth, consistent swing. Members who played with him always wondered if that was how Jack Nicklaus had played as a boy. His reputation was such that the men were constantly trying to get in a group with him. It had taken a while, but he had come to understand that many could not stand the ego hit of having an eleven-year-old considered better than they were. On his own, he had decided it was best not to 'finish them off', much as it aggrieved his naturally competitive personality. Of course, not all of his partners reacted badly. There were some who sincerely appreciated his talent and told him so. He had no problem finishing rounds with them. Likewise with the really good players who could beat him honestly. He never bailed out of a round if he was trailing, or if another player had a legitimate chance to overtake him. The country club was quite exclusive and the surrounding homes very expensive. Cal's father, Martin, a highly successful real-estate developer, had been on the board several times. That was part of the reason Cal was allowed on the course, where children under twelve were normally prohibited. The other reason was the publicity value of a potential junior champion among the membership. Cal's game needed more length before he was a legitimate junior contender, but all of the other elements for success were there. It was a rare day, even during the school term, that Cal did not play at least the equivalent of nine holes. Often, it would all be done on the four or five holes closest to their home, and sometimes, he would play three or four balls simultaneously. Leaving the course as he did took a lot of self-control for someone his age. A naturally fierce competitor, he was very keyed up as he walked in through the back door of the garage and picked up a basketball. For over twenty minutes, he shot basket after basket, dashing to get the rebound if there was one, which was not often. Even at eleven, Cal was a deadly shooter. ------- John Calvin Banner had been named in honor of a grandfather, with his parents totally unaware of his name's connection to the historic Christian leader. When he entered first grade, he counted the 'Johns' in the room and insisted thereafter that he be called 'Cal'. That, of course, endeared him greatly to his namesake grandfather. Demanding the use of that name was a very uncharacteristic move for young Cal, whose most notable characteristic seemed to be his 'averageness', bordering on anonymity. It would have been much more in keeping with his personality to remain lost among the sea of 'Johns'. Being an 'unexpected' child made Cal even more of a misfit. He was a product of his parents' first union after his mother, Elaine, was almost recovered from birthing his older sister Rebecca. Somehow, she had thought she could not yet be fertile - wrong! To his parents' credit, they in no way resented his birth, planned or not. But there was no doubt that the difference from the rest of the family in his appearance and his personality kept them off balance much of the time. Genetically, it was no surprise that Cal was athletically talented. His father was a three-sport high school athlete and a running back in college. His mother had been a competitive skater through her early teens, then switched to volleyball. His older brother, Pete, soon to enter ninth grade, appeared to be following in his father's footsteps. Even his sister Rebecca, just a year older, was naturally athletic. She was a brain and a musical prodigy, so she did not spend much time on sports. When she did, though, it was obvious that they all came naturally. What was not explainable about Cal genetically was his size. Smaller and thinner at the same ages than Pete, his three-years-older brother, it was already apparent that he would never achieve the well over six foot stature of his father and his brother. It was also obvious that if he was ever to play football, it would have to be as a kicker. Certainly eleven-year-olds could bulk out later, but he was much more slender and wiry that Pete had been at that age. The nature of Cal's athletic talent was also different from his father and brother. He excelled at anything that required planned, controlled motion. Golf, pool, bowling, shooting baskets: those were all activities at which he shone. It wasn't that he was slow of foot or reflexes - far from it. It was just that when he could plan an action he was unbelievably precise and accurate. As evidence of his overall athleticism, Cal was quite good at soccer. He did not particularly like the strange game, but his best friend Khalid was an avid player, and Khalid's father, a native Saudi, was an excellent coach. As if he did not have enough things that made him unique in his family, he was a quiet, reflective boy in a household of flaming extroverts. He was by no means shy; he just preferred to observe and listen while the rest of his family seemed to be in a constant battle for center stage. From his earliest years he had been adept at lurking unnoticed, seemingly merging into the surroundings. All good athletes and all good warriors have exceptional visual and spatial awareness. They are able to integrate everything that is going on around them and take the optimal action. Cal had definitely inherited that ability. He seldom chose the wrong club or aimed a shot foolishly. He always seemed to be in position on the soccer pitch, an unusual trait for a young player. As he grew, it would be a great asset in all team sports. Cal's innate stealthiness and visual acuity were important for what had become his hobby, besides his sports, that is. Since he was seven or eight, he had been fascinated with photography. In a family where money was no problem, he had been given cameras that most adults longed for. Unlike many children blessed with too many things, Cal treated his possessions with care and skill. Not only did he take many pictures that would have left his extended family and their large circle of friends amazed and pleased if they had seen them, his gear was always meticulously cleaned and stored. When school had let out after his fifth grade year, his dad had given him a darkroom. His mother had been rightfully concerned whether he was mature enough to handle anything so complex and technical, but when he produced his first self-developed photos of her on the day it was completed, her concern was vanquished. It was only occasionally that anyone saw Cal's pictures. They were usually carefully filed away in his workroom adjacent to the darkroom. What he did show to other people were usually fairly ordinary, giving no hint of the real talent he had for capturing people. ------- It was a torrid late-June day, just before noon, and Cal was drenched in sweat after shooting baskets vigorously until his competitive buzz from the abandoned golf round diminished. Someday, he told himself, he could finish his rounds no matter how badly he was embarrassing some rich, lazy weekend hacker. For now, a dip in the pool and some fresh clothes were what he needed. Instead of going in to put on his suit, though, he thought he would see if his neighbor and best friend, Kal, could join him. Kal's real name was Khalid Mussafi, and it was a very bad idea to let his father hear him called Kal. For their circle of friends, though, the duo of Cal and Kal was just too choice. ------- Rachman Mussafi was one of the thousands of Saudis peripheral to the royals but close enough to have accumulated a sizable hoard of oil money. In his early thirties, while studying for an MBA in the States, he had met a blonde California woman who taught a business writing class. Amelia Barnes was blessed with a centerfold's body and face and a brilliant mind. Rachman was a dead ringer for a young Omar Sharif and had the cultured manner of one who had sampled much of the world's bounty. Instant physical attraction was no surprise: blonde vs. dark; West vs. East; liberated vs. Muslim... That, of course, was the problem. To Rachman, beautiful women were always available - available to be acquired and used as he saw fit. Amelia, however, was something he had never encountered. Female attire appropriate for California college teaching in that day was much closer to that of a houri belly dancer than to a Saudi wife or mother. Rachman naturally approached Amelia as a potential acquisition, and the battle was on. It was really an uneven fight. She was on her turf where her rules dominated. She was painfully experienced in the battle of the sexes, while he had to learn to think of a woman as an actual person. In the midst of the battles, the two found genuine love. In the end, they willingly overlooked the problems of a Muslim-Christian union and married. Amelia was a confident and strong-willed young woman in addition to her extraordinary beauty, and her father was a successful lawyer. Rachman required her to sign a pre-nup, and she had a document of her own drawn up, one which nearly scuttled the wedding. Her agreement stated that the family would live in the U.S. and specified a generous divorce settlement if he reneged. It also stated that the children would not be raised Muslim. The agreement that Amelia insisted on sent Rachman's family into an absolute rage, and he was forced to choose between his love and his family. He was a perfect example of many upper-middle-class Saudis: officially a devout, even fanatical follower of Wahabi Islam. In practice, he was a bon vivant who on his regular trips to London, Vegas and other European or U.S. cities partook freely of the bounty of the Satanic West. Though he regretted the estrangement, his love for Amelia was so strong that he turned his back on Islam and the Mussafi clan. They were married in a civil ceremony. Subsequently, Rachman became a very worldly, fairly normal American husband and father. If he had any inclination to revert to the 'women-as-chattel' ways of his upbringing, Amelia was quick to disabuse him of those thoughts. She knew the hold she had on him and used it willingly. There was true shared loved between the two, and he did his best to shed his old-world attitudes to please her. The two children born to Rachman and Amelia were as beautiful as one could imagine. Fourteen-year-old Ismi was the prototypical virgin that so many Islamist fanatics looked forward to having in paradise. In future years, many such fanatics would willingly martyr themselves to possess a harem of Ismis in paradise. At eleven, Khalid was almost too pretty to be a boy. As Westernized as he became and despite the agreement, Rachman had held very firm in his insistence on Islamic names for their children. Amelia had thought it a wise and harmless concession. Using his capital wisely, Rachman had bought and expanded an importing business, and had more than enough money to live in the exclusive country club community next to the Banners. Amelia had obtained another college teaching position, and was on a tenure track, having completed her Ph.D. For over a decade, the Mussafis were a happy couple and a happy family, as American as any third or fourth-generation immigrant family might be. Ismi grew up as an American first-born child. Essentially, boy or girl makes relatively little difference. The first-born is the pathfinder, the groundbreaker. The first-born typically has the fiercest battles with the parents over privileges and limits, but usually ends up with the stronger lifelong bonds to the parents, as well. Being drop-dead gorgeous and an early bloomer, it was almost cruel to allow Ismi in the company of teenaged boys. She was a good girl, not at all promiscuous, nor even much of a tease. She did, however, adhere strictly to the fads of teenaged dress. In Muslim society, rights and privileges are not considerations for girls: they have almost none. Furthermore, modesty to the point of total concealment is a deeply ingrained cultural and religious imperative. Rachman had done an admirable job of adapting to America mores, but the puberty and exploding sex appeal of his stunning daughter was more than he could handle. From the first appearance of Ismi's nascent breasts and incipient hips, domestic tranquility at the Mussafi home was doomed. In his gorgeous wife, Rachman had always accepted and treasured her open sexuality and borderline exhibitionist leanings. Somehow, he could not transfer that same tolerance to his daughter. Perhaps latent guilt over his own unavoidable responses to Ismi's sexuality was at the core of his problem. Even though Amelia kept the girl's dress very mainstream, the exposure bothered Rachman more and more. As the two began to argue about the subject, his long-suppressed feelings that wives should be silent and obedient also surfaced more and more. All of the beliefs that he had scoffed at on his younger globe-trotting trips and seemingly abandoned at the altar began to become important to him. It was a gradual descent into open warfare, but their home had now become a battleground, a fact not well hidden from friends and neighbors. Amid the growing tension, Rachman had returned to the mosque and under the urging of the mullahs was trying to impose the strict observances of his youth on his Americanized family. While in his younger years he had followed the requirements mechanically, with no true spiritual commitment, he now was becoming a true believer. Amelia, for her part, would have no part of Islam, something she had been steadfast about since their first date. Every time she reminded him of his promises and the signed agreement, he flew into a rage. The marriage was obviously on its last legs, but even that posed a huge problem. Only immoral behavior by the wife justified divorce to a Muslim. The fact that theirs was not even a legitimate Muslim marriage did not make the idea of divorce any easier for him. ------- As a sweaty Cal walked next door to fetch his pal for a swim that Sunday morning, the battle over Ismi's modesty had reached a new level of frenzy. Cal heard the yelling when he opened the patio door, his usual entrance. He could have, and probably would have, returned home at that point, but it was another of his signature traits that prevented him from leaving. Cal had always carried a heightened awareness of and abhorrence of anything that was unfair or unjust. He was the one in the family or among his friends who would actively intercede to stop any activity he considered harmful to any person. He was always the arbiter at childhood games and the one to break up scuffles between friends or classmates. From his youngest days, the one thing that would make Cal the center of family conversation was some situation of unfairness or inequity. He would hold forth in childish fervor for many minutes at a time while his parents and siblings suppressed their mirth - usually. Somehow linking a passion for fairness with the practice of law, his parents assumed that their youngest was headed for a law career, a perfectly reasonable and acceptable goal for one of their offspring. Just as Cal was turning to close the Mussafis' patio door and avoid violating their privacy, he heard a ripping noise, a shriek from Ismi and Amelia's shout of "Don't," followed by the unmistakable sound of a hard slap and a body falling. That was too much for Cal. As he quickly but quietly walked toward the family room where the conflict was raging, Cal heard Rachman yelling "If she will not cover herself properly, why should she be allowed to wear anything? There is no difference! You have let her become nothing but a typical American whore!" Before him, Cal saw Amelia lying on the floor, stunned and holding her hand to the side of her face. Ismi was bending over facing away from the others and covering her exposed breasts with her arms. Rachman was waving the tank top he had apparently ripped from his daughter as he continued to rage about her exposure. Khalid stood to one side, poised as if to intercede, but motionless. Completely overtaken by his rage, Rachman came up behind his daughter and yanked down her shorts and panties, exposing her bottom and causing her to fall as she struggled to get away. Instantly on his knees over her, he began pulling at the garments, trying to get her naked, spouting invective all the while. Khalid had been watching in stunned silence until then, but that was too much. He adored his beautiful, loving older sister, and even his carefully nurtured respect for his father would not let him stand by as he humiliated Ismi. Dashing across the room, he shouted "Father! Stop! Don't do that!" and grabbed a hold of Rachman's arm. With the strength and the single-minded oblivion of mindless rage, Rachman threw his arm back with stunning force, sending Khalid flying across the room, out of control. He continued his efforts to denude his sinful, errant daughter without a thought to his impertinent son. Cal and the recovering Amelia, however, saw what happened to Khalid. It was to be stamped indelibly in his memory for life, the permanent condemnation of hatred and bigotry, as far as Cal was concerned. Khalid lost his balance and fell awkwardly, his head smashing into the stone hearth. Cal was closest and pulled his stricken pal into his arms immediately, somehow knowing the accident was fatal. Khalid began convulsing violently for many long seconds before falling totally still, not breathing. It was Amelia's frantic screams that broke through Rachman's rage enough to make him turn and see his son. "You killed him!" Cal could not help screaming out. Rachman froze for a moment, trying to absorb the enormity of what he had heard. Turning toward the fireplace, what he saw convinced him that it was true. The shock of having killed his son should have broken through the rage and calmed the man, but it had the opposite effect. A son was a man's treasure, meant to carry on his name and his legacy. Now, his only son was gone. A girl was a useless burden, her only value a future dowry, which his slut of a daughter would never earn him. How quickly the old ideas regained control of him. Even more strongly consumed by his rage and his religious fervor, Rachman diverted the blame to his daughter, still cowering on the floor with her shorts and panties around her lower legs. "Now your whorish behavior has caused me to lose my son! You made me lose my son!" He began shouting over and over. When he stood and began kicking her, Cal could not take it. Releasing Kal's inert body to his hysterical mother, he leaped across the room and fell on top of Ismi, trying his best to shield her from the power of her father's doubly enraged kicks. ------- It was only in the ER later that Cal learned what had happened. Both he and Ismi suffered cracked ribs, concussions, and uncountable bruises from Rachman's mindless kicks. It took Amelia several seconds to come out of her shock over her son's death enough to realize what was happening to her daughter and to Cal. Using the strength of her own rage, she was able to grab a fireplace tool and attack her husband. He was so lost in his grief and the venting of his rage that he was unaware of her and her first blow was to his head, which knocked him out. There were several more blows before Amelia turned her attention to the two badly beaten youngsters. Showing remarkable presence of mind, Amelia called 911, then tried mouth-to-mouth and CPR on her son, all to no avail. She was almost catatonic with shock and grief when the police and paramedics arrived, erroneously believing that Ismi and Cal had been killed, as well. The commotion brought Cal's family out and it was a terrible shock to them to see Cal wheeled out on a gurney. The incident was of course the major local news story for days, and a major setback for the Islamic community. For Cal, it was unwanted attention, painting him as a young hero for trying to shield Ismi. He was kept in the hospital overnight for observation, a standard precaution with concussions. With bandaged ribs and more sore spots than he could count, he went home, only to be faced with a gaggle of reporters in front of the house. The first instinct of both Cal and his parents was to send the reporters away. The family attorney, who had been quickly called in, however, recommended that they allow one interview with one reporter and one cameraman. The attorney counseled them that the pressure would never stop by itself. The attorney was assigned the task of choosing the reporter, and insisted on a written list of the questions that would be asked. Cal's parents and the lawyer spent an hour going over the questions with a very reluctant Cal. When the actual interview occurred, Cal was very self-effacing, to no one's surprise. When asked what he thought when he fell on top of Ismi, he answered. "I couldn't let him kill both of my friends." "Weren't you worried about being hurt or killed yourself?" came the question. "I never thought about it," was his answer. "I had to protect her." "Why didn't you try to stop the father?" was the next question. "Kal is bigger than me and..." Here his voice broke. He did not cry, but he turned his head away and he paused for a moment. "He w... was bigger and stronger, and his dad just... All I could do was protect her." Despite the careful coaching, he deviated from one agreed-on answer in a way that caused no small stir in the Islamic community. The wrap-up question was a rather inane "How do you feel about the whole incident?" "I just don't understand it," he replied. "My best friend is dead and it's all because of religion. How... how should I feel about that?" ------- Cal did not visit Ismi in the hospital. He was not there very long, and she had to be sedated for her anguish over her brother's death. The loss of Khalid and, for all practical purposes, her father all at once stressed the girl's psyche to the limit. It was three days before Ismi came home, and Cal was waiting when she arrived. Obviously, because of the age difference, Cal had been much closer to Kal, but Ismi had loved her little brother and had always spent time with both boys. In Cal's mind, she was not far behind his sister Rebecca as a recipient of his devotion. Both youngsters had broken ribs that made hugging painful, and Ismi was in a wheelchair because of a hairline fracture of her hip. Nevertheless, she pulled Cal's head to her chest and squeezed his face between her breasts, rocking and cooing as a mother would comfort an infant. Over and over she thanked him for protecting her. Then she kept repeating "You're my little brother, now!" again and again like a mantra. Cal's family was not cold or distant, but neither were they very demonstrative about their feelings toward each other. He had received many hugs from his mother and his sister, but this encounter with Ismi was something else. At eleven, the fact that his face was entrapped in a heaven of teenaged loveliness was lost on him. What was not lost on him was the anguished need of the sweet girl that was his friend and the only remaining link to his dead buddy. From that moment, Cal and Ismi were bonded in a unique way. The physical restrictions because of his injuries were very frustrating to Cal, but the loss of his pal was truly agonizing. The two shared many interests, golf being the only notable exception. They were about as close as two boys ever got. For the first few days at home, Cal would burst into tears spontaneously, unable to keep from thinking about his friend. And there were the nightmares. They started the first night in the hospital, but since he was mildly sedated, they did not draw any attention. At home, Cal tried his best not to let his parents know about them. Every night he would wake up in a sweat, sometimes screaming, and after only a few days, they knew what was happening. The nightmares all had him standing helpless, unable to do anything as his friends were brutalized. He would try to get to them to help, but it was the standard nightmare scenario where he was either unable to move or his friends were always farther away no matter how hard he ran. At first, it was either Ismi or Kal or Amelia who were being attacked, but soon, the victims began to be his sister Rebecca or his mother. Those were the times he screamed. Always one to understate his problems to his family, Cal tried to hide the effects of the dreams, but his parents were not fooled. The occasional screams gave him away, and as the days passed, he became haggard, drawn, and listless. Wisely, they sought counseling for him. With money no object, his parents decided to engage a psychiatrist rather than a child psychologist. In many ways, they thought of Cal as more of a teenager or a small adult, rather than an eleven-year-old. They also reasoned that the trauma might carry beyond his childhood years, requiring long-term help. What with the typically crowded schedules of most therapists, the only highly recommended psychiatrist who could take him quickly was Dr. Julia Waxman. At about thirty years old, she had established her practice but still had occasional slots open. They insisted on a session with her themselves before scheduling Cal. Martin's first impression upon meeting the voluptuous young redhead was that they had wasted an hour's fee. There was no way he could take this babe seriously. Elaine shared some of the same thoughts, but was not quite so quick to judge. "I've read about your son's heroics," Julia started out, "and I have read the complete police report. It would be a privilege to work with a young man like that - I can't really think of him as a boy after what he did." "I have to tell you, though," Julia went on, "that I do not have a lot of experience with children or teens. If you decide I am not appropriate to help your son, I won't bill you for this meeting." "Just how would you approach him?" Elaine asked. "Well, as you may or may not know, there are many approaches to determining a patient's core problem. Basically, they fall into two areas. In one approach, the therapist painstakingly covers the patient's entire background and experience to build a good picture of the psyche. The other way is to try to hone in on what is troubling the patient the most, then branch out from there." "Which would you use with Cal?" Martin asked. "From what you said in our brief phone conversation," Julia replied, "we need rapid help with his nightmares. I believe the second approach is indicated here." "Isn't it pretty obvious what is causing the nightmares?" Elaine asked. "What can you do to stop them?" "In a way it is obvious: he went through a terrible traumatic experience. But usually, there is one part of the experience; one particular feeling; one dominant fear or emotion that is the trigger of his distress." "But even if you find out what that is, what can you do about it?" Elaine asked again. "First of all, I would talk to you again," Julia assured her. "I would bring one or more recommendations that we hopefully could agree upon." By that point, Martin's misgivings had changed to outright enthusiasm for the obvious intellect that he saw across the table. Not wanting to usurp his wife's opinion, he asked "Cal is in the car. Can he use the rest of this hour?" Fortunately, Elaine agreed with a smile. ------- Julia may not have treated an eleven-year-old before, but she spent some intensive after-hours study on the best approaches to child emotional trauma. She knew the nightmares were the manifestation of Cal's distress. She needed to find out the thing he feared the most. On her list of areas to explore were the domestic tension, the exposure of his friend Ismi's body, Rachman's rage, the loss of his friend, and the horror of his friend dying in his arms. One or more of those must be the dominant cause of the nightmares. After her initial session and two more, Julia called Martin and Elaine back in. "Your son," she began, "has two very strong, very admirable traits. He has as strong a sense of fairness as I have ever seen, and his protective instincts are off the chart." "Can't argue with that," Martin quipped. "What I believe is contributing most to the nightmares is the feeling of helplessness - not being able to protect his friends. He has also had dreams where he was unable to protect you, Elaine, and his sister." "But we were not involved," Elaine protested. "No, of course not," Julia answered, "but you are the most important women in his life. Because he could not stop the bad things from happening to his friends, he has become afraid that he could not stop something if it was happening to you. That is the nature of trauma and of nightmares." "What can we do about it?" Martin asked. "This may sound like highly unusual treatment," Julia told them, "But I recommend that you enroll him in martial arts." "Wow. That is unusual," Martin agreed. "How will that help?" "It will let him feel like he is doing the best he can to be able to protect his loved ones," Julia explained. "Some of that belief is probably fed by all the action movies. His expectations may be unrealistic, but the important thing is that he will be taking action to alleviate his worst fear." With moist eyes, Elaine asked "Is that really his worst fear - not being able to protect us?" "I believe it is," Julia assured her. "And you think this will stop the nightmares?" Elaine queried. "It may take some time for them to disappear, but the frequency and severity should start to decrease." "Do you have a recommendation on where to take him?" Martin inquired. ------- To his parents' surprise, Cal was very adamant about where he wanted to take lessons. He had seen the mobs of gi-clad youngsters disgorging from mini-vans into the Tai Kwon Do studios that dotted suburban strip malls. He wanted no part of that. He found a large, rather rundown dojo in an old industrial area that had mostly teenaged or adult students, and decided that was the place for him. From the first day, he entered and left the studio in street clothes. Julia's prediction proved to be accurate. After his very first class, Cal had his first night without a bad dream. They still came, but less and less often and they were less and less frightening. He continued his sessions with Julia with decreasing frequency for the next year. What neither his parents nor Julia anticipated was the passion with which the eleven-year-old entered into the martial arts training. His unassuming, introspective demeanor masked an intensity that took to the discipline enthusiastically. What made the sensei, Mr. Yokata, aware of his newest student was the unusual interest in the mental and spiritual aspects of the training. Usually, only the older practitioners were able to appreciate the balance between the physical and non-physical. Within a few weeks, Cal was asking for maintenance tasks that would allow him to stay longer at the dojo. Mr. Yokata realized that the boy was actually seeking more exposure and spent quite a bit of extra time with Cal. The newcomer was a refreshing change from all of the Bruce Li wannabes that unfortunately paid the rent. As his training progressed, Cal surprised his sensei by proclaiming that he had no desire to test for any belts or degrees. He declared that knowing he had the skills was all that interested him. If no one else knew of his capabilities, that was fine with him. Having never encountered such a wish before, Mr. Yokata was concerned that he had misjudged Cal's interest and potential. However, when the boy's intensity continued to increase, he decided to accede to Cal's wishes. His eagerness and his interest in the mental and spiritual elements of the art were more than enough compensation for his lack of drive toward ranking and status. At the dojo, Cal met a boy named Dex Madison [see 'Redemption']. A year older than Cal's bother Pete, Dex had lost both of his parents and had come to town to live with an aunt and uncle the previous year. His motivation for learning was similar to Cal's and he was a recognized basketball star. Despite the four year age difference, the two became friends rather quickly. Cal talked very little about his training. Pete thought it was 'cute' and something he would outgrow. Martin and Elaine saw the nightmares disappearing and everything else returning to normal. If that was what it took, they were perfectly happy for Cal to train all he wanted. Rebecca had an instinctive disdain for 'macho crap', but since Cal never bragged or even talked about it, she accepted it because it was important to him. After several uncharacteristic outbursts from Cal, the family soon accepted that he really wanted his martial arts to be, if not secret, at least not spoken of openly. By the time he was able to golf again, after his injuries had healed, Cal's game took a big jump. Though Martin chalked it up to a growth spurt, Cal was certain that the teachings about focus, concentration, and control of emotions were the reason. He had grown some over the summer, but not enough to explain the dramatic increase in the length of his shots. Always quiet and undemonstrative on the course, he became an ice man. Some of his adult partners found him almost frightening. Mr. Yokata had questioned Cal very carefully before accepting him, mainly because of his youth. He had even called and talked to Dr. Waxman. After Cal's first few sessions, the sensei explained that Cal should concentrate on using his legs and feet. A pre-pubescent boy, like most women, had much better muscle development in his lower body than in the upper. His arm, shoulder, and torso muscles just had not started to develop yet. When school started in the fall, Cal began getting up very early every morning for a workout. At an age when most boys had to be dragged from bed, he was up before the rest of the family. ------- About a month after the tragedy, the Banners invited Elaine's sister, Laura, along with her husband Will and daughter Jolie over for a barbecue and pool party. Laura was three years younger than Elaine, but the sisters had always been quite close. Not that they were all that much alike, at least personality-wise. Physically, it was obvious that they were sisters, and Laura was as athletic as Elaine, having played basketball in high school. Laura was much more demonstrative and flamboyant than her big sister. She always dressed in more provocative outfits and spoke and acted in a more suggestive manner. It took a lot of sisterly love to invite Laura and her family that day for a couple of reasons. First was Will. None of the Banners could figure out how Laura fell for the asshole. He was a college basketball player, undeniably handsome, and came from old money. Other than that, it seemed to be all bad news. He was arrogant, condescending, rude, and he treated his wife and daughter like dirt. Martin and Elaine strongly suspected that Will bounced Laura around at times, but had no proof. The other reason it was hard to invite Laura was her penchant for wearing outrageous swimwear and not bothering with wraps of coverups when she left the pool. The sisters had been taught modesty. Neither had held that closely to what they had been taught, but Elaine was much less willing to bare herself than was Laura. Because of Pete, then fourteen, Elaine had asked Laura to tone it down, but was never taken seriously. For that party, Laura had a new suit, basically a thong. Her ass was for all intents and purposes bare. She giggled about the cold feeling when she first sat on a plastic bench. Elaine's advice to cover has ass, however, was laughingly ignored. Martin and Elaine both knew that Laura had been in love with Martin almost since they first met. To Laura's credit, she had never done anything inappropriate: except for the way she delighted in showing herself to Martin. Both Elaine and Martin were bothered by it, but Will seemed to revel in it. Laura was his possession and showing her off gave him an ego boost. For some reason, Will was in a strange mood that day, not for the first time. By the time the food had been eaten, he had done his best to wipe out the Banners' supply of booze. Within thirty minutes he was almost comatose in a lounge chair. Laura and Jolie seemed to blossom when he checked out. After some relaxing and some swimming, Laura grabbed Pete and told him 'Come on, Pete, I can still take you one on one." Pete was a very good athlete, but basketball was not his sport. Still, it had been a while since Laura had been able to beat him. At fourteen, his muscles had developed amazingly well. Being bigger and stronger, his rebounding alone made her days of winning seem gone forever. Wanting to do anything she could to ease Cal's recovery, she called to him "Come on along, Cal. After I whip your brother, I'll take you both in H-O-R-S-E." Pete had been suffering from a hardon most of the day. As many times as he had seen Laura similarly exposed, there was no way he could get used to it at his age. Cal did not have Pete's problem, but he had looked at his aunt in a very different way that day. Amidst the terror and anguish of that horrible day when Kal died, there were other impressions that refused to leave his mind, ones that he felt guilty about. After her father had ripped off her tank top, Ismi was unable to completely cover her breasts, and the swell of the flesh and a few peeks of rosy nipples seemed fixed in Cal's memory. After Rachman had yanked down her bottoms and she had fallen to the floor, her smooth buttocks were fully exposed for a few moments, along with some dark hair winking between her legs. When Cal had fallen atop her to take the beating himself, she was essentially naked. At the time, he had felt nothing but the pain of the rage-driven kicks, but the sensations from Ismi's bare body beneath him were etched in his memory, to be dredged up many times later. Because of his interest in photography, Cal had always appreciated the beauty of the females who surrounded him. But that had been as an artist. It was not quite the same as appreciating a thoroughbred racehorse, but it definitely had no component of sexual lust. That afternoon spent with his nearly-naked aunt had brought back and amplified the after-the-fact feelings and impressions of Ismi in her distress. He felt that his eyes could not be pulled from Laura, and he kept his camera ready as an excuse for watching her. Several times, he felt the strange pressure in his penis that he had been waking with once in a while. When Laura and the boys headed for the driveway, there had been a minor shouting match between the sisters over her nudity. As usual, she did not give an inch. The driveway was not actually visible from the road or from any other houses. What bothered Elaine was that her sister was on almost complete display to her sons. She had noticed that Pete had been sporting an erection almost from the time Laura arrived. As they all came to the front of the house where the basket was, Pete said "OK, Aunt Laura. How many points do I have to give you today?" Cal thought that his brother's voice was a lacking a little of its usual confidence. "None." "What? You don't want a handicap? You're just going to take your beating like a man?" Pete said with more of his usual bravado. "Like a man, nothing!" Laura laughed. "This is my handicap today." With that, she put a hand under each breast and bounced them a little. Then she turned around and slapped one bare ass cheek lightly. "Oh, and that!" She was pointing directly at Pete's crotch where his appreciation of her skin show was sticking out and up. Pete went flame red and started to turn away, but Laura was on him in a flash. She took his face in her hands and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "Sorry, Pete. I won't tease. At least no more than I have to to win!" She followed that with all-out giggles. Turning suddenly serious, Laura said "Hey, you guys would never say anything about this, would you?" She pointedly included Cal who shook his head firmly. Despite his blush, Pete put up a good front. "Nah, I'll just tell 'em how bad I whipped that bare ass!" With that he picked up the basketball and the game was on. Laura had been an exceptional player. She was a deadly shot and had learned excellent footwork. When she and Pete played, she often got position for rebounds on his shots. Unfortunately for her, he was tall enough to jump up from behind and reach over her for the ball. Pete missed his first shot, not being very accurate. In position for the rebound, Laura felt him behind her. This time, she backed up until her ass made contact. Then, she rose on her toes and wiggled against his erection. She got the rebound and quickly scored. The same tactic worked again for a 2-0 lead. Pete's hardon never completely deflated. He avoided her tactic on rebounds after that, and the score progressed to 7-7. She crouched on defense as he dribbled toward the basket. Suddenly, she stood straight up, revealing that her suit top had slipped down on one side, exposing her breast. Poor Pete stopped in mid dribble and Laura just took the ball past the exchange line and drained a long shot. When it was 9-9, Pete was once again moving toward the basket. He always had to dribble carefully because he was not a great ball handler and her hands were lightning quick. Once again, she stood straight up, but her top was perfectly in place for what little support and coverage it normally gave. Not so her suit bottoms. They tied at the sides and she had surreptitiously undone the left side tie, holding the loose ends in her left hand. As she stood with her legs tight together, the hanging bit of cloth revealed the small patch of hair over her mound, but nothing else. It was enough. Grasping the untied ends with her left hand, she poked away the ball with her right. She then dribbled in and scored the winner one-handed. Although the one-on-one lived up to Laura's boast, the H-O-R-S-E game did not, as Cal wiped out the others handily. Surprised, Laura insisted on another. When two more games ended exactly the same way, she stayed and had Cal try a variety of shots for another twenty minutes. Pete left, quite likely to try to stave off blue balls. Laura was a fun, vivacious person, and she was always good to her nephews and her niece. As avid a sports fan as her sister, she really loved basketball. Discovering Cal's phenomenal shooting skill moved him to the top of the list for her attentions. Even beyond the sports connection, Cal had always been a favorite of Laura's. Perhaps she sympathized with his rather unique position in the family. Perhaps she just appreciated his calm, deliberate approach to most things. It was so unlike her daughter Jolie who was impetuous, volatile, and at ten, already distressingly unpredictable. Cal was certainly aware that his mother and his sister only rarely displayed as much skin as he could see on his aunt. Both Elaine and Rebecca wore stylish two-piece suits, but they were not in the same league as Laura's. Cal also knew that his aunt's undress created tension. He knew she was beautiful and he liked looking at her. That day, for the first time, his penis responded to her presence. When dusk settled in seriously, Laura and Jolie managed to get Will roused and into the car for the three-block trip home. As they had been trained to do, all three of the Banner kids helped clean up and before long, they had all retreated to their rooms. Elaine and Martin were alone in the kitchen, sharing another glass of wine. ------- Chapter 2 Laura's performances always left Elaine tense. She loved her sister dearly, and the only flaw in their relationship was her exhibitionism. Martin never knew just how to loosen her up, but he knew he had to try. Tonight, he decided to try the shock approach. Elaine had a stylish cover-up on over her suit. As she was wiping down the counter, he came up behind her. Reaching under the wrap with both hands, he pulled down her suit bottoms before squeezing a cheek with each hand. She squealed and spun around to face him. He answered her angry glare with a lewd grin and said "Definitely! No doubt about it!" "What?" "Your ass is definitely better. No doubt about it." The brief surge of anger had already erased the tension. His clever re-affirmation of his interest in her body had put her into a playful mood. "Hey, wait a minute, Buster. How can you tell just from a squeeze? Have you been playing grab-ass with my sister?" "Oh, no! I never! Honest!" he protested dramatically. "But I know I'm right. Here, let me make sure." Grabbing her shoulders, he spun her around to face away from him, knelt down and lifted the cover up, then stared at her exposed bottom from close up. He made various questioning sounds. When he sensed that she was about go turn around, he quickly pulled up one of her feet to remove the suit bottoms so she could not pull them back up. "I think the best way for a thorough definitive opinion is to examine this delectable derriere in the shower." He said as he took her hand and pulled her firmly toward the main floor master suite. She was pulling back against him, trying to get her suit bottom off of the remaining ankle. It fell off, but he would not let her go to pick it up. Sex between the Banners was fulfilling to both of them, quite frequent, alternately tender and energetic, and fairly inventive. Not very often was it playful and in danger of discovery. Actually, with all three kids upstairs, discovery was not much of a risk on the short dash to the main floor master suite. Nevertheless, Martin pulled a surprise by stopping dead in his tracks. Off balance, Elaine was unable to stop him from quickly pulling off her cover-up, leaving her in just her swimsuit top. Then, he dashed the remaining dozen steps to the master suite and closed the door, taking the cover-up with him. She was left with the choice of begging him to let her in or going back to where her suit bottom lay and putting it on. This little prank was not done in cruelty, but because he knew his wife. In all her protestations and outward anger at her sister, he knew that she had a suppressed desire to be just as risque as Laura - a desire that made her monstrously horny. Bare-bottomed, the small chance of one of the children seeing her amplified the arousal that had been building all afternoon and evening. Once he opened the door to let her in, there was zero chance they would make it to the shower. He could tell that she stayed right by the door. The fact that she said nothing meant that she honestly feared one of the boys appearing and would be getting hornier by the second. Not wanting to spoil things with any suggestion of meanness, he waited about thirty second before opening the door. Sure enough, she went straight for his swimsuit, yanking it down. Now it was his turn to fight for balance as she dragged him toward the fireplace where a very thick throw rug lay atop the already plush carpet. It was a rug that had proven to surrender the stain of sexual fluids quite easily. More than willing to let her control things, he went down on his back easily as she finished pulling off his suit. She had always been able to arouse him with ridiculous ease, a weapon that she was never reluctant to use. When the suit was out of the way, she straddled him, preparing to impale herself. He, however, had a different idea. Saying "Nope, gotta be able to see that ass!" he did a little wrestling move that ended with her on hands and knees, unable to avoid a giggling squeal. He was hard, she was wet, and in almost no time he was embedded to the hilt. Then he started squeezing and lightly slapping her ass cheeks as he moved in and out. "When you gonna let me take this ass to a nude beach and show it off?" he asked. Instead of saying anything, she just wiggled against him. "Wouldn't you like some horny German guys watching these bare cheeks dance as you walk some Caribbean beach? Wouldn't you like to see them get all hard when the saw you?" She was panting by the time he finished that line, but she was able gasp out "Why dontcha just take Laura? She'd go in a minute. Might even go bare-assed on the plane. Wouldn't you like to see her walking through security in that thong and... unghhh!" That surprised him and triggered a very quick ejaculation. He had barely finished pulsing and was still on his knees when she pulled off and spun around. He still wore a tee shirt and she pulled it off quickly. First wiping down his drooling cock, she then jammed it between her legs before wrapping him up in a searing kiss. Breaking after many seconds, she said "Shower!" and pulled him to his feet. In the shower, they let their hands do the talking. Martin's hardly let go of her crotch, but she spent only enough time on his cock to clean it up. She wanted to give him a little recovery time for the real love-making that was about to take place in bed. For all of his natural aggressiveness, Martin took pride in pleasing his wife. He had come once but she had not, and that was an inequity that had to be rectified. Fortunately, nothing had diminished her arousal level. With one of his hands working her pussy from the front and the other stroking her anus and pussy from the back, he was getting her higher with each rocking motion. She stopped any pretense of washing him. Hooking the long finger of his hand from behind into her vagina and concentrating on her clit with the front hand, he made the back and forth motions as rapid as he could. She clung to his front arm with both of hers to keep from collapsing. Somehow, making her come in an unusual position or situation seemed to generate some of her strongest orgasms, and when she exploded on his hands, it was huge. He knew he would have marks on his biceps from where her nails had dug in from her death-grip. She was totally unable to stand by herself when she stopped convulsing so he sat down in the shower and pulled her into his lap. Silent and content, they sat there for several minutes. When she had regained enough strength and awareness to deliver a tender kiss, he helped her to her feet and they dried off. Walking to the bed, she gave a little gasp at seeing the bedroom door partially open, but he just chuckled and closed it. Both lovers knew it was time for quiet talking. More sex would come later. Over the years, they had perfected an intimate communication position in bed. They lay face to face with his lower arm around her. She was turned partially onto her back and his other hand was between her legs, thumb against her labia. His package was cradled gently in both of her hands. "We really should invite Laura more often," he said. "Thought you said my ass was better," she teased. "No question. It's just that every time she comes over, something like this seems to happen," he told her. After a pause, he asked quietly "You don't really worry about her displays, do you?" "Well, it bothers me because of the boys." "Hey, look at it this way," he said, introducing some teasing into the otherwise tender time, "it's an anatomy lesson you don't have to give them yourself." "But poor Pete!" she exclaimed. "He must have been in pain from the hardon." "Well, all us guys have to learn self-control some time. Hey, did you hear she beat Pete one-on-one." He asked. "But get this: Cal wiped them both out in H-O-R-S-E." "Really? I didn't know he was interested in any sport but golf," Elaine mused. There was a lengthy quiet period before Martin broached the big subject "Now, you aren't worried about me falling for Laura, are you?" "No," she answered quietly, "I'm really not. But she is so blatant, and I know how much she is in love with you." With a big sigh, he told her forcefully "You know I have never done anything about it, and I never, ever will. Honey, she hasn't done anything, either." "Oh, I believe you. Sometimes I feel so sorry for her. I'm sure she never gets anything like this." Saying that, she wriggled her legs together against his hand and started stroking instead of just fondling. Feeling himself start to expand and sensing her readiness, he told her "Baby, that's not something we can help her with, is it?" Those were the last words for quite some time as his mouth was fully occupied with other things. ------- Laura was not doing nearly as well as her sister after the pool party. For all of her apparent nonchalance over her near nudity, every little breeze that had touched her bare skin, and especially every male glance that she had caught had increased her arousal. While playing basketball, she had almost come from the thrill of exposure to her nephews. And Martin. Thinking of him brought tears to her eyes. She loved her brother-in-law so much it hurt. Well, maybe it wasn't him personally as much as the kind of man he was, especially with her sister. Years ago she had figured out that it was mainly lust and greed that had attracted her to Will. That was after she had figured out what love was from watching Elaine and Martin. When she started dating Will in college, she thought she had what she had always wanted. He was Hollywood handsome. A basketball player, his long, lean body excited her beyond belief. All of the wonderful things she could do and have because of his money were a wonderful bonus. Even his arrogance touched a latent submissive streak in her, making her long to be possessed by him. Well, she had been possessed for going on thirteen years, and it was not what she had expected. His possession of her often seemed less important to him than his possession of his Porshce. He did not treat her as the treasure she longed to be. Martin was also an athlete, but he lacked Will's overriding arrogance. When Elaine started going with him, Laura thought that was fine for her older sister who seemed a little stodgy sometimes. But Martin just didn't seem to possess Elaine the way Laura felt she herself needed. It was only after a few years that Laura really began to see the genuine adoration, consideration, and respect that Martin had for his wife. Before, Laura did not even know to seek those things in a man. Now, she hungered desperately for them, yearning to fill the emptiness and loneliness that was her marriage. Coming home from her sister's house that night, though, emptiness and loneliness were overwhelmed by sheer horniness. With a little help from Jolie, Laura managed to get Will into bed. Sending Jolie to her own room, she undressed him and let him sink back into slumber. After putting everything from the day away, Laura showered and got into bed, foregoing any clothing. With a half-sad, half-disgusted look at her snoring husband, she pulled a vibrating dildo from the night stand drawer, then turned off the light. Fifteen minutes of alternately stimulating her clit with the vibrations and plunging the fake cock into her passage had brought her no closer to completion, and she could not hold back the tears of frustration. Slamming the toy onto the floor with no regard to the noise, she sat up and held her face in her hands. Then, she looked over at Will and saw that he was sprawled on his back. She threw the covers completely off of him and stared at his prick, which she could barely see in the darkened room. Of all the things that had made her marry him, this was about the only thing that was not a disappointment. The only problem was the usually inconsiderate, sometimes brutal way in which he used it. Laura got lots of sex, at least when Will was not on one of his frequent trips. She suspected he got lots when he was away, too, but forced herself not to dwell on it. Because she craved sex so much, she long ago decided not to try to move him toward making love, rather than just fucking. She correctly deduced that she was getting all of the meager tenderness he was capable of. If she had truly married him for lust and greed, then she should be satisfied with fulfilling those criteria. In bed, Will was dominant and forceful. Because he was well-endowed and had decent endurance, his usual primitive pounding of her pussy produced a lot of wonderful feelings in her. Occasionally, when she had a chance to warm herself up beforehand, she came as he fucked her. It pleased him tremendously, and saved her the job with her dildo after he left for dreamland. Whether or not he was distributing his seed among the female population, she knew that she had a strong hold on him. Her sex appeal for him had not died, and she did everything in her power to make sure it did not. In her heart of hearts, she knew that was the only thing of value in her marriage, and she could not afford to lose it. Reaching out to take hold of his limp shaft, she realized that he was not at all fresh and clean, but chose not to worry about that. Her only concession was to use her hand to generate an erection, rather than her mouth. While loving his organ, Laura could forget the bad things about her mate. Since well before puberty, male organs had fascinated her. She did not have to force herself to lovingly stroke the stiffening shaft and gently knead the swollen balls. As she played, she could not stop herself from wondering what Martin's was like - or even Pete's. She had nothing but cloth-covered bulges to go by. Daydreaming about her male relatives had the beneficial effect of further increasing her lubrication. From past experience, Laura knew that Will could maintain a fully serviceable erection for a long time without waking up. It was not often that he drank himself into a stupor, but she had taken advantage of some of his other bouts. In his current condition, he made a good warm-blooded dildo, certain to hang in there until she was at least minimally satisfied. For once, she did not climb aboard as soon as he was stiff enough to penetrate. Almost in a daze, she found herself idly stroking his stomach, hips, and thighs. His conditioning was one thing he shared with Martin. Both men worked out regularly to avoid the dissolution so common to athletes past their competitive years. Martin openly said he was determined to keep up with Elaine. Laura wished that Will felt enough for her to do the same. Realizing that his tool had been ready for a while, she shook herself and straddled him, reveling in the rare treat of being in the top position. The infrequent times she had been able to enjoy it when he was awake had been some of the best sex of their marriage. The way he had looked up at her gave hope that she indeed had, if not a hold on him, at least a very strong attraction. She liked to lean forward over him so her motion could be more backward and forward, rather than just the leg-straining up and down. If his erection would last, she could get a blessed explosion out of it. His brewery breath threatened to dampen her ardor as she got closer to his face, but she would not let herself be distracted. For several minutes she enjoyed the undoubted best part of her husband and felt her arousal moving beyond what she had accomplished with the toy. Just as she allowed herself to anticipate completion, a thrill ran through her when she felt him thrust back. At the first tentative push, she looked at his face, ignoring the toxic blast of air. Three increasingly strong thrusts later, his eyes opened and she saw something close to tenderness. His hands moved slowly up her thighs and hips on their way to her aching nipples. His next move would be the mauling of her breasts, but that was OK. Gentle caresses were not what she needed right then. In fact, she was so close that when he pinched both nipples together, she went over. Unable to maintain her position as she spasmed, she fell forward atop him. He was awake enough to enjoy what was happening, and his thrusts up at her increased to almost jack-hammer intensity. Her orgasm was extended for almost a minute before he grunted and almost heaved her off with the strength of his own climax. For all of his faults, Will was quite fastidious, and after he recovered he realized the state he was in. He eased her off of himself quite gently and headed for the bathroom. Laura was still in post-orgasmic lala land, but sensed her own loss of freshness. The brief hint of tenderness and affection in his eyes earlier had emboldened her and she went into the bathroom just as he turned on the shower. As women will do, Elaine had rhapsodized about showering with Martin, and Laura decided to risk trying it. He was definitely surprised when she stepped in, but she gave him no time to react, kneeling immediately and soaping his lower legs. When she had worked upward to his penis, she washed it tenderly, then rinsed it and took it in her mouth. There was no question she was worshipping it. He knew it, she knew it, and it knew it, capturing the blood flow it needed to achieve full extension. With the soap still in her hand, Laura kept his cock securely in her mouth, but began soaping and caressing his crotch, starting with his scrotum and moving back. When she had done a thorough job of cleansing his crack, she spent some time just running her hands over his muscular buttocks and thighs. Not remembering where she had seen or read about it, one of Laura abiding fantasies was sex in the shower. It flashed through her mind again as Will's arousal signs increased. Desperately hoping that she had judged the time right so that it was impossible for him to refuse, she went for fulfillment. Their luxurious shower had a low bench along one side, perfect for shaving legs while either seated or while sanding with one foot up on the bench. She faced the bench and bent way over to rest her forearms on it. Trying to make sure that standing entry was easy and obvious to him, she spread her legs quite wide and wiggled her ass in invitation. For Will, imagination and sex did not go together. Laura's body excited him tremendously, but the excitement was too much centered in his crotch. Caresses for the sake of feeling; new and more stimulating positions; these things were not in his mindset. She could always get him worked up and ready to come. Accomplishing that necessary goal was what sex was about to him. However, he must have seen plenty of shower sex encounters in porn films along the way. The current need was extreme, even though he had come once already, and her presentation was irresistible. He did not hesitate. She had misjudged slightly, and he had to bend his knees a little to enter her. Once embedded, he grasped her hips and pulled her more upright, allowing himself to stand straight-legged. But that brought her legs closer together and increased the pressure from his thick, bloated member. He was plunging instantly, and it felt absolutely wonderful to her. With a fleeting thought that this might be the one chance in her lifetime to fulfill the long-time fantasy, she determined to get the most out of it. As the capacity for ordered thought began to flee from her, she brought one hand between her legs to work her clit. At times, he had berated her when she had diddled herself as they fucked. Right then, she did not care. Will's next actions made obvious the flavor of porno that he liked. After several hard thrusts, he freed one hand from grasping her hip and slapped the exposed side of her buttock hard. Her response was not reasoned, but autonomic. She moaned and thrust back almost hard enough to knock him off balance. His response was just as automatic as he rained a series of smacks on her ass, alternating hands. All through their relationship, Laura had wanted to be possessed by him. She now wished she could be treasured and adored, as well, but the possession was the erotic key for her. The spanking was such a virile way to declare ownership. It had only happened a few times, but the effect on her was always dramatic. He could not get a good enough angle and there was not enough cheek exposed to cause serious pain. The pain he did cause seemed to morph instantly into arousal. Between his smacks and thrusts, her masturbation, and the thrill of her submission, she was soon racing toward climax. Though he had fucked quite a number of women, Will knew that his wife was the best of all of them. One of the reasons was the feel of her vagina. During the plunging and thrusting phase, she had a combination of heat, pressure, and smoothness that no other woman had equaled. On those times when she came around him, her vaginal muscles did things no other partner came close to. The multiple stimulations drove her over the edge, and her celebrating cunt took him along. Expressing gratitude for a wonderful coupling was something Will had never done, and she did not expect it. His ejaculation told her that she had brought him great pleasure, but he could never put it into words. Somehow, it was vitally important to him that she know that she was just doing her job. Will left the shower first, dried off quickly, and was asleep when Laura reached the bed. As she stood and gazed at his slumber, she thought about the choices she had made when marrying him. Even amidst her envy of her sister's loving marriage, that night she had to admit she would choose it again. ------- The Mussafi saga did not end with Ismi's eventual physical recovery. Rachman was granted bail, and within a few hours had disappeared. Later investigation showed that the local mullahs had collaborated with his family back in Saudi Arabia to smuggle him out. Evidently, the family had been persuaded to reinstate the returned prodigal. Whether through foresight or sheer luck, Amelia quickly engaged a lawyer who obtained an injunction freezing Rachman's domestic assets. The process was completed literally hours before an attempted transfer to a Saudi bank. Some accounts were offshore and were untouchable, but there was nearly ten million frozen. It took even more maneuvering to obtain funds to keep the import business operating during all of the legal battles. Every one of the eleven employees was Islamic, and Amelia was tempted more than once to shut it down in anger. Her lawyer prevailed, however, and a stand-in manager was hired. Amelia herself was not ready to deal with the staff. The legal battles that ensued were epic, and some were groundbreaking. Amelia's sought-for divorce was the least controversial. Since Rachman had fled a criminal indictment and gone to a foreign country, his legal standing was not very strong. His family hired a cadre of attorneys who strung out the proceedings for a year and a half. In the end, though, Amelia was granted all of the cash assets and ownership of the company, which she immediately sold. The house on the golf course held a lot of bad memories and was much larger than Amelia and Ismi needed. However, Ismi was thrown into a near panic at any talk of moving away from Cal and leaving her school. As a compromise, the house was massively redone inside and out, completely changing the overall look and feel. It seemed to satisfy both women. As soon as the divorce was in process, Amelia went through the legal process of changing their names. They used her maiden name of Barnes, but Ismi wanted a different first name, as well. They settled on Isabel, which had family significance in Amelia's ancestry. The girl rather liked Ismi as a nickname, as long as she had a Western given name. The similarities between 'Ismi' and 'Isabel' made it a good choice. Upon his return to Saudi, Rachman became virulently anti-American. He soon established himself as an important middle-man for funds to support the many terrorist groups that were growing rapidly all over the Middle East. The U.S. at first tried to extradite him for trial. As was typical, however, there was no will to do anything that would endanger the Saudi oil flow, and Rachman escaped with nothing but some lost millions. Predictably, the healing of bruises and broken bones was only the tip of the iceberg for Ismi. Her father, once loved, revered, and respected by her, had turned into an irrational monster who killed her brother while trying to humiliate her. It is hard to fathom the kind of damage that does to a young teenaged girl. Amelia was close to Cal's parents and knew about his success with treatment, so she got Ismi onto Dr. Waxman's schedule. Treatment undoubtedly prevented even more serious psychological problems, but Ismi was never quite the same again. The stunning beauty was still there. But the pure, innocent, natural sexuality that had caused every male in sight to ache for her was blunted. There was now a reticence, a timidity, a shrinking inward. Where previously she had seemed totally unaware and unconcerned about her effect on people, her little world had now been shattered. Now, she was always conscious of and often fearful of people and events around her. What her father's rantings had failed to accomplish, she now did to avoid notice. Her signature summer attire of brief shorts and tank tops was replaced by cargo shorts and loose Tees. Her rich, raven hair that had flowed like a luxuriant halo around her smiling face was now pulled in a pony tail through the hole in a nondescript baseball cap. She wore sunglasses almost everywhere, and her makeup sat in the bathroom, drying out from disuse. Instead of her seemingly weightless, almost skipping stride, she now seemed to skulk on her way, as if trying her hardest not to be seen. The first time Ismi came to the Banners' to swim after her recovery, Amelia came with her. When Ismi dropped her wrap to reveal a quite-conservative one-piece suit, Amelia gave a sad shrug in the background. Previously, Ismi's moderately-risque white two-piece had been the centerpiece of any pool she happened to grace. Pete and Ismi were the same age. They had always been good friends, but there never seemed to be a romantic spark there. Perhaps at fourteen, they still thought that life-long friendship precluded anything further. Pete was a good guy, even though he liked to indulge in rather biting humor. Cal could tell that Pete was about to comment on Ismi's suit, and he reacted quickly. They were both in the pool, so Cal simply splashed a spray of water at his brother. Then he hurried up to Pete cautioning "Don't say anything about the suit!" Pete was considerate enough of what Ismi had been through to hold his tongue, and a minor crisis was averted. That awful summer, Cal was still getting frequent treatment for his own fears, but he talked a lot with Dr. Waxman about Ismi. Since she was now treating both youngsters, Julia was conflicted as to how she could help Cal help his friend. Mostly, she just encouraged him to spend time with Ismi. Spending time with Ismi was not a problem. She seemed to attach herself to Cal at every possible occasion. When he started golfing again, she wanted to be on the course with him. She had no interest in or knowledge of the game, but that's where Cal was. It was a carts-only course, but because of his age, Cal was not allowed to drive a cart. At fourteen, Ismi was old enough, and on several occasions she was his driver. At times when Cal was playing in gaps on the holes closest to his home, she would walk with him and talk, being careful not to disturb him when he was shooting. Julia was aware of Ismi's dependence on Cal, but did not yet see a clear resolution to the problem. She knew that Cal was willing to fulfill the role, but it had to end at some point. At fourteen, Ismi was in the full bloom of sexual maturity. Cal, however, had as yet shown no signs of puberty. Julia did not think there was a sexual component to Ismi's dependence on Cal, and she was thankful for that. From his rather sheltered, pampered existence, the summer had been a crash course in the realities of life for young Cal. Losing his buddy had hurt him terribly. To his credit, seeing the change in his lovely friend was hurting him almost as much. Other than the nightmares, he had been able to deal with his own grief. It was hard for him to understand why Ismi could not just deal with hers. "Cal, you have your training. You are able to do something positive to help your fears," Julia told him. "And remember, even though you and Khalid were very close, he was Ismi's brother. Worse than that, it was her father that did it. Can you even imagine what that is like for her?" Cal's sensei also gave him some valuable insight. "You want to help people, Cal, and that is good. But sometimes, you have to just recognize what IS and deal with it. Sometimes the 'why' is beyond our grasp. Your friend is hurting and she needs you. Do not think less of her because she cannot deal with her grief as you do. Just be there for her, and maybe someday you will find a way." It was two weeks before school was to start and Cal and Ismi had just come back from the golf course. They were sitting on the pool edge, dangling their feet in the water. After a long period of silence, Cal just blurted out "He won, didn't he?" Ismi stared at him in puzzlement that turned briefly to anger. Then, her shoulders slumped and she stared at the pool. "Is that what you think?" Cal didn't answer. Instead, he gave her a pat on the shoulder, and hurried into the house. Returning in less than three minutes, he held an expanding wallet with Ismi's name on the tab. "Stay there for a minute," he told her as he sat at a patio table and sorted through the pictures in the folder. When he called her up to the table, he had laid out four pairs of pictures of her. In each pair, one was before the tragedy, and one was recent. There were two pairs showing the contrast between her previous shorts and tank top outfits and her current casual attire. One pair showed her in her white two-piece versus the current one-piece. The other pair was close-ups of her face. The first showed her flowing hair, her light but effective makeup, and a glowing smile. Its companion showed a haunted look, severely pulled back hair, and not a hint of makeup. Cal had cheated. All of the 'before' pictures were magazine-quality shots, showing Ismi at her stunning best. She just stood and stared at the pictures for several minutes, not crying, not saying anything, hardly breathing. Then, she looked up and stared at him for what seemed an equal length of time. "So you think he won, huh?" she asked softly. "Isn't this more how he wanted you to dress?" he asked, waving at the column of 'after' pictures. "Isn't that what your friends at school will think?" There was another very long pause as she looked at the before pictures again. "Do I really look that good?" she asked quietly. "Pictures don't lie," he assured her. After still another pause, she said softly "I don't want him to win. What can I do?" She had not noticed it, but Cal had laid a bag on the chair when he brought the pictures out. Now, he reached into the bag and pulled out her white two-piece, which Amelia had left with them in hopes of a breakthrough. "You can start with this." Ismi's head snapped toward him with a look of surprise. Then the most wonderful thing happened: she giggled - for the first time since that awful day. "You're too young to be a pervert!" she declared, but she skipped toward the patio door in almost her previous carefree style. Cal learned a lot about human nature that summer, and especially about girls. Even though the sexual interest was not yet there for him, he had strong affection for Ismi, and getting her back to her former self was his top personal goal. Ismi managed to resume her former mode of dress before school started. Some of the old sparkle was gone, probably forever, but she had decided not to let her father win. The episode with Ismi and the pictures was one of the rare times he had shown them to anyone, and certainly the first time he had used them to make a point. Her reaction as she stared at the images of herself made a lasting impression on him. At his next session with Julia, she greeted him with a laugh and said, "I suppose you want all the fees I got for treating Ismi?" "Huh?" "Well, you're the one who found the key to getting her to dress normally." "Yeah, but you worked with her all summer," he said quickly. After staring at him for a moment, Julia grinned and said "Tell you what. Instead of talking about your problems anymore, let's just get together and discuss psychology for as long as your Dad is willing to pay, OK?" They both got a good laugh out of that. ------- Early in his sixth grade year, just before he turned twelve, Cal was asked into Mr. Yokata's office after class one day. "Usually," the teacher started out, "I do this with high school boys. I think that you are ready. I know you have a sister, and I know about the girl you helped. That is good. I want you to start dancing lessons." "Dancing lessons!?" Cal almost shouted in disbelief. "But... but... why?" "Rhythm is important to the art, and dancing teaches that. Also, I think a young man should have some social skills. Dancing is something that greatly pleases the ladies." Cal mounted all sorts of protests, especially when told that he must ask Rebecca, Ismi, and Rebecca's friend Tessa to practice with him. He also found out about Cal's cousin Jolie, a year younger than Cal. Jolie lived nearby, and Mr. Yokata insisted that Cal enlist her help, as well. "If you have to fight, there can be many different types of movements and attacks. Different dancing partners will teach you to react to the different movements," was Mr. Yokata's rationale. He heaped further anguish on the boy by insisting that he also practice at least once with his mother, his aunt, Ismi's mother, and Tessa's mother. Cal came home almost in trance after receiving that news. It was so far from what he expected from his training that he could not understand it. There was also another major problem that was worrying him. Over the summer, Cal's growth spurt had been accompanied by another phenomenon: he experienced his first wet dreams. Those first precursors of puberty were not a complete surprise to Cal. It turned out that Amelia had been very open and forthright about Khalid's sexual education, and Khalid had shared it all with Cal. Now more than ever, Cal sorely missed his buddy. He just knew that he could not ask his own parents for that advice and guidance. While still a boy cock, Cal's increasingly prevalent hardon was becoming more noticeable all the time. No longer was it just a hard button lost in the folds of his shorts or jeans. He had already figured out that looking at or being near a girl could cause him to stiffen at any time. He just knew that when he danced with them, it would happen, they would notice, and he would be monstrously embarrassed. As the girl he was closest to, Rebecca was the first one he asked to practice with him. Her reaction was another education. She acted as if it was suddenly Christmas. The problem was, in her glee, she hugged him, and it happened before he had taken his first dance step. Actually, the problem came up when he was working with his dance instructor, as well. She, however, was very experienced with boys and could make herself seem oblivious. Rebecca was not experienced and quickly noticed his predicament. She said nothing, but could not avoid a gasp and a blush. The practice session had hardly ended before she was on the phone to her pal Tessa, giggling through the whole story. The next day, Cal asked Ismi to practice with him, and went to her house. She no sooner held out her arms to get in position than he stiffened almost painfully, and she saw it. Ismi's feelings for Cal were quite complex. Julia had been correct that there was no romantic or sexual attraction. At that age, the three years of age difference meant that she was a full-fledged woman while he was still a boy, just barely entering puberty. For quite a while, Ismi had been highly dependent on Cal. Although that had been overcome, she now viewed him as the epitome of a protective male. The fact that she was nearly as tall as him and almost outweighed him mattered not at all. She had needed him, he had been there, and she just knew he always would be, no matter what the problem. At the same time, she felt protective of him in the same way she had toward Khalid. After just a moment's confusion, Ismi pulled Cal over to a sofa and sat down beside him. "Cal, you risked a lot to help me out - maybe saved my life. I want to help you understand some things. Mom has told me all about boys. Will you let me explain what's happening to you? I promise I'll try not to embarrass you. And Cal, you know I could never think anything bad about you." No amount of martial arts training could give a boy Cal's age enough composure for a situation like that one. Could 'what's happening to you' be a reference to his erection? Was she actually going to talk to him about it? How could she? How could he? For long moments he just sat there, wanting in the worst way to escape, but unwilling to insult his friend by running away. It was minutes before he could look up at her. When he did, he saw only love and concern in her eyes. "Maybe you'd rather have Mom talk to you," she said softly. Just the hint of disappointment in her voice convinced Cal that he could not turn her down. "N... no," he stammered. "Wh... what do you want to tell me?" Ismi proceeded with a gentle, quite accurate description of the whys and hows of erections and ejaculation. She even went on to explain her own anatomy and the mechanics of intercourse. It was quite a while before they got around to dancing again. As they stood to resume practice, she told him "All of us girls love you Cal. We know what is happening to you, and we're not upset. So just forget about it and dance, OK?" That encounter with Ismi became the first of many lessons Cal was to receive concerning sex and who was in charge of it. Ismi delivered her lesson to him almost without a blush, and with no giggling or suggestive remarks. She made it all seem so natural and right. Ismi made it her personal mission to tell all the other girls and women what was happening to Cal. She warned them in the sternest tones to just ignore it and not to embarrass him in any way. As the youngest, it was hardest for Jolie to absorb, but Ismi made it very clear what would happen if she upset Cal. The woman most shocked and upset by Ismi's little lecture was Elaine, s mother. As a wife and a mother of an older son, the onset of puberty was certainly no surprise or mystery to her. She had, of course, seen some sheets and sleepwear from Cal with the unmistakable crust of dried cum. Having been through it with Pete, she had hardly given it a second thought. Elaine had never had 'the talk' with Pete, and had no intention of discussing sex with her youngest. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure that Martin had not done his job with Pete, either. Oh well. Her eldest was turning out just fine. He treated girls nicely, and they flocked around him, even though he was just a sophomore-to-be. But obviously, Amelia's girl must have talked to Cal about puberty. How could she do that? How did she know? Elaine wanted to ask Amelia, but that would reveal her own uncertainty and reluctance on the subject. But for Ismi to warn her not to embarrass her own son! She could not recall ever having danced with Pete. Their relationship was almost like that between two males as Pete got older. Elaine loved sports and was very knowledgeable. It gave her and Pete a wonderful bond. Cal was into sports, too, but sports somehow did not seem to be the dominant factor in his personality. Being brutally honest with herself, Elaine had to admit that she had never known how to relate to Cal. From all appearances, they had a very good, very normal mother-son relationship. It was just that Cal seemed to view the world differently from the rest of them. As he got older, that difference in view became more apparent. As it turned out, Cal waited until everyone else had practiced with him before asking his mother. She felt bad about it and made a big todo about how much she enjoyed it. Somewhat to her surprise, her enjoyment was real, and she insisted they had to it some more. Being tall, she dwarfed Cal, but dancing with him gave her a sense of greater closeness than she had ever had before. Mr. Yokata quizzed Cal thoroughly on everything that happened about dancing. When Cal once commented that the dance instructor spent almost as much time on manners as on dancing, Mr. Yokata pointed out that in his classes, they also demanded the proper ritual and forms. After each new partner, the sensei made Cal describe her movements and how they were different from the others. Before satisfying Mr. Yokata's requirements, Cal had practiced several times with each of the eight females. Rebecca and her best friend Tessa, in fact, would be waiting for him after school every night. When his sensei first told him about the dancing, he had said 'Dancing is something that greatly pleases the ladies'. It did not take all of Cal's exceptional powers of observation to see that his teacher had grossly understated the appeal. Every single one of the women lit up in a special way as he danced with them. He had not yet developed thoughts of sexual conquest, but their reactions made him feel very good and any negative feelings he once had about dancing were long gone. ------- Chapter 3 It was nice of his big brother Pete to ask, but Cal wasn't that anxious to hang around with Pete's two jock friends. Especially, he would rather avoid that blowhard Brad, star of the basketball team since Dex Madison had graduated the June before. The joke was that Brad was such a prolific scorer because no one could stand to be close enough to guard him effectively. Cal would be a freshman in another month, while Pete and Brad would be the senior rulers of the school's athletic universe, Pete for football and wrestling. Besides being almost a scratch golfer, Cal was a deadly basketball shooter, and that was why Pete wanted him to join the group assembled by the hoop on the large concrete pad that was the Banners' driveway. Pete did not like Brad much more than anyone else did, and he intended to use his little brother to count some coup on his rival. ------- In seventh grade, Cal had been able to participate in organized basketball in school for the first time. He very quickly became recognized as a phenomenal shooter but only an average overall player. While handling the ball, he often seemed indecisive and hesitant to act. The sensei was a pragmatist, doing his best to make his students' martial arts skills relevant to their other interests. Cal had complained about his lack of skill in floor play on the court. "I like to be able to plan things out in my mind," he said. "I can think through a complete golf shot before I do it, but in a basketball game, everything is happening out of my control. I can't plan out my moves." "Yes, you can plan out your moves," Mr. Yokata assured him. "The difference is that in golf, your move is short and simple. There is nothing to worry about but you, the club, and the ball. The swing takes only a short time." "In basketball, your plan must take in all of the other players. You must also plan out a longer time." With that, the sensei threw a punch at Cal, which the boy automatically deflected with a practiced move. "Why did you do that?" Mr. Yokata asked. "That is how you taught me to respond to that move," Cal responded. Without waiting, Mr. Yokata launched a straight kick at Cal, followed by a punch as Cal evaded the kick. Using the momentum from the punch, which Cal had deflected, the sensei unleashed a sweeping roundhouse kick. Once again, Cal used a practiced move to avoid the kick and start a counterattack. When the little flurry ended, Mr. Yokata asked "How did you have time to plan all of the moves?" "I didn't. Those were all responses that you taught me. They were automatic. I... Oh!" "You need your basketball moves to be automatic responses, as well. You also need to plan out longer sequences of moves." "But it is hard to plan when I have to react to everything moving around me," Cal complained. "Let your mind plan while your body does automatic things, like running up the court, or dribbling," was the response. Cal was put into a more advanced level of training, usually reserved for older students. He faced two, then three, then four other students or instructors who had been coached to make specific moves against him. Over and over the sequences were repeated. As soon as he was able to see one attack completely in his mind, a new attack was devised. Good awareness of his surroundings had always been one of Cal's skills. The sensei was training him to maintain that awareness through complex activities and to learn to plan out his actions in a busy environment. Within a few months, Cal's floor play had improved to 'very good'. The coaches considered him a throwback. On the court, he showed almost no emotion, except for encouraging his teammates after good plays. As he shot, he seemed unaware of anything but the basket, even if a defender was hurtling toward a certain collision with him. ------- One outstanding trait that Cal did share with his parents and his brother was his fierce competitiveness. Once he had decided a contest was worth being involved in, he was single-minded in his pursuit of victory. He had not been excited about the upcoming shootout with Brad, but once he saw that there was no way to avoid it, he was ready to go all out for the win. The four-way game of H-O-R-S-E turned out exactly as Pete had hoped, with the same result in two more games. By that time, Brad was more than a little irritated, and allowed as how some money on the result would definitely change the outcome. Pete could not have set it up better himself. Money was something that just was not terribly important to Cal. There had never been a shortage of it throughout his life, but neither did he have a lot of things that he wanted to acquire, other than his photo equipment. The upshot was that the money only affected Brad, and when he departed in a huff, he left behind what had been the contents of his wallet. Pete was beaming, and the other friend was just as happy. Cal was not particularly happy about the way he was used, but thought it no use to mention his irritation to Pete. Besides, he had won, and it was always fun to puncture a blowhard. ------- Apparently, word of Brad's humiliation spread rapidly because the assistant basketball coach sought out Cal on the second day of school. To his invitation to try out for the team when the season started, Cal responded that he needed to concentrate on his golf. Not many assistants would waste any more time on a 5'10" freshman after having been rebuffed, but he was a math teacher who had prized Rebecca as a student. He assumed that the whole family was gifted with better than average skills. Cal did enjoy basketball, but his life was pretty full with golf, martial arts, and photography. There was, however, one important consideration that made him sign up. He knew it would please his parents immensely to see him play a major sport. Pete, at 6'3" and 225, was in line for a linebacker scholarship at a major university. Martin and Elaine wanted to take just as much pride in their youngest, and his making the basketball team would make that very easy. Despite living on a course, they just could not work up the same enthusiasm for golf. Perhaps it was the lack of a cheering crowd. Cal agreed to try out when the basketball season started. He resigned himself to being very busy for the four months of the high school season. He even considered not going out for the golf team. He had plenty of chances to play and he thought the competition he regularly got from adult club members would be better than on the school team. At least for the first two months of school he could just concentrate on schoolwork and his regular activities. Best laid plans. Cal had taken Mr. Yokata's advice about building up his legs and feet very seriously. At fourteen, with his vigorous exercise routine, his arms and torso were developing very nicely. His legs, however, were exceptionally strong and tough. He knew that he would never carry the upper body musculature of his big brother, so he never let up on the leg work. Back in the sixth grade, Cal had rigged up a kicking dummy in the basement. The problem was that he kicked so hard that the noise carried through the whole house. Since he was up very early for his workouts, the family had to put a stop to that. In some ways, though, that was good. He was able to construct a better dummy on a large, sturdy tree. There was no chance of destroying it, and the noise was not objectionable inside the house. One morning after the football team eked out a close win, Pete was awakened early by a painful stinger suffered in the game. He heard the pounding noise and looked out to see Cal whaling on his kicking dummy. He was awed by the astonishing speed of Cal's leg and the force with which he struck. The team was very good, and had a good chance to win their conference. In the first game, though, they had been hurt by giving up good field position on kick offs. There was no one who could get the ball high and deep to help the kickoff team pin the opponent deep. Pete skipped lunch and talked to the coach. After school, he convinced Cal to come to the practice field with him. Cal was a little confused until Pete handed him a pair of shoes and Pete and an assistant coach took several balls to the adjacent baseball field. Holding a ball, Pete told Cal to see how far he could kick it. Twenty minutes later the assistant practically dragged the head coach to the baseball field to see how Cal could kick. As it turned out, everyone dropped what they were doing to witness the demonstration. Cal had played soccer until Khalid died. Just as with his golf stroke, his kicking stroke was incredibly consistent, in addition to his unbelievable distance. Soon, everyone was begging him to join the team. Being a fan of most sports, Cal enjoyed football, and especially liked watching Pete play. However, given his slight build, he never considered playing himself. He had grown to 5' 10" but had not yet reached 140 pounds. The idea of being a kickoff specialist and spending most of the game on the bench was not at all interesting to him. It just did not appeal to his competitive instinct. As Cal listened to the coach, it was Pete who talked him into it. Winning was important to Pete's scholarship chances, and Cal was willing to support his brother. By the time he went home, he was outfitted with a uniform and permission forms for his parents and his doctor to sign. Pete was almost giddy with joy over discovering his little brother's unsuspected talent. When the next game started on Friday night, Cal found himself kicking off on the first play of the game. It was a warm, still night and the ball carried beyond the end line where the opposition could not even catch it. The team scored five times and every one of Cal's kickoffs ended up in a touchback. The whole Banner family plus Aunt Laura and the neighbors Teri Walts and her daughter Tessa were overjoyed at Cal's success. Just the pride shown by his parents was enough to overcome his original reluctance to play. He knew it was often hard for them to understand him. Having the extra bond brought on by joining the team was worth the time spent practicing. There were only two other freshmen on the varsity. Between being younger than most players and being the kickoff specialist, Cal was pretty much on his own within the team. Yet, the relative seclusion did not bother him. He was in far better shape than most team members because of his early morning workouts. He worked endlessly at his kicks, ending up with over fifty at every practice. Football did indeed take up a lot of Cal's days. However, because lots of running was involved, along with weight work, it replaced some of the conditioning he did in his morning workouts. On days with practice, he began getting up later. That only lasted a couple of weeks, though, as he had begun to enjoy his very early times. He went back to the same wake-up times but started leaving some studying to fill the extra time. It was always dangerous to estimate how long an assignment would take, but there was usually some work that was due later than the current day, and that worked perfectly. Cal could not have said that he genuinely liked playing football, largely because of his rather isolated team status. He did like being on the team with his brother, though, and because the team was very good, he enjoyed winning. He also felt good about the joy it brought his friends and family to watch him play. As was his way, once he had decided to play, he was determined to improve. Mr. Yokata gave him some tips and specific drills to increase his leg extension. At practice, he spent more time working on extra points and field goals, although the senior place kicker was very accurate within his distance and not in danger of losing his job to Cal. Punting was much like a goalie's kick in soccer, except that Cal did not kick straight away. The senior place kicker also did the punting, and the coach would not consider giving that job to Cal. Cal was thinking of next year. Kickoffs and punts are very nervous times for the coach of the kicking team. Too often, it is like playing ten men against eleven. The kicker is often not a strong defender and tackler. Having a specialist as the last line of defense is not a comfortable feeling for the coach. As slim as he was, Cal did not impress the coaches as a good bet for a safety, and that was one reason to keep the senior doing punts, because he was also a defensive back. Kickoffs were a different matter, since Cal allowed only three runbacks in his first four games. The team was five and oh going into the crucial Homecoming game against their major conference rival. It was a very windy day and the opponent chose the wind in the first and fourth quarters. With four minutes to play, Cal's team was down ten points when Greg Overland, a sophomore backup running back, broke free for a seventy yard score to bring them within three. The deficit was largely due to two punt runbacks by the opposition's very fast, very shifty return man. The coach was faced with a real dilemma, as the same runner was back for the kickoff. With the stiff wind directly in his face, it was doubtful that Cal could kick much beyond the twenty. The coach's first thought was to put in a strong tackler instead of Cal and let him kick it short. That, however, would almost guarantee a starting position near midfield. If Cal kicked it low and short, the ball would probably be handed back to the dangerous runner. After a little argument between coaches on the sideline, it was decided to ignore the wind and play it straight up. Cal decided on his own to keep it lower, something he had been practicing. The kick reached the twelve or fifteen and was wobbling back and forth in the wind. The runner bobbled it momentarily, and that threw the 'gunners' off stride as the return man darted sideways to pick it up. By time he was in full stride, he was already past five of Cal's teammates. Pete was a regular member of the kickoff team. With his defensive prowess, the coach wanted him on the field for every possible play. He was on the far side from where the return wedge was set up. Even though he reacted quickly, he was well behind as he reversed direction and angled across the field with all of his considerable speed. During special team practice, Cal had been drilled over and over on his responsibility. He was to wait at midfield until he saw where the runback was going. Then, his primary job was to steer the runner to where his teammates could make the tackle. Only as a last resort was he to try a tackle himself. The coaches probably assumed that if he had to make a tackle, they would be looking for another kicker the next day. As he always did, Cal had watched the previous runbacks. Because of Mr. Yokata's training, he had become good at catching the little body signals that indicated a change in direction or other move. Although Cal was primarily interested in his martial arts for defensive purposes, Mr. Yokata preached over and over that the best defense was to attack the attacker. Always make the opponent do the reacting. As was his responsibility, Cal hung in the center of the field, waiting to make a move until it was clear where the runner was headed. As the returner pounded up the sideline to his left, Cal sprinted that way. Closing fast with the runner, who was now in the clear and tasting a touchdown, Cal had no time to do his normal planning. He had a quick impression of Pete, approaching him at an angle with no hope of overtaking the runner, unless something made him break stride. It was all up to Cal - the game and the conference title would be lost for sure if the runner got by him. Almost instantaneously, Cal planned his action. He looked as if he was on an unchangeable course to impact the runner at the sideline and knock him out of bounds. Watching very carefully, Cal took his gamble. When he sensed the runner flexing his leg to veer toward the center of the field and slide past him, Cal straightened his head and shoulders just slightly as if he was turning himself to react to the runner. Using the instincts of all good running backs, the runner saw Cal flinch and turned his planned change of direction into a small fake, continuing up the sideline. But Cal's own feint had not changed his momentum at all and he drove into the ball carrier with all the force in his strong legs. Realizing that he had been out-juked, the runner made a last desperate attempt to veer inside past Cal. In doing so, he changed the secure position in which he had cradled the ball. When Cal hit him, the runner flew out of bounds, and the ball went its own way, up into the air, but also out of bounds. The impact straightened Cal up, just inches inbounds. He saw the ball falling toward the ground a few feet out of bounds, with an opposing coach reaching for it. Leaping toward the ball with all of his leg strength, Cal was able to grab it away from the waiting coach and flip it back over his head, hoping desperately that it would land inbounds and Pete could reach it. In fact, Pete did reach it, and pulled off a runback that firmly cemented him as one of the top college prospects in the country. The kick returner had outdistanced all of his teammates, which meant that Pete had all eleven opponents between himself and the end zone. On top of that, he had just sprinted downfield under the kickoff and then back up and across the field to try to head off the runner. Pete's lungs may have known all about his sprint and their oxygen shortage, but his competitor's brain refused to acknowledge a problem. He was able to dash inside the opponents' forty before he encountered any defense. The first potential tackler was a defensive back, built for speed rather than power, and Pete simply ran over him. As he was right on the sideline, it looked like the next two defenders had him pinned and would get him out of bounds. Pulling off a spin move that was worthy of any scatback, Pete left one would-be tackler grasping air on the out-of-bounds stripe. The other was knocked backward by a stiff-arm. That was just the start of the man-against-boys exhibition. Now angling across the field towards the opposite corner pylon, Pete turned on a burst of speed that his lungs should not have been able to support. Most of the opponents had been in the wedge along the sideline that Pete had just left, and had stayed there when they thought that was his route. Several dashed madly across the field inside the ten, hoping to cut off his obvious route to the far corner. Pete's teammates had been turned into spectators. The good thing about that was that no one attempted any illegal blocks. Once he passed them on his way toward the goal line, two of the faster men came out of their shock enough to sprint after him. Seeing a group of three would-be tacklers spread before him at about the eight, Pete came to a dead stop just out of their reach. Turning his back to them, he made an elaborate fake of a pitch-out to a teammate pounding along behind him. Then, he tucked the ball back in and spun back to his right, heading toward the other corner of the goal line. One of the three would-be tacklers got a hold of him as he spun past, but was only able to hang on. Realizing that he would be unlikely to reach the corner with the boy hanging on his back, Pete turned straight for the goal line, wanting to get every yard possible before he was downed. Another boy hit him from the left side, actually aiding his change of direction, and a third stood directly in his path at the four. The clip that played over and over on the local sports shows that evening showed Pete plowing across the goal line with a tackler on each shoulder and one draped around his neck, feet dragging between Pete's churning legs. He never did end up on the ground. After Cal snatched the ball from the coach's waiting grasp and flipped it back to Pete, he crashed heavily into the man, sending three people to the ground. The enraged coach then lost it, scrambling to his feet and delivering three kicks to Cal. Even the lighter kicker's pads made the gesture of frustration laughable. In an all-too-rare occurrence of good fortune, a referee had been watching the impact of Cal's tackle, the recovery, and the aftermath very carefully. To him, the coach's outburst was not at all laughable, and he threw his flag. That initiated a wild argument, the opposition arguing that when Cal contacted the coach he was contacting foul territory and the play was dead. That would have kept the ball in the opponents' hands. The referee argued that the coach had interfered and if not for the personal foul, interference would have been called. That still begged the question of the turnover, but after a conference, the referees let the play stand. Later review of an amateur film showed that Cal had already flipped the ball back before colliding with the coach. That did not prevent the play from becoming a major point of contention between the already-bitter rivals. Cal had scrambled to his feet while the coach was still kicking at him, but he stopped dead before crossing the sideline onto the playing field. He remembered being irritated with himself because he could not remember if it was legal for him to re-enter play. At about that time, the home crowd erupted as Pete bulled across the goal line. Cal's usually reserved demeanor during a game was totally forgotten as he charged toward the celebration he knew would ensue. For his part, Pete threw his arms into the air in celebration, throwing the still-clinging defenders off as if they were kittens. Then he turned around looking for his little brother. Seeing Cal heading his way, he ran to meet him at about the ten. He spun Cal around in the air a couple of times, and the two trotted to the bench with their arms around each other. The personal foul penalty was applied on the kickoff. With that advantage and the adrenalin boost of defeat turned into potential victory, Cal was able to reach the end zone into the wind. The ace returner had not yet recovered enough to take the kickoff, and it was downed for a touchback. Pete's heroics for the night were not over yet, though. On the very first play, an attempted pass, he broke through to the quarterback and sent the boy's helmet flying one way while the ball went the other. After Pete's teammate recovered, the ball was kept on the ground to run out the clock. The opponents were so demoralized at that point that Greg Overland was able to score again. This time, the regular place kicker insisted that the coach let Cal kick the point, since the game was in the bag. Cal made it. It was Homecoming. It was high school football at its best, and the fans were as ecstatic as the team. At the final gun, several teammates were about to hoist Pete onto their shoulders. The only problem was that he had already put Cal on his own shoulders and was running onto the field. Cal found it a little embarrassing to have his small size emphasized in that way. However, the thrill of participating in such a joyous occasion with his big brother more than made up for it. For Martin and Elaine, no better script could have been written for proud sports parents, and Elaine could not see well enough to move from her seat for several minutes. In the very next game, Cal's team was leading handily as time ran down for halftime. With fourth down and just a few seconds on the clock, the ball was a good ten yards beyond the regular kicker's career best. The coach considered that an ideal chance to test Cal's leg and his readiness for place-kicking. Cal made the kick, which was just two yards short of the school record. ------- During his freshman year, Cal played on a junior varsity basketball team that did very well. He was a starting guard, and was often used as a 'designated shooter', being able to drop three-pointers as easily as his teammates shot free throws. Cal had another trait that made him a deadly outside shooter. From early childhood, he had exhibited an uncanny ability to 'disappear'. He was so stealthy and unobtrusive that he would constantly startle his family and friends by seeming to materialize out of thin air when least expected, most often with a camera in hand. Even against opponents whom he had burned before, his teammates were able to find him open on the three-point line in either corner. It was his favorite spot, and he was deadly from there. His good performance in football, especially the Homecoming heroics, had enhanced his stature so that his teammates acknowledged his floor leadership. The only troublesome ones were two other footballers: Greg Overland and Chad Clark, both sophomores. Greg had played a lot at running back late in the year, and Chad would be the starting quarterback the next year. Both were excellent athletes, but neither seemed likely to make the basketball varsity. Largely because they felt that varsity spots were owed to them, both boys played with a chip on their shoulders. Greg was big, strong, and fast. He was physically a carbon copy of Cal's brother Pete, except that he played running back instead of linebacker. The real difference between Greg and Pete was that Pete was a genuine good guy, like his father. Greg was a dirtbag - a caricature of the spoiled, amoral rich kid. He was also bright and handsome. Chad could have tried out for movie roles with his looks. He was a probable college prospect, while Greg looked like a certainty at that point. Both Chad and Greg were openly scornful of Cal as a 'fucking kicker'. Never within earshot of a coach, but any other time they encountered him, they needled Cal, trying to get a rise out of him. Even at basketball, where Cal had much better prospects than theirs, the verbal abuse never stopped. He never let it bother him, and on the floor he tried to treat them as any other teammate. He could not help wondering why it was so important to them to put him down. The two assholes notwithstanding, Cal enjoyed the basketball season and was happy that he had decided to go out. For all of his methodical, carefully planned and executed golf shots and kickoffs, he found the free-flowing, opportunistic type of basketball played at their school to be exhilarating. It seemed pure and joyful, the way the game was meant to be played. The head coach stopped in at JV practice quite frequently, both to evaluate younger players and to make sure that his system was being taught properly. ------- Besides his strong sense of fairness and his competitiveness, another of Cal's strongest traits was his innate respect and care for others. He had a genuinely compassionate heart, and despite his reserved demeanor, he enjoyed being with people. Early on, he realized that he was different from the rest of his family, but he still loved and respected them, and enjoyed being with them. As he entered high school, he found himself increasingly drawn to Rebecca, his sister, and increasingly concerned about her mental state. Brilliant and gifted as she was, Rebecca qualified as a female nerd, not an easy prospect for a teenaged girl. She was certainly not bad looking, in fact she was quite attractive. But she was lanky - about 5'8" and thin, and she wore glasses. With her top grades and her prodigy-level music skills, that was more than enough to brand her. Nerds have the same hormones as their more conventional compatriots, and that's where Rebecca's troubles started. The objects of her urges were the same as for the ditzes and the bimbos. It was the hunky, macho jocks that got her juices running. After all, she had grown up with her big brother Pete always there. He was the prototypical hunky jock. She was trying to find another Pete for a boyfriend and not having any luck. All of her brain power was not able to quell the crushes. Of course, not only was she not appealing to that group of boys, she was too often the target of ridicule from them. By the Thanksgiving break of her sophomore year, she was deep into anguish and depression, which she seemed able to hide from her parents, but not from Cal. Himself no dummy, Cal was in awe of Rebecca's abilities, and he found her a most pleasant companion. Since early childhood, they had conducted mental sparring matches ranging over every subject from vocabulary to entertainment trivia. Cal was a fanatical reader, and that helped him almost keep up with her. They were competitive about it, but it never turned to fighting. They shared a strong interest in music, though for Cal, it was mostly as a fan. He had a very nice voice, but no other performance skills. Physically, Cal thought his sister very appealing, as well. She had penetrating eyes that were almost luminous in their intensity. Her smile caused him to positively tingle. He thought she had a regal grace to her movements. Seeing her at the piano keyboard was truly a beautiful picture. He had no overt sexual feelings toward her, but in his admittedly limited experience, she ranked as one of the most desirable females he knew. Obviously, Rebecca did not feel the same way about herself. She had begun to rebuff Cal's compliments, which she had always answered with one of her special smiles. Cal had always been free with casual touches, and Rebecca had always taken them as the show of affection he intended. One day, in mid-December of his freshman year, he sat reading in a nearby love seat as she played the piano. He often did this, telling her it was much better than buying an album. When she finished a piece, he stood, walked behind her, and gently squeezed both shoulders. In the past, she had often rubbed her cheek against his wrist in acknowledgment. This time, she broke into sobs. They were the only two at home, and that may have been why Rebecca finally let loose. Cal was the only family member she felt free to share anything personal with. Their mother was receptive and tried to help her daughter. In fact, it distressed her that Rebecca would not confide in her more. But Elaine was outgoing, vivacious, very attractive, and had never had to live with a trace of 'nerdity'. Rebecca could not see how she could be of any help. Not that Cal was a fellow nerd, either, but a lifetime of closeness had convinced her that her brother really did understand. There was one fellow nerd with whom Rebecca shared absolutely everything: their lifelong neighbor and friend Tessa. The two girls were in the same grade, and competed fiercely for academic honors. But they were also the kind of buddies that would do anything for each other. Cal enjoyed Tessa almost as much as he enjoyed his sister; it was wonderful to be around such active young minds. Tessa did not share Rebecca's music skills; her talent was writing, and she was very, very good. She was also physically different from Rebecca. A few inches shorter, Tessa tended toward pudginess. She had the curves Rebecca felt deprived of, a frequent topic of banter between the two. Tessa was the only child of a mother who had been divorced for three or four years. Thus, her time at the Banner home was Tessa's only extensive exposure to males. Since Pete was older and very busy, it was mostly Cal she interacted with. Cal's father was very nice to Tessa, but he was not around that much, either, and Tessa was quite obviously gunshy of adult males. Cal had never thought much about Tessa's appearance. Having just turned fifteen, he was well behind the curve in his interest in girls. Of course, he had his feelings about Rebecca, but more as a very dear person than as a girl. Tessa, even more than Rebecca, did absolutely nothing to exhibit any sex appeal. She seemed to have zero sense of style and even less concern. Since the Banners had a pool, Cal had often been with Tessa when she was in a swimsuit, but he would be unable to bring up an accurate mental picture of her, other than her flashing eyes and her almost-permanent grin. Golf and photography had always been Cal's consuming interests, along with his reading. Now, martial arts and basketball were eating up even more of his time. He certainly was experiencing the same hormonal changes as his compatriots, but it was an example of his unusually strong focus and self-control that puberty had minimal impact on his other interests. He had most certainly discovered masturbation, and it was a regular soporific. As far as lusting after any particular girls or worrying about dating, he had not yet reached that stage. So, on that day when Rebecca disintegrated into sobs at her little brother's affectionate touch, Cal was not prepared to appreciate the sexual force behind her frustration and agony. To his credit, though, he knew his beloved pal was hurting, and he had no boyish inclination to make light of her emotional display. He had been through a lot with Ismi after her tragedy, and he had learned from it. Almost as if it was an every-day occurrence, he sat down next to her on the piano bench and wrapped both arms around her. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around his waist, plastered her face against his chest, and proceeded to thoroughly soak his shirt. It was by far the most intimate contact they had ever shared. After a few minutes, her tears had hardly abated, but Cal noticed how uncomfortable the hard bench was. He helped her to her feet and led her toward the love seat where he had been reading. When he sat, he expected her to plop beside him, but instead, she sat right on his lap, got a strangle-hold around his neck, and laid her head on her arm as the volume of tears turned up. Not because of some flash of maturity or some particular insight into female emotions, but because it was just his way, Cal said absolutely nothing. He just held her and stroked her back very lightly. They stayed in that position for at least ten minutes. When at last Rebecca raised her head, eyes red but no longer leaking, Cal still said nothing, but looked at her with an inquisitive expression. Almost angrily, she poured out her frustration. "I've never sat on a boy's lap before! I've never had a boy's arms around me before! It's not fair!" she complained. "But... but I'm your brother," he sputtered. "I know, dammit!" she spat, then her tone softened. "But it feels awfully nice. Are you, um, upset?" "Of course not! I'm sorry that you're upset, though. Want to talk about it?" he asked her. "Only if I can stay right here," she said, with just a bit of mischief hinting through her otherwise miserable expression. Once again following some instinct beyond his experience, he said nothing and hugged her more tightly. Incredibly, she found another well of tears and cried for several more minutes. After the crying finally stopped for good, she kept her head down for a few more minutes while her breathing became more natural. Then, she almost jerked upright on his lap, took his face in both of her hands, and gave him an awkward but very intense kiss. When she pulled back from that, she was panting but managed to gasp out "Now, I can't say 'never been kissed', either!" Seemingly purged of her need for tears, she proceeded to pour out her heart about how she longed for attention from the boys and how much it hurt to be ignored or ridiculed. Cal asked her many questions about what she meant by ridicule, and she gave him example after example. It was an education for a freshman previously quite unconcerned about relationships with females. Several times, Cal could not prevent his eyes from widening as his sister recited hurtful incidents. Some of them left him wondering how she could have read that as ridicule, but as the recitation went on and on, he had to concede that whether he understood it or not, she certainly heard it that way. It was a quick education into the level to which females sense and evaluate even the slightest nuances. Cal was particularly concerned because Rebecca was a brilliant, level-headed girl. She was not normally thin-skinned or prone to over-emotionalism at all. If these slights and off-hand quips affected her that much, what chance did a guy have with the average girl? She thought her brother was being sweet and letting her vent her hurts. Little did she know that she was giving him a wake-up call to the challenges of dating and young love. Even through his surprise, Cal felt angry at the guys who had treated his sister that way. Many of them were jocks that he saw around the gym or the locker room regularly. He did not know many of them personally, but he was losing any desire to be one of them. She dumped for half an hour, all the time perched on his lap. As she talked, she sometimes became animated and wiggled around. It took quite a while, but listening to one incident, he noticed the tingling and pressure in his penis. Just the realization shocked him enough to reverse any swelling, but he had been aroused by his own sister! Perhaps she noticed his concern and misread it as discomfort, because she eventually moved off of his lap to sit beside him. She did not stop talking, however. Now, she turned rather morose, lamenting her lack of beauty and sex appeal. Cal was ready to vigorously refute her downgrading of her looks, but once again somehow knew enough to just listen. When she ran down, he told her he would be right back, and got up. "Um, I have to, uh, go to the bathroom," she told him. "I won't be gone long." As she stood up with him, she gave him another kiss and hurried off to the bathroom. It took Cal about fifteen minutes to get back, and on his return, he had a handful of 5x7 black-and-white photos. Many times, Rebecca had been irritated when he snapped a picture of her at an unsuspecting moment. She never lashed out at him, though, and was secretly pleased that he wanted to photograph her. Strangely, she never asked to see his pictures. Perhaps she assumed it was just a boyish fascination with an expensive toy. Still choosing not to say anything, Cal laid the pile of photos on the coffee table in front of where they were sitting. The top shot was of her at the piano, head tilted slightly down, hair hanging partly over her face, but a look of combined concentration and ecstasy very evident. As if inspired by his silence, she just looked at it, clearly moved. Not waiting for any comment or signal, Cal turned the first picture over, exposing the next one. This showed her studying at the dining room table. Her brow was wrinkled and she was chewing on a pencil eraser. She looked intense and adorable. The third was taken as she helped with the dishwasher. She was talking to someone, probably their mother, smiling with obvious warmth and affection. Her trademark twinkle showed up perfectly. When he exposed the next one, she sucked in her breath. It was taken by their pool, and she was in her tasteful bikini, walking toward the camera. She was looking toward the side with a very composed expression, and she was in mid-stride. There was the obvious coltishness of a still-maturing girl, but at the same time, there was much of the grace and poise of a runway model. Cal decided he would not turn that one over, but wait for her to do it. After minutes, Rebecca almost reluctantly turned over the poolside picture, once again hissing in mild shock. Cal had wondered if he should show her this one. When he took it, she had gotten as angry with him as she ever had because of a picture. She was at her vanity, combing her hair, clad in just her plain bra and panties. Her near arm was up and back, just finishing a stroke. Her bra-encased, smallish breast was thrust out and up. She was staring straight ahead with her face totally relaxed. The only proper descriptive word was 'elegant'. There were four more photos in the pile, none as revealing as the last two, but all showing her looking lovely in different, unposed situations. She took her time with the remaining ones, then went back through them all. It was not until she completed her second pass that she finally spoke. "Do... do I really look like that?" "That's how I see you," he assured her. "God, Cal! You're good. How come I never knew... ?" "I don't show people unless they ask. Except for now. I think you needed it." She just stared at him for long moments, then asked "If I really look like that, why can't I get any attention from guys?" Wondering why she never asked easy questions, he pondered for a while, then replied with a question. "Are there any guys that pay attention to you, but that you ignore?" The facial response was almost instantaneous, almost as if he had slapped her. He had obviously hit on something about which she harbored some suppressed guilt. Without any intent to make her feel bad, he pressed the point. "Sis, if I wasn't your brother, would you respond if I paid attention to you?" "Of course I would?" "Oh, you would be polite, I know. But I'm not a hunk jock, and I'm quiet. Would you be any more than polite. Would you let me be a friend?" "Sure, I... I..." "Okay," he pressed, "what non-hunk-jock guys do you spend time with, talk to a lot?" Once again, she looked like he had slapped her, although she did not look angry at him. She just stared, eyes wide, jaw hanging slack. Sensing the heavy work had gone on long enough, he broke the tension with a quip. "If I took a picture of your face right now, you wouldn't be too thrilled," he told her, grinning. After a small chuckle, she sobered quickly. "Are you kind of telling me I've been as bad as the guys that ignore me?" "Oh, no. You're never mean to anyone," he hurried to assure her. "I'm just wondering if you're taking every chance you have to be friends with guys. I'll bet some of the more, uh, studious guys don't make you feel bad, do they?" "No, but..." "But they don't make your heart flutter, either, huh?" he queried. At that, she just hung her head. "Maybe you don't want to date any of them, but they are probably dying for some attention from you." "How do you know this stuff," she demanded. "Well, I don't pay a whole lot of attention to girls at school, but the only ones I bother to turn and look at are the cheerleader types. I'm as guilty as anyone." There was a long, rather uncomfortable silence, then he told her "You may not be looking for it from them, but some of the other guys might be able to make you feel better about yourself. And you could return the favor. That's called friends." "But, I want dates - a boyfriend!" she insisted. "You aren't quite sixteen yet. How many dates will Mom let you out on, anyway. All I'm saying is, appreciate the guys who appreciate you. Who knows, some of them might turn out to be hunks later on. If not, maybe they'll at least be rich and famous. Maybe some will be better lovers than the jocks. Maybe some will be hu... um, uh..." "Bet I know what you were going to say," she giggled. "I read some stuff, too." That was a great way for the whole emotional interlude to end. She asked if he wanted a snack, and they went off to the kitchen together. ------- The tender interlude with his sister that afternoon had impacted Cal as much as it had Rebecca. Ever since starting high school, he had been bombarded by the sight of all the beautiful young bodies surrounding him. As focused as he was, he never let himself personalize the sights to wanting sex with any particular girl, or even wanting to date one. But he did look, and the sights came back to him in bed at night as his full testicles and over-stressed prostate demanded relief. Just the memory of a swishing short skirt might be enough to get him going. Or a quick glimpse of bare midriff that was beginning to be the style might come back to him. The animated bouncing of some of the better-endowed girls would be enough of a memory to bring him quickly to full extension. One of the sights that Cal enjoyed most was watching the volleyball team. They often were still practicing when the football team headed in for the showers, and he would sit and watch for a while. One girl, named Cheryl, particularly caught his attention. Besides being beautiful, she was coordinated, aggressive, and graceful. He had met her personally a few times because she was friends with Rebecca and Tessa, being in their grade and in several of their AP classes. Somehow, the sight of Cheryl leaping, smashing, blocking, and digging was more stimulating to him than any centerfold pose. That night, instead of calling up a sight from school as he began stroking himself, the image that came up was of Rebecca, combing her hair in her underwear. That alone gave him an arousing jolt, but then his imagination got involved. The bra and panties disappeared and he imagined his sister's smallish but succulent breasts with nipples turned perkily upward. Part of his brain tried to chastise him for showing disrespect for his sister that way. But since the afternoon's events, he had a feeling she might be honored rather than pissed at being the centerpiece of his masturbation fantasy. He could not understand how that could be, but instinct told him it was true. It did not really matter, because the image of her would not leave, and as she assumed even more revealing poses in his imagination, he saluted her with several blasts into his jerking-off towel. With the immediate pressure relieved, Cal was able to think more seriously about Rebecca. If he found her so appealing after being around her all of his life, why weren't the other boys drooling over her? Was there anything he could do to change that? ------- Chapter 4 The aftereffects of Cal's time with his sister had unexpected carryover into the next day. Two of the boys who had been cruel to Rebecca were Greg Overland and Chad Clark, the same two that hazed him at every opportunity. Both had egos that considerably exceeded their basketball potential, and he doubted either would ever make the varsity. Both, though, played football, and had already made that varsity that fall as sophomores. Practice that day was a priceless lesson for Cal. He prided himself on being in control of his emotions, but a glaring weakness was exposed. The thought of the way the boys had treated his sister made him see red, and it must have shown in the way he reacted to the two. What they did to him, he had quite easily ignored, but when it was Rebecca, that was a different matter. After practice, the coach called him aside and asked what was going on between him and the two. Over his protests that he had not done anything to them, the coach agreed, but said he could tell there was some very bad feeling there. He demanded to know what it was. Cal tried several times to avoid giving the reason, but the coach was relentless. When he heard the reason, he became rather angry, as well. He was the same coach who had taught Rebecca math the year before. After a couple of unintended curses, the coach got a hold of himself. "One of the hardest things in life is learning to work effectively with people you don't like," he told Cal. "In sports, in business, in the military: it happens all over." "I know, and I should have been able to handle it better. My sensei will have a big lecture for me today." Fortunately, one day was all it took. Cal never again managed to be more than minimally cordial to the two. Their self-centeredness prevented them from ever noticing his attitude, and their hazing of him never slackened. In competition, he was able to pass to them, screen for them, and otherwise treat them as normal teammates. If they had ever done anything overt to Rebecca, he doubted he could have restrained himself. Cal never mentioned to the coach how Greg and Chad had been hazing him. ------- A couple of days later, when Pete and the parents were again absent after supper, Rebecca and Tessa came up to him. Tessa stood in front of him, hands on hips, a passable imitation of an angry look on her face. "How come you don't have any awesome pictures like that of me?" "Who says I don't?" he quipped, chuckling that his unexpected response knocked her completely off balance. Before she could recover, he pressed his advantage. "Of course, you'll have to invite me to your bedroom when you're combing your hair in your undies before I can get one like that, but I've got some others." Catching Tessa without a retort was a challenge for even an expert, and he almost succeeded. She was reduced to taking a play swat at his shoulder to establish some impression of control. Then, she dropped any pretense and asked "Do you really have some of me? Can I see them?" Tessa wanted to come down to his basement lab with him, she was so eager. He forbad that, but she was practically bouncing up and down with impatience when he came back upstairs with five photos in hand. "Is that all you have?" she asked in obvious disappointment. "No, but these are the ones I think are exceptional," he answered. Making an exaggerated show of being deliberate, he made her sit on the sofa while he showed her. Then, he gave her a little lecture about not touching the face of the prints with her hands. Next, he went into a rambling explanation of why he did not have as many of her as of Rebecca. She knew he was stalling to irritate her, but for once, she kept her peace and waited him out. That was quite an accomplishment for Tessa. The first picture showed her walking up the front walk to the Banner house, obviously with Rebecca beside her. She was holding her school books in front of her with both arms wrapped around them. Cal had caught her with her head turned toward Rebecca, talking in her usual animated fashion. It was a picture of a vibrant, happy teenaged girl. Tessa stared at it, then stared at Cal, then back at the picture. She went close to a minute without making a sound. The second was a close-up of her face, deep in concentration. The light from a window played across her features in an interesting way. It was not especially revealing of Tessa's personality, but it was a very artistic and she was the subject. She must have been impressed because she was again very still. Cal got ready to duck, if necessary, as he turned over the next one. It was in the Banner kitchen, showing Tessa from the rear quarter, bent over with her elbows on the counter. She was wearing tight shorts and a loose top, with bare feet. One leg was bent at the knee, with her toe pointed straight back - it was a very fetching pose. Her legs looked full but nicely rounded, and her ass looked delicious. She was once again talking animatedly to someone in the room. There was no need to duck, but she did make the obligatory accusation of 'pervert'. Guessing that she was ready for a swimsuit shot, Cal turned over the next one. She was standing, and the shot was from the side. She had both hands raised, working to get some kind of a band around her wet hair. She was, of course, talking. The profile showed her nice, full breasts lifted fetchingly. While not a true 'bubble butt', her ass showed a nice swelling curve, tapering to thighs that were a little too sturdy. The suit was a modest bikini. While it avoided emphasizing a fat roll around her middle, her tummy bulge was quite obvious. Rather than being a turn-off, though, it was smooth and rather sexy. Surprisingly, there was no mock-angry reaction from Tessa - she just stared at the picture. Cal decided that was the right time to go for the last one. It was again taken in the kitchen, the morning after one of Tessa's frequent sleepovers with Rebecca. Her only visible garment was a long T-shirt, and her hair was very sleep-tousled. She was nearly facing the camera, looking at an angle at someone, probably Rebecca, to whom she was talking. She held a glass of juice in her hand, and her expression gave the distinct impression of talking in her sleep. "You jerk!" Tessa yelled at Cal, and turned to slug him. Fortunately for him, he had moved quickly, and avoided her swing. "Wait a minute, now, I think that's one of my best shots," he protested. "Why? Just because it embarrasses me the most?" she demanded, but a little grin was already sneaking through. He sensed it was now safe, and sat back down on the sofa beside her. She laid the five pictures out in a row and looked at them all for quite a while. Suddenly, she jerked upright and glared at him. "Hey, how come you always catch me talking?" she demanded. "Well, how long do you expect me to wait to get a shot?" he answered, raising his arm in defense as he said it. He just noticed Rebecca laughing heartily when he was pushed onto his back on the sofa by the flying mass of teenaged girl that was launched at him. Tessa's squeals of protest stopped abruptly when she landed directly on top of him, apparently not something she had anticipated. She had landed with their pubic bones touching, and her breasts resting firmly against his chest. Almost as a reflex, Cal had put his arms around her, and they ended up in what look exactly like a lovers' embrace. Tessa was too stunned to move for a moment, and Rebecca sucked in her breath when she saw them. Finally pulling back as if to get up, Tessa seemed to reconsider, dropped back down, and planted an eager kiss on Cal. "Now, I can't say 'never been kissed', either," she declared with eyes gleaming. Then, she got up and pulled Cal to a sitting position. ------- Before things even had a chance to settle down, both girls were begging him to see more pictures of themselves. Cal considered his little lab to be his private sanctuary, and had always been reluctant to let anyone else in. However, he himself had started this whole thing with the pictures. On top of that, he could sense that the relationship between the three of them had changed permanently. He could tell that they were about to be closer than ever, and he found the idea not at all frightening. He looked back and forth between the two of them for quite a while, mainly to let them know that this was not a trivial request. Then, he reached for each of their hands and led them downstairs. In his usual fashion, Cal's darkroom and the adjacent workroom were meticulously clean and strictly organized. He had a storage box with each girl's name on it which held negatives, prints, and accompanying notes. He pulled out the file folders of photos of each girl, then led them to a couch in the adjacent rec room. The girls poured over their folders for quite a while. Rebecca had almost twenty-five to look at, and Tessa about half of that. "It seems like you took a lot more of me than this," Rebecca complained after she finished. Cal must have been too mellowed out by what had happened to think before he answered. Normally, he would never have admitted what he did. "Oh, yeah, I took a lot more. Of both of you. You have to take a lot of shots to get a few good ones." "Well, where are they?" "I, uh, destroyed the prints." "Why?" "Either they weren't very good, or they were... were... uh..." 'Now, why the hell did I say that?', he berated himself. Too late! "Or they were what?" both girls demanded simultaneously. "Well, uh, some of them were a little, you know, uh, embarrassing," he admitted. It's really tough living with a smart sibling. It's hard to get away with anything. "You said you threw away the prints. What about the negatives?" Rebecca demanded. Then she added "You never throw away negatives, do you?" Before he could respond she had dashed to his workroom and brought out the box with her pictures. She was holding up the first negative to the light before she even sat down. Noticing how many there were, she glared at him and told him "Pick out the most embarrassing one and make another print." The way she said it convinced him he had better play it straight. As he took the box from Rebecca, Tessa ordered him to do the same for her. Still almost feeling the sensation of her body on top of him, he was not disposed to deny her anything. He made the girls wait, and after about fifteen minutes, he came out with two photos. As might be expected, both photos showed more skin than was planned or customary. Rebecca had come out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around her, and Cal happened to be in the hall with his camera. As she turned to walk away from him, the part of the towel that was supposed to cover her bottom was somehow tucked way up under. The shot caught her in mid-step, and showed all of her legs, her crack right to the top, all of one cheek, and a good part of the other. Actually, it was a beautiful and erotic shot, and Rebecca realized it immediately. She sat speechless. Tessa's shot was taken at the pool. She was boosting herself up onto the edge with her arms, her tummy pressed tightly against the lip. One cup of her suit top had slipped down, leaving her breast completely exposed. Because of her position, her expression, and the lovely young mammary, it was also an erotic and compelling shot. "Here, I'll shred them for you," Cal offered gallantly. "No way!" both girls objected, clutching the photos to themselves in almost identical fashion. "I'm keeping this," Rebecca declared. "Why did you throw it away before?" she asked him. "Well, I felt kind of ashamed that I took them. I mean, I didn't do it to embarrass you guys. It was just..." "You're just such a pro you couldn't pass up a sexy shot, huh?" "They are sexy, aren't they?" he asked them. "Yeah," Tessa answered. "I wish you had showed me right away." "What? I didn't want you to claw my eyes out!" "Oh, I wouldn't have. I... I never thought I could look like that. I mean... I think a guy might like seeing me like that." Tessa said that in such a way that it tore right into Cal. It suddenly struck him for the second time that week just how much girls battled insecurity. He himself probably had unusual self-confidence for his age, but he was sensitive enough to understand their feelings. Blurting it out almost without thinking, he said "I sure like looking at you like that." Just as he thought he had ruined the whole day, she asked him softly "Then, why didn't you keep a picture?" Deciding that total honesty was working fine so far, he told her. "I was tempted, believe me. But I didn't think you would appreciate me using your picture to uh... I mean..." His drive toward honesty ran out about then. "You mean to get off? You might be surprised how I felt about it," she told him. Then for the second time, she leaned over and kissed him right on the mouth. "Thanks for thinking about my feelings." Then, as if she couldn't stand that much serious talk, she added "Even if you are just a pervert with a camera!" All three of them laughed at that, all equally anxious to crank down the soaring emotional level. No sooner had they relaxed a bit, though, when both girls demanded that he print up all of the other 'embarrassing' pictures of them. "No, I don't want to do that," he said firmly. "The two I showed you are embarrassing, but they are very good photos. Most of these others are not artistic. They don't make you look good - not sexy like those." "First of all, Brother Dear, this picture," and Rebecca waved it at him, "is not really embarrassing. It makes me feel good that my butt looks that nice. I... I love it! I'd frame it on my wall, except..." On that, the two girls broke into giggles as Cal searched for his lower jaw, missing somewhere on the floor. "Same here," Tessa assured him. Cal was being thrown lessons on the young female psyche much faster than he could absorb them. He was starting to feel a rare headache coming on. Over his strenuous objections, they badgered him into printing a few more pictures that showed unplanned skin. When the first one of Rebecca came out of the tank, before he even got it hung to dry, she exclaimed "Eeeeew! I don't want to see that one!" "I told you, didn't I?" he asked, his frustration evident. When the same thing happened to Tessa, they willingly gave up their demand and waited while he destroyed the offending prints. Of course, he had deliberately chosen the samples to make his point, but since it worked... He thought they were finally done, but they threw him one more curve. "Do you have some good pictures of Mom?" Tessa asked. Cal did indeed have some good pictures of Teri, Tessa's mother. He found her to be a lovely woman, even with the unflattering weight she had added since the divorce. Since she was at the Banners' quite often, she was as vulnerable as anyone else to his lens. "Wait a minute!" he demanded. "You aren't going to show her those two pictures, are you? I don't want to die young!" "Oh, relax, Cal," Tessa told him, "you said it yourself: they are beautiful, flattering pictures. We're proud of them. Of course we're going to show her. Mom's cool. She'll love them. She'll be jealous, too. Unless you've got some like that of her." "Uh, no, I don't. I didn't catch any extra skin on her." he told Tessa. "Oh, My God! Sis, you're not going to show Mom, are you?" The panic was evident in his voice. "Come, on, 'Bro! I get straight 'A's, remember? I love Mom, but she could NOT handle this. Geez, are you jumpy!" Trying to somehow save face, he quipped, "I guess you older women just fluster me." That triggered a ten minute tickle bout/grope fest, after which he printed three pictures of Teri, two of which were almost breathtaking. ------- That night, Cal had to jerk off twice before he could even get close to sleep. Between Rebecca two days earlier and the two girls that day, he had a lot to absorb. He had to admit that his feelings about both girls had changed - a lot. He had always known they were smart, and that they were fun companions. Now, he had been shown a little of the complexity of their desires and their insecurities. That made his feelings for them all the stronger. Laying on his back, he could still almost feel Tessa after she had jumped on top of him. In the short time she had been atop him, some feelings had been indelibly stamped in his memory. Her legs and crotch had been perfectly aligned with his. Her pubic bone had been hard, but there was an obvious cushion over it. Her thighs on his had felt warm and welcoming. Her breasts - that had been the most fantastic feeling of all! So soft and full! Also delaying his sleep were thoughts of Teri Walts, Tessa's mother. Even though Cal's fascination with women was just starting to bloom, especially after the recent events, Teri had always epitomized 'woman' in his mind. The Walts and the Banners had been neighbors since before the children were born. Teri and Elaine had been close friends all of that time, despite the differences in their ages, personalities, and styles. Teri had married young and given birth to Tessa soon thereafter. To Cal, Teri was much like the favorite aunt that many children have living nearby. He actually did have his real Aunt Laura living quite close. Laura had always been very good to him, but Teri was even more special. It wasn't that Cal's mother was unfeminine or unattractive that Cal fixated more on a different woman - far from it. Elaine was very attractive: trim, graceful, vivacious. She was a thoughtful, attentive mother, despite her successful business career. Cal had a good relationship with her. They talked freely, joked, and horsed around. Although he had never tried to spell it out, his mother just did not come across to him as sexy in the same way that Teri did. He did not, until recently, think much of either woman in terms of sex appeal, but it was just his natural reaction to them. To the Banner children, Tessa's mother was 'Teri', not 'Mrs. Walts'. It had been a hard sell with their parents, but Teri was adamant, and as always, very persuasive. She won. The reason Teri was divorced may have been that she was just too strong for her ex. She had talked about it a few times with Cal, treating him as an adult confidante. Her theory was that her ex had always been a little intimidated by her, and it finally gotten to be too much. He found a mistress with a much meeker personality, and he was gone. The problem for Teri was that she really loved the guy, as did Tessa. He was always good to both of them, and still was, allowing them to stay in their very expensive house in that privileged neighborhood. Sometimes, Teri wished he would give her some ammunition for hatred. It might make things a little easier. She honestly did not think she had done anything to dominate or henpeck him, and friends and relatives who knew them well agreed. It was just that his new love stroked his ego in ways Teri never had. That should not have been enough to sunder a basically good marriage, and that is what tore at her endlessly. Cal knew how troubled Teri was over her failed marriage. She often talked to him one-on-one, sharing surprisingly personal details with such a young boy. It was a trait of Cal's that would prove valuable to him throughout his life: people instinctively trusted him and seemed eager to confide in him. Rebecca several times joked that he should become a priest, regardless of the fact that they were not Catholic. Cal was drawn to Teri for a number of reasons. Probably the most important was her undisguised emotional intensity. Though he himself came across as reserved and tightly controlled, Cal felt things very strongly, and sensed them strongly in others, as well. From the time he was a child, there had been a connection between Cal and Teri. There was a good bit of the 'son-she-never-had' feeling on her part. For all of his self-confidence, Cal had at least the usual confusion and shyness around girls his own age. Because of his lifelong friendship with his sister and with Tessa, he was at ease with them. Still, he could share with Teri at a level he had not reached with Rebecca or with his own mother. She was his primary contact for learning about women. Wounded, and still not recovered after more than three years divorced, Teri had not yet worked up any interest in looking for another husband. Cal was young, so there was no connotation of dating or romance, and he was a safe and comfortable male to be around. At the same time, he exhibited more mature male traits than many of the adult men she knew. She did not think of him in the same context as Tessa, at all. He was much more of an equal than a dependent or an underling. She always wondered if the experience of Khalid's death was responsible for Cal's premature 'emotional aging'. Thinking of Teri brought to mind the pictures of her he had given to Teri, and his cock hardened and twitched, causing him to unconsciously grab hold of it. Once again, the pictures began changing in his mind. Soon, it was Teri at the pool edge with her tit exposed. Then she was in Rebecca's place with her butt exposed. The transposed images may not have been accurate, but they were very, very arousing to Cal. His frantic grab for his rag was barely in time to save his sheets. He fell asleep with his hand still holding the rag around himself, unseen but wished-for erotic visions of Teri cycling through his mind. ------- When Cal got home from school the next afternoon, Teri called and asked him to come over. She called directly, not sending the message with Tessa as she usually did. Cal did a lot of household chores for her, many times the chore being just an excuse for them to talk. Tessa was already at the Banner house that afternoon, and gave him a little smirk when she saw the expression of dread on his face as he hung up the phone. He could just sense a scolding coming about the pictures of the girls. It felt like the sidewalk between their homes was knee deep in quicksand as he trudged the three doors to Tessa's house. He cursed himself for taking a chance on ruining the long-term friendship he had with Teri. In most ways, she was easier to talk to than his own mother. Elaine was all about goals, expectations, achievements, and good news. Teri seemed more in tune with how the world really worked. She knew about the hard knocks and the disappointments. Also, she was more 'earthy', not hesitating to drop suggestive or off-color remarks when the teens were around. She never, ever did that in the presence of Cal's parents, though. When Teri opened the door, she immediately saw his 'dead-man-walking' look and felt bad that she had left the wrong impression with him. She hurried to correct it. "Oh, Cal! You were afraid I was angry, weren't you? I'm sorry! I'm not angry at all. I love the pictures. All of them. They are absolutely wonderful!" It took a few seconds for the words to sink in, but then, the tension drained from him with a huge sigh. Teri giggled and gave him a warmer than usual hug. "You don't mind the one with Tessa's... uh, I mean, coming out of the pool?" "The boob shot? Oh, that is an awesome picture. You could win awards with that one." "I... I was afraid you would be upset," he told her. "Nah. If she lets her boob out, she should expect people to see it. It probably wasn't totally accidental, either." "Huh?" "I wouldn't put it past her to purposely give you a little flash," Teri explained. "But, why... ?" "Cal, don't tell me you have no idea how Tessa feels about you?" "Well, we've been friends forever, and..." "... and she would like to be a hell of a lot more than friends." That completely floored Cal, and Teri pressed on. "She's had a major crush on you since forever. If it hadn't been for you, she would have turned completely against males after her dad split." "But I haven't..." "I know you haven't, and that's why I asked you to come over," Teri explained. "I wanted to be sure you had some idea what you were dealing with. Do you know, she practically floated home yesterday? She could not sit down or stand still for hours afterward." "Oh, boy!" Cal breathed out. "I don't know how to handle that, at all." "Very few boys your age do. At least you go at it trying not to hurt her. I was so proud of you when she told me why you had destroyed the first print. Thank you for keeping the neg, though." "So, you don't mind?" "Mind? That picture did more for my daughter's self-image than a whole year of my efforts. You know that she dresses carelessly and doesn't worry about her hair or her face. She does that because she thinks she is totally unappealing. She tries to keep people from noticing her so they won't see how unattractive she is." "But she's cute! And lively! And... and sexy! Oh, uh... sorry... I shouldn't... ," Cal sputtered. "Damn right you should! Cal, when she showed me that picture, she was babbling. 'Look, Mom! I can't believe it! I look sexy in this picture! Me! Wow!' She went on like that for five minutes. I could tell her for hours that she was attractive and sexy, but she would not believe me." "Cal, I have to apologize. I had no idea you were such a serious photographer. In fact, I don't know if I've ever seen any of your pictures before. Why haven't you shown me?" "I, uh, mostly just do it for myself. I don't show people until they ask." "How come your folks haven't bragged about any of them to me?" "Well, photography is not exactly, um, considered high achievement at our house. They really haven't seen any pictures, either. They are really good about getting the stuff for me, but I think it's kind of to humor me. We've talked before about how they don't know what to do with me." Teri always admired the way Cal softened any possible criticism of his parents. She could never remember a boy who was so naturally respectful of everyone. At times, she wondered if he lacked the toughness to do well in a world where respect was not a plentiful commodity. "Cal, you have a gift. With one click of the shutter, you can capture things that no words can. I really called you over here to thank you for helping my daughter see the truth." When she said that, Teri's eyes began leaking. "There's, uh, another reason I called you over, Cal. These pictures," and she laid the three of her on the table, "are wonderful. But they shook me up, too." "Oh, I didn't mean to upset you!" he protested. "No, you didn't upset me. I upset me: by letting myself go like this. These pictures, especially this one," and she pointed to a profile shot by the pool, "showed me how bad I had gotten." The picture was a fetching pose and made her look very womanly and sexy. However, it also showed that she probably should have retired her two-piece suit for something less revealing and more constraining. "Oh, you don't look bad..." "I would expect you to say that, and I think you mean it. Thank you. But it's not how I want to look. I should change it; I could; I've done it before. It's just that there hardly seems any reason, and..." In his recent encounters with the girls, Cal had found silence to be an excellent strategy when he did not know what else to do. Something told him that applied to all females, so he held his peace. "Even the way I look, though, you made me look, um, appealing," she said after a pause. "Do you have any pictures taken here?" "No, I, uh, didn't think it was right to take them in your house unless you invited me to." "Consider yourself invited! If you can make me feel as much better as these did, I might have you move in with your camera and shoot all day long. I want you to take lots of pictures. I'll pay for film and supplies. And I don't want you to throw away any negatives, OK?" "Uh, sure. Uh, you know I can only develop black and white myself? But I'll bring a camera with color film, too. You can take them to Foto Mat or somewhere." "I don't mind black and white. Somehow they almost seem more artistic. But it's a good idea to do both. Tomorrow's Saturday. Come on over and take a bunch, will you?" ------- When Cal got to Teri's Saturday morning, Tessa was just leaving for his house. She saw his cameras, but did not comment. He had the surprising thought that maybe she knew he was going to take pictures of her mom. For a moment, he tried to figure out why Teri would tell her daughter, but he already knew the answer. Over the last few restless nights, he had mentally catalogued a few important principles. One of them was that 'women tell each other EVERYTHING'. Even in his rapidly diminishing naivete he was able to figure out that women were particularly eager to share anything having remotely to do with sex. Such thoughts were quickly banished from his mind because Teri was breathlessly eager to get started with the pictures. She apparently wanted to start with very natural shots, because she was dressed in jeans, sweatshirt, and athletic shoes. He did notice that her hair was freshly done and it looked like she had made up her face. Teri seemed to sense that Cal was too inexperienced to even know what the hurdles would be. She knew he had always just seen a potential shot and taken it, depending on his instincts to produce a percentage of very good ones. It was she who suggested they start that way, with her going about a fairly normal routine, and him trying to get advantageous views. To make things as relaxed as possible for both of them, she started one of their typical conversations. Catching on quickly to her intent, he got right into it, and before long they were both relaxed enough for shooting. After taking a number of 'opportunity' shots, it was actually Cal who suggested the first pose. Her face had passed through broken streams of sunlight coming through a window, but he had not been ready for the shot. He asked he to move back into the light, and he took one. Then, he instructed her to turn different ways and think about different subjects, producing various facial expressions. After that first morning photo session, Cal sequestered himself in his little lab until all forty-eight shots had been developed and printed. Taking minimal time to grab some lunch, he hurried back over to the Walts'. He and Teri spent over an hour going through the shots. In her logical way, Teri suggested a form of triage for the first pass. They threw out the obvious duds. The rest, they divided into obvious winners and 'maybes'. Then, they looked at the 'maybes' carefully. At the end, they had nine 'keepers'. When she had thoroughly examined the best pictures, Teri asked "Do you have more film?" When he assured her that he did, she asked "Could you come back for another session in about an hour?" "Sure, the afternoon light should be very good about then." When he returned, he could not refrain from a low whistle. Teri had hauled out her very best dress and jewelry, and had done a masterful job on her hair and her face. Even though the dress showed some strain from containing her heavier body, it displayed her curves very well. "Hey, that's no way for a professional to greet his model. This is supposed to be all business," she teased. If he had worked out a script, he could not have done it better as he quickly responded "I'm no pro. And besides, you're not just a model. You're my friend, and you're beautiful!" He finished with a rather belligerent expression that softened quickly as he saw her eyes fill with moisture. "Do you know how long it took to fix up these eyes. If you keep saying shit like that, I'll have to start all over," Teri proclaimed in mock anger. The resulting laugh from both of them saved her eye makeup. It also gave her an interesting 'glow' that carried through another twenty-four shots. At her direction, he took them from all angles and a variety of poses. Several times she fussed about her excess weight, but he adopted a stern demeanor and told her to stick to business. The little comic relief kept her from getting too down on herself and losing the glow. Once again, he hurried home to develop the take, then brought them back to her. She had liked the morning's haul, but the dress-up shots had her fairly bouncing in her chair as she viewed them. "Cal, Honey," she started, using the affectionate name for the first time he could remember, "I hate to take up your whole day, but is there any chance you could take some more tonight?" "Well, I could, Teri, but they might not turn out so well." "Why not?"? "I only have a camera-mounted flash. Without additional lights, night pictures don't have much depth." "Oh. What kind of lights do you need?" "I know what I'd like. I just haven't wanted to ask for them. You know how I take most of my stuff. I haven't really needed them." "So, to take professional quality portraits, you need them, huh? Anything else you need?" "Well, it would be good to have two or three different backdrops." "Do you have room to set them up at home?" "Yeah, I guess. Problem is, the folks would get suspicious of why I wanted them." "I see your point. Tell you what, Cal. How about if I buy the stuff and set up a little portrait studio here? "You'd do that? Why? Do you know how much that stuff costs?" "Cal, Honey," she'd said it again, I hope you have some idea of how these pictures make me feel. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care how much it costs. Can I do this? Please?" Totally blown away by the woman's eagerness and insistence, Cal reluctantly made a list of equipment that would allow him to take studio-quality portraits. ------- The following Wednesday, Cal was walking somewhat wearily home from where the activities bus had dropped him from basketball practice. Teri met him a block and a half from the stop, almost bouncing like a kid from her excitement. "Can you find time to come over tonight?" she asked, again reminding him of a little girl the way she pled. "Oh boy," he exclaimed. "I've got a couple of hours of homework, and you know how strict Mom and Dad are about school nights. What's up?" Still in little girl mode, she teased "Oh, I'm not telling. You'll just have to come over to find out." As it turned out, both parents had evening events, and a reheatable dinner had been left for the kids. Cal ate hurriedly and finished his homework in about an hour before going over to Teri's. She led him down to the lower walkout level of the house, which had ten-foot ceilings and was beautifully finished. In a corner of the large recreation room, he saw a mounted backdrop and six lights of varying sizes. His astonishment was complete, and Teri could not stop giggling at his reaction. "I told the guy what kinds of cameras you had, and he made sure the lights would connect in OK. I guess some are flashes and some are always on, huh?" He was still too surprised to even react. "Um, don't you need a camera to use all this stuff," she teased with another giggle. As Cal fairly skipped out the door, Teri went into the bedroom for one last debate with herself before he returned. She could still back out. Instead, she found herself stripping quickly, then pulling on some lace-trimmed panties and dropping a matching nightgown over her head. A matching, ornate peignoir finished the ensemble, and she added some pastel heels. A last look in the mirror showed that her nipples were already distended and she saw no chance of them retracting during the upcoming photo session. A flash of concern that Cal would see them was quickly overwhelmed by the desire to have him see just that and much more. What she was about to do was crazy and illegal, but she was driven by a compulsion. On Saturday, it had felt like the camera and the sweet young man behind it were making love to her with every shot. She had to have more. When Cal returned with two cameras, Teri was waiting, seated on a small bench that she had bought. When he saw her outfit, his face flushed, and a bulge grew in his crotch. It was exactly what she needed to see. When his gaze locked on her nipples, they tried in vain to get even larger and harder. "What are you waiting for," she teased. "Start shooting. Oh!" With that exclamation, she scampered to a nearby cabinet and brought back a bag. In it were ten rolls each of black and white and color film. He loaded one type in each camera, and the session was on. She had scampered on purpose, knowing that her breasts would do a very nice ballet from the motion. Teri wanted every pose done in both films, and he had only brought his one tripod, so there was quite a bit of shuffling and rearranging. Nevertheless, before it was over, there were two rolls of each exposed. Also exposed was a surprising amount of Teri's flesh. She had obviously planned out the poses she wanted. Part way through, she took off the peignoir to reveal a matching gown that was more translucent than opaque. Cal had no way of knowing how many sleepless hours Teri and spent debating with herself about taking off the robe in front of him. When she first revealed the gown, she blushed prettily, knowing that her unfettered breasts were quite visible. He could see that she wore frilly panties that must have belonged to the set. Thinking back to the imaginary images of her that he had gotten off to several nights before, the reality was so much better. "If you're going to be a pro, you're going to see a lot of boobs. Most of them will be prettier than mine, but..." It was the first self-deprecating comment from her that evening, but it did not spoil the mood. Cal chose not to react. In fact, he was too stunned to react. Only the routine of switching the cameras on the tripods and lining up the shots kept him from gawking. The gown had spaghetti straps, and after a few shots, Teri slid one off her shoulder, turned three-fourths away from the camera, and looked back at him. In later years, he would be able to identify her look as smoldering. Right then, he was barely able to trigger the remote shutter. After a number of poses in the nightgown, Teri looked hard at him, then giggled and said "Turn around for a minute, please." The next move had cost her even more sleepless hours. While his back was turned, she slipped off the gown, leaving herself in just the panties. Pausing a moment to enjoy the little fearful shiver of exposure, she put on the peignoir and closed it in the front. At the end of her self-debate, she had decided that gown-and-panties was as risque as she would get. What she had not been able to factor into the debate was how she would feel as she posed for him. She really should have known, because every successive shot on Saturday had made her feel better and better. Tonight, as she showed him 'forbidden' views of her body, the thrill was amplified many times. Teri could tell that Cal too was thrilled, even stunned by what she showed him through the filmy robe. He was young, and probably too inexperienced to realize how overweight she was. But she still saw admiration in his eyes, along with some adoration and some lust. And there was no missing the swelling in his pants. No matter how naive he was, she could not get enough of his approval. Going to peignoir-and-panties was a spontaneous decision, driven by the sheer euphoria of the moment. When she said he could turn back, she knew she might as well have been topless. The erotic quality of the shots increased at that point. She did a few poses sitting with the robe opened to her waist, exposing her legs all the way up. She knew that she was getting way too close to 'thunder thighs', but as long as she kept getting the reactions from Cal, she would not worry about her weight right then. There was one pose where she sat sideways with her feet up on the bench. Her head rested on her hands, which were on her raised knees. The robe was pushed down and back to expose her shoulders and the first swell of her breasts. Her legs were completely exposed. The expression on her face, which was tilted toward the camera, was one of complete innocence and contentment. For the next poses, she turned her back to him and dropped the robe to her waist. She did one facing away, and another with her face turned sideways. After those shots, she asked him "Honey, can you make the light really reflect off the backdrop? I mean, almost like a backlight?" She was fighting the urge to show him everything. She was more than ready to do just that, but this was an artistic picture session, not a strip show. She just had to keep telling herself that. And this was a naive young man and, in many ways, her best friend. ------- Chapter 5 "Um, sure. I can make it backlight. What did you have in mind?" Cal was still a little punchy from the last set of pictures. "Good. Set it up," she told him. When he was ready, she turned her back to him and looked over her shoulder a bit nervously. Then, she reached inside the robe, slipped the panties off and tossed them to the side. That move had been decided barely a second before she did it. Actually, she was no longer deciding anything, just going with her hormones. Now, her ass was completely visible to him, and the charge she felt was almost unbearable. She stood facing the backdrop with her feet slightly separated. Her pubic hair had not been trimmed for a while, and she wondered if the bright light showed any hairs between her legs. Or maybe the extra weight in her damned thighs made them so tight together that nothing showed, even with her legs apart. Her head faced left and she raised her right hand and slid her fingers into her hair. She told him to shoot the picture. The reflected light was so bright that the wispy fabric was hardly noticeable. After taking that shot on both cameras, he could tell that she was much more nervous, and he told her "Maybe that's a good place to stop." Through the growing lust that she could hardly contain, she was able to recognize the nervousness and the concern in his voice. She was pushing him too far, and she had better quit. But that lust was driving her to one last pose. "Guess I'm as good as naked, huh?" she said with obvious strain. "I, uh, want one more pose, though." With an obvious effort of will, she turned sideways to him. At first, her front leg was instinctively held forward a little to hide her pubes. In one last search for approval and stimulation, she moved that leg back even with the other. She wondered if her hair was visible - no, to be honest, she hoped it was. Raising her near arm again into her hair and her far arm straight into the air, she tilted her head back, arched her back, closed her eyes, and told him to shoot. As soon as he had clicked both cameras, she did the covering bit with her hands. She knew it was a silly move, and she wanted more than anything to just saunter by him with everything on display. But a little bit of modesty was expected, and she scampered past him, just noticing him sniff as she went by. From the stairs, she said "Wait for me in the kitchen." When she met him in the kitchen, she wore a terry cloth robe. She grabbed two soft drinks from the refrigerator and handed one to him as she sat on a bar stool at the counter. Somehow, she did that without ever taking her eyes off of his face. "I hope I didn't embarrass you too much," she said with obvious uncertainty in her voice. "I guess you could tell how thrilled I was to be doing that." She was about to mention the odor, but doubted that he even recognized what it was. She took several sips of her drink without saying anything more, then spoke up. "I don't know what it is about you, Cal. I just feel so comfortable and at ease with you. You make me feel special. I guess you know what my self-image has been like since Rick left. There's something about your pictures that makes me feel, um, desirable again." 'And about your eyes and your blush' she thought to herself 'and most definitely about your erection!'. Cal was searching for something soothing and complimentary to say. He couldn't come up with anything, so he just smiled at her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and gave him a one-armed hug. That gave her a chance to check out his lap without being obvious. The bulge was still there. "There's, uh, one serious thing we need to talk about," she told him. "I could go to prison for what we did tonight. You're a minor." "Hey, I would never say a thing," he assured her. "Oh, I know that. Still, I think it would be best if I kept all of the prints and negatives of any shots where I am not fully clothed." After another pause, she asked "When can I see the black and whites? I'm taking the color in first thing in the morning." "You can check them all out tomorrow night. I'll get them to you even if I can't come over, OK?" ------- Teri almost sprinted to the bedroom after Cal left. She had started the tub filling very slowly when she put on the terry robe, and it had been overflowing for a little while. The robe was all she had on, and as soon as one arm was free of it, she jammed that hand between her legs. No wonder Cal had sniffed! She had showered, douched, powdered, and everything before the photo session, but she still smelled like she had been fucking all night. Fucking. Would she ever again have a chance to wake in the middle of the night and be filled by her man? Her man? Rick was her man, but not any more. Would there ever be another? Her clit felt like someone had been rubbing it for hours. Didn't she wish! How could she get so aroused all by herself? As she settled into the full tub, she reveled in the feeling of the water lifting her buoyant breasts. Almost like a lover cradling them. Would she ever have that feeling for real again? God how she missed Rick! Didn't he realize how much she loved him? Why didn't that matter? What had made him go away? What did that whiny bimbo have that he needed? The photo session had been a high, but she was crashing down from that high at breakneck speed. After all of the mental anguish over doing the shoot, why couldn't she just enjoy the afterglow for a while? Just think of Cal's face as he took the pictures. And his crotch. Maybe he was just a kid who had never seen a bare boob before, but the way he looked at her said that he found her desirable. She wouldn't consider taking the one hand off of her clit, but she started her familiar body inventory with the other hand. Her boobs: one of her assets, for sure. She would never be ashamed of them. But now they were hanging lower than they really should for her age. And at the sides of them, there were little folds extending under her arm. Her tummy wasn't just nicely rounded like Tessa's any more. It used to be, but now it was trying to fold as its weight pulled it downward. How come that didn't chill Cal's hardon right off? And that nice swell from her once-narrow waist out over her hip - it was turning into a straight drop from her armpit to her hidden hip bone. 'Course, she could move the loose flesh aside and still have the curve, but... disgusting! When he had taken the dress-up pictures on Saturday, she had to hold her head in almost-unnatural positions, just so the extra on her chin and neck didn't show. And those thighs! Her legs had always been full, but always had a nice taper and looked really good in stockings. She couldn't feel her butt right then, but remembered the emerging cellulite dimples all too well from her last session in front of the mirror. How come Cal didn't gag when she dropped her panties? Maybe he is just so naive he would get aroused if the circus fat lady stripped for him. No, that wasn't fair to Cal. He is courteous and considerate to a fault. And he has a wonderful eye for good pictures. He knows beauty. He wouldn't pretend if he didn't like to look at her. 'Theresa Braddock Walts, you are one screwed up bitch!' she screamed at herself mentally. 'Lost your man and have to tease a scrawny fifteen-year-old kid to stroke your ego. How pathetic! Why don't you just get rid of that fat and go catch a real man?' These were certainly not new thoughts to Teri. She could get looking good again. She had before, but she just could not get started. Something always held her back. After managing to lose Rick, she just didn't deserve to look good. That was her mental problem. But Cal didn't seem to care about any of that. Ever since he was little, he had treated her as special. Well, he was not little any more, and she felt even more special when she was around him. And she even turned him on! The thought of the bulge in his jeans got her wondering how well developed he was. Ever since Cal had gone home, she had been teasing her clit. As she imagined his cock free and straining, she changed to seriously rubbing the swollen button. Her other hand had been busy inventorying her fat places. Now, it grabbed a nipple that had been distended for over an hour and started pinching and pulling it right to the edge of pain. Orgasms had always been easy for Teri. In fact, all of her sexual responses were strong, witness the way she had fumigated the little studio area. In a very real sense, everything since Cal's arrival had been foreplay, and it took only a couple of minutes to take herself over the top. It was a long, strong come, causing her to splash some water on the floor and to get her hair wet. When she was fully recovered, she realized that her previous primping had been ruined, and just ducked her head under the water. Out of the tub and dried off, she reached for her robe, looked at it for a moment, then dropped it. There was some straightening up that had to be done before she went to bed, and she headed first for the kitchen, still naked. As she reached the end of the short bedroom hallway, she stopped short. The main part of the first floor was open, high-ceilinged, brightly lit, and had many windows. If she took another step, she would be so... exposed. The main floor thermostat was right by her shoulder, and she moved it up a few degrees, the action helping her gather her courage. Then she stepped out and strode to the kitchen. It had felt so good baring herself to Cal. Now, she was completely naked, but there was no particular thrill. Why? Oh, she was definitely nervous, but it was not the same feeling at all. Shaking her head, she finished her work and went to bed early, still naked. ------- Rebecca and Tessa were too busy to notice that Cal came home and went right down to his lab. Teri had joked about him being a professional. Well, right then, he was mainly just a horny fifteen year old. She had said that she hoped she had not embarrassed him. Well, if she had seen his hardon he would have been embarrassed, but otherwise... He just had to have those pictures to look at. Tomorrow he would have to turn them over to her. As he worked, he remembered articles he had read about what some boldly called the future of photography - digital cameras. It seemed like science fiction as he methodically hung print after print up to dry. But it would be wonderful just to hook a camera to a TV or a computer and look at the pictures immediately. Well, that was no help to him right then, and probably not for a lot of years. Knowing that he would pay for it in the morning, Cal got out the pictures after everyone else was safely asleep. He had made prints of the best shots just for himself. He would do the honest thing and shred them when he took her the negs, but for right then, those shots were the best jerk off material he had ever had, by far. Much to his surprise, his mind was working too fast for him to even consider masturbation, at least not right away. The session with Teri had certainly been arousing, but it had been intriguing in other ways, as well. Until Teri had bought the studio setup, Cal had always just shot when he sensed a good picture. He had never analyzed the things that made it a good shot, it had just felt right. The 'right' moment was transitory, sometimes lasting a second or less. If it was missed, it might never be repeated. He would just have to wait for the next right moment. One would always come along sometime. Often on the previous Saturday, and all of tonight, the shots had been posed. Teri had just naturally held herself in position for the shots. Why had she chosen those particular positions? What was she trying to show? Or to hide? Teri had talked about the difference between poses and opportunity shots, but that was the first time it had really hit him how big the difference was. Instead of just capturing the perfect shot when it happened, he had to set up the perfect shot - make it happen! Taking a risk, he snuck back to the basement as quietly as he could, and brought back the folders for all of the women. Many of the pictures had been taken at the Banners' pool, and none of the women were overly modest, so he had some wonderfully revealing shots of the women in his life. Starting with the evening's shots of Teri, he began looking for what made each picture good - why had it ranked high enough for him to retain a print. The very last shot of Teri tonight was the one from the side. After looking at every part of her body, he decided that what had drawn him most was the intimacy - the giving of herself. Her near breast was pleasingly full and gracefully lifted and thrust outward because her arms were raised and her back was arched. Just a little thing like her armpit being exposed made an impression. Her neck looked its best because her head was tilted back a little. Her tummy was minimized by the stretching. Because of the bright backlight and the filmy fabric, she might as well have been naked and the wisps of visible pubic hair emphasized it. The picture almost screamed 'Look at me! Every bit of me! Appreciate me! Take me! For him, at least, that was what made the picture irresistible. Pulling out one of the best of Teri's dress-up shots, he quickly picked out the high points. One was the creamy expanse of her cleavage and upper chest, emphasized by they way her garments pushed her breasts up and together. Next was the sensuous curve of her hip as she stood with her leg cocked. Most of all was the glowing expression on her face. He looked at over thirty prints, going through the same kind of analysis. Then, he began comparing similar shots of different women. He was not looking for who had the best looking breasts, ass, legs, or whatever, but how a particular pose made that woman look good. With his sister, the best shots played up her long, graceful lines and the classic contours of her face. It was harder to pick out what made Tessa's shots compelling, but it was there. After staring for a while, he decided that she was much like her mother. Her body somehow just said 'see me; appreciate me; hold me; love me'. Along with that, her eyes sparkled with the promise of unparalleled delights. His friend was a very sexy woman! Ismi. She was just so perfect that she almost seemed unreal. Of course, she was not distant or aloof, but warm and engaging. And she never displayed any attitude. Just looking at a picture, though, there was a composure, a bit of dark mystery that made it hard to look away. Amelia had the same aura of perfection with totally different coloration. But the main impression that came from her pictures was of self-assurance combined with deep hurt. Maybe that was just because he knew her and her past so well, but it was what he saw. Jolie had the coltish look of Rebecca, but was lacking much of the grace. Her posture bespoke hiding or withdrawing, and he never caught an expression of fun or happy fellowship. As he examined them, his cousin's pictures left him concerned. Laura's pictures were always a little brazen, and not just because of her uniformly revealing attire. Her stance and her expression showed quite a bit of 'in your face'. She was lean and trim, and there was always that ass that she displayed so proudly. However, when he looked closely, he could also see a good deal of sadness and a little fear. Very little fault could be found with her body. Cal almost passed over the pictures of his mother. He felt guilty analyzing her in the way that he had the other women, but he took the time to look at her photos in the same way. What he saw immediately was an expression and an attitude of contentment. Elaine was happy with her life, and it showed. She felt successful, confident, and proud. When he let himself think about it, he also found some very appealing things about her body. Her shoulders were magnificent: straight and broad and nicely cushioned. Her breasts looked for all the world like Rebecca's, young, firm, and high, but larger. In fact, he found most of the appealing things about his sister in his mother, plus the obvious existence of an athlete's musculature. The four women Cal was related to all had model-quality legs, long, slim, and well tapered. All of them had calves that were slimmer than perfection and feet that were larger than ideal, but overall grace of posture and movement that made any imperfections unnoticeable. With the exception of Jolie, posture, body positioning, and facial expression made their photos compelling. Elegance, grace, and strength jumped out at him. Teri and Tessa exuded sexuality, something he could sense but not yet put into words. Looking at their pictures made him want to... to do things he had never done. Curves, expanses of skin, flashing eyes, pouting lips... for the first time he was able to identify the things that drew him in. Despite how well he knew her, Ismi's pictures made him want to worship. Her personality was warm and caring, but her pictures just made her seem too good to be true - somehow above other mortals. Amelia was beautiful, as well, but her pictures made one instantly trust her, want to follow her. Without realizing it, Cal spent two and a half hours analyzing pictures. He had just assembled a selection of pictures that exposed or emphasized asses, and of course a prominent one was of Laura in her thong. As he looked at that one, his memory brought up the images of that day almost four years before and her exhibitionist antics during the basketball game with Pete. Long delayed, Laura finally got her desired reaction from Cal. After getting as hard as a rock within a few seconds, Cal hurriedly stacked the folders and the loose pictures under his bed, grabbed his rag, turned out the light, got under the covers, and got serious about pressure relief. After all of the pictures of his lovely relatives and the gorgeous Barnes women, it was Teri who filled his mental screen as he stroked his cock. Teri had more of everything than any of the others, and too much of quite a few things. She had some rolls, folds, bulges, and dimples that should not have been there. But she had shared her body with him in a way that none of the others had. She had presented it to him, reveling in his gaze more than the camera's. As he matured, he would learn that presentation attitude was a huge component of sex appeal. All he needed to know that night was that the retained images of her generous body enabled him to blow his wad in very satisfying fashion. ------- Of course, Tessa and Rebecca knew what was being set up in Tessa's basement. The two were so close they could honestly be said to share two homes. Teri must have insisted strongly that she have first use of the new studio. Thursday, however, both girls waylaid Cal as he approached the front door, demanding their turn. There was a lot of almost screaming about unfairness when Cal told them he absolutely had to do homework, and besides, how could he get away with both parents home? Rebecca finally settled down enough to acknowledge the validity of the parent problem. The girls glumly agreed to wait until the next evening, Friday. Friday night was basketball night. The JV team played before the varsity, but it was considered bad form not to stay for the varsity game. Afterward, Cal tried to convince the girls that they should wait for Saturday, but he could tell that was a useless fight. Under the guise of watching a video at Tessa's, something that was permitted late on non-school nights, Cal smuggled out his cameras and was almost dragged down the street. Pleased to find two new tripods standing in the little makeshift studio, Cal asked the girls what kind of shots they wanted. They hemmed and hawed and he took a few just to take the edge off. Then, he told them to go wash and dry their hair and make themselves up like they were going to the prom. After initial expressions of wide-eyed disbelief, they looked at each other, squealed, and tore off up the stairs. Teri had been watching the interchange and walked into the room laughing. "Sometimes, there's not much difference between sixteen and six, is there?" she quipped. "Or between thirty-six and six," he shot back without thinking. Realizing his possible gaff, he looked at her with consternation, relieved to see only laughter on her face. Walking toward him with hands on hips and an obviously mock stern look, she told him "That was a nice come-back. But never, never, ever over-estimate a woman's age. I won't be thirty-six for five months, yet." Then, to his amazement, she wrapped him in a hug and held on tight for quite a while. "Hug back, please!" she ordered him. He did. "It's been a long time since I've acted like six - like a little girl. Thank you for bringing it out of me." "Well, from the pictures I developed, I brought out things a lot more mature than six," he told her. When she pulled her head back to look at him in surprise, he went on. "Some of those poses, Teri! Damn, they gave me... uh... uh." He stiffened, thinking he had really stepped in it then. He would never talk about his sexual response with anyone! But somehow, Teri just... Rather than an angry reaction, her hug tightened almost to the point of being painful. With her face pressed against his shoulder, she asked "You mean a fat old broad like me can give you a hardon? Thank God for teenaged hormones!" When she felt him stiffen and he said nothing for a while, she pulled back and stroked his face gently. "Hey, come on, Cal. It's nothing to get upset or embarrassed about. It's natural, and it makes me feel good that I can make it happen. Until I saw those pictures last week, I had forgotten that I was once a kind of attractive woman. The thought that I might still be a little sexy thrills me." As was becoming his standard response in baffling situations with females, Cal said nothing. He did give her a squeeze and stroked her back lightly. He was becoming a fan of the silent response because it seemed to work. Her slight sniffle told him it was working right then. It was a quantum leap in the relationship between the two of them. Both seemed to know it, but neither was frightened by the fact. When they broke from the hug, he thanked her for getting the tripods, and she pulled him into an adjacent room to show him the color versions from Wednesday night. The girls returned in almost the same manner that they left the room. He hated to cool their enthusiasm, but he had to ask: "I guess we'll just do head portraits tonight. Are those the shirts you want for the pictures?" With another of their patented looks at each other, their faces fell. "But if we change now," Tessa wailed, "We'll mess up our hair." Teri stepped in, assured them that they could manage, and led them back upstairs. When they returned, each wore a tube top that left their shoulders bare. On Tessa, it also exposed a tantalizing expanse of creamy cleavage. Teri saw Cal taking that in, and grinned at him. While spending study hall in the library the day before, Cal had picked up a yearbook. He was once again trying to understand what made pictures good. He was struck with the sameness and lack of character in all of the expressions. He had been thinking of what could be done to change that, and decided to experiment with the girls. He started when Rebecca was posing. "Sis, I'm going to ask you some questions. I want you to think the answers in your head, but don't say them out loud. Can you do that?" She responded a bit uncertainly, but he waded right in. "What was your favorite Christmas present of all time?" Watching carefully, he clicked. "Do you remember the day we got Pogo?" Click. "How would you feel if Chris Wolf was watching you right now (naming the hunk starting quarterback)?" Click. "Do you remember winning the county spelling bee in fifth grade?" Click. "Can you imagine what the boys' shower would be like after football practice?" Click. "Cal!!" The click barely beat the protest, and everyone but Rebecca burst into laughter. When Tessa was on the pose, he went through a similar sequence. He took a big chance at the end and asked about some scenes when their family was still together. The ensuing tears ended the session. Teri gave him a reproachful look but said nothing. Cal walked up to Tessa and initiated a hug, which she returned. The experimental shots of the girls had only been taken on the black and white camera, so Cal developed them first thing Saturday after his workout. After he heard Rebecca use the bathroom, he tapped on her door and entered when she responded. Sitting on the edge of her bed, he held up the prints of her and she quickly sat next to him. As she went through the prints, there was the same silent, intense scrutiny he had seen the first time he showed her pictures of herself. When she turned over the last of the eight he had brought, she looked at him and said "God Cal! I... I don't know what to say. I knew from before that you were good, but these... !" "Do you like how you look?" he asked her. "So many different expressions," she murmured. Hurrying down the street, he knocked on Teri's door, and almost fell backwards when she opened it. She was wearing a tube top and jeans, and the effect was quite spectacular. "I saw how you looked at Tessa's chest last night," she giggled. "Wanted some of that, too." She held motionless for a moment, then slapped her hands over her bare midriff and exhaled loudly. "Problem is, I can only hold this in so long." Despite her negative comment, she dropped her hands and let herself relax. Picking up a sweatshirt from the entry table, she pulled it on slowly, still facing him. He had the strange feeling that she was testing him to see if he would react badly to what she considered one of her weaknesses. He found himself wanting to hug her in reassurance. His handful of pictures gave him a good reason not to. "Come on in. It's too cold to leave the door open. Tessa's still in bed." He showed her the pictures of Tessa, and she reacted just like Rebecca had. When they heard the upstairs toilet flush, Teri almost pushed him up the stairs toward the girl's room. With little reason to, Tessa generally did not close her bedroom door. Cal knew that and stopped several feet away and rapped on the wall. That brought her to her doorway, looking down the hall. Amazed to see Cal, she gave a squeak and backed up. "Cal! I thought it was Rebecca. I'm not dressed!" When Cal held up the pictures, her state of dress suddenly became irrelevant. She dragged him to the bed and grabbed the prints from his hand. A few minutes later, Tessa ended her perusal of the photos by turning and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then, she seemed to remember that she was in her sleeping Tee and her hair was disheveled. "Geez, I'm a mess! I shouldn't even let you in looking like this," she complained. "Nah! You look adorable. Let me take a picture to prove it." Her face went through a number of shades of red before she recovered enough to regain control. "Hey, one like that's enough, even for a pervert like you. Remember the one by the fridge with the juice?" ------- Monday at school, one of Rebecca's friends, Samantha, caught Cal in the lunch line. She had been to the house to swim in their pool, and he had talked to her a few times. "Will you take some pictures of me, Cal? Please?" His first reaction was puzzlement. Then, when he made the connection that Rebecca must have shown her pictures around, he became angry. Because of his training, it would have taken an expert observer or someone who knew him very well to detect his anger. Sam did not detect it and just showed great disappointment when he politely told her that he did not think he should. Cal was actually a little puzzled as to why he had reacted with anger. After all, Samantha had not asked for anything terribly unreasonable, at least to her mind. As he pondered during his remaining classes, he thought he understood a little better. His photography was his thing - a very personal thing. He had chosen to share it with three women who meant a lot to him, but that was his choice, his gift. If no one else had ever known about his talent, that would have been fine with him. But now, the word was out, and other people expected that they could share in his 'thing'. It had been made public without his permission. He had lost control of it, and he understood that that was what triggered his anger. Rebecca had no trouble detecting his anger when they met at the dinner table for the first time that night. Her face paled, and she went running from the room in tears. He told their puzzled parents that he would take care of it and followed his sister. Not bothering to knock, he went right into her room and sat on the bed where she lay face down, crying softly. "I'm sorry, Cal! I didn't mean to make you angry! I'm sorry!" "Sis, why did you show them to anyone? I thought that was just for us." "But Cal! They made me feel so special. I wanted to show my friends. I g... guess it was like bragging." That response stopped Cal cold. He had to remind himself again what he had learned about his sister's self-image issues. In a moment, his anger was transferred to himself for being so insensitive. "Did you show them the other ones, too?" She nodded silently. "All of the other ones?" This time, her sobs just increased. "That means you showed them the bare-bottom one, too, huh?" This started a wail. "Hey, hey! Don't cry! I'm not mad any more. I guess I just didn't understand." She rolled over quickly and stared at him with red-rimmed eyes. "Really? You're not mad?" "Nope. Uh, you didn't show any guys the bare-bottom one, did you?" He ducked just in time to avoid the expected pillow that she swung at him. "Guess you'd hate to have any guys see that one, wouldn't you?" At that point, Cal learned another lesson. Rebecca blushed as hard as he had ever seen her and disintegrated into giggles. He had to accept that she would love to have some guy, at least the right one, see that picture. He could only shake his head at the new revelation. When she got control of her giggles, she asked him "How come you wouldn't take pictures of Sam?" "It's Teri's house and she bought all the stuff. I couldn't just do that." He congratulated himself on his escape from that issue. If their parents had been puzzled by their exit from the kitchen, their return did little to clear things up. They had their arms around each other, and Rebecca had her face pressed against his shoulder. At least their return indicated no strife that had to be handled. There had never been much of that, and the parents were not particularly good at handling it. ------- Tuesday, the girls met Cal at the door. "Sam is coming over at eight. Can you have your homework done by then?" "Wait a minute, Sis. I told Sam I wouldn't do it." "But Teri said it was all right. That's why you said you wouldn't do it." Rebecca was on the verge of tears again. Damn! He hated that crying. Trying to hide his anger, he turned around to face away from them. Of course, Rebecca knew exactly what that meant and the tears let loose. Reverting to childhood ways, Rebecca wailed "You said... you said you wouldn't do it because it was Teri's house and her stuff. You didn't say there was any other reason! How was I supposed to know?" For a while, she just cried, with Tessa trying to comfort her, but sniffling along in sympathy. He looked back at them, but wished he had not. Tessa's glare could have sliced him in half. "Sam will be so disappointed," Rebecca got out through sobs. "Oh, Hell!" Cal exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I sure wouldn't want to be guilty of disappointing Sam. If you promised her, I guess it won't hurt. Then we'll be square, right?" When both girls looked at the floor he knew that was not the end of it at all. "Uh, oh!" he exclaimed. "How many?" There was several seconds of complete silence before Tessa breathed out "Six. Counting Sam." They could see Cal struggling with his temper. In a desperate attempt to keep him from exploding, she blurted out "We'll buy the film! And more chemicals and stuff! Maybe we could even help developing!" Cal found a chair and sat down with his head in his hands. He did not like feeling manipulated - he did not like it at all. When he felt he had adequate control of himself, he looked up and told them. "I'll do it Saturday morning - all of them. Tell Sam not to come over tonight." The girls were not at all pleased, but were afraid to push their luck any farther. It was almost 8:30 when Tessa got home, and Teri told her "It's about time! Isn't Sam supposed to be here about now?" "We had to tell her not to come," Tessa said with quivering lip. "Oh, why is that?" "Cause Cal's being a poop!" After that, Tessa spilled the whole story to her mother. "So the whole mob will be here Saturday?" Teri asked. "No! What kind of pictures would we get from that grouch?" "Honey, do you have any idea why he's grouchy?" "How should I know? Who can figure out guys, anyway?" "Well, Tessa, I think Cal just doesn't like to be manipulated." At the girl's puzzled expression, Teri tried to explain how the whole thing had affected Cal. The discussion went on for quite a while, with Tessa ending up hanging her head in shame. "Geez, Mom, we were just doing the kind of stuff you did with Dad. What's wrong with that?" Shock and anger alternated on Teri's face for several seconds before she demanded "What do you mean by that crack?" Tessa tried to back off from what she had said, but Teri kept pushing until Tessa finally started explaining. The girl's phenomenal memory brought up incident after incident where Teri had used every trick in the book to get her way with Rick, her ex and Tessa's father. After about twenty minutes, Teri looked so beaten that Tessa stopped and said "I didn't mean to upset you, Mom. You did all that stuff, didn't you? I just thought that's how you have to handle guys. I don't know why it didn't work with Cal!" "It didn't work with your dad, either," Teri said in a soft whisper. "Sure it did. You almost always got what you wanted." "Except that now he's gone!" Teri could not help the tears that followed. "But that couldn't by why... Oh, God, Mom. I'm sorry I said that!" Teri dug out a long-unused bottle of Scotch and headed off to her room. Tessa hurried to her phone and spent the next hour replaying the conversation for Rebecca. Cal couldn't decide if he was more angry at the girls for trying to play him or with himself for not handling it more gracefully. He could usually deflect his sister's more obvious machinations with humor, but this time, his anger had gotten the best of him. She hadn't even really wanted anything so terrible. It was just the way she just went ahead assuming he would go along. ------- Wednesday breakfast was a miniature cold war, and neither sibling enjoyed the day at school in the least. For her part, Teri had been thrown into a deep depression, not helped at all by the hangover she had to take to her job. Although she had felt some personal guilt for her divorce, the previous night had convinced her that she had driven her beloved Rick away little by little over the years. It was an incredibly painful revelation for anyone to have to bear. Elaine and Martin could easily see the tension between Cal and Rebecca at Wednesday dinner, but had no idea what to do about it. Since the siblings were not openly antagonistic, they decided to let things sort out without their interference. It had worked often enough before. Even when things were no better at Thursday dinner, they held their peace. ------- Right after dinner Thursday, Cal got a call from Teri asking him to come over when he finished his homework. About 8:15, Cal rang their doorbell, cameras in hand. "Oh, I hadn't planned on any pictures tonight," Teri said as she led him in. "We just need to talk." "Yeah, I guess I upset the girls, huh?" "Does that mean you're not upset?" she asked. Instead of answering, he gave a snort, then asked "Are you ready for the mob of girls to show up Saturday?" "They're not coming." "Why?" "The girls didn't invite them. Said they wouldn't get very good pictures out of a grouch." "Shit! Uh, sorry. No wonder Rebecca's so pissed at me." "It's a good thing you're not pissed at her, too," Teri teased. "Otherwise, you might really BE a grouch." She waited him out, but he once again chose the silent response. Teri took his hand and led him to the couch. Sitting down, she pulled his arm around herself and snuggled up close to him. Another milestone in their relationship. "What if Tessa... ?" he started to object. "Restricted to her room on pain of death," was Teri's answer. After a pause and a deep sigh, she spoke again. "Guess you feel manipulated, don't you." "Led around by the nose," he quipped, with noticeable irritation. "Why'd you let them do it?" "How could I refuse? They tried everything, including tears," he complained. "The doomsday weapon, huh?" she said softly. "I can't fight it," he admitted. "But you sure let 'em know your weren't happy, didn't you?" "So I'm a jerk. Sorry!" "No, not a jerk. Just honest. You probably should have just told them 'no way'. Tell me, why did the idea of shooting all those girls upset you so much?" "I guess my photography is pretty personal to me. It's not something I do for show or to be popular or anything." "Like your martial arts?" "What do you know about that?" "I know you're one of your teacher's best and favorite students, but you've never tested for even the first level of, uh, belt. Come on, now, don't get mad at me. Mr. Yokata uses the bank where I work, and I've talked to him." When he did not reply, she posed another question. "If it's so personal, why did you take those portraits of us?" "Oh, I'm happy to share it with people I care about," was his answer. "Especially when I know it makes them feel good." It took quite a while for her to overcome the lump in her throat. She told him "Don't feel bad that the girls can manipulate you. Tessa learned from an expert." She proceeded to tell him about her conversation with her daughter and about the painful things she had to admit to herself over the previous couple of days and nights. "So you see, she comes by it naturally. I used it to drive Rick to that empty-headed bimbo." Then, he had to deal with tears from a different, unexpected source. All he could think of to say was "No wonder you didn't feel like pictures tonight." When her sobs continued, he reflexively kissed her on the top of her head. This produced a two-armed, rib-cracking hug from her. It took a while for her to regain her composure. Then she said "I appreciate you only sharing your personal interest with those you care about. But you should consider what sharing with the other girls would mean to Rebecca and Tessa." She tried to explain. "I think you know how much those pictures have helped their egos - their self-image. Mine too." "I don't really understand it. You're all beautiful. Why the self-image problem?" "I was going to say you 'know' it, but I don't think you 'understand' it." "I may never," he admitted. "Mr. Yokata says you can't understand everything. Sometimes you have to just see what IS, accept it, and decide the best way to react." "Guess I shouldn't try to philosophize when you work with an expert," she said with a chuckle. "Okay. What 'IS' is that teenaged girls constantly struggle with self-image, self-confidence, and sex appeal." "Good thing that's limited to teenaged women," he quipped. "Cal Banner! Sometimes I don't know whether to pound you or kiss you!" "Do I get a vote?" Glib repartee was certainly not Cal's strong suit, but tonight he felt like the quips were just pouring out of him. Teri just stared at him for many seconds. Then, she put one hand behind his head, pulled his face toward herself, and kissed him intensely. "Um, yeah! I'd definitely vote for that!" he told her, still panting from the feelings she generated. Stunned and suddenly remorseful, Teri pulled away from him and sat up straight, looking across the room at nothing. When he tried to pull her back to himself, she resisted, but he kept at it until she collapsed back against him. "Cal, I... I shouldn't have... it isn't..." "Remember what I said about sharing personal things with people you care about?" Cal asked softly. "Isn't that what we just did?" As she thought about that, Teri idly ran her hand over Cal's leg. "Talk about things that could get me in prison," she mumbled. "Dammit, Cal, you don't seem like a fifteen-year-old freshman. Ever notice that the girls don't treat you like a little brother any more?" "Except sometimes when Rebecca is pissed at me," he corrected her. "But how often does that happen any more?" "Other than right now, you mean?" "Right now, she is not angry at you. She is upset that you're angry, and distraught that she did something to make you angry." "Guess I should hide my feelings better, huh?" he grumbled. "Oh, I don't know about that. I hear you're the real ice man on the course and on the court. Don't do that with the girls. With me either. Women are into feelings, you know?" "No shit! Ooops, sorry." The both had a good chuckle over that, then sat close and silent for a while longer. "So why is it so important that I take pictures of their friends?" "Well, it's like your photo skill is something that makes them stand out - makes them special... ," she started to explain. "Special!? But they're the two smartest people in the whole damned school. And they're both talented! What more special do they need?" "Cal, Cal! What reaction do their brains and talents get them from their peers?" "Ohhhh!" "I'll bet the proudest moment of Rebecca's high school career was when she laid those pictures out for her friends. No recital or report card ever meant so much to her. I know that's true for Tessa." "So because they make her feel beautiful and sexy, sharing with her friends gives her some real pride," he said, thinking out loud. "See, you DO understand," she said while giving him a hug. "'Fraid not,?" he corrected her. "I'm just realizing that's what IS." "Maybe I'll end up in prison - or maybe in hell! But dammit, Cal, you're more man than anyone I know!" With that, she got up, straddled his lap, and gave him a long, sizzling kiss. His inexperience mattered not a bit, because she was definitely driving. When they finally broke apart, she rested her head on his shoulder and told him "Now, get the hell out of here. My self-control is all used up." "If that was self-control, I guess so!" he was wondering where all the one-liners were coming from as he walked back home. When he got home, Rebecca was in bed reading. When she told him to come in, he could see the sadness on her face and some redness around her eyes. After their emotional encounter the few weeks before, he was not hesitant to approach her. He sat on the bed close to her and brushed the hair on the side of her face. "Guess I've been a grouch. Sorry!" "Yup. My fault, though," she admitted. "It would really make you happy if I took pictures of your friends, wouldn't it?" She nodded vigorously in response to his question. "OK. If you can still organize Saturday, I'll promise not to be a grouch." After her reaction, he told himself that he absolutely had to learn how to kiss. It appeared he would be doing quite a bit of it. "Cal, why were you mad before?" Rebecca asked hesitantly, "I mean, besides the way we tried to trick you." He explained what he told Teri, and she nodded thoughtfully. "So, you're really doing this for me - and Tessa, not the other girls?" When he agreed, she kissed him again and said "Thank you!" As he got up to leave, she laid a profound question on him. "What's wrong with using your talent to make lots of girls happy?" ------- Chapter 6 Saturday morning could have been a scene from a 'B' movie about high school girls. Of the eight gathered in Teri's rec room, Rebecca and Tessa were as giddy as the rest. Somehow, Cal thought they should have been helping to organize things and bring some order. Didn't happen. Since Sam had asked him personally, he took her first. She had changed into a tube top, which was apparently the uniform for the portraits. He started with the same approach he had used on Rebecca and Tessa, trying to ask questions and make comments that would produce a variety of expressions. Of course, the others girls watched quietly, careful not to disturb Cal or their friend. Fat chance! When he turned around in frustration, he saw Teri at the foot of the stairs, almost doubled over with mirth. He pointed at her and said "And you're not helping!" His original inclination was to scold the raucous group angrily, and maybe shoo them from the room. But he happened to look at Rebecca and saw the dismay on her face. She knew what was coming and was crushed by it. His love for his sister quenched his anger and he took a deep breath. He barely knew some of the girls, but he did recognize the one voice that had led the taunting of Sam. "Cheryl, did you like the pictures of Rebecca and Tessa?" he asked her. Startled at being singled out, she stammered "Y... yeah! That's why we wanted our own." "And why did you like them?" "Geez! I mean, they were so... so expressive." "And do you want your pictures to look like that?" Cheryl nodded vigorously. "When you're up here, do you think you can pose well with Sam doing what you just did?" These girls were all older than him, and they were all 'A' students. Here he was lecturing one of them, and she was close to tears. What was going on? Inspired, he told the girl "Um, Cheryl, I don't think tears will look good in the portraits, OK?" He happened to look at Teri again and saw her shaking her head with wide eyes. Actually, Teri had been about to step in and calm the girls down, but Cal had done it so much better. No way was he fifteen! No way was he still looking forward to his first date. What was all that crap about girls maturing faster? In that room, right then, Cal could have been a father chaperoning eight ten-year-olds. No wonder she felt that way about him. No wonder she... That line of thinking had to be cut off! The session with Sam proceeded in respectful silence and Cal thought he got some very good shots. When he was done, he helped her to her feet and said to the group "OK, talk! You must need it by now. You've got five minutes." He did not think to duck as a storm of soft objects came flying at him. The next girl, by some mysterious selection process, was Debbie, and she was as stiff as a board. Cal tried for a couple of minutes, but she just would not loosen up. Once again, he turned to the watching group. "OK, Cheryl. Now I need you to do your thing. Think you can get Debbie to loosen up?" Cheryl looked shocked, everyone else laughed, then Cheryl got a gleam in her eye. Unbeknownst to Cal, Cheryl and Debbie were quite close, and Cheryl knew a lot of 'dirt' about her friend. The first couple of expressions from Debbie were embarrassment and irritation, but at least it was a start. It took all morning and several rolls of film, but Cal was pretty sure he had at least a few 'keepers' of each girl. When the inevitable question of when they would be ready came up, he told them he would develop them that afternoon. "Hey, girls," Teri piped up, "Why don't you come back for a big slumber party here tonight, and Cal can bring over the pictures? We'll celebrate the start of Christmas vacation." In the face of the enthusiastic cheering, Cal had to stifle his immediate reaction of irritation. Teri saw it, however, and a look of shock and regret flashed over her face. He had been played again and she had done it. When the girls were gone and Cal was packing up, Teri hugged him from behind and lamented "I'm such a bitch! I do it without even thinking. Poor Rick! It must have been hell for him." Cal didn't even try to respond, except with a hug. ------- As he worked in the lab that afternoon, Cal did a little attitude adjustment on himself. So what if he had been tricked into it? Was another encounter with eight bright, vivacious teenaged girls really that bad? Rebecca's friends were all good kids, girls he would be happy to have as friends, or even dates. And their reaction to his efforts made it hard to hold any negative feelings. He wondered how they would like the portraits. He thought they were quite good. The girls thought they were better than just good. He watched as girl after girl went through the same silent perusal that Rebecca had done. Then, they would seem to swell and grow with ill-disguised pride. He had selected only the six to ten best of each girl, but he had the rest for them to look at afterwards. A couple of the girls, Cheryl in particular, were quite demonstrative in their thanks. He could live with that. He had been there about an hour and was about to leave when Tessa, Cheryl, and two other girls pulled him aside. He could tell that Tessa was really nervous when she said "Cal, we would like you to take some pictures that are more, um, uh... I think they call them glamour shots." When he looked at her with a puzzled expression, she whispered in his ear "I accidentally found the ones you took of Mom." He hoped his face had not turned completely white at that. When he could look at Tessa again, her expression was not mischievous but pleading. "Get your Mom, Tessa," he told her. She looked frightened until he smiled and said "Please." She still looked frightened but hurried off to fetch Teri. When Teri joined them, he briefly explained what Tessa had asked for, then asked the girls "Were you thinking of any pictures that you would not show to your parents?" He could tell from the blushes that they were indeed hoping for pictures they would never, ever let their parents see. "OK," he pressed, "Would I be shooting anything I wouldn't see if you came to swim in our pool?" At least Cheryl and Tessa had definitely hoped to show more. He let out a big breath and told them "I bet you can tell I would love to take some sexy shots of you girls. But I think it's a bad idea for you to ever have pictures like that taken." "But we saw the one of Rebecca. And the one of Tessa." That was Cheryl, and all of the girls giggled. Looking at Tessa, he said "Just suppose someone took the picture of Tessa's tit," and he waited for the giggles to subside, "and passed it around. Maybe they were playing a prank, or maybe they were being mean. How would you feel, Tessa?" He was met with giggles and blushes, but no shock or horror." "OK, what if someone put it on the Internet?" "Internet?" one girl asked. "Yes," he explained. "The Internet is growing very fast. More and more people are connecting from homes and offices. There are places you can post pictures where anyone can see them. There is no censorship. How would you feel if someday your son came across that picture of your bare tit, Tessa?" He had hoped by language and example to shock them. Didn't work. New tactic. "Tessa's Mom could get in trouble for allowing the wrong kind of pictures to be taken in her house, you know." "We aren't talking about porn or anything," Cheryl objected. "Just pictures that make us look feminine and sexy." In frustration, he asked the girls to wait and pulled Teri into the next room. "You know how this started, don't you?" "Yes. Tessa told me she found the pictures. She was so excited she almost peed her pants." "But aren't you afraid we'll get in trouble?" "Tell you what," Teri said. "I'll chaperone. I'll decide what's not appropriate, OK?" "From what I've seen, they'll be pushing you," he warned. "You ain't seen nothin' yet," she teased. It turned out to be a very late Saturday night for Cal. Once again, he had been skillfully manipulated. Tessa had apparently called all of the girls and invited them to bring along sexy garments for some glamour shots. Three of them had done so. It was hard to tell if Teri was a safeguard or an ally for the girls. She spent a lot of time helping them with makeup, hair, and other preparations. She was the one who suggested most of the poses, and he had to admit that they were very appealing. The chosen garments were mainly frilly, translucent sleepwear. In most cases, the girls' breasts were quite visible and pubes not well hidden. It was interesting to watch them as they first came out to pose. Every one of them, except for Tessa, was initially terrified of exposing themselves to Cal. But every one also seemed to call on some inner determination. They ended up looking him straight in the eye and standing unashamed. Tessa was obviously nervous, but her face showed excitement rather than fear. Her eyes hardly left his face as she seemed to be hoping for the right reaction from him. That night he was introduced to an enticing odor that he would quickly learned to recognize as female arousal. When Teri caught him sniffing with a questioning look, she giggled and pulled him into the next room to explain. With sudden recognition, he remembered the odor trail Teri had left when she was done with her sexy photo shoot. She saw the recognition in his eyes. "Yup. Did it to me, too." Teri was constantly in his ear. "Compliments, compliments," she repeated over and over. She also relayed posing suggestions, wanting him to make them, rather than her. Cheryl was an athlete with exceptionally nice legs. She was also the most adventuresome of all the girls. Teri took her far beyond what Cal thought was safe, but... Teri seemed to be having the time of her life. When all four of the girls had done several poses, Teri asked Cal to leave the room. When she called him back, Cheryl was posed standing but bent over. One foot was up on a little stool, and she was pulling a stocking up that leg. She wore only panties, but her arm hid her smallish breasts from the camera. It was a classic glamour shot, and she looked far older than her age. Her well-muscled back and shoulders looked smooth and firm. Her face was in profile and she had somehow managed a serene expression. Cal could not help but recall the times he had watched her practice volleyball. Cal whistled. He quickly said "Sorry. That wasn't very professional, but I couldn't help it. Teri, are you sure... ?" "Just take the pictures and don't worry about it." He did, trying to ignore the pressure in his pants. Once again he was ordered out of the room, and when he came back, he almost stumbled at what he saw. Cheryl was seated sideways on the bench in the same pose Teri had used. Her feet were on the bench and her knees were up. Her arms were around her knees and her face rested on her knees, looking at the camera. She wore nothing. It was incredibly beautiful. "Let's see how much of pro you are, Cal," Teri teased. When he was ready to shoot, Cal said "Even pros can fall in love, can't they?" He had intended it only as a response to Teri's teasing, but the dreamy expression that took over Cheryl's face was perfect, and he got the shot. When Teri asked him to leave once more, he quipped "God, Teri, I don't think I can take anything sexier than that." He heard Cheryl's delighted giggle as he left the room. When he returned, Cheryl was in the same pose, but her skin had been oiled. He was not sure it would produce the right effect in black and white, and he would have to adjust the lighting angles to get good reflection off of the oil. As he was telling Teri what had to be moved, Cheryl piped up. "Just move them yourself, Cal. I don't mind." "But I might see..." "If you can be a pro, I can too," she assured him. He decided it would take longer than he had to figure that one out. He adjusted the lights, took a shot, then did another adjustment for the final of the night. When he stood to leave the room, Cheryl said "Just turn around for a second, Cal." When he turned back, she had on an opaque robe. She walked up to him, face glowing enough to light the room, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I wonder if pros still get that reaction," she said with a deadpan expression. Then she looked down at his crotch and giggled. Still uncomfortable with the safety and propriety of the photo shoot, Cal stayed up and processed all of the film. He made a small print of each shot and an additional large print of the ones he thought were good. He packaged the prints and negatives in a sealed envelope with each girl's name. Even after a short night, he got up early to do his exercises, then took over the four envelopes when he knew Teri was probably up and about. ------- Late that Sunday morning, after all of the girls had left, Cal said 'Hi' to Rebecca as she came into the house, but she hardly looked at him. That really floored him. Just when he thought he had capitulated and done everything the girls had wanted, his sister was angry again. He didn't even think he had been grumpy about it. Rebecca hurried up to her room, and after a brief pause, Cal stormed angrily after her. She had just barely gotten there when he pushed open her door and stepped in to see her sitting on the bed, head in her hands and looking miserable. "Please don't be mad at me, Cal," she pled with him. "Huh?" And he thought he was confused before! "Me? Mad at you? I thought you were mad." "You mean... you mean... you're not mad 'cause I wouldn't take those pictures?" "But you took pictures before," he replied before it hit him. "Oh, you mean the 'glamour' pictures." "Yeah, those," she was almost crying as she said it. "Tessa did it, but... but I just couldn't!" He should have excused himself because there was no way he could have seen this one coming. But seeing her anguish made him feel just as bad as if he had caused it. He quickly sat next to her and hugged her close. "Why would I be angry that you didn't take those pictures?" he asked. "Well, we... we did all this stuff to g... get you to go along. Then I ch... chickened out on the best part for you." She still had not managed to look at him. Part of him wanted to keep hugging her and telling her that he didn't care whether she took the glamour pictures or not. That part of him should have won out. But another part of him was fighting like crazy to keep from shaking with the laughter that was trying to take him over. His brilliant, talented, level-headed older sister was as twisted up in her own emotions as any empty-headed teeny bopper. And for a reason he would never have thought of in a lifetime. He did keep hugging but he didn't say anything - he couldn't, or the laughter would have escaped. For several minutes he just sat holding her until an idea started to take hold. He would be taking a chance, but he was so tired of the emotional merry-go-round of the last few weeks that he dropped his usual caution. "OK, Rebecca. Here's what you're going to have to do to make it up to me." "Cal! I... I can't do it. You'd see... I'm afraid..." "Let me finish," he cut her off. "Here's what you have to do. First, you have to throw away all of the clothes you've been wearing to school. And..." He walked over to her dresser and after two tries found her underwear drawer. He grabbed handfuls of her plain panties and bras and threw them on the bed "... and all of these." "WHAT?" "Then, you have to ask Mom to take you shopping for a new wardrobe before school starts again. That includes sexy new lingerie. No more plain underwear, got it?" With that, she was getting the idea that he was making a point and she started to relax a little. "Mom would never take time for all of that," she declared. "Wanna bet?" he demanded. "I think she would jump at the chance." "OK," she said, feeling much less concerned. "Then you won't be mad at me about the pictures?" "Not quite," he corrected, watching her face fall. "You mean you're still gonna make me..." He was absolutely amazed that she thought he could make her do anything. Teri's comment about him no longer being the little brother came back to him. "When you get back to school," he interrupted her, "you have to eat lunch with the three nicest guys from your AP classes every day for the first two weeks." "You turd!" she spat out, now realizing the truth. "You really don't care about the pictures at all, do you?" "What ever gave you the idea I did?" he demanded. She opened her mouth to answer before she realized she did have one. Then, to avoid being caught without an answer, she lamely claimed, "Well, you got pissed at everything else I did lately." "You still have to get a new wardrobe," he insisted. "If Mom can't spend all the time, Laura will." "Oh, just the threat of that of would make Mom take vacation days." That made them both laugh. He was ready to leave but held back because he saw a question on her face. He waited a moment and she spoke so softly he hardly heard. "If I asked you to take, um, nude pictures of me, would you?" And he thought he had lived through all of the surprises! Quickly running through his possible answers and the probable reactions, he saw no answer that he considered safe. "Would you ask me?" he finally asked her back. She just looked at him, obviously as unsure as he had just been. "Maybe," he said, holding his arms wide in welcome, "that's something we'd better not talk about." She almost jumped up from her seat on the bed and accepted his hug invitation. ------- Cal was not comfortable with notoriety of any kind. He knew that success in sports would bring lots of attention, but that had nothing to do with why he played. The competing and the winning were their own reward. So far, he had not been noticed much. A kickoff specialist and freshman guard on the JV team could be pretty anonymous. Likewise with his martial arts, the various degrees were of no interest to him. His competitive spirit did not even transfer to that part of his life. He had gotten into it to be able to protect those he cared about. The confidence that he was able to do that was enough reward. The improvement in his golf and basketball and kicking was a pleasant bonus. Actually, he viewed his martial arts in a totally different light than he did his sports. It was no game. Khalid had died, and he was dedicated to preventing anything like that from happening again. It was too deadly to be a sport, and he chose not to keep score. When school reconvened after the holidays, it took a few days for Cal to realize that he was an object of great interest to a significant percentage of the female students. When he first figured it out, his initial reaction was anger and irritation. Then he remembered Rule One: women tell each other everything. It was genetic. He should not be angry with them. Just ignoring the attention was not going to be enough, though. One day, three different girls that Cal had never met stopped him in the halls and asked him to take their pictures. He should have expected that, but it caught him by surprise. Partly from irritation that things had gotten out of hand, he told the girls that they had to take it up with Tessa. Tessa and Rebecca once again waylaid him on the way into the house. "What's the big idea of sending those girls to me?" Tessa demanded. "You're the one with the studio," he replied with an unmistakable edge to his voice. "But I can't take pictures," she countered, her anger about to erupt. "Then hire a photographer," was his retort. It looked like the friends were about to have a real fight. Tessa's mouth worked wordlessly for a moment - a rarity for her. Then, the usual twinkle returned. "OK. What's your rate?" she asked with a smirk. Cal just sat down on the cold front steps, staring at the ground. They'd done it to him again. One night in bed he had cynically thought of Rule Two: 'If you have a penis, you can't win'. As he sat there with his butt freezing, it no longer seemed funny. Whether she was reading his thoughts or had just realized what had happened, Tessa blurted out "Oh, Shit! Bad idea!" Then she turned and ran home, leaving Rebecca to pick up the pieces. Rebecca, in turn, bailed out and went in the house. Once again it was left to Teri to try to smooth things over. "You and Tessa might as well be married, the way you battle each other," she joked to Cal later that evening. "Didn't know that's what marriage was supposed to be like," he blurted out. Mouth open as if to counter his remark, Teri suddenly turned and hurried from the room. He was in her house, and he didn't know if he should leave or stay. He had just risen to leave when she came back into the room. "Sorry, Teri. I didn't mean..." Her clinging hug interrupted his apology. After a silent minute or two of hugging, she spoke. "Between you and Tessa, you're doing a great job of showing me how I fucked up my marriage." The coarse language was very rare for her. He would learn that it was a sign of deep emotion. With a sigh, he decided to change the subject. "I'm sorry about Tessa. I like to think I have self-control, but somehow she just..." "Like I said before, she learned from an expert." They sat down on the sofa and just held hands for a while. "Cal, do you like taking pictures of people?" "Yes, I do, but..." "Forget the 'buts' for a moment, OK? There's no question you're good at it. You're very good and you're just starting out. I want you to think about why it would be wrong for you to take pictures for money." "I don't think it would be wrong. It's just that..." "It's just that she was playing you again and you didn't like it. This whole deal with the pictures feels like the girls - and myself - have orchestrated the whole thing, right?" "Well, yeah." "And that goes against your competitive nature, right?" He nodded. "So, you might reject something that you actually like to do and that would be good for you because you thought you were manipulated into it?" Cal laid his head back on the top of the sofa and started laughing. Teri waited him out while he decided whether he should tell her or not. Being honest with himself, he loved Teri more than any other woman in his life. "You know," he started, "in bed at night I've been toying with what I call 'rules for dealing with women'. I've only come up with two so far." When he didn't continue right away, she poked him in the ribs. "Don't you dare stop now. Tell me the rules." "Rule One: 'Women tell each other everything.'" Again he was silent, and she could not restrain herself. "Big deal! Everyone knows that. What's the other one." When he didn't reply, she poked him again. "Rule Two: 'If you have a penis, you can't win'." "Gawd! That's fatalistic and depressing!" She paused as if in sympathy, then shouted out "But I love it!" and doubled over with laughter. He kept his head back and waited until she stopped laughing before saying "I take pictures and develop them. You do everything else, right?" "It's Tessa you need to tell this to," she insisted. "You mean tell her she won - again?" "Of course." He loved the woman, but sometimes that damned laugh! ------- It really had felt like he was having to lick Tessa's boots, but he did it. Unfortunately, Teri always managed to have logic on her side. She was always able to point out how Cal was going against logic and against his own best interests. After he had smoothed things over with Tessa, he went home to Rebecca's room. Surprisingly, the girls had not been together at all that evening since Tessa stomped off. Rebecca looked at him suspiciously after she told him to come in. When Cal said nothing for a moment, she spoke first "I don't know if it's safe to be Tessa's friend any more, the way you two go after each other. I read about what the military calls 'collateral damage'. That's what I feel like." "Well, at least you haven't done anything that might piss me off," Cal said without his usual forethought. The combination of hurt and irritation had barely registered on her face when he backpedaled. "Damn, Sis. I didn't come here to rag on you. I'm sorry!" He walked up behind her study chair and rubbed her shoulders, relieved to get the old reaction of a cheek rubbing against his forearm. "Actually, I saw you and Tessa holding court in the lunchroom and I wanted to ask you about it. Was it really hard to do? Were the boys as bad as you feared? How many were there, anyway?" "Yeah, I think you owe Tessa another apology," Rebecca said with a grin. "I told her about sitting with some boys at lunch, and she made me do it." "Was it hard to get the boys to agree?" "We didn't have to. They always sit together at lunch, anyway. That's why there were five and not just three." "So, it wasn't too bad?" "You know," she said, "the first day we... I should say Tessa... just asked if we could eat with them. They were polite but real quiet and seemed nervous," she related. "More nervous than you?" "Couldn't have been. Tessa almost had to drag me." "But you did it again the next day?" "Uh huh! This one guy, Bobby, saw us in the lunch line and waved to us. He was like a different person the second day. He's a nut! By the time we were done, we were all cracking up. Some of those guys have weird humor, but once they get started..." "How did you know Bobby?" "Oh, he's in AP Physics and Math with me. He's a musician, too." "What's his name?" "Heh, heh," she giggled. "His real name is Cedric Robert Armstrong. He hates 'Cedric'. But he says his folks are so sorry for naming him that that they got him a car for his sixteenth birthday." "Boy, you found out a lot in a few days." "Oh, the guys can't wait to tell all the dirt on each other," she explained. "But they treat you nice?" "You gotta be kidding! Bobby and one other guy always stand up while we sit down. And someone always carries our empty trays." Her eyes expressed her wonder when she said that. "Hmmm," he mused. "I'll check with the cheerleaders and see if the football team does that for them." That earned him a slap on the shoulder. "Don't be so smug, LITTLE brother!" "So," he started, almost afraid to ask, "are you going back to your old table?" "I think we've talked the other girls into joining us. We need to even up the 'sides' a little." "So, my idea wasn't too crazy?" With that, she stood and gave him a hug. "Did you get any, uh, comments on your new clothes?" "Oh, yeah! Gotta tell ya!" she enthused. "That asshole Greg: One day he started to make some nasty remark and he just stopped with his mouth open." "I thought you used to drool over Greg and Chad and some of the other jocks," he chided, somewhat fearfully. "I guess after they called me 'nerd girl' enough times they don't look as hunky as I thought." Cal had just come from making peace with Tessa but he felt a need to go back over there, and it was still pretty early. Teri let him in and just smiled, as if she knew why he was there. Tessa was surprised to see him at her room again and gave him a look that was almost fearful. "I wanted to say thanks for getting Rebecca to eat lunch with the guys," he told her. "Hate to admit it," she said with a grin, "but you had a good idea there." "Well, thank you for suffering through it for Rebecca. She seems to be enjoying it." "Who's suffering! A couple of those guys are hilarious. You'd never know it from in class. It's like when we came to 'their' place they relaxed. One day, I could hardly eat from laughing. Only problem is, I hope they don't start making jokes about me." "You mean you don't think you could hold your own?" he teased. "Oh, I could probably do OK," she giggled. Cal just bit back the gibe he was thinking about, said 'Thanks' again and left with a quick hug. ------- There had been an interesting discussion on pricing between Cal, Teri, and Tessa. They insisted he price his time by the hour, including processing time. He started off at what Mr. Yokata had been paying him, but they immediately tripled that. When finished, adding pay for Teri or Tessa helping him, he was sure they had priced themselves out of business. How come he ended up wrong on almost everything he thought about those two? In the very first week, he had to limit the amount of time they could schedule for him. He should have quit working at the dojo immediately, but he could not convince himself that the photo demand would last. One day, he saw Jeanie, a freshman girl from one of his classes, talking to Tessa. She ended up walking away dejectedly. Cal knew she came from a poor family and probably could not afford the price. That night, after a scheduled shoot, he asked Teri "What will you charge me for the use of the studio." She laughed, thinking he was joking, but looked at him hard when he kept a straight face. "You're serious. Why?" He told her about the girl he had seen with Tessa. She turned away, mumbled "A buck an hour," and hurried from the room. It was the second week of the new 'business', and Cal was already a little disenchanted with the attitudes of some of his subjects. When Jeannie came over, it reminded him of the reason he enjoyed photographing people. She positively glowed with delight. He ended up donating a large framed print because he was so moved by her gratitude. ------- It seemed like every night brought Cal more to think about, and most of it required more than one come to let him settle down. The one thing that was most obvious was that he was no longer behind the curve as far as his interest in females. His encounters with the girls and with Teri had started him thinking about them almost constantly. With all of his photo subjects added in, it seemed like he spent his life looking at women. By agreement between the three of them, he would not take any more glamour shots of any of the high school girls, much to the displeasure of his customers. Apparently, for many of them that was the big attraction. Obviously, Tessa, Cheryl, and the other two had not been secretive with the late-night photos. They had to start telling prospective customers up front that there would be no such shots, but there was still plenty of nubile young beauty paraded before him. Most of the shots were not portraits per se, and many were full length. Some of the girls' 'normal' outfits were pretty much 'glamour' wear, anyway. Cal's basketball and his training sessions had suffered a little, although he had kept his studies on track. Little did he know that just as basketball season ended for the JV, everything else that had happened would be made to seem trivial. ------- It was not at all unusual for Teri to ask him to come over, even if it was a week night. He knew that Tessa was spending the night with Rebecca because they had an early departure for a school field trip. His portrait cameras and a supply of film now stayed at her house, but she asked him to bring his snapshot camera and come right into the house. To Cal's hail upon entering the house, he heard Teri call out "Come on in the bedroom, Cal," followed by a strangely uncertain-sounding "Please!" Dutifully, he went down the short hall to the bedroom, a place he had been before to hang some drapery rods and to fix a light switch. When he entered the room, he was surprised not to find her there. "Teri?" "I'll be right out!" she responded from the attached bathroom. Again, her voice sounded rather shaky. "I'll wait outside," he told her. "Let me know when you're ready." "No! Wait!" she insisted. "I just have to work up my last bit of..." - there was a slight pause as she stepped into the bedroom - "nerve!" ------- Sleep had been very erratic for Teri the last several weeks since she had posed for the sexy shots with Cal. It had been a very impulsive thing to have done, but she had felt driven by a need for appreciation and approval. Since that night, she had alternated between berating herself for her foolish risk and fantasizing about doing it again, and more. For a while, she tried to tell herself that she could have felt the same thrill with any nice man looking at her. But she gave that up the Saturday morning he handled that group of girls so skillfully. Then, she wondered if she suffered from pedophilia, but she realized she had stopped thinking of him as a boy some time ago. The old expression 'fifteen going on forty' never seemed more applicable. Every time they did a shoot together, she was more impressed with him. No! She had to be honest with herself. She fell more in love with him. She had loved Rick with all of her heart - still did. When he left with her heart, she was sure it was the end of love for her. But it was happening with this unusual young man, and there was nothing she could do about it. For many nights, now, she had fantasized about posing completely naked in front of Cal. When the images came to her, usually in the wee hours, she became highly aroused and had to get herself off. After a climax had quenched some of the excitement, though, some depression always set in. She was not happy with what she had to show to Cal. In the fantasy, she always displayed her former body, the one that had attracted Rick and held him for thirteen years. But she didn't have that body any more. Then she would go through the same ritual she did every time she summoned the courage to step on the scale. She would tell herself that she could get that body back any time. But then she would ask herself 'why bother'. A few nights before, it had hit her. She now had a reason to work for that body! It was crazy. It was unconventional. It was illegal. It was probably perverted. Didn't matter. She would do it to show Cal. ------- Cal heard what she said as she stepped from the bathroom, but it did not really register. The only thing impacting his brain was his first sight of a fully exposed, naked woman, standing facing him, not eight feet away. Cal did not move, in fact he did not even breathe for a dangerously long time. Seeing his catatonia jarred Teri out of her own near panic. She grabbed his hand and led him over to the bed, where she sat him down. Sitting beside him, a discreet distance away, she continued to hold his hand. "Cal, I'm sorry, Honey! I didn't mean to upset you this much. I, uh, guess I'm your first naked woman, huh? Except for Cheryl, and, well..." He was able to make his first conscious motion, and gave a brief nod. "Well, I'm honored. But I guess I should have done it more gradually. Problem is, I couldn't. It took all the nerve I had to do it this way." She was quite clearly babbling from nervousness at that point. "Actually, you saw almost as much when you took those sexy shots that night." Sensing that she was not at ease, and not having her directly in his view allowed Cal to return to reality enough for elementary speech. "Why?" was the limit of his capability right then. "You know I've gained quite a bit of weight since the divorce, Honey. Since I'm not keeping much secret from you, the total is twenty-seven pounds. I'm going to lose it! And I never want to let it come back again. Weight comes on too easily for me. Unfortunately, that's something Tessa's going to have to fight for her whole life, too." "I knew from the first picture you showed me that I had to start losing the fat, but it was like I was paralyzed. I just couldn't get started. I finally figured out that I didn't think I deserved to look good. Well, being around you a lot has made me feel so much better about myself. I'm finally going to get serious!" "One of the reasons I'm here with you naked is because I want you to record how I look now, and as I lose the weight and get in shape. I want you to shoot every ugly bit of flab and every roll of fat. I want to have it to look at if I ever start gaining again." Cal had graduated to three-word bursts. "But why me?" "Well, the other reason is that I want you to take more glamour pictures of me. I figure you're so good you can even take flattering pictures while I'm still fat." "But why do you have to be naked?" Speech power was returning in force. "Do I look that bad? Can't you stand the fat?" she sounded hurt, but it was all for show. She was blatantly fishing. "Of course not!" he hurried to assure her. "I mean sure I can stand it... I mean..." his newly recovered speech ability ran out at that point. "Cal, you are very talented. Pro photographers thrive on naked female bodies. I'm just giving you an early start." Her nervousness had subsided enough for a little humor. "I want you to take lots of pictures of me. Maybe I will have clothes on for most of them, but I want the weight loss record to show my naked body." "Won't you want some that you can show other people?" Cal's self-control was beginning to assert itself again, and he was able to conduct some actual thought. "Hmmmm. Good point. Guess I should have you take some in an exercise outfit, or maybe a swimsuit." "Teri, I'm still amazed! I mean, how can you just... show yourself like this?" "Oh, it's not hard to be naked with you. Cal, you just always make me feel good - appreciated... I don't know... valued, I guess. I thought about this a lot the last few days. In fact, I've hardly gotten anything else done. The idea came to me in the middle of the night, and at first I thought it was crazy." "I can sure see that," he quipped, having mastered at least minimal humor ability. Instead of responding to his humor, though, Teri became very serious, almost morose. "You have no idea how down, how unlovely, how unloved I have felt since Rick left. And then to learn how I probably drove him away! I'll tell you again, your wonderful pictures did more for my self-esteem than anything since the divorce. And just the way you look at me makes me feel good. If no one but you saw me thinner again I would still want to do it." "But I haven't thought of you that way... I mean, uh..." He forgave himself that little lie. "Sexually? No, I didn't think you had. But I sure won't mind if you do. Maybe after I lose this weight, you will think of me that way. It's flattering to a woman when she arouses a man, you know?" "I, uh... it seems I'm having to learn a lot about women lately." "You mean you're adding more rules?" she asked with a giggle. They laughed together. Suddenly, they looked at each other as if just realizing that they were having a rather normal chat with her totally naked. She reached over to give him a hug, and he returned it, though rather gingerly. "How about we start with some pictures, OK?" she asked. "Let's start in the studio." "Uh, OK. But I think we should get some with you doing normal things, too." "Great idea. In fact, let's start with some of those." Her little giggle just emphasized again how much he did not understand about women. Like almost every American male, he had been raised to believe that a view of female privates was a rare, prized goal, achieved only with great difficultly. Even his brief photography career had not erased that feeling. Now here was his wonderful friend, obviously unhappy with her body, but seemingly untroubled by him seeing every part of her. How much else of the world was not as it had been portrayed to him? "Remember, Sweetie: in these early pictures I need you to get close-ups of all the ugly spots. It will probably be hard to get sexy pictures of those, but do the best you can." Cal was now in enough possession of his mind to recall that she only seemed to call him affectionate names when she had her clothes off. Another lesson in that? "One thing, Teri," he told her as he forced himself into photographer mode rather than voyeur mode, "Daylight makes for some of the best pictures." "Ohhh. You're right. That will take some planning. With nosey neighbors, we'll really have to work at that. I'll see what I can set up." "Yeah, Tessa could show up and catch us." "Oh, she knows I'm doing this." He literally had to sit down after that revelation. "Geez, Cal. Have you forgotten Rule One?" That brought a good laugh from both of them. "Let's see what we can do tonight," Cal said as he tried to keep from staring at her body. He found himself wondering how glamour photographers did it. He had almost no knowledge of the porn business, so he did not even wonder about that. He did know that his cock had already been hard for so long that it hurt from the pressure against his pants. Over the next hour and a half he had her do normal bedroom activities like getting things out of drawers, putting garments on, taking garments off, brushing her hair, making the bed. Then, she suggested several bathroom activities such as putting on makeup and painting toenails. They finished with some posed shots in the studio in a beautiful baby doll set. Cal had been constantly erect for more than two hours, and he had to sneak up to his room because it just would not go down. Teri had said nothing about it, but he could not believe she did not notice. It took three comes to make sleep possible that night. ------- She had noticed, all right. To be honest with herself, the bulge was a big reason for baring herself. It was part of the approval of her body that she so desperately needed from him. When he left, she did not dress. For quite a while, she could not even sit down, she was so wired. After straightening, dusting, and cleaning everything she could think of in her immaculate house, she went her bedroom and stood for many minutes looking at herself in the large bathroom mirror. Finally, she was going to do it. Rick was gone and there was nothing she could do about that. But now there was someone who cared what her body looked like. No, that was not quite true. Cal probably did not care all that much. She could tell that his feelings for her were not dependent on her weight or conditioning. SHE cared what she had to present to him, and that was what gave her the assurance that she would succeed. ------- Chapter 7 With basketball finished, Cal had no extra-curricular activities from school to take up his time. He had decided that he was going to accelerate his martial arts training for the entire spring and summer until football practice started in mid-August. The morning after his first naked photo session with Teri, it was easy for him to get up early, as sleep had been very hard to find. The extra exertion of his more vigorous workout was just what he needed to relieve the tension built up by the experience. That day at school, Tessa caught him in the cafeteria and pulled him to a small table in the corner. She used her potent glare to keep anyone from joining them. "OK," she started out, "I don't want my naked Mom to make it hard for you to talk to me, got it?" He knew it was a mistake while he was saying it, but "Yes Ma'am" just popped out. It was fortunate that she was across the table so he could avoid her not-at-all-playful swing at him. She glared at him, but apparently decided the reason for talking to him in the first place was more important than addressing the current impertinence. "Can we still act natural around each other?" she asked, pointedly ignoring his gibe. "Not sure just what is natural any more, Tessa," he answered honestly. "Yeah, I can see that. Things have changed a lot, haven't they? You know how much I love Mom, don't you?" He nodded. "When she told me what she was going to do, I thought she was crazy, but it makes sense in a weird way. You know, I could stand to lose some weight, too." He groaned and she grinned. After a very long, very intense stare, she popped what was obviously the main question. "Will you take Mom to bed?" At his look of astonishment and confusion, she corrected herself. "Just to be perfectly clear: will you fuck her?" "Th... that's crazy, Tessa! Why would you even ask that?" "Because Mom needs to get laid. And she's already in love with you." "Oh, come on! I'm like her son." "Not hardly. Maybe you can't see it, but I'm telling you, she'd have sex with you in a minute." "But it's dangerous!" "Nah. She started on the pill the day I showed her the pictures of me. Oh, you mean 'cause you're a minor. You'd have to be really careful." "Well, she has never said anything... hmm, not much, anyway," he mused. "Uh, Cal. One thing is pretty important. You need to start it. You need to be the aggressor." "Why is that?" "From what I can remember, Mom completely controlled sex with Dad. She needs to learn that it can be good if she isn't running the show. I think it's another of the ways that she drove Dad away." "Great. You want me to convince her it can be good, and I've never even been on a date. I don't know what to do." "Well I'm not qualified to be your teacher, either," she said with a giggle. "I think if you just let her know you want to make love and make the first move, she'll make sure it's good from there." All of the unique happenings of the last months had suddenly faded into dull normalcy by comparison. Cal could not have contrived a scenario like this one. "Tessa, how would you really feel about it if it happened?" "What do you mean? I'm trying to convince you to do it. Doesn't that tell you how I would feel? Ohhhh! You mean would I be jealous? What does that matter?" "Oh, come on, Tessa. We've been great friends forever. If you had some hopes that maybe... I mean..." "Honestly, Cal, I've had a crush on you like forever. I have always dreamed that you would take my cherry. Who knows, maybe you still will. But I don't see how we could be boyfriend and girlfriend, and I want more than just sex. The problem is I seem to be able to piss you off without even knowing why. You think I'm a controlling bitch, and..." "I don't think that at all," he protested. She went on as if he hadn't spoken at all "... and lots of times, I think you're an egotistical, stubborn jerk. Um, that's only when I'm not thinking you're the sweetest guy alive." Cal made a quick decision that this was another of those times where only silence made sense. They found a few other topics to talk about, then went on to class. ------- The evening of Cal's little lunchroom chat with Tessa, Rebecca would not look him in the eye at dinner. It puzzled him, but she ate normally and talked with the parents freely, so he decided to wait until later to find out. He waited until everyone seemed to be down for the night, then knocked on his sister's door. Since dinner, he thought he had the problem figured out. When she answered, he walked in and found her in bed reading. He flopped down beside her and took her hand. "Should I have just told her to put her clothes back on and forget it?" he asked gently. "Ohhhh! I don't know!" she answered. "Well, I sure don't want this to cause a problem between us. Why does it bother you, Sis?" "You mean, besides being totally different from the way we were brought up?" she asked sarcastically. She tried to free her hand from his, but he hung on. Refusing to take the bait, he said evenly "Yeah, besides that. There must be something else." 'There sure is', Rebecca said to herself. She had been struggling to sort out her feelings lately. She and Cal were so close that he had always been her 'guy'. It wasn't exactly like a boyfriend or a lover - or was it? Now, he was sharing intimate things with another woman. Things she herself had not shared with him, and did not feel that she could. There was a sense of loss and more than a little jealousy. After the fact, she wished she had done the glamour shots with Tessa and the others that night. She wished she could just throw off her night clothes right now and show him everything. Because she hadn't, because she couldn't, she felt like other women had gotten closer to her beloved brother than she had ever been. She even had some flashes of anger at Tessa for hanging her boobs out for Cal. And now Teri! Naked! God! What next? Sex? The thought made her shiver and feel nauseous at the same time. It was probably irrational, but she felt like she was losing Cal. He saw that she was pondering something and gave her time. When she gave a sigh that sounded defeated, he had to try to reassure her. Letting go of her hand, he put his arm around her and pulled her head to his shoulder. Since she was under the covers and he was on top, it was a little awkward, but obviously tender. "Rebecca, things can't be like they always were between us," he started. She said nothing, so he went on. "You're going to find a boyfriend..." "I wish," she interrupted with some anger. "... and I'll probably find a girlfriend. Someday we'll both go our own ways to separate lives." This was not making her feel better and she sniffled once. "But I hope we can always have the same special love between us. There'll be another woman for me someday. But she won't replace you. I hope your boyfriend and your husband won't replace me." There was no big emotional outpouring. She sniffled a little more and stayed on his shoulder for a few more minutes. Then, she smiled, kissed him lightly, and said 'Thanks'. He left. Lying in bed, he thought hard about Rebecca and decided that she desperately needed a boyfriend, or at least a date. How could he make that happen? Who was that one boy she talked about from lunch? The next day at school, Cal managed to sneak into the cafeteria during his sister's lunch period, which was different from his. He saw the boy that she was talking to most and assumed it was Bobby. He was correct, and Bobby was more than a little surprised when Cal caught him outside the school at the end of the day. After brief introductions, Cal asked "Could we meet and talk for a few minutes? Somewhere private?" "Uh, sure. I've got a car. Maybe I could pick you up. Say, what's this about?" "Oh, it's nothing bad. It's about Rebecca. I'd like to help her out a little, and I think you could help," Cal told him. Bobby's eyes nearly bugged out and his nostrils flared. Cal knew then that he would do anything. "M... me? Rebecca? Help? S... sure!" They arranged for Bobby to pick Cal up after supper, a few blocks from home. "Bobby, do you have a sister?" Cal asked over a Coke at a fast food place. "Yeah, but she's little. Ten. Why?" "Well, Rebecca and I have always been close. She's having self-image problems, and I..." "You're kidding, right?" Bobby asked in utter disbelief. "No. I'm very serious. Rebecca has never had a boyfriend and never been on a date. You know, she has been teased and ridiculed a lot because of her brains and her music." "Ha! I sure know what you mean," Bobby spat out. "Well, she doesn't think she is appealing to guys at all, and..." "That's crazy!" Bobby interrupted again. Cal liked the fact that he was not timid or withdrawn. Perhaps Cal being younger had something to do with it. "She's a babe! I mean... sorry, but..." "That's OK, Bobby. I think so, too. The reason I wanted to talk to you was to see if you would ask her to the Breakaway dance." That annual event was just before spring break and was coming up soon. Bobby just stared at him for several seconds, then "Me? Ask Rebecca. I didn't think she would... I mean, I'm..." "You've been very nice to her. She likes your humor. You both love music." "But I've never been on a date!" The poor guy looked scared to death at the prospect. "Well, neither have I. Hey, you've got a car. How about we double?" "Wh... who would you bring," Bobby asked. "Hadn't thought of that. Maybe Tessa. What do you think?" "Wow! Me and Rebecca! You really think... ?" "I'm sure of it. Hey, we never had this conversation, right?" ------- The next night at dinner, it was obvious that Bobby had wasted no time. Rebecca sort of floated into the kitchen. She didn't really sit in her chair, she descended enough to hover above it. Cal waited as long as he could before asking her "Sis, you seemed kinda distracted. Did something happen today?" "Bobby asked me to Breakaway!" she almost yelled. Then the unthinkable happened - Elaine squealed! "A date? Bobby who? Is he in your grade? Where does he live?..." Cal and Martin looked at each other in astonishment, then shook their heads and grinned. It was as if there were suddenly two teenaged girls at the table. Actually, Elaine was tremendously excited. She had been concerned that her daughter was truly becoming a bit of a nerd, and she did not want her to miss out on the social fun of her teen years. At Thanksgiving time, it was clear that the girl was troubled. Her smile had taken a vacation and she only seemed to play somber pieces on the piano. Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, something had happened. Rebecca seemed much more animated and she and Cal were spending a lot more time at the Walts'. Some of the sparkle and energy seemed to be returning to her daughter. When at Christmas Rebecca had asked her for some help clothes shopping, Elaine really had taken a day off, a rarity for her. For her, the shopping day had been the best part of Christmas. She could not explain the sudden change in her daughter, but she was thrilled by it. She even got Rebecca in on a cancellation at her hairdresser's and they finished off with dinner out. Since the holidays, Elaine had been making it a point to help Rebecca every morning before she left for school. Maybe she just complimented the girl on her outfit, or touched up her hair a little, or suggested some makeup changes. To find out that Rebecca had her first date was a relief beyond explanation. In the middle of an energetic but good-natured inquisition of Rebecca, Elaine happened to glance at Cal and saw him wink at her. That was unprecedented, and it stopped her cold for a moment. When she resumed, she was certain that Cal was responsible for her daughter's date, and just maybe for her recent turnaround. That bit of discovery could wait until later, though. There was serious girl talk to be finished right then. As Cal watched mother and daughter chatting excitedly, he experienced a new revelation. His mother was a sexy woman! Why had he never noticed that before? What was happening to him now? A mental slide show of dozens of high school girls in front of his camera, Tessa and others in filmy lingerie, Cheryl in an erotic pose, and Teri naked scrolled across his memory. He was just waking up to the beauty and sexuality of women, that's what was happening. And as far as beauty and sexuality, his mother was right up there with the best of them. Cal had some new concepts to think about during his upgraded workouts. Running was the best time to let one's mind run free, and all of the miles seemed to be filled with the women in his life. ------- OK, so there was nothing normal about it in the first place: taking naked pictures of his neighbor - his friend's mother - his business partner. But when Teri caught him on the way home a week later and told him she had gotten some exercise equipment and needed some more 'before' shots, the butterflies took over his stomach immediately. There had been four photo sessions for customers that week, so they had seen each other. But in the context of their new little business, it was different. Cal had begun getting up an hour earlier than before since the photo business had started. He first went through his workout, then used the rest of the time for homework. After school every day, he had to do enough to know that he could finish in the morning hour, but it left his evenings much more open. Now that basketball had finished, he usually completed his school work before dinner anyway, but he found he liked the very early morning discipline. He had always thought that he would go out for the school golf team, but after having either football or basketball practices all year, he had to rethink that plan. There was plenty of golf right out his back door, and better competition than the school team whenever he wanted it. Tessa met him at the door when he went to their house right after dinner. After the initial surprise, he assumed that she would study or visit Rebecca during the 'shoot', so he chatted with her for a minute, expecting her to leave. "Well, let's get going, I think Mom's ready for us," Tessa said. Cal looked at her in confusion at first, then felt the increasingly familiar surge of anger. "Wh... what do you mean 'us'?" She had seen the flash of anger and it shook her up a little, but she could not see why it should change her plans. "I'm going to be your assistant!" she announced with forced cheerfulness. This time she saw both anger and a little fear. She could tell he was trying to control his reactions but it was not working. "Now what did I do wrong??" she shouted at him, suddenly overcome by confusion and anger of her own. "All I wanted to do was help! Why did that piss you off again? Damn it, Cal! How am I supposed to know?" Teri had been about to enter the foyer where they stood, but her daughter's explosion caused her to hang back and retreat into the powder room where she could watch through the barely-opened door. The last few months had been a crash course in dealing with women for Cal. The one subject that had not yet been covered, however, was an angry woman. Especially, not a strong-willed one like Tessa. "Wh... why didn't you ask me first?" he queried lamely. "Weeelll, excuuuuse ME!!" she snarled, dripping sarcasm. "Your Highness, I apologize for not asking permission to help your royal ass! I didn't know it was such a high privilege to assist such a great artist!" With that she turned and stomped off toward the stairs. "Tessa, wait! Let me explain!" He called to her. When she ignored him, something snapped, and he dashed after her. Catching her from behind, he managed to subdue both arms in front of her and lift her off of the floor a little. Straining mightily because of the poor leverage, he lugged her toward the couch in the family room. She began screaming and kicking, leaving some bruises on his lower shins. When he dumped her unceremoniously on the couch, she bounced up and launched into a full-fledged tantrum. She flailed at him and screamed words he would never have suspected she knew. Teri had moved to a place where she could see what was happening and became very concerned. She was about to intervene, but she had never seen Tessa like that and frankly did not know what to do. In mid-stride, she decided to see how Cal would handle it and backed up to watch from another doorway. Dodging or deflecting Tessa's blows was no real problem, but it bothered Cal to see her out of control like that. He yelled her name as loudly as he could several times, but it did not penetrate her rage. Finally, he grabbed one flailing hand and got behind her again. This time, he got her in position by his side, sat back down on the couch, and pulled her across his lap, bottom up. Giving her no time to even object, he smacked her hard on one ass cheek, then the other. When there was no reaction from her, he repeated the sequence, this time producing a screech of pain. Hearing that, he began rubbing her ass very gently, asking her over and over "Tessa, will you let me talk to you? Tessa, will you let me talk to you?" Her yelling and flailing had stopped when she acknowledged the pain. She was squirming but silent. When he had repeated his question about a dozen times, she asked "Are you going to stop doing that?" Instead of answering, he took his hand away. "Then I'm not listening," she warned him. He gave her another swat, this one playful, and sat her beside himself on the couch. "Tessa, it would be fun to have you helping me, but there are a couple of problems. Maybe your Mom doesn't want you around when she's naked." "Oh, that. I asked, and she's OK." "Well, I didn't know that, and I was concerned," he explained. She looked down a little sheepishly. "The other problem," he continued uncertainly, "is, uh, me." "Huh?" "Um, with your Mom naked, I'll have a h... hardon all the time." "So?" she said with a little giggle. "Well, us guys are real sensitive about people seeing that." Now, she hung her head even lower. "Sorry. I never thought about that. Hey, Mom sees it. How come that doesn't bother you?" "Oh, it does," he insisted. "But that's different. Uh, she's showing me everything, and if she's not embarrassed, well..." Almost before he finished the thought, she was on her feet and her sweatpants and sweatshirt were flying in different directions. She had her hands behind her back fumbling for her bra clasp before he could react. He Jumped to his feet, grabbed both of her hands from behind her, and said "Tessa! Don't! Please!" "Do I look that bad? You don't even want to see me?" Cal's head was swimming, wondering how many land mines he was going to have to dodge. "Tessa, Tessa," he tried to reassure her. "I would love to see you naked. That night I took those pictures was thrilling for me. But this is not the way. I don't want you to do it when you are angry and confused." When she looked up at him, her face went through several different emotions before it totally disintegrated and she fell forward and clung to him desperately as she sobbed. He somehow knew that this was not going to be a quick little cry, so he sat down. Her legs were to the side and their chests were pressed together, her arms tight around his back. He in turn kept his arms around her, gently rubbing her back as he laid his head back in weariness and frustration. They had only been seated a few seconds when he felt Teri sit next to him. His mouth was covered in a tender kiss, then her arm was over his shoulders as she started stroking Tessa's hair. Teri's breast was tight against his upper arm and he was pretty sure he felt cloth between them, but he did not feel like raising his head to check that out. Tessa's sobbing fit went on for a good ten minutes, with neither Cal nor Teri wanting to interrupt her. When the tears ran out, Tessa just held on and sniffled for a while longer. Then, with a glance up at Cal, she grabbed his T-shirt and loudly blew her nose on it. "There. Now you have to take something off, too." She had not yet worked up to a giggle, but her quip signaled the end of her cry. Teri wanted to lighten things even more and she asked "Can you figure a way to blow your nose on his underwear shorts?" It took a few seconds, but all three burst into laughter from that. The crying may have stopped, but Tessa was not ready for the contact to end. Sitting up, she pulled off Cal's shirt, than sat on his lap and resumed her hug. With her face in his neck, she murmured "You saw some parts of me I don't like very well." "That's funny," he shot back. "The parts all look pretty good to me." She just hugged harder and gave a little hum. "So," she asked, "do I have to get naked to be your assistant and see your hardon poking your pants out?" Easy questions again. "Um, I guess the real problem is you're just too shy and diplomatic to be any real help." She responded by trying to tickle him, forgetting all the previous unsuccessful attacks of that nature. "No, really, Cal. Can I help? I really want to. I promise I won't joke about it or anything." Rule Two. The vixen even insisted on staying in just bra and panties, probably to ensure that hardon she so desperately wanted to see. Seeing that things were about where they should have been when Cal arrived, Teri asked them to wait and fetched some of the first 'before' pictures. "See, the ones in the studio show so much more than the ones in the bedroom. I want all the fat rolls and everything to be as obvious as can be." "Well, it's because the light in the studio is so much brighter. It makes everything stand out," Cal explained. "In the bedroom I only had the flash. "Guess we'll have to take them all in the studio, then. Damn, I wanted some on the exercise machines." "No problem. The lights you got are pretty portable. MY ASSISTANT can help me set them up wherever we need them." Tessa giggled at that. "Will we have to move the backdrop, too?" Teri asked. "No, we'll just place the lights differently," he answered. "OK. I lost three pounds this week, but let's redo all the 'before' shots, anyway. I want those ugly rolls and bulges to jump right out at me." Tessa was almost giddy as she hurried down the stairs to help carry lights to the bedroom. When Teri blushingly took off the swimsuit she had been wearing, it was Tessa who observed a problem. "Geez, Mom, look at the lines your suit left. We can't take pictures until those go away. Guess we'll just have to sit and stare at you until they're gone, huh?" That triggered some light roughhousing between them. The effect of so much of the naked lovelies jiggling in such interesting ways had Cal instantly erect. In a move of unusual tenderness and consideration for her, Tessa stopped the horseplay and came over to stand in front of Cal. She touched his reddened face and asked "Are you OK?" The photos, combined with some introduction to Teri's new equipment, took a couple of hours. At the end, she complained of some muscle soreness from the unusual exertion. "Cal, any chance I could talk you into giving me a massage?" "I really don't know much about it." Seeing and photographing her naked was bad enough. How could he stand to touch her? And with Tessa watching! "That's OK. I'll bet you can learn fast." Rule Two. It turned out to be a marvelous, addictive experience. Despite his fears, he did not spurt in his pants. Trying to concentrate on the task, he found he could locate knotted muscles and loosen them up with his fingers. He did her back and shoulders and stopped when he got to her waist. She did not ask him to go any farther. Cal happened to look at Tessa as he worked, and he could tell that she wanted the same thing, but he was not going to be the one to suggest it. ------- With his schedule a little less demanding than it had been for most of the year, Cal felt a need to spend some time with Ismi. During the awful summer of Kal's death, the two had been inseparable. Even when school had started that fall, they saw quite a bit of each other. However, they were never in the same school, and that made it much harder to stay close. During following summers, Amelia and Ismi spent a lot of time at the Banners' pool. All of the homes in the area had pools, but Martin and Elaine's had become the center for the group of friends. But when summer was over, Ismi and Cal were in separate schools and separate social groups. When Cal became a freshman, the two friends were finally in the same school. Unfortunately, with Cal's demanding sports schedule and the natural social gulf between seniors and freshmen, the opportunities to get together were not frequent. Ismi attended the football games that year, something she had not done before. After the games, she came to the Banner house to celebrate with Pete, and Cal once he started playing. After football ended, it was not long before Cal became immersed in basketball and the new business, and to his regret, he hardly saw her over the winter. Ismi was dating some, but not seriously with anyone. With her looks, she was very much in demand, but she was also very, very selective. She had more dates with Pete than with any other guy. As old, good friends, they both realized that they would be going their separate ways the next year. They were 'safe' with each other. They could relax and have fun on dates, but neither wanted or expected romantic or sexual involvement. Cal thought his photography would be a great way to 're-connect' with his beautiful friend. Of all the girls who had sat for him, he still did not think any of them compared with Ismi. After finishing up all of his homework one night when there was no shoot scheduled, he called and asked Ismi if he could stop in. When he arrived, both she and her mother greeted him, and he endured some good-natured teasing about being a stranger for so long. "Ismi, I would like you to sit for some pictures," Cal told her as they all sat together having a Coke. "You are so beautiful, you are a photographer's dream." He had said it casually, but he noticed a very strained look on Amelia's face afterward. Then he looked at Ismi and saw that her face was definitely pale. For a long moment, Ismi was silent, then she shook her head firmly. "Th... thank you, Cal, but I just can't." "Oh, well that's OK," he replied, confusion obvious in his voice. "Cal," Amelia started after a long look and some invisible signal between mother and daughter, "I want to tell you something that only Dr. Waxman and Pete know about." "I may be the only mother of a high school girl with this problem," Amelia continued. "I have to constantly talk with Ismi to get her to look better for school. I have to talk her into sexier clothes, better makeup, nicer hairdo, and everything." Cal just stared at her, so Amelia continued. "Dr. Waxman says that Ismi is rather obsessed with proving that her father's accusations were wrong. It makes her want to hide her beauty and avoid any kind of notice. I think that's why she doesn't want any picture." "At first," Ismi broke in, "I was afraid that I avoided looking good to somehow satisfy him. Dr. Waxman convinced me that wasn't it. But pictures... part of me would love to, but..." "So Pete knows how you feel, huh?" "Your brother is a great guy, you know," Ismi said. "By going with him, it's easy to turn down all the other guys. Nobody will mess with his girl." "So you don't really want to date at all?" "It's not that simple, Cal. Part of me wants it so much it hurts, but another part just... I don't know how to explain." "The bastard really messed her up," Amelia spat out. "I... I don't know what to say," Cal told his friend. "If you ever need another 'safe' guy, I'm always here. Won't be long before the pool's open. I promise we'll get together more, then." He stayed until quite late, just talking with mother and daughter. They all seemed eager to ignore the long separation. The fact that Ismi would likely go away to school in the fall was ignored for the moment. ------- It had been over a week since Cal's talk with Bobby, and Rebecca and Bobby had already become an acknowledged item around school. Between lunch and the classes they shared, they were together a lot. After school, Cal found the two waiting by the door. "Rebecca, is this Bobby? Introduce us." Bobby looked confused for a moment, then caught on and played along. They did the whole intro and handshake bit. "Cal, would you care to double-date with us?" Bobby asked. Rebecca looked shocked for a moment, then gave a little squeal and jumped up and down. "Well, uh, sure," Cal purposely stammered. "I don't have a date, though," and he gave Rebecca his best helpless look. She knew he had never been on a date, either. Cal had thought about asking Ismi, but that was just too awkward. He thought she probably would have accepted, but it would have been socially awkward for her because of their age difference. The next part had not been planned out, but Cal could not have scripted it more perfectly as Tessa walked up just then. He had dropped the double-date idea to Bobby without really thinking about it. But the more he thought, the better it sounded. He knew that the perfect thing to please Rebecca would be for him to ask Tessa. The fact that there was no one he would rather ask, even Ismi, made it easier. He asked, she accepted enthusiastically, the girls went nuts and made a scene - it was the start of a wonderful first date experience for all four of them. ------- There was a shoot that night at Teri's, and Tessa cornered Cal afterward. "That was really neat what you did for Rebecca." "Huh?" "Asking me out so there could be a double date." "You thought I did that just for Rebecca?" "Well, sure." "Tessa, tell me: who are the girls I love the most, other than Rebecca?" "Oh," she breathed out, after some hard thought. "But we're always fighting, it seems." "Hey, it wasn't a marriage proposal. We've got time to solve the fighting before the wedding." His attempt at humor turned out to be a bust, as it brought her to tears. "God, Tessa, I'm sorry. I guess we're kinda even, aren't we?" When she sniffled and looked at him with sad eyes, he explained. "You piss me off without knowing why, and I make you cry by accident." Eventually, they hugged, shared a quick kiss, and Cal went home. ------- When the photo business had first started, it had not taken long for Martin and Elaine to inquire about the time that Cal was spending at Teri's house. She had immediately scheduled a time when they could sit down and talk, and she had explained how she had set everything up. It was the first that Cal had heard about such things as corporate registration, sales tax number, withholding, and all of the other minutia of running a business. Martin had pointed out that having customers come to a studio in her home violated the covenants of their homeowners' association. Teri knew that, but thought there was no risk at their current level of activity. Cal's parents had been surprised that he was actually good enough to make money taking pictures. They were also a little concerned about him being in business at his age. However, as in a lot of other areas, they never knew quite how to deal with him, and there had never been any cause for concern. It was Teri who suggested that they each sit for portraits, and that became a turning point. The results were so impressive that Martin inquired what Cal would need to process color. Cal, of course, knew the equipment and costs in detail, thinking it prohibitive. Martin, however, just asked why the company didn't get a loan and finance it. Because she worked at a bank, Teri thought she could easily arrange that, but they would need a few months in business before it could be approved. After reviewing her portraits, Elaine asked Cal if he would take a walk with her. It was well after dark, but she joked that with all his training she should be plenty safe. The walking together and the reference to his training were both unprecedented. When they reached the street, she took his hand and began swinging it as they walked. "Cal, I'm sorry I never realized what a great photographer you are," Elaine told her son. He shrugged it off and they walked in silence for a while more. "Are all of the things you take at Teri's, um, just portraits?" Although it was night, there was plenty of light to see faces. He looked at her, trying to read her meaning or concern. Unable to find what he wanted, he stalled for time. "What do you mean?" "Are some of the pictures more, uh, revealing?" she asked. "You mean like glamour shots?" "Yes, that's what I mean. Are you taking those, too?" He couldn't stall any longer, and he did not want to lie. "One night, a few of the girls wanted them. That was the only time." 'Except for Teri, ' he thought to himself, and he would NOT talk about that. They walked in silence for a little longer. "Was Rebecca one of those girls?" "No." "Didn't think so." Silence again. "Would you take some of me - to give to your Dad?" He stopped dead, unable to walk. Their hands were still together, and he almost pulled her over. "You've gotta be kidding!" he exclaimed. "You want Dad to know I took sexy shots of you?" There went that little girl giggle again, just like the night Rebecca announced her date. "Oh, Honey, I won't be nude. I'll have more on than Laura's bikini." "I don't think this is a good idea," he insisted. "You should get a professional to do it." "I don't want some stranger doing it. And besides, you're a professional." more silence. "You never thought I was sexy, did you?" Alarms went off in his brain when she said that. Ooops! Add Rule Three: 'they know what you're thinking'! She said 'thought' - past tense. Giggles. "I'm glad you changed your mind." "Please, will you do it. I'll get Martin to ask you so you know it's OK." "Maybe he should chaperone," Cal suggested. "No way!" she proclaimed. "Get Teri to chaperone." For once the control from his training paid off and he avoided rolling on the ground laughing, remembering how Teri had chaperoned Cheryl. The thought of his mother in that pose snuck in, and he hardened immediately. When he hesitantly said he would do it upon his dad's request, she did the girlish squealing, jumping, and hugging bit. Then they walked some more in silence. "You set up Rebecca's date, didn't you?" What was the use of hiding it. Rule Three. "He was more than willing. Just didn't think she would say yes. You won't tell her, will you?" "She knows." "Huh? Oh, no!" "Hey, she's not angry. She's grateful. She was trying to get up the nerve to ask him." Go figure. "You helped her come out of that whatever-it-was in December, too, didn't you? I think it had something to do with sexy pictures?" The streetlight must been enough to show the color fleeing from his face because she really giggled that time. "She showed it to me and told me everything after that day we went shopping. I'm not upset, so don't worry. It was awesome. I'd love one of me just like it, but we probably shouldn't." Somehow he found the composure to say "I don't think that could be posed. It just happened." "Yeah. Your Dad keeps assuring me that my ass is better than Laura's. That would be a great way to prove it to me." Twilight zone! She seemed to have run out of things to say and he couldn't speak, so there were more minutes of silence. As they approached home, she stopped, faced him and hugged herself to him. "There are two things I really need to say to you, Honey." "First, thank you for bringing Rebecca so much closer to me. I always wanted to be, but we just had so many differences. I thought I was missing out on the fun of having a daughter. I wished for what Teri and Tessa have. I guess I learned that I have to loosen up a lot to have that, but it's worth it." "And Cal, you know we sometimes haven't seemed to understand you. I'm sorry about that, but I want you to know that we are trying. We do love you, very much. And we're very proud of you." A very loving kiss ended their walk. ------- His dad did ask him to take the pictures, and when Cal resisted, Martin assured him that nothing he saw would cause a problem in the family. The clincher was when Martin told him how much of an ego boost it would give his mother. He was no longer shocked to hear that any female needed an ego boost, ever. The photo session was actually a lot of fun. Teri did, in fact, chaperone, and both Rebecca and Tessa acted as helpers. After a little initial stiffness, Elaine proved to be a very good model. The most revealing things were only a little translucent. Until the suit. Elaine must have been honestly concerned about the years of exposing Laura's ass to her husband and sons. At the end of the session, she came out in a thong, causing everyone to gasp and her to blush deeply. "Hey, they supposedly wear these at the beach," she stated in a forced show of bravado. "And even at our pool," Rebecca added. That loosened things up for a laugh. Cal took a whole roll of her in that suit, but nearly half were from the rear. She seemed determined to get her own memorable bottom shot. ------- Mr. Yokata was more than pleased with Cal's renewed interest in his training after basketball ended. Much of his instruction over the last couple of years had been aimed toward improving Cal's sports performance. When Cal said he wanted to get back to his defensive skills, the sensei was very happy to oblige. From the first day, they began working hard on Cal's leg flexibility and coordination. In particular, the muscles built up in basketball had reduced the range of motion in his legs. Mr. Yokata had always told Cal that his legs carried far more power than would be expected from his slender build. The improvement of his feet as weapons would also help his place kicking in the fall. The kicking dummy in the back yard took even more pounding than it had before. The sensei particularly stressed the speed of Cal's kicks and the ability to kick targets above the level of his head. Cal continued in the small group that worked on dealing with multiple opponents. From his original concern about only being good at things that he could focus on in isolation, he was beginning to enjoy dealing with multiple people, different stances, and different weapons. Mr. Yokata felt obligated to ask Cal about testing for degrees. Cal's answer was always the same. He wanted to spend every minute of instruction to improve his ability to defend those he cared about. It was still as if he knew that he would someday be severely tested. ------- Shortly after Tessa's first stint as Cal's assistant, Teri arranged for the loan and Cal took up some more of the Banners' spacious basement. They had discussed finding a site away from their homes, but cost and travel time made that impractical. Teri did worry more about the covenants, mainly because of the next step in their opportunity. Until that point, all of their customers had been teenaged girls. Word was getting around, though, and there had been many adult and family inquiries. She was afraid to risk that much traffic to her home for fear of discovery. After moving the lights around for the one session, she broached the idea of going to the homes and businesses of customers and setting up there. She had a mini-van that could handle the load. The first try was for a family that Teri knew from work. The photos came out very well, but set-up and tear-down time were excessive. By combining their potent brainpower, Teri and Tessa came up with the idea of customers co-oping their homes for multiple sessions. If enough other people came to one home, the residents got their photos free. For those who insisted on exclusive use in their home, a fee was added to cover the extra setup time. Because of the limits on Cal's time, a single home might have to keep the setup for several days in a row. Teri was very conscientious about his time. She worked very hard, often with Tessa's help, to make sure he had no responsibility but shooting, developing, and printing. ------- Just a week after her first stint as an assistant, Tessa asked Cal to stay after a scheduled Friday evening shoot that ended quite early. When Teri had left the room, Tessa pulled Cal to a sofa and plopped onto his lap. "I'm worried," she started out. "I know I've pushed and tricked you into doing things." She said that quietly. "Now, you don't want to do anything if I suggest it, do you?" Alarm! Alarm! Rule Three! Rule Three! Particularly with Tessa's request that he bed her mother, Cal had rejected the idea largely because Tessa had asked it. He knew it was stupid to be that competitive with his friend, especially about something that he really wanted to do, but he couldn't help it. "Cal, I'm asking you - no I'm begging you! Please, please, just forget that I was the one that asked you to make love to Mom. I'm afraid you won't do it just because I asked." "Oh, I wouldn't..." He stopped when he saw her look. Rule Three for sure! What happened next, though, affected him even more. Her eyes filled with tears and he just knew it was no fake. "This is too important to let your mad at me mess it up. I love Mom so much it hurts. You can't imagine how down she still is. And Cal, if you could do it while she is still heavy, it would mean even more." "I don't care about the weight," he assured her, just to have something to say. "Well, I will take an automatic 'NO' from you for the rest of my life if you will just forget I was the one who suggested it. Just think about how you really feel about her. If you don't love her or like her enough, I will understand that. But please, please don't worry about anything else." Instead of his usual silent reaction, Cal was so struck by the emotion in Tessa's plea that he pulled her tightly to himself in a hug. In what was becoming a habit, she lost it and soaked his shirt again. When the sobbing stopped but Tessa did not say anything, he took the initiative to break the mood. "Do you see anything strange here?" he asked. "I mean, here I am making out with you after you ask me to take your mother to bed." It had the desired effect and she gave a subdued chuckle. Cal was not prone to many impulsive actions, but Tessa had really gotten to him. He had to admit that he did love Teri, and that he was sexually attracted to her, as well. The times he had taken naked photos of Teri, he could not help thinking about having sex with her. The three times he had massaged her, even the two times she had kept her shorts on, were sheer torture. At the same time, the prospect of going to bed with Teri frightened him. He knew how much trouble it could cause for Teri if they were ever discovered. But his main fear was his own lack of experience. He believed Tessa's plea that her mother needed sex. He knew she needed lots of help for her self-image and self-confidence. He had no illusions that an affair with him would erase the heartache of her divorce, but perhaps it could help her restart her life. With an extra hug and a kiss on the cheek, Cal told the girl on his lap "there won't be any automatic 'NO's', Tessa. I think we know each other a lot better now, don't we?" "Mmm Hmm," she murmured. "Is that good?" "Absolutely! Um, what's your Mom doing now?" "Up in her room. Gonna take a bath or something." "And you?" "Watching a movie late, right here, with you." "Good," he replied with a chuckle. "I'm sure I'll enjoy it." For the first time, he initiated a real kiss with her before heading up the stairs. As he climbed the stairs to the main floor, Cal felt like an intruder. He was also battling the mixed emotions of lust, love, and fear, not necessarily ranked in that order. He called Teri's name softly, and when there was no response, he assumed she was in the bedroom. At the closed bedroom door, he knocked. "Yes?" "It's Cal." "OK, just let me..." then she laughed loudly before saying "Come on in." When he had closed the door behind him, she giggled and said "I guess seeing me in my undies is nothing after, uh, the picture sessions." "Oh, I... I'm s... still enjoying it," he stammered, unable to calm himself. That earned him a hug and a kiss. Feeling his hard, protruding organ against her belly, she could not resist wriggling herself against it. She had seen the looks and seen the bulge of his hardon many times lately. But except for the massages, he had not touched her, and it had worried her greatly. It was crazy, she knew. He was just a kid, but she was beyond caring about anything but her need. Every other time that she had hugged him, he had been careful to pull his lower body away so there was no contact with his erection. At last, he was letting her feel it. It was difficult trying to stifle the hope that surged within her. It was impossible to staunch the blood that rushed to her nipples or the lubrication that pooled in the gusset of her panties. With his hands around Teri's back, Cal fumbled for the clasp of her bra and found it. She stiffened slightly but held still. When she was undone, she looked up with a coquettish expression. "Is there something you wanted to see a little better?" "Yeah," he managed to say, then added "and t... touch." It was about all of the words he was capable of at the moment, but it instantly changed her expression as she continued to look up at him. "Sweetie, you remember what I said about self-control once?" He nodded. "Well, if I let you start touching me, I won't be able to stop." "Th... then don't s... stop." She was making this easy for him, as difficult as it was to say anything. As she continued to gaze up at his face, he saw doubt, fear, longing, hope, love, and lust all chase each other across her countenance. "Cal, Cal, I have to be sure! Are you saying you want to make love to me?" Now her face showed nothing but hope. ------- Chapter 8 For the second time in a few minutes, Cal initiated a kiss. This one lasted a long time, and this time, he instinctively thrust his crotch into her. The kiss lasted long enough for her to unfasten and unzip his jeans and reach in to grasp his painfully rigid cock. She gave it a few gentle strokes and he started panting. "Teri! I'm going to come!" "I hope so!" "But... !" It was already too late. When he had finished spurting, she somehow worked his jeans down with one hand, never letting go of his barely-shrinking cock. She got his shoes and jeans off. Then, she pulled off his shorts and wiped off his crotch and her hands on them. When she stood up, she shed her panties and her hanging bra and pulled off his T-shirt. She just stood back a few feet and looked at him. "You can't imagine how much I've wanted to see you like this," she said almost reverently. "But I'm just..." "Just a beautiful man. Can you stay a while?" At his nod, she asked "Your first time?" Once again he nodded. That brought her back into a hug and she said into his chest "I am so honored!" By some miracle, Cal was still thinking. He knew that she was on the pill, but he should not know. "Um, Teri, I don't have anything. I didn't plan..." "Pill!" was all she said as she led him to the bed. She threw back the covers and pulled him down atop herself. "I really need a shower, but I have to do this first. Oh, good, you're nice and hard again. Just move right up here. Don't worry about putting your weight down on me. It feels wonderful..." Excitement of any kind made Teri loquacious, and this was the most excitement for her in a very long time. Their first coupling took place with Teri giving a passionate blow-by-blow, punctuated with more than a few tears. Cal's second come took only a little longer than the first, but even the few dozen strokes it took were like a taste of heaven to the sex-starved woman. When he had finished, she hugged him so fiercely he feared she would be crushed. The few tears turned into wracking sobs. Rather than being alarmed, he just knew they were tears of happiness and relief. Any remaining doubts about the morality of what they were doing were swept away by the joy and relief she displayed. The incredible wrung out feeling of the best orgasm of his life did not allow much room for guilt, either. "Gotta pee!" she exclaimed when her sobs had ceased. At first shocked at her lack of modesty as she hurried to the toilet, Cal grinned as he realized her action was a welcoming of intimacy with him. He was still resting on the bed when he heard the tub start to fill. Although he was quite shy of his body, Cal knew that it would please her if he seemed casual about being naked. He got up and walked into the bathroom to be greeted by a wide grin. He walked up to her and gave her a hug. "You need to show me how to make you come," he told her. "In the tub will be perfect," was her breathless reply. It was a jacuzzi tub built for two. At first, they sat facing each other, but she soon turned her back to him and leaned against his chest. While the tub was still filling, she took his finger and brought it right to her clit. "Rub!" With some initial uncertainty, he began the little circular motion that she showed him. The small nub seemed rather elusive at first, but before long he could sense when he was over it or had lost contact. When he seemed to have good contact and she was starting to feel the effects, she took his other hand and helped him massage her breast. "Pinch and roll it," she instructed as he tentatively fingered her nipple. His lack of confidence but determination to do well for her seemed to enhance her arousal. Just the fact that he had come to her was almost enough to throw her into orgasm. Had he been able to stroke longer on the bed, she would have surely gotten over. Nothing that had happened had dampened her excitement, so her arousal level had been high for many minutes. Having never made out, to say nothing of bringing a girl off, Cal did not know what to expect. When Teri's climax came, her body straightened, raising her bottom off of the tub. He thought he should keep on fingering her, but her convulsions made him lose contact. As he was trying to find the spot again, he felt her own hand move in and rub furiously until her body started to relax. Then, she was able to take his hand and instruct him to rub the whole area. When she was completely still and breathing heavily but smoothly, Cal spoke into her ear "Sorry, I guess I didn't do it quite right." If she had had the strength, she probably would have spun around and gotten in his face. As it was, she said gently "Oh, Sweetie, that was absolutely wonderful. And your first try! I don't know if I will survive if you get any better at it." "I will get better, I promise," he said firmly. "'Course you've gotta promise to tell me exactly what I'm doing right and wrong, OK." "Me? I'm much too shy to do that," she objected. The chuckle they shared eased the emotional level quite a bit. The tub had filled some minutes ago and the excess was going out the overflow. Teri turned off the water and snuggled back against him. "I think washing me will be a good way to learn about every little part, don't you? I know you have seen it all, but touching is..." she shivered a little as her words ran out. When Cal had finished washing her upper body, she turned toward him on her knees and took one of his hands in both of hers. "Do you really do stuff like breaking boards and bricks with this hand?" "Um, yeah, some." "Then how can your touch be so sexy? It feels like you're, uh, worshipping with your fingers!" He held a hand in front of his faced and flexed. "It's just telling what I really feel about you." Collapsing into him, she sobbed out "Damn you, Cal! You've got to stop saying shit like that! Don't make me fall any more in love with you, please. This can't go anywhere in the long run. It's just making the end that much harder." For several minutes, silence and tender strokes seemed to be the only appropriate response. When he felt she had calmed enough, he asked "Teri, why are you worrying about the end when it's our first time? There will be lots more times, I promise?" In an agonized tone, she told him "It ended before. It didn't have to. It shouldn't have! This has to end, I just know it!" He had known all along that she was wounded and still grieving. Until now, he did not fully appreciate the severity of her wounds and the depths of her grief. He wanted to help her, but it would be a huge challenge. "Teri, I want to ask you to do something difficult. When we're together, let's try to concentrate on today - on right now. Help me learn to make it good for you. Enjoy the feelings. Please don't waste time worrying about this ending!" He did not wait for a reply, but got out of the tub and helped her out. After they both dried, they walked to the bed arm-in-arm. Once again, she spread out on her back to invite him. He started kissing her, but she found his hardness and guided him in again. This time, he was able to stroke for several minutes. She used her finger again, and was able to bring herself right to the edge. She let his stroking take her from there, and when she came she took him with her. Both partners were sad when he had to go home, but they also understood. He went down to see Tessa before he left. It was hard to face her but he knew he would have to do it soon anyway. There was something important he had to ask her. "Um, Tessa, could you make an exception this one time?" "Huh?" "I mean, don't tell Rebecca about your mom and me?" "Oh. Why did you think I would... ?" He was staring at her hard and she dropped her eyes. "Yeah, this probably should be a secret." ------- That night and the next day in school, the thing that Cal felt most was that he didn't feel that much different. He did not have an irresistible urge to jump up and click his heels. He did not think he wore a silly grin all day. Nor was there a battle with guilt. There was nothing dirty or evil about what he and Teri had shared. In fact, he felt some pride that he had eased her anguish a little. And even some gratitude to Tessa for pushing him into it. The very next night there was a shoot. As soon as they saw each other, Teri pulled him aside and spoke quietly. "Cal, Honey, we absolutely have to act the same as before when we're working. OK?" "Just so you know what I really want to do every time I get close," he told her with a grin. "Damn you! You're not helping at all!" she said with a blush. "I'll have to have a talk with you later." In case Cal had worried that the thirst for sex was one-sided or had been slaked, Teri literally dragged him to the bedroom before they even got the van unloaded back at her house. If she had seemed in a hurry to get him inside of her the first time, this time it was a near panic. She almost magically shucked her slacks and panties, then got his jeans and shorts down around his thighs as she backed toward the bed. Obviously, he was hard by the time she laid back on the bed and pulled him on top of her. She was as prepared as he was and he slipped in smoothly as she first aimed him then pulled firmly on his ass to get him where she needed him. Predictably, he did not count a dozen strokes before he blew, but she was not at all discouraged. "Keep pushing if it's not too painful," she encouraged him. He was quite sensitive, but he had not softened very much and he was stiff enough to maintain a decent fucking motion. Even with all of the fluids, the wonderful, warm friction got him fully hard again in a hurry. The unusual amount of lubrication and the recent ejaculation took away his urgency. It was what she had been hoping for. The first come had left him weak, but he could not think of rolling off of her, so he told his arms not to give out and he held his position. Soon, the arousal seemed to re-energize him and his arms stopped shaking. With Teri, he did not have to guess at what she wanted - she talked to him non-stop. Following her directions, he settled into a pace that seemed to bring her the most pleasure. He also tried some small lateral and circular motions at her suggestion, and he was very pleased at her response to the different stimulation. Despite the greater staying power from the lubrication and the reduced prostate pressure, it ended up being a race after six or seven minutes. She was getting closer, as her frantic words made perfectly clear. It was his first experience with the agonizing male battle between the need to come and the desire to take his lover to completion first. He tried slowing down just a little, but the insistent pull of her heels against his ass foiled that strategy. The control disciplines that he had learned in his four years of training were the only things he could call upon to forestall his climax. He knew that if he let go, he would be too tender to keep plunging into her and she would come up short of her need. That was something he was determined to prevent. As he struggled, he thought that he might have to start coming twice before entering her. Once would not be enough if he had to struggle like this every time. Maybe if he made her come with his hands or his mouth first she would get there faster when he was in her. There were so many things about sex that he did not know. Just thinking about ways to make her come almost ruined his strategy and he just caught himself in time and forced his mind to less stimulating subjects. Anything but thinking about the feeling of that hot, smooth, snug sheath around his tingling, tortured manhood! No! Don't think about that! It... too late! He gave a loud groan, thrust forcefully into her, and grunted as the first pulse shook him. The intensity was beyond anything in his experience, and he was barely sensate, just aware enough to realize that Teri was screaming and convulsing beneath him, her wildly fluttering vaginal muscles almost ejecting him as he continued his own massive orgasm. Even his great conditioning and his determination could not keep his arms holding him up after he came, and he started to roll off of her. She, however, had other ideas and pulled him down atop herself. "S'OK," she panted. "I won't squash... Want you close." Unwilling to take any chance of hurting her, he slid down so his head was between her breasts and his right elbow was braced on the bed at about her waist. With at least some of his weight off of her, they lay panting for a few minutes. Almost simultaneously, she started playing with his hair and he began tracing his left hand slowly up and down her side, over her hip, and down the outside of her thigh. After a few circuits up and down, he brought his hand up and undid the buttons on her blouse one by one. He had just spread the blouse open and moved his lips to her bra-encased breast when she dropped her hand from his hair and reached between the bra cups. Suddenly, the soft, luxurious mound under his mouth was bare. As her hand returned to his hair, his moved over her breast and kneaded it tenderly. When his ministrations produced a contented little hum from her, he lifted his head and took her nipple into his mouth. Soon, the hum amplified into a moan and the hand in his hair pulled his face insistently toward herself. Her knees came up, spreading her soggy crotch wide open against his belly. As her body writhed beneath him, he felt himself swelling again, and his lengthening cock soon touched her leg. When she sensed his expanded presence, she almost threw her pelvis at it as if trying to devour it. Quickly, she had her hand between them, pulling his cock toward her opening. When Cal's head came up to look at her in surprise, she gave a little pout and said "Haven't had anything but fingers and plastic in there for so long!" "I... I don't think I can come anytime soon." "Too sore to stick it in?" "Huh uh." "Then I want you in me. Please?" When he scooted forward and slid in effortlessly, she told him "I'd roll over on top of you, but I'm afraid I'd leak all over you." Without saying anything, he slid his arms under her and rolled them over. She was right. His crotch and thighs soon felt their combined juices. At the time, though, she was giving him a kiss that precluded any other possible sensations. And it was his first time in that position, so the thrill of discovery overrode any squeamishness. After breaking the kiss she somehow worked his sweatshirt and shirt off over his head and laid her head down. Then, her only movement was a random wriggling of her pelvis as she flexed her internal muscles. It was just enough sensation to keep him hard. He was feeling very, very good and took the opportunity to explore her backside as far down as he could reach. Almost like a massage, he squeezed and kneaded her flesh starting at her shoulders and working downward. When he got to her waist, he pushed upward and the looser flesh around her middle bunched and rose with his hands. "Cal, Honey, I don't... ," she started to either object or apologize. "Shhh," he insisted. "You weren't going to tell me I wasn't having fun, now were you?" With that, she pressed her face tighter against him and said nothing. When his hands reached her bottom, he squeezed, pushed, pulled, patted, caressed, and jiggled her flesh any way he could think of. He could feel goose bumps spring up when he laid his hands wide open on the sides of her hips as if measuring them, then grabbed and moved the handfuls all over. After several minutes, he put both middle fingers at the top of her crack and slowly moved them downward, pulling the cheeks apart when he had leverage. He did not linger at her anus, but she could not suppress a gasp and a flinch as he brushed over it. When his fingers reached his cock protruding from her entry, he traced both ways along her lips and back. When he repeated that, she started moving back and forth vigorously on top of him. With his hands spread wide, he grabbed her buttocks as tightly as he could and used his hold to help her move back and forth. It was quite uncomfortable for him, almost painful to his cock, but there was no way he was going to let on. From seeming almost comatose a few minutes before, she was now moaning and puffing. Cal did not have the frame of reference to know that Teri was as sexually responsive as any woman he would ever encounter. In particular, she had the unusual capacity to reach orgasm from vaginal stimulation quite easily. Add to that her long period of sexual deprivation and the eroticism of her illicit union with a minor and she made the porn stars and their faked responses seem frigid. For Teri, it was not just stimulation of erogenous zones that aroused her. She was a woman for whom body contact amplified her responses. The feelings of skin, body heat, and the pressure of another person close turned all of her into an erogenous zone. Cal's natural curiosity led to his busy hands constantly exploring some part of her. There was nothing better he could have done to drive her to the peaks of sensation. Teri came one more time, but Cal did not join her. When she breathlessly enthused about how wonderful their interlude had been, he naturally discounted her comments as well-meaning encouragement for his sexual inexperience. She, however, honestly ranked their twenty minutes or so as the most intense and satisfying sex of her life. Unfortunately, they were time-constrained. Explaining that it would seem strange if he did not shower at home, she washed his crotch with a rag and reluctantly sent him on his way. ------- The almost three months of the school term that remained after the JV basketball season ended became a very good time for Cal. His life was full, between school, workouts, photography, relatively little golf, and far less sex with Teri than he would have liked. It was full but not as pressed for time as when he had daily practice. He could feel his body responding to conditioning as never before. It was now possible for him to build muscle mass in an adult fashion, and the changes were apparent month by month. Over the winter, he had thought a lot about football and decided that he genuinely liked kicking. The planned, controlled motion appealed to him in the same way as a golf swing. The results of his efforts were immediately obvious, and almost exclusively dependent on his skill. It was almost like an individual sport within a team sport. It was the kind of action at which he knew he excelled. Cal's interest in kicking was fine with Mr. Yokata. The leg speed and extension required fit very closely with the kicks used against an attacker. From his younger days in soccer, Cal used the sideways soccer-style kick, but that was not a serious deviation. It was Mr. Yokata who talked Cal into practicing punting. That motion matched even more closely with the martial arts kicks. Somewhat to his own surprise, Cal found himself looking forward to his kickoff coverage duties, as well. He liked the strategy involved in positioning himself as a last line of defense against a runback. It was the same feeling he had as he surveyed the basketball court. Mr. Yokata told him that because of the way he was adding muscle, it was time to start heavier work on his upper body development. Hearing Cal's expressed interest in tackling, the sensei wanted to get him as injury-resistant as possible. With proms, graduations, and weddings coming up in the spring and summer, the photography business was limited only by Cal's time. Word of mouth traveled rapidly, and the original high school girls whose portraits he had taken spread the word among family and friends. That led to many of the in-home sessions, which spawned even more interest. Cal's time was not the only limiting factor on the photography business. Teri and Tessa had essentially pushed Cal into the business, and Teri worked very hard to limit Cal's time to the essentials. By the spring, she was feeling the pressure on her own time, since she had a full-time job. Tessa did her part, as well, but Teri was reluctant to be left out of any shoot. The sexual relationship with Teri, once it started, could have consumed a lot of Cal's time and energy. As needy as she was for the love and stimulation, though, Teri managed to keep his best interests at heart. She would have liked nothing better than to find ways for him to spend the night with her. She missed that closeness and contact as much as anything. But because of the risk of discovery and the impact on the rest of his life, she limited their trysts to a stolen hour or two once or twice a week. That meant that their times together were more energetic and passionate than gentle and intimate. Still, just the way they worked together on the business allowed them to share in a loving way. The first two nights they were together, both Teri and Cal were consumed by the newness, the passion, and for Teri at least, the end of her dry spell. Because it took a week before they could hook up again, she had more time to think, and it left her quite disturbed. The risk to Teri was tremendous, and it chilled her to think about it. Even if she was not arrested upon discovery, her friendship with the Banners would be destroyed. For a few days, she was resolved to stop things before they progressed any farther. She never got around to telling Cal, though, and every time she saw him, signs of arousal overtook her. There was just nothing she could do about it. Teri had to admit to herself that she could not go back to the way she was with Cal. All she could do was resolve to use extreme caution, at least until he reached sixteen. If she could have her way, she would be with him every day. Realistically, she figured they would have sex thirty or forty more times before his sixteenth birthday. Because the business was really based out of Teri's house, Cal saw a lot of Tessa, and their rather unique relationship evolved, as well. It became commonplace for her to plop on his lap, even with Teri right there. Cal having sex with Teri had, in a surprising way, improved the Tessa/Cal relationship significantly. Still, there was a wariness about both of them. They were almost like two strong-minded siblings in their ability to get under each other's skin. ------- The double date for the Breakaway dance was the first for all four of the teens. As if by mutual agreement, both Cal and Tessa had 'dropped their gloves' so to speak. The mood could not have been more ebullient as Bobby arrived at the Banner home in his parents' sedan. Elaine insisted that they go and pick up Tessa and return for pictures with all four of them. Of course, Teri insisted on her own pictures, taken in the studio area with Cal's cameras. Elaine was content to just use the family snapshot camera. The dance was dressy but not formal. Since the prom was limited to upperclassmen, Breakaway was the big social event of the spring for freshmen and sophomores, although all grades attended. Rebecca had already upgraded her dress significantly since Christmas, but Tessa had not really tried to keep up. Thus, the results of her special effort for the dance were quite dramatic. Teri had helped her choose a dress that emphasized the voluptuous aspects of her figure, and Cal was very much impressed. He told her so repeatedly, so often, in fact, that her blush did not abate until well after they entered the gym. Cal had been to the main school dances all year. As difficult as the lessons had been years before, he had to admit to enjoying dancing. Tessa was quite the hit on the dance floor when she got in motion. It seemed like every one of her curves hid a hinge that allowed her to bend, sway, and shake in ways that were impossibly erotic. Cal had danced with her at the other dances, but jeans and tank tops did not do Tessa justice. The big buzz around school lately had been that Cheryl, she of the wonderful nude glamour shot, was now going steady with Greg Overland. It had caused a dramatic cooling in the once-close friendship between Cheryl, Rebecca, and Tessa. Greg was an abysmal dancer, and watching him, Cal mused that it was the same foot problem that limited his basketball potential. He also wondered how the big guy could be so shifty and agile while carrying the football. Rebecca and Tessa also noticed Greg's ineptitude and Cheryl's resulting dismay. After giggling with their heads together during a break, they approached Cal, who had a flash of deja vu when he saw them coming. "We think you should ask Cheryl to dance," Rebecca told him. Now, that was a definite improvement, as it implied that he had some choice in the matter. The idea was not totally unappealing, either, given Cal's attraction to Cheryl. "That will really piss off Greg," Cal warned. "Uh, huh!" Tessa replied, leading to more giggles. "Are you going to dance with him when he asks?" Cal queried. It took only a moment for Rebecca to retort "Oh, he'd never ask me after all the things he's said." "You just don't know him," Cal informed her. "Regardless of what he did before, you two are the hottest pair on the floor. He has to ask you." "But, he's going with Cheryl, now," Tessa objected. "And I'm about to dance with his girlfriend," Cal responded. "So, are you going to dance with him?" "No way!" They responded in unison. At the moment, Greg was clustered with some of his football hangers-on, and Cheryl was with a few friends. She smiled but looked at Cal uncertainly. "I thought you guys would all be upset with me," she told him. "Puzzled, maybe, but I know the girls still consider you a friend," he replied. After giving him a long, quizzical look, she took his extended arm and they walked out onto the floor. The upcoming song was a slow one, so they were able to talk. "Do you still remember the night of the pictures?" she asked, blushing and smirking simultaneously. "As if I could ever forget! I'll remember that sight when I'm in the old folks' home." Once again he wondered where the unaccustomed repartee was coming from. Her smirk was replaced by giggles, but the blush just deepened. "I'll bet you kept a print, didn't you?" "No. Honestly, I didn't. There was too much risk to Teri," he stated. She just nodded and they danced without words for a while. "You, uh, don't like Greg very much, do you?" she finally asked. "That's probably not something we should talk about," Cal told her. "He's your steady and he's my teammate. Let's just dance, OK?" When the song ended, it was Cheryl who said "You're really good. Let's go again." The next song was up-tempo, so they were not even touching when Greg stormed up, having just then noticed the two together. Without even looking at Cal, he pulled Cheryl off to the side, away from the dancing. "That jerk!" Rebecca spat out when he joined them, "How can she?" "What an asshole!" Tessa contributed. "Well, just be ready. He should be after you in a couple of minutes," Cal warned them. "Oh, we're ready," Tessa chortled. "You haven't seen him mad, yet!" Sure enough, Greg spent a couple of minutes obviously berating Cheryl for her betrayal, then headed toward the two girls. At their request, Cal had gone looking for Samantha to ask her for a dance, so he wasn't nearby. Bobby, who heard everything, gave him the blow-by-blow. Also by agreement, the two girls had separated, Rebecca staying close to Bobby and Tessa hurrying off to the ladies' room with a couple of friends. Greg walked up and just grabbed Rebecca's hand, saying "Come on. It's time for you to dance with a real man." With all the drama she could muster, Rebecca jerked her hand away. Despite his strength, Greg was so surprised that she was able to free her hand. Her rejection was certainly not something that could be tolerated, so he reached out again. Tessa and Rebecca had worked out what they were going to say if Greg asked them, but neither had anticipated his physical approach. She was improvising, and she was angry. Already stepping away from him as he reached out again, she slapped at his extended hand and got lucky. The smack was audible for quite a distance and he pulled back reflexively. Before Greg could react again, Bobby had pulled Rebecca behind himself and had stepped right up to Greg. He didn't say a word, whether from fear of Greg or as a tactic. "Get out of the way, Nerd. I dance with whoever I want. I'll break you in half." Finding a well of courage somewhere, Bobby stood his ground and replied "That will really boost your reputation, won't it?" Rebecca was immediately at Bobby's side, clutching his arm. "Nerd girls don't dance with asshole jocks," she said loudly, "especially when they don't even know enough to ask." Cal had just noticed the commotion, and with a quick apology to Samantha, he was on his way in as fast a walk as he could muster without drawing more attention. People for twenty to thirty feet around were now watching with the fascination that a fight always generates. Greg noticed, and also saw a couple of teachers watching. Although he was completely unused to such withdrawals, he decided to cut his losses. With an arrogant mini-bow, he backed away two steps, then strode toward the exit, unable to mask his anger. Cal arrived just as Greg turned around, and received a murderous glare from Greg. Stepping right up to Bobby, Cal held out his hand and told him "Good man!" Bobby, obviously shaken, managed to shake Cal's hand briefly before Rebecca smothered him in a hug. Cal watched as the couple comforted each other, and saw for the first time the kind of feeling that his parents had for each other. It stunned him a bit, but he could not help thinking that his naive, inexperienced sister had found her life's mate at sixteen, on her very first try. It was impossible for Cal not to feel angry, but he knew it would be foolish to do anything physical to Greg. Uncharacteristically, he decided that he had to do something to get back at his nemesis. Seeing that Cheryl was on the opposite side of the gym and had probably not seen the encounter, he went back for another dance with Samantha, then found Cheryl and asked her to dance again. "I... I'd better not," Cheryl told Cal. "Oh. I guess Greg won't be dancing with any more cheerleaders either, huh?" Besides being smart, beautiful, graceful, and athletic, Cal knew that she was as competitive as he was. He watched the play of emotions on her face for a while before she set her jaw and nodded. While they were dancing, Cal asked "Has he seen the picture?" Cheryl first looked startled, then a little sad before the determined look reappeared. She shook her head 'no', and nothing more was said until the dance ended and he was escorting her back to her circle of friends. Part way there, she stopped him. "How come you didn't ask me?" She queried. At his questioning look, she went on "You didn't ask me why I'm going with Greg. And you didn't warn me about him, either. How come?" "Not my business," was his terse explanation. "Well, thank you. That's better than most of my friends have done. Believe me, Cal, I have my reasons." "OK, Cheryl. Just be careful." It must have been thirty minutes later when Greg returned to the dance floor, what he had been doing in his absence quite obvious. He made a beeline for Tessa, who was at the time dancing with Bobby while Rebecca danced with one of Bobby's friends. Cal had just danced with Ismi, and was chatting with her nearby. To Greg, this was perfect: Cal's date and the nerd who had stood up to him for Cal's sister. He came up to the pair, and careful not to touch Tessa, asked "May I cut in?" Bobby kept a hold of Tessa's right hand, but pulled back so she could address Greg. "No, you may not!" Tessa said firmly. "Hey, I've never done anything to you!" Greg protested, anger augmenting the alcohol blush on his face. "Well, I've comforted Rebecca too many times after you cut her up," Tessa declared as she turned away and pulled Bobby close. "Shit! Can't she take a little teasing? I suppose that fuckin' kicker's been tellin' stuff too?" "Cal? He's never mentioned your name. I can see why. Now, let us dance," Tessa said, once again turning her back to him. Greg was drunk and angry. Still, he had enough sense not to push things any farther. He had enough sense, that is, until someone nearby snickered. Nobody laughed at Greg Overland! Nobody! He grabbed Tessa by her upper arm and yanked her towards himself. Bobby was pulled off balance, and Greg used his other arm to fling Bobby away, skidding him on his butt across the floor. Greg had just wrapped his other arm around Tessa when the gym dissolved into blackness for him and an overwhelming pain radiated from high on his right shoulder. The next thing he knew, he was staring up at a crowd of people huddled over him and he heard Cal saying "I guess he can't hold his liquor." It was only then that he registered the severe pain in his groin. Tessa was certainly no wimp. Cal had always known that, but he was about to receive another revelation on just how tough she was. One of the supervising teachers arrived and demanded to know what had happened. "He wanted to cut in, but I didn't want him to," Tessa spoke up before anyone else could say anything. "I, uh, had to teach him some manners." Several of the students snickered. Her instruction method was evident, as Greg was now on his side with both hands jammed between his legs. Two or three people had seen Cal step up behind Greg and reach up to where his neck and shoulder met. The move had been so fast, though, that no one wanted to say anything. No one noticed how he had hit the backs of Greg's knees with his own. When Greg fell, he had still been holding Tessa and she fell on top of him. The nutcracker had actually been delivered with her knee as she pushed herself up, accompanied by a fervent curse. Rebecca and her dance partner had been at Bobby's side in milliseconds, and Cal had Tessa securely under his arm. Cal was relieved and delighted to see the anger on Tessa's face. It was the best antidote to a shock reaction. He knew, however, that the reaction would come, and led her away, with Rebecca and Bobby following. The teacher looked about to object, but seeing who the girls were, he thought better of it. When the four were seated at the side of the gym, it was Bobby who broke the tension by saying "Geez, if dating's always this much fun, I think I'll go back to being a lonesome nerd!" Forgetting her own upset and getting into the spirit of it, Rebecca grabbed his face and turned it toward her, yelling right at him "Cedric Robert Armstrong, you will do no such thing!" "Well, this was our first date," he joked back. "How are we going to top it?" Laughter was good medicine for all of them, and Cal insisted they all get out for the next dance. No one tried to cut in. In the car on the way home, Tessa asked "Cal, did you use something you learned in your training?" "What?" Rebecca demanded, overhearing Tessa's question. "I thought you kicked him in, uh, uh..." "No! I said that to keep Cal out of trouble. Greg had just grabbed me when he fell like someone had shot him. Pulled me down on top of him. I kneed him getting up." Rebecca just stared at Cal with her mouth hanging open. Her opinion of his martial arts training was well known and it was one subject the two of them stayed away from together. "You mean," Rebecca asked, "you just hit him in the right spot and knocked him out?" "Um, actually, it was a kind of a pinch." "Was... was that... did you ever... ?" "First time," Cal assured his sister. She turned back to stare forward, and the rest of the ride was very quiet. ------- If Greg had been obnoxious before, he was positively venomous to all four of them from then on. Cheryl had told Greg that she had danced with Cal again, and that was the capper to his night. The next day, with Chad and one other acolyte behind him, he cornered Cal. "Listen, Kicker! You stay away from my girl, you hear?" "Hey, Cool off, Greg!" Cal told him, showing absolutely no fear. "It was a dance. How many girls did you dance with?" "None of your fuckin' business," Greg snarled. "Besides, your bitch wouldn't dance with me." "My what?" Cal demanded. Greg had been poking him in the chest, and Cal suddenly had his finger in a painful but not debilitating hold. Neither of the other boys could see it. "Your bi... your date," Greg corrected as Cal increased the pressure. "Well, that was her choice," Cal declared, "and it was Cheryl's choice to dance with me. So what's your problem. Oh, say, how's the shoulder?" He knew it was risky to reveal his role in Greg's collapse, but he had had it with the big blowhard. Seeing Greg's eyes widen in understanding was reward enough. Cal decided not to lower himself by delivering any threats of his own. ------- Throughout the spring, Cal found three more occasions to take Tessa on dates, and the 'dating truce' held for all of them. It was a truly strange relationship between the old friends. There was genuine affection between them. Her crush had never really died out, and he had to acknowledge one of his own. But there was still the battle of wills that could flare up over the smallest thing. Besides the ego struggle, there was the specter of Cal's sexual relationship with Tessa's mother - a relationship that Tessa had pushed hard to initiate. Those people who were aware of Cal and Tessa considered them a couple. When they were together in a group, they certainly did nothing to dissuade that perception. Cal hoped that he was acting natural and honestly loving when he kissed and cuddled Tessa. He truly was expressing his real feelings for her. But the fact of what he was doing with her mother was never far from his mind. At the Banner house, Pete's graduation was the big event that dominated everyone's thinking. The same was true for Ismi at her home. The younger teens were just enjoying the spring and working to finish their academic year on a strong note. Cal made it a point to see Ismi more regularly, particularly now that he knew about her problem. Their lockers were fairly close at school, and he changed his route between classes so they could at least say hello more frequently. He found himself musing on how things changed between people. That terrible summer, he and Ismi had been bound together by tragedy. As the specter of the tragedy dimmed, there were fewer things binding them together, and they had gone their separate ways. The effect of their shared pain and grief would never end, but it was not enough to bridge the age gap and make them a couple. ------- The high school was about a mile and a half from the golf community where the Banners, the Walts, and the Barnes (formerly Mussafi) families lived. In nice weather, Ismi preferred to walk. Not being particularly interested in athletics, she still tried to get good exercise, including walking, aerobic dancing, and swimming. She was aware how blessed she was with her gorgeous body and was determined not to let it deteriorate. Now that school was nearly out for the year, the weather was warm, almost too warm to enjoy walking, but she did it every day. On a Friday morning, two weeks before the end of the term, Cal found Ismi waiting by his home room when he arrived, and she looked very upset. Even though their relationship was not as close as it had once been, when something troubling came up, it was Cal that Ismi thought of first. "Cal, maybe I'm worried about nothing, but this dark green van passed me this morning as I walked to school. It's the second time I've seen it this week." "Oh," he replied, "was there a company name on it, or something? Was it just driving past?" "It was just plain, no name or anything. And it went by kinda slowly. The windows were all darkened so I couldn't see who was in it." Cal, voracious reader that he was, had read reports about white slavery rings, and Ismi was certainly a prime candidate if there ever was one. And who knows what else some pervert might want with his beautiful friend. The very thought of it made him shiver. And then he remembered... He thought he masked his reaction well, but the sudden alarm bells in his mind almost knocked him off of his feet. Two weeks earlier, a police detective had stopped by the Banner house, asking a lot of detailed questions about Amelia and Ismi. He said his name was Alvarez, and he showed the proper ID. Cal thought he looked somehow different from most Hispanics, and the slight accent did not match what he heard from classmates of Mexican descent. The detective claimed he was clearing up some details on the Mussafi file, but the thing that triggered the alarm bells was the number of detailed questions he had asked about Ismi. He had used that name, in fact, not the now-legal 'Isabel'. Of particular interest to him had been her romantic involvements, of which there actually were none. He asked how much she dated, whether she had a steady boyfriend, what was her reputation at school, and similar questions of a very personal nature. At one point, the detective had asked Cal "Aren't you the kid that was involved in the incident with the Mussafi boy?" Maybe it was too many police shows on TV, but that did not ring true as the way a legitimate officer would have phrased the question. His sensei had carefully taught him to be aware of anything that he could not rationally explain, and the detective's visit, his appearance, his accent, and his questions had not made sense. Certainly, delivery and work vans were not uncommon in their neighborhood, but almost all of them had markings, and they generally seemed in a hurry. Somebody was interested in Ismi, and it could not have been for a good purpose. "Ismi, it probably is nothing, but don't take any chances. Why don't you take the bus for the rest of the term?" "Oh, I hate the bus! It takes longer than walking, and most of the riders are jerks." "Hmmmm. OK, then drive. You've got a car." "I actually feel safer walking," she protested. "A lot of the walk is not on streets, and I can really run." She was correct. The mile and a half route was via a number of walking paths that cut through residential blocks. The driving route was at least a mile longer. For whatever reason, she was determined to continue walking. "Will you at least let me walk with you?" "You'd do that?" "Well, it's not exactly a nasty job, you know," he teased. "I mean, having to walk with the school dream girl every day for two weeks - how awful!" After a moment to gauge her blushing reaction, he asked "Uh, will it bother you to walk with a lowly freshman?" What was it with the girls he knew, always taking these swats at him? Since Cal had chosen not to go out for the school golf team, there was not much rearranging of schedules required. Ismi agreed not to walk without Cal, and she took it seriously, waiting for him by the agreed-upon exit after school that day. The practice was probably archaic, but Cal had been taught that the gentleman always walks on the street side. He was genuinely concerned that someone wanted to harm Ismi. He tried to stay alert all during the walk, while appearing to be relaxed and unaware. Looking back afterward, he realized that the sheer joy of walking and talking with her eroded his level of awareness a little. She had that kind of effect on him. For part of their route, they turned into a cul de sac that had only five houses along its one block length. At the end was an easement with a walking path leading to a park that opened to the next street. In his peripheral vision, he noticed a vehicle moving up from behind them just as they turned into the cul de sac. Turning quickly, he saw that it was a green van with all of the glass darkened. It had stopped, the driver apparently uncertain whether to proceed with Cal present. His immediate thought was to escape between the houses. However, he knew from taking that route before that the houses on their side of the street all had fenced yards that really offered neither escape nor safe shelter. Crossing the street to the two houses on the other side with unfenced yards would add distance and leave them exposed to the van if it tried to run them down. Grabbing Ismi's hand, he yelled "Run!" and headed for the path at the end of the cul de sac. Her books fell and she pulled back as if to pick them up. "Forget the books!" he hollered. If they could make it to the path, they had a chance to run to safety. Unfortunately, it was fifty or sixty yards away. Their attempt to escape must have jarred the driver from any uncertainty. The van tires squawked as it jerked forward. In a few seconds, it was ahead of them and had jumped the curb to block the sidewalk they were running on. Ismi screamed as both doors opened and two men jumped out, charging toward the two teens. ------- Chapter 9 When the van pulled across their path and the men jumped out, Cal's initial reaction was a flash of panic, but in milliseconds he remembered why he had spent all of those years in martial arts classes. The men looked Arabic, and his mind flashed back to the sight of Rachman kicking the helpless Ismi. It was not going to happen again! Mr. Yokata's teachings came to him with the force of deeply ingrained habit. First, the assessment. Two men. No visible weapons. One man, the driver, had to go around the front of the van, so they would not reach him at the same time. In fact, only the passenger was heading for him. The driver seemed intent on Ismi. That was his key strategic advantage - one opponent at a time. Ismi was nearer to the front of the van, so the driver was planning to reach her. Mr. Yokata always emphasized the value of surprise as a weapon and offense as the best defense. The attackers would not expect any significant resistance from a slender fifteen-year-old. The first man would probably eliminate Cal as a problem, leaving Ismi unprotected from capture or harm by the other, whichever it was. All of this raced through Cal's mind in the time it took to drop Ismi's hand. One of her books was right at his feet, and without even thinking about it he kicked it toward the man coming toward him. Countless times in drills he had propeled any available object at his opponent by any means that he could. Mr. Yokata hammered home again and again that "If throwing a flower distracts his eyes for an instant, that flower is a deadly weapon." After the quick little kick at the book, Cal was crouching and pushing off to charge at the first oncoming man. The blood-curling yell was not just a device to enhance TV martial arts fights. At the dojo, students practiced it over and over. It can help to focus and even augment the energy put into an action. It can also unnerve or at least momentarily distract an opponent, especially if they are not used to it. Cal let loose with full voice as he lunged forward, and it worked. The attacker's eyes had just flicked toward the book that was flying lazily toward his feet when the yell caused him to look up. He stumbled just slightly in his stride, and that was all that Cal needed. With two bodies hurtling toward each other from a short distance, the action was as automatic to Cal as breathing. At the last step, he planted his left foot and swung his right upward at the attacker's jaw. It was like an old-fashioned straight away football place kick, or a punt. The two months of intensive leg workouts allowed him to generate deadly speed. The attacker had quick reflexes and tried to pull his head away once he realized the danger. In the process, his head turned to the side. Unfortunately for him, his little stumble had prevented him from stopping his forward motion and he added his own momentum to the strength of Cal's kick. The impact was massive against the side of the man's chin, causing his head to twist violently as his body continued straight forward. Only Cal's strict training regimen kept Him from being injured in the process. He ignored the tremendous jolt that ran through his whole body and refused to acknowledge any pain. With no idea how badly the first attacker was hurt, Cal was sure that he was at least temporarily out of action. In any case, he had no more time for the passenger. The driver had rounded the front of the vehicle and was heading past to Cal's right, on his way to Ismi. Cal's yell had caused the driver to look, and he had seen his partner fall. In all of the multi-attacker exercises at the dojo, Mr. Yokata preached constantly that there was no time to stop or pause, even for a tiny fraction of a second. Motion must be continuous and purposeful. After striking a blow to one opponent, the motion must be transferred toward either attacking another opponent or defending an attack from another source. Hours were spent practicing the arm swings, spins, rolls, and pirouettes that could be used to transfer momentum to a different direction while preserving or even augmenting it. Before he could completely change direction, Cal managed to look toward the driver, who was now turning away from his route toward Ismi. With almost nothing to go on, Cal somehow sensed that the man was a very dangerous opponent and that raised his adrenalin level even higher. Cal had already taken one long step toward the driver by the time the man's body was fully turned toward what was now recognized as a threat. With alarming speed, the man's arms were up and he was in a defensive crouch. Instinct and hundreds of repetitions told Cal that his opponent's head and torso were too well protected. It had registered on the man that he was not just facing some dumb kid, but the shift from a focus on grabbing a helpless prey to defending against a deadly antagonist must not have fully occurred. Cal looked like he was setting up to repeat the straightaway kick that had felled the passenger. As the driver flinched to deflect the kick, Cal turned the fake kick into a little skip that did not cost him any forward momentum. The slight raising of the man's arms opened his knees completely and Cal flew forward to crash into the forward, load-bearing knee full force. The attacker was very fast and very well conditioned and his knee was bent at the moment of impact. There was no satisfying pop of dislocation, but the man did lose his balance and crumple to the ground. Verifying that he was indeed a trained fighter, he aimed a hard punch at Cal even as he was falling. Fortunately, Cal had transferred his remaining motion into a sideways roll. Without getting to his feet, Cal spun around on one hand to generate leg speed from the wide arc. The momentum of the man's punch had made him fall toward Cal. Having missed left him on the ground, braced up on one hand. Cal's kick caught the man full in the face, leaving him stunned. At that point, Cal might have been able to take Ismi and escape. The attacker was groggy, and his knee was not fully functional. Something told Cal, though, that it was important to her safety to capture this man and find out why he wanted her. From the obvious Arab look of the pair, he had surmised that Rachman was somehow involved, but that was not enough. The kick in the face had the driver momentarily motionless on hands and knees. On his back on the ground, Cal pushed hard upward with his left leg, sending his right leg almost vertical. He then brought his right heel down with all of the force he could muster, crashing it into the back of the man's skull. He knew that if he hit the neck, he would likely break it, killing the man. Even groggier but still conscious, the driver tried to turn his face toward Cal. The next scissoring blow caught the man a glancing blow to the temple and he sagged to the ground and remained motionless. When the van had pulled in front of them, it was as if time had gone to 1/100th actual speed for Cal. It was the same thing that happened on his golf backswing, or when he set himself for a basketball shot. Ismi had not yet finished her scream by the time both attackers were down. It had all taken between six and seven seconds. As Cal tried to get his breathing under control, he knew that he had to prevent the shock reflex that could follow violent action. He started the mental exercises he had been taught in training. His immediate thoughts were to get to one of the houses and call the police. But then he thought of detective Alvarez, if that was indeed who he was, and involving the police seemed potentially dangerous for Ismi. With a moment to think back, he believed the passenger was dead. His kick had been full force, and had caught the man on the side of the chin when he tried to pull his head away. The violent twist must certainly have broken his neck. The driver, though, would recover soon, and he must be bound. If the intent was to kidnap Ismi, there must be restraints of some kind in the van. Sure enough, on opening the side door, he found several sets of hand cuffs and a set of leg shackles. Moving almost frantically, he got the man's hands cuffed behind his back and his ankles shackled. "Ismi, help me get these guys into the van. Quickly!" His command stopped her screaming, but she was frozen in shock and fear. He grabbed the driver and started dragging him. His instinct told him that the passenger was not a threat, forever. He had the driver almost to the side door before Ismi could move. Then, finding some unsuspected reserve of courage, she sprinted to the van, jumped into the open side door, and grabbed the man's left arm as Cal got both arms under the torso. Her tugging, now fueled more by anger than by panic, quite likely dislocated the shoulder, but the unconscious feel no pain. Once the driver had been dragged inside, Cal used one spare set of cuffs to anchor his cuffed hands to the frame of the driver's seat. The other spare cuffs secured his shackled feet to the passenger's seat frame. The job was barely finished when the driver started to stir, letting out a blood-curling scream at the first tug of his damaged shoulder against the restraint of the cuffs. Cal ignored the shackled man and started dragging the passenger. Ismi was paralyzed again for a moment, then jumped down to help. After she grabbed the passenger's arm, she let out a little shriek and dropped it as she saw the head flop to an impossible angle. "Ismi! Help! Please!" Cal yelled much more forcefully than he wanted to. Almost in a trance, she helped him get the body in the vehicle. The sight of his dead companion was enough to halt the agonized screaming of the bound driver. "Ismi! Ismi! Can you drive? I've never done it!" Cal shouted at her. She was standing in a daze, and he took her face in both hands and talked forcefully right at her. "Ismi! Come out of it! I need you! Please help me get out of here!" Something got through to her. She shook her head, and Cal saw panic, then fear, then anger, then resolution flash through her eyes. She turned and sprinted around to the driver's door. Again following his training, Cal looked quickly around the area and spotted Ismi's books. While quickly picking them up, it seemed to him that secrecy could be very important. A final scan of the surrounding houses showed no evidence of anyone being home. He had barely gotten into the passenger seat and belted himself in when the van jerked violently backward into the street, eliciting another scream from the bound man as he was banged against the seat back. Slamming into gear, Ismi tore down the cul de sac and leaned the van over hard on the turn into the through street. "Ismi, Ismi! Take it easy! We don't want cops! Please!" "I wanna hear that sonofabitch scream!", she spat out. Cal was worried about Ismi going into shock and not being able to drive, so her current anger was a good thing. "He'll scream plenty, I promise. Please, drive very carefully. I'll tell you where to go," Cal urged. He could feel the rage radiating from her, but she did slow down, satisfied with the pain caused by unnecessarily jerky starts and stops. "Why didn't you kill him, too?" she spat out at one point. "We need to know what's going on." "Do you think he will tell us?" "We're taking him to someone who will make sure he does." Ten minutes later, the van was parked in an unused loading alcove behind the dojo. Cal wanted Ismi to stay in the van while he talked to Mr. Yokata, but she refused. Locking the van, he took her in through a door he knew about from his cleaning duties. He did manage to keep her out of sight as he led her to Mr. Yokata's office. Luckily, there was no class in session, and when Cal called out to him, Mr. Yokata heard the urgency in his voice. He ordered the three students who were practicing to leave immediately as he hung out the 'Closed' sign and locked the door. He followed Cal to the back where Ismi was starting into serious shakes. Ismi collapsed into a chair, and taking care of her was the first priority. Cal told the story as they wrapped her up in a blanket and got fluids into her. As soon as she could respond, Cal got Amelia's work number from Ismi and called her, telling her to get to the dojo immediately. He had to assure her that Ismi was OK, but that it was urgent. Cal had considered keeping Amelia out of the situation completely, but decided that would not have been right. Both mother and daughter had been through a lot together, and their bond was exceptionally strong. Besides, Amelia was both brilliant and tough, and those traits would be badly needed to get out of the current mess. From the cuffs and shackles they had found, Cal had assumed it was a kidnap attempt. Because the men were Arabic, it had to be linked to Rachman somehow. While waiting for Amelia, Mr. Yokata handed Cal some gloves and they went out to the van. As soon as they opened the door, the bound man hurled mixed English and, apparently, Arabic invective at them. His tirade was punctuated with groans of pain. While Cal was scrabbling around the back of the van looking for a key for the cuffs, the attacker yelled some very crude comments about Ismi. Cal's angry intended response was blocked by the sensei, who looked at him sternly. "He will be punished with much pain. But let us do it by a plan." Reluctantly, Cal resumed his search for a key, only to be surprised by Mr. Yokata asking him to help get the prisoner into the building. His wrists were still cuffed, but the ones binding him to the seat frame had been opened on both ends. He was led, cursing and moaning, with a bag over his head, to an almost hidden room in the old building that Cal never knew was there. The cuffs on his wrists were bound to a sturdy metal pillar that was part of the structural frame. He was going nowhere and no one would hear him. Cal was rather surprised when they next brought in the dead man. Mr. Yokata carefully laid the corpse on its back and arranged the arms and legs in a natural supine position. "Soon, he will be stiff and immovable," he explained. "Later, I will hear how you did this." The reason for bringing the dead man in was quickly apparent as the bound man could not hide his fear reaction. Next, Mr. Yokata grabbed a cardboard box and they went out and took everything out of the van that was not attached, including the contents of the glove box. Cal saw a video camera and a stainless steel item that looked like some sort of weird kitchen tool. There were more cuffs and the usual owners manual and papers from the glove box. In the far back was a small cooler of food and drinks. Ismi's books were also taken in. Under the seats they found two pistols. Cal shuddered to think what would have happened if the kidnappers had not assumed that he was no threat. Mr. Yokata found an oily rag and began asking Cal to recount everything they could have touched on the van, inside and out. He spent several minutes wiping all of the surfaces to eradicate prints. They were just returning to the building with the box of contents when they heard Amelia pounding on the front door. While very concerned about her daughter's condition, Amelia became so angry that she could hardly contain herself. When shown the temporary cell, the sensei had to restrain her from attacking the live kidnapper. Back in the office, they spread the van's contents out on the desk, and Cal learned that the strange stainless steel item was a speculum, and Amelia explained its use in gynecological exams. Ismi almost fainted when she saw it. Mr. Yokata told them all to wait while he questioned the prisoner, saying that they should not witness what he would have to do to get the information. Amelia insisted that she wanted to watch. Mr. Yokata told her that her presence would make the prisoner resist harder to avoid dishonoring himself before a woman, and it would be harder to break him. "That means more pain, doesn't it?" she spat out. "Good!" "No, Mrs. Barnes. Speed is too important here. Let me handle this." Amelia reluctantly gave in. During the inquisition, Cal was left with Amelia and a recovered Ismi in the office. As soon as they were alone, Amelia let down her tough facade, wrapped herself around Cal and broke into wrenching sobs. Both teens tried their best to comfort her. "You... you really killed that man? With just a kick?" she managed to get out between sobs. "How... how... ohhh!... he... he taught you. H... have you been doing th... this since... since... since..." and sobs overtook her attempts to speak. Amelia was unable to speak for a few more minutes. Still holding herself tightly to Cal, she said "Th... that's how you g... got over it, i... isn't it? I w... wish I... I wish Ismi... w... we didn't have... it w... was so h... hard..." When a grim-faced sensei returned to the office after about a forty minute absence, Amelia had recovered her composure, although her face and Cal's shirt showed the result of her breakdown. "Is he dead?" she asked hopefully. "No. We must decide if we need him." "Need him? Why would we need that scum?" she spat out. With a large sigh, Mr. Yokata told what he had found out. The prisoner's name was Fasil and the dead man was Yousef. They had indeed been sent as part of a team to kidnap Ismi. Rachman had promised his virgin daughter to an extremely wealthy North Yemeni sheik in exchange for some massive funding and secure locations for terrorist training camps. It would also give Rachman personal satisfaction to see his 'wayward' daughter forced into the role of an Islamic harem woman. He laid the blame for Khalid's death and his own exile squarely on Ismi. The kidnappers were to take her to a private airport from where she would be flown to the coast. From there, she would be hidden aboard a fishing boat that would rendezvous offshore with a seaplane. Eventually, she would be taken by private jet to the gulf. The video camera was a very high-end unit with close-up capability. Along with the speculum, it was to be used to document the existence of Ismi's hymen each time she was handed over to someone else. That was the protection for all of the parties against accusations of deflowering her en route. Hearing that, Ismi had to run to the bathroom where she suffered through minutes of vomiting and dry heaves. Cal hovered outside the bathroom until the women came out, then they all sat in the office. Mr. Yokata gave Cal a long look. "You are a very, very fortunate young man," he told Cal. "Fasil is an experienced bodyguard and has taught hand-to-hand fighting at several training camps. He was a very dangerous opponent." Momentarily overwhelmed, Cal stood and gave his teacher a ceremonial bow. "Yes, I am very, very fortunate. He was careless and did not consider me a threat. But mainly, I was fortunate because I was taught very, very well." Mr. Yokata stood and returned the bow as the women looked on in wide-eyed wonder. "H... he was a professional? A... and Cal t... took out two of th... them?" Amelia stammered. "Mrs. Barnes," Mr. Yokata explained, "it is the reason Cal has studied under me. He has been a fanatical student. He was only interested in things that would allow him to protect those he cared for. From the first day, he seemed to believe that something like this would happen." "M... maybe he just feared it would... the nightmares..." Amelia said softly. "We... Ismi and I... the nightmares... still there." This would have been the ideal opportunity for Mr. Yokata to recruit two more students, but he remained silent. "We have much to talk about," Mr. Yokata said, "but first, please come with me. This will be very unpleasant, but I need your help in keeping Fasil's spirit broken." As they entered the holding cell, both women gasped as they saw that Fasil's clothes had been removed. The next thing they noticed was the stench made by a file of feces and a puddle of urine between his legs as he sat with his hands bound behind his back, totally exposed. As he looked up at the women, they could see hatred and defiance losing out to shame. "I wanted to preserve his clothes, just in case," Mr. Yokata explained. "I had to use extreme measures to get the information. I knew this might happen. Fortunately, he already had a dislocated shoulder. That is very, very painful, and the promise of resetting it became the carrot that finally broke him." Ismi broke a grim, tight smile upon hearing that she had contributed to the man's agony. Cal, there is a hose in the maintenance closet and a faucet just outside the door. Young lady, would you like to help clean up this filthy pig?" Ismi just stared at him, confusion and reluctance on her face. "The water is very cold and the pressure is enough to cause pain," he explained. After a second, a malicious grin took over her beautiful face and she strode purposefully toward the door. "No, let Cal do that," Mr. Yokata said. "You wait here." Turning his back to the prisoner, he explained to the women. "Having you see him like this is a good form of punishment." "So you're letting Ismi get some revenge?" Amelia asked uncertainly. "Yes. That is not always a bad thing," he replied. "Also, it helps to keep him more controllable." "What are we going to do with him?" Amelia asked. "Are we going to kill him?" It was significant that she said 'we' and not 'you'. Glancing at Ismi, Amelia saw the girl staring at the prisoner, face flushed. "Oh, Honey! Is this the first naked man you have seen?" Ismi just nodded slightly. "Well, this is a terrible introduction. Maybe we should step out." "No, Mrs. Barnes," Mr. Yokata said sharply. "Your daughter needs to feel a sense of victory over this man. In a way, it will be victory over her father as well." Ismi gasped at that, but her expression hardened and she nodded her head at the sensei. Just then, Cal walked in dragging the hose. It had a trigger nozzle that could adjust the flow from a fine mist to a narrow, hard stream. Amelia took the hose and handed it to her daughter. Then, she put her arm around Ismi and led her toward the apprehensive prisoner. "First, let's get rid of this awful smell," Amelia said. They experimented until they found a good flow for washing the filth toward the nearby floor drain. When most of it was gone, Amelia snarled at the prisoner "Roll over so we can flush the shit out of your filthy ass!" Ismi jumped at her mother's words, but Amelia just stared fixedly at the man. Managing a return snarl, he refused to move. Amelia grabbed the hose and set it to the tightest stream. Then, she aimed it right at his face. He began moving and twisting his head around to protect his eyes. Suddenly, she moved the stream to his testicles which had become fully exposed as he writhed around. The man let out a blood-curling scream and wrenched his body over to shelter his jewels. Twisted as far away as he could, Fasil exposed his ass and Amelia practically stuck the nozzle in his crack. Not only did that have the desired cleansing effect, the impact on the tender anal tissue caused him to flop back the other way as Amelia sent the last of the filth down the drain. Amelia then handed the hose to Ismi with the instructions "You try it. Aim for the eyes until you get a good shot at his nuts. His Adam's apple is probably a good target, too. That water really has good pressure!" Ismi held the hose limply for a moment, looking at her mother in disbelief. Amelia told her, softly, "Remember that day. Remember the kicks. Remember..." She had to pause for a catch in her voice. "Remember Khalid trying to help you. Remember Cal throwing himself on top of you. Remember..." That was as far as Amelia got as Ismi raised the nozzle and strode right up to the prisoner. With his hands bound behind his back, he was completely defenseless from the battering stream. From close range, Ismi copied her mother's moves, producing an even louder scream of agony. Several times Ismi repeated the attack sequence. Sometimes, she could not hit his balls, but the nubbin of his shrunken shaft seemed to produce sufficient pain when battered. If he rolled so his back was to her, she would unerringly find his balls peeking between the backs of his thighs. The tortured man was reduced to constantly flopping, writhing, and rolling back and forth. Ismi did not quit until the man broke into continuous sobs, punctuated by pleas for mercy. He lay there shaking violently, on the verge of hypothermia from the cold water. When Ismi stepped back, everyone stood silent for a while, staring at the pitiful heap before them. "I hope you were right about this helping her heal," Amelia said to Mr. Yokata. "That was awfully brutal!" "What has happened to you two is brutal, ugly, and wrong. It has changed you forever. That cannot be undone," Mr. Yokata said gently. "You have been the victims, and you have lived with fear. Perhaps a little bit of feeling like the victor will reduce the fear." They all left and went to the office in a subdued mood. Mr. Yokata made Ismi sit in the large desk chair before he began to talk. "Young lady, I am proud to have met you. You handled yourself very well when those men attacked you. You showed real strength when you punished that man. I know it is not in your nature, but you decided it was necessary and you did it." "Now, we have to figure out a way to prevent this from happening again," the sensei continued. "With one failure, they would try harder the next time." Both Amelia and Ismi reacted to that statement with shock and dismay. "Oh, God!" Amelia wailed. "You mean it's not over?" "I'm afraid not. These people, including your ex-husband, are not rational. Their minds are so dominated by hate that normal rules of human behavior do not apply." "Then what can we do?" she plead. "Young lady... Ismi... You have been very strong and courageous. But now I am going to suggest that you do something much more difficult. Let me explain." "That fact that you are a virgin appears to be very key to this whole situation." Mr. Yokata was now speaking directly to Ismi who was blushing furiously but giving him her full attention. "Your father has to be convinced that that is no longer true. That should kill the arrangement with the sheik." "But won't that make him even angrier at her," Cal spoke up for the first time in a while. "Won't that put her in even more danger?" "Perhaps. But we have to do the best we can. Here is what I have thought so far. Fasil will take Yousef's body to the airport. He will tell his contacts there that Yousef succumbed to Ismi's seduction. She knew that losing her virginity would ruin her as payment." The presence of the speculum and camera means that rape by her captors was considered to be a real possibility. "Fasil discovered them having sex and attacked Yousef. He managed to kill Yousef in a fierce fight and received many injuries. As they fought, Ismi escaped." Amelia was following the story very closely, and interrupted. "That's brilliant. But what if Fasil does not tell that story." "That, Mrs. Barnes, is now the key question." "Please. Amelia, not Mrs. Barnes." There was a long uncomfortable silence, and it was Ismi who broke it. "A tape of me having sex with Fasil would make him cooperate, wouldn't it?" "HONEY!" Amelia shrieked. "Well, what else would make this work?" Ismi demanded. "That's impossible! You can't even think that!" Amelia yelled. Mr. Yokata put his hand gently on Amelia's shoulder. "Perhaps, Amelia, we can make the tape without the act really occurring." "She can't go near that filthy... that monster!" "Your daughter his come up with the only thing that has any chance of protecting the two of you. With that tape hanging over him, Fasil would become our ally rather than our opponent. He knows the horrible death that would await him if your ex-husband saw the tape." Amelia was beside herself at the very idea of even simulated sex between Ismi and the kidnapper. For many minutes, Mr. Yokata and Ismi talked it over with her, trying to calm her down, trying to think of some other way. Finally, Ismi stamped her foot and shed some genuine tears of frustration. "Mom, I love you for watching out for me. But I don't want to end up in some harem; or an Arab whorehouse; or dead. I hope you're not blaming yourself for all that's happened. It happened. We can't go back. I want it over, even if I have to really fuck that asshole!" That made Amelia gasp and break into tears. "Ismi," Mr. Yokata assured, "it won't come to that. We will work out a way." "Um, the way this discussion is going, I think I will wait outside," Cal said. "No you won't," Ismi said sharply. "If I have to do this, I want you right there protecting me. Besides, you're the professional photographer." "But you'll have to be... I'll see..." "God, Cal! Do you think I care about that, compared to getting kidnapped or killed?" The other three were all amazed as they saw a completely unsuspected side of Ismi on display. Walking over to Cal and hugging him, she said "Really, it will make it easier for me if you are there. OK, Mr. Yokata. How are we going to do this?" "Oh shit!" Cal exclaimed, then "Sorry! I was supposed to do a shoot tonight. He hurried to a phone and told Teri that she would have to cancel. It was the first time that had happened. The next half-hour was filled with the strangest discussion Cal ever expected to be involved in. He sat in awe as Ismi entered in with no embarrassment at all. Fortunately, the first point of agreement was that there would be no actual penetration. Amelia demanded, and eventually all agreed, that Fasil's cock would never actually touch Ismi. Amelia was the one who came up with the idea of a strap-on. There was some discussion about whether it would look realistic enough. The discussion was well beyond Cal's personal experience, but he was able to make one point. "If this was an accidental discovery of them having sex, it would have to be a pretty short clip. Once they noticed the camera, he would be after the photographer in a flash." "An excellent point, Cal," Mr. Yokata said. "That is good for us, as well. In a short clip, it will be impressions that count. If in a few seconds, we can clearly show Fasil's face and something that looks like his erection seeming to pull out of what is clearly Ismi's vagina. That should be enough. I think her father would be enraged at just that. He would not bother to look for the possibility of a fake." "And at the end, the camera could be left on as it is bounced all over when the photographer flees," Cal added. "Perfect!" Mr. Yokata enthused. Detail after detail was hammered out. Amelia remained upset throughout, and it ended up with Ismi comforting her mother. The girl seemed almost serene as she talked about things that should have embarrassed any virgin to tears. Finally, after all of the talking, Amelia was sent off to an adult store for the key prop, and Mr. Yokata rummaged around in an old workshop area for what he needed. Cal took the time to study the video camera and experiment with light and angles. The scene was to be set in the room where the prisoner was bound, and Fasil watched Cal's preparations with undisguised fear. When Mr. Yokata came in with a power drill and sank four eye bolts into the concrete floor, Fasil could not see anything but disaster coming from it. His fear reaction caused his battered penis to stiffen. Ismi, who was carefully watching the proceedings, first gasped, then giggled, then asked if she could use the hose again. She was genuinely disappointed when told that was not a good idea. When the eye bolts were in place, a blanket was laid over them. Next, Cal and Mr. Yokata hung a white sheet from the ceiling as a backdrop. Its intent was both to improve the contrast for the video clip and to give the impression of an actual room. The next part of the process was to secure Fasil to the eye bolts in a kneeling position. Being careful to allow him only the minimum freedom necessary to secure him to the new restraints, the men got him in position, hands and ankles secured, with no problem. He appeared too frightened to mount any significant resistance, anyway. About the time that Fasil was in position, Amelia returned, brandishing a modest-sized strap-on dildo that was extremely lifelike. Ismi happened to glance at Fasil and giggled, saying "Look! It's happening again." She pointed at the man's erection and explained to her mother what had happened before. Amelia got right down in the man's face and taunted him. "You filthy bastard! Are you afraid of what's about to happen, or are you looking forward to it? Are you one of those Arab queers I hear so much about? Can you already feel this thing plunging in and out of your asshole?" "OHMYGOD!" Ismi shrieked as Fasil convulsed and spewed several shots of semen onto the blanket below him. When he started to sag down afterward, it was Ismi who slapped him hard on his bare buttocks. "Stay up, you creep!" With his ankles secured well back from a normal kneeling position, staying up was not an easy task for the distraught man. Shaking his head in disgust, Mr. Yokata got a rag and wiped up the deposits. When he went to clean some drips from Fasil's now-flaccid penis, he stepped back and swore, something Cal had never before heard from his sensei. "He IS gay! Look at that!" Sure enough, Fasil had sprung to full length again. "Amelia," Mr. Yokata said, "I'm afraid I am going to need your help. Here's what we need to do." At first disgusted, Amelia steeled herself and knelt behind Fasil, between his widespread legs. She took his now limp penis and pulled it back, tight to his balls. Mr. Yokata handed her a strip of duct tape which she wrapped completely around the whole bundle. Next, she took the end of a piece of stout cord and secured it with another strip of tape around Fasil's package. One more strip followed. The fact that he stayed limp while she handled him seemed to verify his sexual orientation. It was Cal who asked "If they know he's gay, would they believe the video clip." "I'm quite sure he would not have advertised that fact," Mr. Yokata assured him. Running the cord under the sheet, Mr. Yokata stepped behind the backdrop and gave the cord a firm yank. Fasil grunted loudly. "Just a taste of what will happen if you do not cooperate fully." Next, Mr. Yokata knelt in front of Fasil and explained in detail the entire plan. The watchers could see the initial relief that he would be allowed to live. That relief was replaced by shock when he was told of the simulated sex. It was definitely not relief on his face when he was told what would happen if Rachman saw the clip that was about to be produced. He was told in no uncertain terms that the tape would be sent to Mussafi if any harm befell any of the four. "Now, you can only hurt Ismi with your head, but I know you could do great damage that way. Please be aware that the pain Mussafi would inflict on your is only a taste of what I will do if you so much as touch her. Is that understood?" When the man nodded, Mr. Yokata continued. "I will have a hold of the cord around your genitals. At the least deviation from your instructions, I will pull much harder than I did before. Also, I will remove the tape my way." "You have a chance to leave here alive, something you do not deserve. I promise you that if you do exactly as you are told, you can remove the tape yourself, and there will be no more pain." Fasil's eyes showed relief bordering on gratitude. After the instructions were finished, Amelia strapped the dildo onto Fasil to avoid arousing him from the touch of one of the men. Mr. Yokata went behind the sheet and called out "Amelia, if he does anything wrong, yell 'Pull' and I will do my best to castrate him." A visible shudder ran through Fasil. Now, there was nothing left but to shoot the scene. Ismi wore a skirt and kept it on as she removed her shoes, socks, and panties. By agreement, she would not bare her breasts. When she went for the zipper on her skirt, Cal turned his back until Amelia said "Ready, Cal." When he had the camera in position, she counted down and the brief little drama was played out and recorded. It ended up taking four tries to get it right. On the first try, the low camera angle revealed the unnatural position from which the dildo protruded from Fasil's body. Amelia also noticed that the dildo did not look quite lifelike enough, nor moist enough. There was butter in the little lunch room and she smeared it liberally on the fake cock. On the second try, a flash of the strap securing the dildo to Fasil was seen. The third was held too long after Ismi pulled away and the restraint on one of Fasil's wrists was momentarily visible. After each shot, Ismi quickly pulled on her skirt as Cal looked away. Then, all four examined the scene in the camera's viewer, looking for anything that was not realistic. There was general agreement that the fourth try was very good. The camera was behind Ismi, off to one side a little, looking along her body. The scene opened with Fasil making two realistic fucking motions, then looking up at the camera in well-acted alarm, his face clearly identifiable. Ismi's knees were up and her legs were spread wide, outside of his. He pulled his ass upward, exposing the length of the glistening dildo, looking for all the world like the real thing. An enticing patch of dark pubic hair was visible between Ismi's luscious, upraised thighs. After barely a second's view of the 'cock', the camera swept smoothly up Ismi's body to give a full view of her surprised face tilted back at the camera. It followed her face for a moment as she scrambled from under Fasil. The final second showed an erratic view of the floor, as if the camera was moved in panic. It was about five seconds of film, but it was worth an Oscar. When Ismi had put all of her clothes back on, she bent over Fasil and whispered something in his ear. While she stood hugging her mother, Mr. Yokata fetched a pistol and told Fasil "Believe me, I am very skilled with this weapon, even though I prefer not to use one." He then gave Cal a knife to cut the bindings on Fasil's wrists. The kidnapper's relief was obvious as he was able to pull himself upright on his knees, with his ankles still bound to the eyebolts, holding his lower legs tight along the floor. Mr. Yokata sent Amelia to the office for a scissors. He knew that a courageous, dedicated man might have used the scissors to kill himself at that point. He decided that Fasil was not that fanatical. The women were encouraged to leave the room, but insisted on watching Fasil's pain as he slowly cut and peeled the duct tape from his tightly bound genitals. When he was still on his knees, Mr. Yokata held the gun on him while Cal got his shirt on him. Then, his hands were once more bound. Under close guard, he was led back to his original position. The floor was still a little wet, and his lower body was left bare for the time being. ------- The two women and Cal stood back from the prisoner looking very relieved. Mr. Yokata looked impassive, but he was far from relieved. He knew that what they had done was only a small measure of protection. Men like Rachman and Fasil did not respond predictably enough to expect their blackmail setup to have the desired result. The most he could hope for was that it would ease the women's anxiety a bit. Mr. Yokata asked the other three to stay with Fasil, mostly to keep up the shame and intimidation of his nakedness. He went and called his lawyer to get the tape and instructions in his hands immediately. Then he placed another call that he did not explain to the group. Cal and the women stood staring at Fasil while Mr. Yokata made his calls, hardly able to believe it was over. After a bit, Amelia pulled Ismi back away from the prisoner and asked her quietly "What did you say to that asshole there at the end?" In a whisper, Ismi told her mother "I said that by morning I would be worth nothing to him because I would no longer be a virgin." Amelia blinked and looked at her daughter with wide eyes. Then she gave the girl a quick hug, and went over to Cal, pulling him aside. "Ismi wants you to make her a woman tonight. Be good to my little girl." At that moment, Mr. Yokata came back into the room, and she hurried to the office phone and dialed. "Elaine, this is Amelia. Some things have happened that brought back some tough memories. Ismi is having a terrible day - well, both of us, really. It would really help us if Cal could stay overnight at our place. Ismi draws so much strength from him. Would that be alright? Thanks, Elaine. I'll talk to you soon." Back in the room, Amelia told them all what she had arranged. "That is wise, Amelia," Mr. Yokata said. "Cal would not be able to act normally at home tonight. We need to keep this between the four of us until we can talk about it from a day away. However, there is too much risk for you to stay at your house. You must all join me for tonight." "But we have leverage on him, now," Amelia pointed out. "Do not make the mistake of assuming men like him will act rationally," Mr. Yokata cautioned. They waited another thirty minutes or so until the lawyer arrived, looking not at all happy to have his Friday evening disrupted. He was not allowed into the back room, so he did not know that anyone but Mr. Yokata was present. Once the lawyer had left, Mr. Yokata and Cal pulled on the rest of Fasil's clothes, got him cuffed and hooded, and secured him to the seats of the van in the same way he had arrived earlier. Yousef's body soon joined Fasil. Ismi was instructed to drive her mother's car, with Cal, back to the house and gather what she needed for an overnight or weekend stay. Mr. Yokata would drive the van to the general vicinity of the rendezvous airport. Amelia would follow in his huge full-sized Blazer, and they would rejoin the teens at the house so Amelia could also pack a bag. They would stop at the Banners' with an explanation and allow Cal to get his things on the way to Mr. Yokata's place. When the four were gathered one last time, after Fasil was safely in the van, Mr. Yokata warned them "It is imperative that this never happened! We will think of something to tell the Banners, but no one must ever know about the kidnap attempt. Can we agree on that?" Just before getting in the van, he placed a long, heavy duffel bag on the floor of the Blazer's back seat and made sure that Amelia would have no problem driving the truck. When the van and the truck were stopped in the parking lot of an industrial park a few miles from the airport, Mr. Yokata came back to the truck and took an automatic from the duffel bag. The pistols from the van had been unloaded and the shells put in the cooler in the back. It would take Fasil a while to find them. Fasil's hands were uncuffed and he was given the key. The Arab seemed only too happy to free himself and drive away from his tormenter without even a hint of trouble. ------- When they had completed over half of the long drive across town toward the Barnes' home, Amelia pointed out that none of them had eaten, and that she, for one, was quite hungry. While they were sitting in the long, slowly-moving drive-thru lane of a fast food place, she asked "Do you really think there is still danger from Fasil?" "It is only safe to assume that. I think I convinced him that your daughter is no virgin. That would take away one reason for snatching her, but..." he broke off as he happened to glance over at her and see the look of absolute horror on her face. "Oh my God!!" she almost screamed. "You were behind the screen - you didn't see. Ismi whispered in the asshole's ear. She said... she said..." She could barely speak as she repeated Ismi's taunt. Mr. Yokata's face flushed briefly, his years of experience unable to completely stifle his reaction. Fasil now had a reason to try again to snatch Ismi, and now there was time urgency. He now knew that she was still a virgin! If he had help available to him... The vehicles were tightly packed in the drive thru lane, and they had been sitting there for well over ten minutes, not really concerned about the time as they chatted. Mr. Yokata slammed into reverse and eased backwards, honking frantically. When the car behind him did not respond, he backed against it, pushing it back a few feet. He would worry about damage claims later. Once he had room to steer, he easily gunned the big-wheeled vehicle over the curb, through the line of scraggly shrubs that screened the drive-thru lane, and onto the exit drive. Once onto the main thoroughfare, he handed Amelia the mobile phone and instructed her to dial her home. "Do you think... ?" she left the question hanging as she dialed. The set of his jaw was all the answer she needed. ------- Chapter 10 Kenneth Yokata's father was a third-generation Japanese-American, the first in his line to marry a gaijin. That had caused a major rift between him and the rest of the very traditional family. However, Ken had been brought up with a large measure of the best of both of the disparate cultures. His father had seen that he was schooled in the ancient disciplines from an early age. His mother, a highly educated woman, saw that he was well-versed in the intricacies of Western thought. Ken had eagerly chosen the military as his profession, progressing through the Rangers, on to Special Forces, and a stint in Delta Force. At every level he was acknowledged as the master of hand-to-hand combat. With all of that, he also excelled with the whole range of weapons. After ten years in the military, having gained a college degree in the process, Ken was recruited by the CIA. For fifteen more years he was sent around the globe as part of the Agency's ultra-secret action unit. Besides his combat skills, he had an affinity for languages that allowed him to blend in in many countries. Ken looked more Japanese than Western, and that was an important advantage for him in most Third World areas. Without the instant suspicion and hostility that Americans and Europeans were subject to, he was able to blend into a surprising number of environments. He had perfected a native Japanese persona that was flawless. While much of the focus of the seventies was in Indo-China, Ken spent most of his time in the Persian Gulf. His understanding of several Arabic dialects was very good, and he could fake a Japanese accent over Arabic that few would question. Twenty-plus years of high-risk assignments with numerous narrow escapes and the frequent need for extreme violence can wear down even the toughest. At age forty-three, Ken was ready for a change in his life. The brief burst of Desert Storm had come and gone, and a new presidential candidate with definite anti-military leanings looked to be the front-runner for the next election. It was a good time to start another phase. Ken had negotiated a separation from active assignments. He was still connected with the Agency in a close but unofficial way. He had spent almost nothing of the pay that often carried huge bonuses. As with all such operatives, he had found other ways to acquire additional wealth in the course of operations. Sufficient funds were not among his worries. A martial arts academy was the ideal 'retirement' life for Ken. He could pass himself off as full-blooded Japanese, giving him a distinct marketing advantage. His weathered visage and collection of scars spoke of intimate personal familiarity with the mayhem he taught. He loved to teach, and he was always blessed with a Dex Madison, a Cal Banner, or some other exceptional student in whom he could take pride. Many law enforcement professionals took his training, most at government expense. The friendships and loyalties forged by men who routinely saved each others' lives were incredibly strong. Ken owed such loyalty to several former compatriots, and was owed by an even larger number. These were debts that were not discharged lightly, but Ken had called in a marker. His second phone call had been to a contact who owed him big time. It was an order for the termination of Rachman Mussafi. All operatives despised the terrorist movement that had been growing all over the Arab world, especially since the Iran hostage situation. Rachman Mussafi was widely known and recognized as someone worthy of elimination. However, he was a connected Saudi, and the political sensitivity of that oil-tank of a nation made him untouchable. Officially, at least. What Rachman had done, reaching into the U.S. to kidnap a citizen, was the one thing that all in the action services considered unforgivable. That it was his own innocent daughter put him far beyond the pale. Ken was certain that he only had to keep Ismi safe for the brief remainder of her father's life. That, however, would not necessarily be easy. The 'incriminating' little tape they had just produced was at best a disrupting tactic. The torture and humiliation of Fasil had also been designed to buy time. Hopefully, he would be too disoriented to take any immediate action. If Rachman could be taken out quickly enough... Throughout the torture session, Ken had made a point of emphasizing the futility of Rachman's offer to the sheik. Several times he had laughed at the idea that a girl of Ismi's beauty would still be a virgin in her senior year in an American high school. He knew he was playing into the general Islamic belief in the low moral tenor of American culture. He was quite certain Fasil was convinced that Ismi had been sexually active for a long time. The fact that Ismi was no longer a virgin would scuttle the deal with the sheik. However, Ken was very concerned, actually convinced, that Rachman would harbor hatred sufficient to carry out his revenge anyway. In the few hours since Cal and Ismi had arrived at the dojo, it had become very important to Ken to protect Ismi and her mother. Since Cal first became his student, he had known the story of the Mussafi family, but only second-hand. Now, he knew them quite personally, and he was very, very impressed. Every time he looked at Ismi, he wondered how she had avoided 'discovery' by the talent scouts who were always on the prowl for the latest teen sensation. She was that perfect. At the same time, he had seen her hold up well under extreme stress, willing to do whatever it took to defeat the attackers. It was easy to see what Ismi had inherited from Amelia. The mother was beautiful, elegant, refined, and had a core of hardened steel. Ken had worked with many highly trained, physically impressive women throughout his career. Somehow, he believed he would rather go against them than the beautiful blonde, especially if it involved her daughter's welfare. Ken had never married. In fact, he had never come close. That was a result of his single-minded dedication to his calling more than anything. But there was another strong reason for his single status. Knowing the life expectancy and the travel demands on the professional warrior, he could not in good conscience inflict that on any woman that he truly loved. Only since he had settled down with the dojo had Ken started to think about a long-term companion. Unfortunately, he had not found the pool of women available to a rough-looking, fifty-ish, mixed-race non-professional to be at all deep. The day's activities had allowed little time to think about Amelia as other than a woman who needed his help. But there was no doubt that the admiration had been building. Now, as he hurtled his truck over the many traffic-packed miles to the Barnes home, Ken cursed himself for not briefing the women on his conversations with Fasil. He had assumed that Ismi would avoid any but punitive contact with her would-be abductor. Had he known about Cal's 'Three Rules for Dealing with Women', he would have added a fourth: 'Never Assume Anything'. But Ken's thoughts were far from clever words. Lives were in danger, and he was many minutes away. If Fasil had found help waiting at the airport, they could already be on their way to try again to capture Ismi. Once again allowing his well-practiced sang-froid to slip, he slammed the steering wheel in frustration. ------- Ismi had barely pulled onto the road from the dojo's small parking area when she said "Cal, I don't want to be a virgin any more? If that is what makes me a target..." "That has been important to you all these years, hasn't it, Ismi? Why?" "Well, I, uh, think it's important to all girls. I mean, I'll bet Rebecca and Tessa... oh, uh, I mean..." Ignoring the inference about himself and Tessa, Cal pushed a little harder. "But it's especially important to you, isn't it?" "Yeah, you're right, Cal. Dr. Waxman and I talked about it quite a bit. It's, uh, kinda weird..." "Nothing about you could be weird," he assured her. With that, she reached across the center console to take his hand. "The Doc told me that it's because it was so important to my father," she said, then waited for Cal's reaction. "I know. I hate him for what he did. But still, part of me wants to please him... or at least who he was. Maybe not please him: more prove that I'm not what he accused me of being." This was another time when silence was the only response Cal could come up with. He gave her hand a little squeeze and neither said anything for quite a while. "Ismi, if you give up your virginity, will you feel like your father forced you into it? Will you feel like he won: that he proved you're what he accused you of being?" She gasped at his words, but refused to answer directly. "D... don't you want to do it for me?" she finally stammered. "Are you crazy? Of course I want to! At least part of me does. But what if afterward you feel like you gave up something important and you're sorry? What if you blame me for it? What if you feel like your father won?" "Oh, God, Cal! I don't know! But being a virgin is dangerous for me!" "No, not really. Having a hymen that they can take a picture of is dangerous for you." "But how?... Oh, you mean use something..." "Or have a doctor do something. Ismi, if you know your father didn't force you to have a man... if you know you are still truly a virgin, hymen or none, then you will win." At times during the discussion that followed, Cal wondered how he could be working so hard to get out of doing something that would be so wonderful. Maybe it was because he did not want to hurt Teri, and he knew it would. He hoped that it was also because he was watching out for Ismi's emotions, but it was hard to be sure. Eventually, it was Ismi who steered the discussion to less weighty topics just before they reached the house. Once inside, Ismi insisted on taking a quick shower before getting her bag ready. Cal just collapsed in a chair. ------- Amelia dialed the number on the car phone and handed it to Ken when she heard it picked up. "Cal! This is Mr. Yokata. Fasil may try again and he may have help. Leave the lights on, turn up the TV and get out the back of the house right now. Head through yards and get as far away as you can. Watch for my dark Blazer cruising the neighborhood. Now go! Don't stop for anything! We will be there in ten minutes and I'm calling the police as soon as I hang up." Ismi was still in the shower when Cal knocked hard on the bathroom door, then pushed it open enough to call over the shower noise. "Ismi, Ismi! Mr. Yokata thinks Fasil may be coming here! Get some clothes on! Hurry! We're going out the back." Cal waited on pins and needles for Ismi to emerge from the bathroom so they could flee. Actually, she did not take long, her wet hair showing one reason why. He took her hand and led her to the family room before pulling up with an alarmed "Oh, oh!" He had looked out through the patio door and pulled back quickly as he saw movement in the back yard. Ismi's reaction both startled and pleased Cal. "Sonofabitch!" she swore. "I knew we should have killed him!" Pulling Ismi down behind the kitchen counter, Cal saw the wood block with the set of knives. He stood quickly and brought the whole set down to the floor beside them. He found the heavy chopping knife and handed it to Ismi. She shrank from it at first, but then her expression hardened, she took it, and swore under her breath. Cal took three knives of varying sizes for himself. Out of long habit, Amelia and Ismi had scrupulously locked every door in the house, and that would give the kids a little time. Peeking around the end of the counter, he saw two shapes in the back, one at each end of the house. He surmised that Fasil was applying a little more organization to this attempt. Given their positions, he assumed there were at least four attackers around the house. Ten minutes, Mr. Yokata had said, and that seemed like a very long time right then. Cal doubted they would be able to hide in the house for that long. It was too easy to just break glass to gain entry. One thing in their favor: the shapes in the back were motionless. That meant they did not know they had been discovered. He forced his mind to slow so he could formulate some kind of a plan. Mr. Yokata had told him to get out of the house. That was probably best. Trapped inside they would have little chance of escape. If they could hold out until Mr. Yokata arrived - but that was a big risk. The garage! Was there potential safety in the garage? Could they drive away in a car? They would have blocked the drive, wouldn't they? They would have guns this time, and a car was not at all bulletproof. Or was the garage a better escape route? Cal looked at his watch, and was dismayed to see that less than four minutes had elapsed. But the garage had given him an idea. Motioning for Ismi to stay low, he led her to the inside garage door. Opening it carefully, they slid through, not standing up until the door was gently closed. He went back and propped it slightly open so that he could see what went on inside the house. That allowed a bit of light into the garage, but it was toward the front, not toward the back door to the yard where he led Ismi. The next part of his plan was very dangerous, but essential. He needed the garage door opener from Ismi's car that was parked in the garage. If he opened a door to get it, though, the inside car light might alert the attackers in the back yard. Looking around, he found a large, flattened cardboard carton. Quickly, he placed it over the window in the back garage door, then instructed Ismi to hold it there. The only other window in the garage was to the side, and he had to hope that no one was stationed there. He first asked Ismi where the opener was in the car, and was relieved to hear that it was clipped to the visor. Just as he was about to open the car door, he had another idea. One of the switches on the wall must be for the outside garage light, which had not been turned on. If he turned that on, the change could mask the flash from the car's interior light. Hurrying back to Ismi, he learned which switch it was. He was able to turn on the driveway light, open the car door, grab the opener, close the car door enough to douse the light and turn off the driveway light in three or four seconds. Then, he went back to Ismi, removed the cardboard from the window, and waited. The wait was not long. Within a few seconds, they heard the crash of glass from inside the house. He had no way of knowing for sure, but he assumed it was from the kitchen. Hopefully, that meant the man from the far corner of the back yard was no longer in position. Cal pressed the opener, and as soon as the door started up, he heard shouting and saw a body run past the back garage door headed toward the front. Opening the back garage door, the kids slipped out and sprinted toward the connecting back yard, skirting to the right around the pool/patio area. The pool deck was raised and they were able to stay below sight line until they reached the back side. There, Cal discovered that an additional attacker had been stationed behind the pool. Putting out his arm to let Ismi know to stay in place, Cal moved toward the man, who was staring toward the garage. He did not know how close he could get before being noticed, but if he could silence the man, it would give them the best chance to escape. 'Silence - throat' came instinctively from Cal's training as he slithered forward. His hand went to the knives tucked into his belt, but he had not spent the hundreds of hours with those weapons that he had with his hands. Cal caught a break when his target looked toward the opposite side of the house where another man was rounding the back corner on the run. Cal lunged the last few yards with his right arm drawn back and his hand in a flat fist, knuckles forward. Hearing Cal approach at the last moment, the man started to turn, exposing his larynx perfectly. Cal's hand shot forward, transferring the momentum of his whole body to the cartilage of the man's throat. The attacker's first death gurgles were just starting as Cal veered to his left for the meager cover of the low shrubs on the back side of the pool. The other man heard his partner's distress and speeded his approach. Cal knew that he could not stay out of sight. He would have to time his attack perfectly so that he left cover at the point of being discovered, but no sooner. As the man rounded the end of the pool, instinct told Cal that it was Fasil. Instinct also told him that this time Fasil would have the gun. ------- As the Blazer careened into the neighborhood, Ken Yokata pulled an automatic from the satchel in the back seat. By tricky use of his hands as he drove, he chambered a shell, cocked the hammer and took off the safety. Holding it out toward Amelia, he said "The slightest touch of the trigger will make it fire. Have you ever shot one?" "N... No!" "Can you?... For Ismi?" At her grim nod, he repeated "Don't touch the trigger until you want to fire. As long as you keep pulling, it will keep firing. If you want to shoot someone, don't stop firing. Stay here in the truck unless you sense danger." Two houses away, Ken stopped the Blazer and grabbed a sword and several knives from the satchel. He was out of the truck and running immediately. Amelia was completely out of her element, but fear for her daughter took over her thinking. Instead of staying as instructed, she also got out of the truck and started toward her house. Her gait was slow and awkward because she held the automatic straight in front of her with both hands. The house just before Amelia's had a hedge along the street and the neighborhood had no sidewalks. Ken ran in a crouch against the hedge, eyes scanning ahead for any sign of the attackers. The same green van was pulled across the driveway of the Barnes' home, facing away from him, and he could see a driver's head. He decided the driver represented the minimum threat for the moment. At the end of the neighbor's hedge, he paused and saw a man coming out of the house into the garage. Staying low, he reached the near corner of the garage and slid behind the back of the car. At just the right moment, he stood, his sword flashed, and a head thudded to the floor just before the body that it once belonged to. Before the dead attacker's body fell, Ken was out of the garage and rounding the corner. He heard or sensed someone running ahead of him. ------- Cal waited as long as he dared, trying to stifle the fear that the gun produced. When he dared wait no longer, he sprinted straight forward along the hedge for two steps. Fasil's expert reflexes had only partially returned, as he spotted the movement and started to swing his gun hand toward it. Waiting until the gun was pointing almost at him, Cal threw himself into a sideways roll for one revolution, then planted his foot and pushed hard toward Fasil. From two steps away, he saw the gun swing toward him as he wound up for the most important kick of his life. In the dim light, he could barely register the mixed fear and hatred on Fasil's face. Trying to bring the gun to bear left Fasil's chest exposed and Cal planted his left foot and swung his right toward the man's sternum with everything in him. Part of his brain realized that he was going to be shot, but the protective part thought only of Ismi and her safety. For all of his training and expertise, Fasil was not prepared to deal with Cal again. The lingering effects of his pain and humiliation at the dojo made his reflexes a little slower than they might have been. His warrior instincts told him that Cal's kick would reach him before the gun was true on the boy's vulnerable center. Even after seeing Yousef killed by such a kick, Fasil could not grasp the fact that the approaching foot could end his life. Fasil would never have a chance to ponder whether he pulled the trigger on purpose or if it was a reaction to the force of the kick. There had been no sense of satisfaction that he had acquired the target properly before his world dissolved in a fireball of pain. He did not even die with the satisfaction of knowing that he had shot his tormentor. The literal explosion of his heart muscle stopped all sensation after the single gigantic burst. The pain all the way up Cal's leg and the pain high on the left side of his chest arrived almost simultaneously. The roaring sound quickly gave way to a ringing in his left ear. With the other pain and the ringing, he hardly noticed as he was slammed to the ground on his back. ------- The gunshot was extremely loud in the stillness of the evening. The driver bolted from the van and headed around the back of the vehicle, taking the shortest way to the back yard. Amelia had approached to within a hundred feet or so of the van when the shot rang out. Seeing the man leave the van, she thought only of Ismi. She must be back there! Later, Amelia could not recount exactly what happened, but she broke into a run as soon as the driver's door opened. As the man cleared the back of the van and turned toward the garage, she started squeezing the trigger as she ran. She tried to point the weapon at the man as she squeezed again and again. There was no sense of fear, only panic for her daughter and for Cal and Ken, and rage at Rachman and his killers. Somehow, the driver did not notice the running woman until her first shot rang out. He was just in the process of pulling his gun from his belt as he ran. The instinctive fear reaction from being fired at caused him to fumble getting the gun free while trying at the same time to turn and face his attacker. Just as he came to a stop and turned to bring the gun to bear, Amelia let loose with a blood-curdling scream followed by two more shots. The realization and disbelief that it was a woman attacking him caused the man to freeze for a precious fraction of a second. Later, when Ken told Amelia that her scream was the perfect tactic, she denied that she had done any such thing. Just as the driver was able to refocus his attention and bring the gun up to a firing position, he was slammed backward by a giant fist. Struggling to maintain his balance he got off two wild shots before he was slammed again and thrown down on his back, unconscious. By the time Amelia regained her senses, the automatic was no longer responding to her frantic pulls on the trigger, and she was staring down at a swarthy, mustachioed man. He was twitching erratically and blood oozed from his mouth. Unable to help herself, she fell to her knees and vomited violently on her front lawn. But the nausea reaction lasted only a moment. Ismi must be in the back yard! She no longer had a weapon, but her mothers' protective instinct overrode any such tactical detail. Staggering to her feet, she was soon in a full run. Her mind registered the sight of a body and a disembodied head behind Ismi's car, but she was so driven by concern for her daughter that her pace never faltered. ------- Ismi's heart sank when she heard the gunshot. All she could think of was Cal - he had gone that way, and he did not have a gun. Just as panic was about to paralyze her, a man dashed past where she crouched, not even noticing her. She saw a gun in his hand, he was heading for Cal and something snapped. She had the large chopping knife still in her hand, but it felt foreign to her and she dropped it. The man was barely past when the first shot rang out from the front yard. The man stopped, and just before he could turn toward the front, Ismi sprang from her hiding place and leaped on his back, screaming at the top of her voice. Instinctively, Ismi reached one hand around his head and dug at his eye. With his left hand restrained by Ismi's legs around him, he bellowed, dropped the gun, and reached for his tortured eye. With a mighty heave, he threw Ismi from his back, sending her tumbling to the ground. In his pain and rage, the attacker forgot that the objective was to take Ismi alive. With his right hand to his wounded eye, he picked up the automatic in his left hand and swung it toward the fallen girl. With a snarl, he raised it, ready to fire, and Ismi saw the burning anger and hatred in his good eye. She heard more gunshots and felt despair as she realized that she was about to die. Rather than fear, she felt a deep regret that Cal would die, too, trying to save her. It had all been for nothing! She hoped somehow her mother could survive... But there was no report! The man's head snapped back, the good eye went vacant, and the other eye sprouted the haft of a knife between the covering fingers as he sank to the ground. The shock and horror of the man's death and her own narrow escape should have frozen Ismi, but she could only think of one thing. "CAL!!!" she screamed, and dashed toward her fallen friend. Ken checked the attacker quickly, then hurried after Ismi. Ripping off his shirt, Ken stuffed it into the wound in Cal's chest until he could feel the bleeding decrease. Then, he turned to her. "Ismi! I have to make some calls. For Cal! For you! Hold this right here until help comes. Don't move or he could bleed to death! Can you do it?" There was an initial look of shock and fear on Ismi's face, but determination took over again, and she nodded her head. At that moment, Amelia pounded up to them, frantic to hug her daughter. Ken grabbed her quickly and shook her gently to get her attention. "Amelia! You have to help Ismi save Cal. Amelia? Amelia?" "I... I killed... oooh, no! Cal!" That was enough to bring her back to reality and she knelt quickly beside Ismi and Ken showed how they could both apply the life-saving pressure to the wound. As soon as their hands were firmly in place, he backtracked all the way around the house, making sure that no live threats remained. When he had circled all the way around, Ken dashed for the house to make a call. From his mobile phone on the way, Ken had lied to 911. He had said there were severe injuries, so the paramedics were already on the way. His current call was not to 911, but to the FBI. He barely had time to finish his message when the first patrol screamed around the corner and screeched to a halt. Ken dashed out the door, hands extended and a badge wallet flapping in his right hand. After a hurried few words with the first police officer, he saw the ambulance arriving and dashed toward it. He almost dragged the paramedics to the back yard where the weeping Ismi watched helplessly as her friend's lifeblood oozed out around her and her mother's fingers. Realizing the urgency of Cal's blood loss, the paramedics, stunned by the carnage they had passed, got Cal on the gurney and fairly sprinted back to the ambulance. Ken helped with the gurney while one medic took over the pressure on the wound. Barely four minutes from arriving, the ambulance was code three for the nearest trauma ward. A distraught and frustrated Ismi was forbidden to ride with Cal, both because of ambulance policy, and because she was a key witness to the bloodbath at their home. ------- Amelia was the first to think of the Banners. She dashed toward the house, but a police officer tried to keep her out. She frantically argued that she had to let Cal's parents know, and he retrieved the cordless handset for her. "Martin! Martin!" Amelia knew her frantic voice would not be helpful, and tried to get control of herself. "Cal has been taken to St. Gregory's emergency. He's... he's been shot! They tried to kidnap Ismi, and Cal... he... saved us... he..." Pausing for a moment, she went on. "He's alive... lost a lot of blood... haven't heard... just left." After another pause, "Yes, you hurry. I'll call Laura, and Teri. Oh, Martin, I..." At that point, he had already hung up. She took a minute to regain her composure before calling Cal's aunt and his neighbor. Neither answered, and she wondered if they were already on their way over after hearing the commotion. The mayhem of more police vehicles arriving and total uncertainty as to who was who went on for several minutes. The multiple shots had alerted the entire neighborhood, and one by one, the neighbors appeared in the street, reassured by the presence of the patrol cars. From then on, several of the officers were required to set up and enforce a perimeter. Within minutes, it seemed that onlookers had come from miles away. There was a minor skirmish when the Walts arrived, and the officers would not let them through. Tessa began yelling out "Ismi! Ismi! Cal! Are you there? What happened?" Ismi recognized Tessa's voice and wanted to go and tell her about Cal. She, along with most other people, assumed that Tessa and Cal were a couple. Before the crowd had started to gather, Ken had convinced the police to take some steps for the sake of secrecy. First, the garage door had been lowered to hide the beheaded corpse. Then, totally contrary to policy, the body of the driver was placed in the van, and the van was driven away. A wheelbarrow was brought out, and some bags of topsoil dumped on the bloodstain left by the driver. That effort gave a passable impression of unfinished lawn work. The other three bodies were in the back yard out of sight. Ken had insisted that he, Amelia, and Ismi all stay back there out of sight, as well. One of the police officers had the wisdom to forget the common animosity toward 'Feds' and assist Ken fully. Ken summoned the cooperating officer and Ismi described Teri and Tessa. The officer went back to the front and asked them to come to his patrol car. There, he explained about Cal. He had barely spoken the name of the hospital when Tessa bolted out the door. Only the officer's offer to drive them to their house got her back in the car. Just as the patrol car pulled away with Teri and Tessa, they encountered Laura and Jolie walking down the street. They both squeezed into the patrol for the short ride to the Walts', from where Teri drove them all to the hospital. ------- Cal came to briefly in the ambulance. As soon as his eyes opened, he began calling "Ismi!" The paramedic tried to calm him down, but as he bounced in and out of consciousness, he kept saying her name. His obvious agitation was not good for his condition, but nothing she said would calm him down. Finally, she told the driver to get on the radio and find out about someone called 'Ismi'. Policy dictated that the radio was only used for essential communication. She assured the driver that it was essential to Cal's survival. After four or five minutes and several more frantic pleas from Cal, the attendant told him "The driver talked to Ismi. She said to tell you that everyone is fine and the assholes are all dead." Cal gave a weak grin, a little hum, and slipped back into restorative unconsciousness as they screamed into the hospital lot. St. Gregory's Hospital was on the 'border' between the affluent and depressed sections of the city. Because of the all too frequent gang and drug related shootings, its ER staff had become acknowledged experts at GSW (gunshot wound) treatment. It was relatively early in the evening, and the usual weekend carnage had not begun, so Cal was able to receive instant and full attention. From the ID in his wallet, the ambulance attendant had radioed ahead, and whole blood of the right type was waiting for him. He was barely into a treatment room when the transfusion started, and blood poured into him at the maximum rate while two doctors began the search for severed vessels. ------- After a hurried conference between the FBI agent and the lieutenant, a bullhorn had been brought out, and the process of chasing the crowd back to their homes had begun. Still shirtless, Ken helped the FBI agent take control of the scene. As the crowd disappeared, all of the police, except for the lieutenant, were sent back to their sectors. The last squad car had barely left when the coroner's van and the police photographer arrived, almost together. ------- Lack of communication to loved ones is agonizing during a trauma event. On the other hand, every available hand is so critical that it is often dangerous to the patient to divert any resource from saving his or her life. The Banners and their group suffered through thirty minutes of that agony after rushing to the emergency ward. The check-in attendant was able to take a moment and find out that he was alive, in surgery, and receiving a transfusion. That was not enough information to be comforting, but it was all they could get. Finally, a haggard-looking doctor came out to them, still peeling off his bloody gloves. "We've stopped the bleeding temporarily. He is still being transfused, and a staff surgeon is on the way for permanent repair of some vessels. No vital organs were hit. His blood loss was very nearly fatal, but his chances for full recovery are good. If any of you are O Negative, we could use some more." Rebecca and Pete both jumped to their feet and asked where they should go to give blood. After a moment's hesitation, Jolie joined them. Tessa looked stricken that she did not have the right type, then brightened. "Hey, I'm universal. Can you use mine?" "Actually, we can use all donations. It will defray the cost," the doctor explained. Seeing Elaine sitting and weeping, he made the assumption that she was Cal's mother. Touching her gently on the shoulder, he told her "I think it would be best if you don't donate - at least until you are over the shock." Teri had been working very hard not to show her true feelings and concern. It would be a terrible time for her sexual relationship with Cal to become known any time, but in this situation... Inside, she was nearly as distraught as Elaine, but somehow she found the strength to comfort and encourage her friend. It was also Teri who thought of Ismi and Amelia. Seeing that Elaine was in no shape to call, she got the number and found a pay phone. When there was no answer and it rolled to voice mail, she had the presence to try again. This time, Amelia answered, obviously very upset. When Teri identified herself, Amelia stammered "W... wait! Ismi needs to hear!" In a moment, mother and daughter both had their ears to the receiver listening to the report. At the end, both were crying in relief, but great lingering concern. "Call as soon as you hear anything else," Amelia pled. "I'll keep the cordless out here. We had to fight the police to answer before. The whole house is a crime scene. There were five. Cal killed two. Ken killed two. I sh... shot one. I..." Ken had just realized what Amelia was saying and was concerned about word getting out. As gently as possible, he took the phone from Amelia. "Who is this?" he asked. "Ah, Mrs. Walts. This is Kenneth Yokata. Listen, what Amelia told you must be kept secret. I guess the family should know, but if word gets out, it could be dangerous for Cal and for Ismi. Let me talk to Mr. Banner. I will give him the details." Against his better judgment, Ken recapped the attack for Cal's father. He had to gloss over the reason for his own presence. He was still reluctant to divulge the first attack to anyone. He repeatedly stressed the need for keeping the story very confidential. It was a very, very sober Martin who led the whole group to the chapel after all of the blood donations had finished. He closed and locked the door and led off with the need for absolute secrecy. His voice failed several times during the recounting. Teri had heard it first, but still found it hard to believe. Pete first showed astonishment and disbelief, then the pride showed through. For the rest of the women, total shock and disbelief ruled. "But I thought that stuff was just... was just... I mean Cal couldn't hurt..." Rebecca was the first to even try to speak. "I have talked to Mr. Yokata at the bank," Teri spoke up. "He repeatedly told me what a dedicated, exceptional student Cal was. But I had no idea..." "We all know why he started martial arts," Laura added. "Maybe he expected this to happen some day." "But he... he's the nicest, kindest guy!" Rebecca objected. "He could never..." During the telling, Elaine had made quite a recovery. "Let me tell you about what happened with Cal that summer," she said. She went on to explain about the nightmares, Dr. Waxman's analysis and recommendation, and Cal's improvement. Elaine was still talking when there was insistent pounding on the chapel door. When Martin opened the door, Ismi and Amelia rushed in, followed by Ken. The women coalesced into a tearful group hug while Martin and Pete shook Ken's hand. When the general hubbub had subsided a bit, Ismi pulled Ken aside. "Why did they come back? I thought that tape would... I mean didn't that asshole care what happened to him?" "Probably not. We had to try though," Ken answered. "I thought I had convinced him you were not a virgin, but..." and he shrugged his shoulders. He could not bring himself to tell her what her taunt had possibly done. Ismi stared at him open-mouthed for several seconds, then disintegrated into wailing sobs. Everyone in the chapel looked at her in alarm, and Ken quickly put his arm around her and turned her away from the others. "Ismi, listen to me! You have been incredibly brave through this whole thing. You were angry and you just let it out. I'm not sure Fasil believed me anyway. If they had not been very sure, they would not have come after you. Do you understand?" "But... but I might have gotten Cal killed, and..." "Don't think like that," he said sternly. "This whole day has been like a war. Everything was confused and uncertain. We are all alive, and Cal will recover. We won, and you helped. Believe me, Cal thought he was giving up his life to save you, and I know he thought it was worth it. You be the woman he sacrificed himself for, do you hear!" ------- It was a long night for everyone involved. Cal's family and Teri and Tessa camped all night at the hospital. Ismi and Amelia had wanted to stay, but they were showing the effects of their ordeal. A doctor gave them some sleeping pills and ordered them home. Since home was not available because it was crime scene, Ken took them to his place, promising to bring them back the first thing Saturday morning. After three more hours of emergency surgery and several more pints of blood, Cal was declared out of danger. There was a hairline fracture in his right foot, and it would take some time for hearing to return to his left ear. All in all, it could have been much worse, considering the desperate situation. About 3:30am, a nurse came to the surgical waiting room and tapped on the open door. Instantly, every head came up expectantly. "One visitor for five minutes," the nurse explained. By quick consensus, Elaine was chosen. "OK," Elaine said, "but when I get back, EVERYONE goes home to bed. Agreed?" "Everyone but me," Martin insisted, and the deal was struck. In his little screened off area of the recovery room, Cal smiled weakly at his tearful mother. "I... I had no idea, Honey," she stammered. "I'm still just me, Mom. I just did what I had to," he insisted. "And I thought I didn't really know you before," she mused. "Then, we seemed to get closer these last months. But now..." "Mom, please don't let this push us apart. I hope nothing like this ever happens again. I hope I can just be my normal self. Don't think of me as some sort of, um, monster, or super-hero, or something. Please!" Mother and son sat in silence for a while, holding hands. "Is Ismi really OK?" he finally asked. "She and Amelia were ordered to get some rest. Doctor gave them pills and Mr. Yokata took them to his house. Knowing how Ismi felt, they will probably be back by dawn. Everyone but your Dad is going home, now." With that, the nurse gently but firmly chased Elaine from the room and Cal slid back into sleep. Martin was just returning with a coffee at about 5:30am when the nurse told him he could visit with Cal for as long as Cal could stay awake. He had been moved from recovery to a permanent room. Cal's thinking was still a little fuzzy from lingering anesthesia and pain medication, but he was happy to see his dad. Their relationship had never been as close as either would have liked, but there were no hard feelings to be overcome. Both realized that there were some basic differences in their attitudes and outlooks. Mr. Yokata had stressed the need for the first attack to be kept secret, but Cal felt a real need to share the story with his father. "Dad, I actually killed three people today. This is supposed to be secret, but I want you to know. You probably shouldn't tell anyone else, even Mom." After Martin had heard the story, the evening's events made more sense. He told Cal "It will be very hard not to share this with your Mom." "Yeah, I figured. Maybe it won't have to be a secret for too long. If you tell her it should be secret for my safety, she won't tell anyone." Cal could not know how important it was to his father to be told the secret tale. The attack had seemed to widen the gulf between Martin and his youngest. Being the only one to whom the secret was revealed went a long way toward bridging that gulf. Just the assurance that he was special in Cal's eyes gave him a tremendous boost. ------- Because of the secrecy imposed on the whole episode, no one but the Banners, the Walts, and Laura and Jolie knew about Cal's wounds - at least not officially. In fact, the FBI had clamped official secrecy on the entire attack. As far as could be ascertained from the police, nothing at all had happened at that address that night, twenty gunshots and yellow crime scene tape notwithstanding. Because Cal had been transported immediately, before any onlookers arrived, no one could positively say that anyone had been wounded. Still, the ambulance had arrived and departed code three, and neighbors were present in the adjacent houses. The FBI had certain powers to suppress news that was detrimental to national security. However, it was a time when such powers were not well-supported from the highest levels. Besides that, the connection to national security was rather tenuous. Ken Yokata gave the FBI a complete briefing on both attacks, but no one outside the FBI ever learned of the earlier attempt. There was no way to stop reporters from roaming the neighborhood for eye-witness accounts. Since it was obviously the Barnes' yard, it did not take long to dredge up the account of Khalid's death, and a number of interesting stories were postulated from there. At a time when the Internet was still in relative infancy, one investigative reporter did an exceptional job of research. Starting with Khalid's death, he was somehow able to unearth some very obscure reports on the current activities of Rachman Mussafi. From there, he filled out the profile on Rachman by paying Arabic speakers in several countries to peruse periodicals for any reference. Within a month, the reporter had written a chillingly accurate account of what had happened and why. None of the news services would accept his account as hard news, so he had to peddle it wherever he could. Fortunately for Cal and his family, the only ones eager to pay were the tabloids. That reduced the excellent account to the level of fiction in most people's eyes. Still, the story was in the public domain, and everyone in town, and especially at school, 'knew' about Cal and Ismi. ------- Ismi missed school Monday, but insisted on going in Tuesday. Her presence caused such a commotion that the principal called her in. She was asked to go home, assured that all of her grades would be extended from their current level to her final grades. She would be welcome to attend graduation. Learning from the Ismi experience, the principal called Martin Banner and made the same arrangement for Cal's grades. He might have been ready for the last few days of the term, but everyone agreed that it would be best to let things cool down over the summer. ------- Chapter 11 Rachman Mussafi learned of the complete elimination of his kidnap team the next day. The FBI would have been greatly alarmed if they had known how he got the information. The loss of the deal with the sheik was a severe blow to Rachman and it became one more offense that he could lay at his daughter's feet. News that the Banner kid had once more gotten in the way made him even more furious. Ken Yokata's fear that Rachman would now come after Ismi just for punishment became a reality. Wednesday morning after the failed attempt, three men arrived at Mussafi's office in Riyadh. They were the leaders of his new kidnap team, except that murder would be their fallback option if the kidnap failed. Either way, Amelia and Cal were to be killed. ------- Ken and his informal but tightly-knit group of friends did not know how severely Rachman would react. However, they did know his type, and their experience told them that reaction would be swift and brutal if it came. At that stage of evolution of the Islamic terrorist movement, there was little central influence and a great deal of anger and over-confidence. By Saturday evening, a series of carefully protected phone calls and meetings had located a source for the chosen weapon to assassinate Mussafi. It was a deadly poison favored by Arab assassins for over a millennium. Death took many minutes to arrive, but there was no antidote. The victims were conscious through the extreme agony caused by the nerve agent as it gradually scrambled the brain's signals to the body's vital organs until they failed. To protect Ken, someone else took over leadership of the 'mission'. Since all of the group had solid contacts in the covert services, sufficient funds were acquired quickly and easily. The bulk of these funds were then used to buy the services of active agents already in-country. Truth be told, much of Ken's nest egg had been acquired the same way: he was on the government payroll, but he was paid substantial fees of government money by private parties who had acquired it unofficially. The poison was to be given to Rachman in his tea, at the office. It was always brought to him in the morning by a servant, a trusted follower of the movement. Suborning the servant was considered impossible, and substituting another servant would not have worked, given Rachman's suspicious nature. Other means of death could certainly have been chosen, but the 'message' value of this traditional technique was considered worth the extra effort and risk. By mid-morning on Monday, payment money for the procurer of the poison and the one who would administer it had been obtained from an unmonitored government fund and flushed through a series of accounts to a harmless-looking Arab apothecary and a French free-lance operative working as a banker. Under the guise of a telephone repair crew, two experienced operatives, ones who had worked with Ken in the past, had spent Monday and Tuesday mornings in the office, establishing Rachman's usual schedule. The hit was set up for Wednesday morning. The planned visit by Mussafi's new kidnap/murder team was unknown to the assassination planners. The plan was quite simple. As the usual servant left the kitchenette of the office after preparing the tea, he was to be nearly run down by two men in Arab dress. One man would quickly grab the tray with the tea to keep if from spilling. He would offer to hold the tray while the servant made certain none had spilled on him. The second man on the team would slip the poison into the tea server when the servant's attention was on his clothes. The team was surprised to see four cups on the tray, since Rachman was usually served alone. The poison was to be put in the carafe from which the tea was served, so there would be enough to cover the extra servings. The concern was of the consequences of killing additional people that were not involved with Rachman's schemes. The man with the poison did not hesitate, however, and the tea was fatally seasoned in barely a second of the servant's diverted attention. The poisoner had quickly assumed that anyone visiting Mussafi was equally deserving of death. It was a cold decision, but he was being paid extremely well, and the urgency of the hit had been emphasized as had few others in his experience. The capture or kill orders were never delivered to Mussafi's new team. Rachman and two of the would-be killers drank some of the tea immediately. The third, the leader of the group, was explaining their qualifications, cup in hand ready to sip, when the first symptoms hit the others. It took only seconds for Rachman to realize that he was doomed. He began screeching out orders for his three victims to be found and killed. Drawn by the agonized cries of the victims, several co-workers came into the office, one of them Rachman's lawyer. Barely able to speak, Rachman ordered the man to establish his entire fortune for payment of the killers of Amelia, Ismi, and Cal. The lawyer assured him that it would be done. Rachman may or may not have understood the reassurance as the incredible agony drove out conscious thought. Six or seven minutes later, the three victims lay dead, and the surviving assassin, experienced as he was, was badly shaken. The lawyer pulled him aside and told him "I agreed to his demands to comfort his last moments. His fortune will go to the cause, as his will stipulates. I will not spend it foolishly on revenge that will only bring more of this," and he swept his arm over the gory scene. The assassination team had doffed their Arab garb as soon as the servant was out of sight on his way to serving the tea. They then approached Rachman's receptionist for appointments that had been set up the previous day, but for which they claimed a mix-up in the scheduled time. When the screams of agony and alarm began, they slipped out to the street, hardly noticed. The assassination of Mussafi had no official sanction by any U.S. government agency. Yet, it was universally applauded when the circumstances became known, and no effort was made to persuade the Saudi government that it was a private hit. Every government official feared most of all that some angry foreign entity would try to harm his or her family. The quick response to Mussafi's attempt sent a message that allowed many thousands to sleep a little easier. Because it represented something dear to the hearts of every warrior with a family, Ken was assured that the assassination had not cost him any accrued 'favor credits'. It had quickly become everyone's cause. ------- Ken had the task of informing Amelia and Ismi of Rachman's death. Amelia reacted impassively, as if she had expected it. "You arranged this, didn't you?" she asked. When he just looked at her without answering, she kissed him on the cheek and said "Thank you. Thank you for giving us back our life." Ismi's reaction was totally different, and totally opposite her personality. "How did he die?" she demanded. "I hope it was painful! Did he know why he was dying?" When Ken described what had happened, she exclaimed "That's perfect! Thank you." She also assumed that Ken had arranged it. Ismi asked of she could tell Cal, who was still in the hospital. Because of all his visitors and the restrictions on visiting time, it was her first chance to be alone with him. He took the news without much reaction, then told her "Mr. Yokata told me how you jumped on that guy. That took a lot of guts. Thank you! He would have killed me for sure if you hadn't done that. Mr. Yokata was too far behind him." "But if I hadn't..." she started to protest and tell him how she might have triggered the second attack, he cut her off. "I don't want to talk about what anyone did wrong," he chided her. "Everything was confused, and we all did the best we could. We won. I wouldn't be here without what you did." "Well, I think you're still a couple of life-savings up on me," she said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Then, she got serious again. "Would you have, uh, taken my cherry if I had asked?" "I don't really know. I like to think I would have talked you out of it, but I'm only human. And male. And almost always horny." That made them both laugh a little. "Well, thank you for making me think so hard about it. You were right. It would have been for the wrong reasons. Maybe now it could be for the right reason." She blushed beautifully as she said that. "Um, uh, I don't think gratitude is, uh, the right reason, either." "God, Cal. You sure know how to ruin a girl's confidence. I've never seen a guy work so hard to avoid making love!" She said it with obvious mirth, and they had another laugh which ended in a groan from him. "It may be a while before I really feel like laughing," he told her. "Let's keep things serious, here." That was, of course, a self-defeating plea that led to more laughter and another groan. "OK. Seriously, I'm going to hold out, as long as I've come this far. I love you, Cal, but we're not... I mean I don't think we were meant to be... uh... partners. Do you?" "Nah," he answered in mock seriousness. "There are too many other guys waiting, and I hate standing in line." She was all wound up for another of those girly slaps but barely remembered in time that she was about to slap his wounded left side. The lack of long-term intentions between the two of them did not prevent her from delivering a very intense parting kiss. ------- Teri and Tessa finally got a chance to be the only visitors. After a blistering kiss from each of them, there was a strange silence. "I hope you two aren't going to be afraid to talk to me after this," he told them. "Honest, Tessa, I'd never get THAT mad at you." His little joke broke the silence, but only because Tessa started crying. "It's... it's just that it seems like I really never knew you at all," she wailed. "I mean... I've known you forever, but... how could you KILL someone? I just don't understand!" "Tessa, try to think of this: suppose some guys were trying to kidnap you or rape you, and I was there. What would you want me to do?" "Well, I, uh, can't imagine that ever happening," she said uncertainly. "But it DID happen to Ismi, Tessa. And it happens all over. Every day. When Kal died, I vowed I would never let it happen again if I could help it." "And it almost cost you your life!" Tessa almost screamed. "But if I had let it happen, I would not have wanted to live," he said with a tone the sent chills through both women. Teri had said nothing up to that point. She moved her chair closer to the bed, took Cal's right hand, and held the back of it firmly to one breast. With a slightly defiant look at her daughter, she began to speak softly. "Do you remember the day you came over after Tessa showed me the boob shot? I think you were worried sick that I was going to be angry." Cal nodded his head at the memory. "Well, when you were talking so respectfully about how your folks didn't know much about your photography, I wondered if you were just too nice a guy. I wondered if you were tough enough for the real world. God! How stupid could I get?" "But what happened Friday wasn't the real world, Teri. It was a kind of a nightmare that any of us can end up in at any time. The real world is where Tessa and I piss each other off without knowing why. It's where you and I have to steal an hour here and there about a tenth as often as I would like. What I did in the nightmare has nothing to do with my real world." As he said that, he turned his hand and unashamedly squeezed her breast. With a shudder, Teri said "Damn it, Cal! Don't say those things about getting together. I've been going nuts since Friday, and I don't know when..." "As soon as I can, I promise," Cal assured her. "The photo business must be getting way behind," he added with a grin. "Uh, yeah," she replied, getting into the spirit. "We'll have to spend a lot of time to catch up, won't we." Tessa stuck two fingers down her throat and made a gagging sound. Teri turned to her and said "Don't forget, daughter of mine, you set us up." Tessa showed with a grin that she was not really upset. Her eyes kept flicking to Cal's hand that was busy on her mother's breast. "You know," Teri said cautiously, "I was a little worried that I might lose you to Ismi. She's awfully tough competition." "She was just here and we talked about that," he assured her. "We agreed that we were not meant for each other. We will always have a special love, but not romantic love." The look of relief on both women's faces was poignant. ------- By the time he was released on Friday, Cal was more than a little concerned with the way everyone was reacting to him. It was as if they never really knew him. He did not want to feel any different about himself or his loved ones, but it was obvious that that was an impossibility. It was Mr. Yokata that provided him even more food for thought. He visited Cal on the first day at home. "First of all, Cal, after what we have been through together, please call me Ken, except at the dojo. We are warriors who have battled together. We have risked life and taken life together. We are equals, and I don't consider you to be just a student. Best not to let the other students know this, though." "I have something serious to discuss with you, though," Ken went on. "You did not choose what happened, but it has changed you forever. You've probably noticed other people reacting differently to you. They just don't know how to relate to what you did." "The hardest thing will be that you will no longer see anything the same way as you did before. Battle, and especially taking a life, just does that to a man. You didn't choose for it to happen, but it can't be undone." "I haven't noticed that I feel any different," Cal objected. "You haven't gotten back into the real world, yet, because of your wound," Ken explained. "It will hit you, believe me. Some things that used to seem important will start to seem trivial, and perhaps irritating. The hardest things will be the memories. They are different for everyone, but very often the faces of those you killed will haunt you. That fact that you did what you had to do and that they deserved to die doesn't make much difference." "I know you had nightmares before," Ken continued. "If you get them again, I encourage you to see your Dr. Waxman again." "Amelia killed that man," Cal blurted out. "How will this affect her?" "That's a very good question, Cal. I can tell you that it has disturbed her greatly. At the same time, she does not feel any remorse. She knows she had to do it to protect Ismi, and you and me, too. I think mothers have a special protective instinct that allows them to justify anything in defense of their offspring without remorse. Women are just fiercer than we men are when their kids are involved. She seems to feel more of a sense of fulfillment than any regret or remorse." Ken paused for a moment, looking uncertain, then plunged ahead. "Because of your relationship with Mrs. Walts, I feel I can talk to you man to man." "What?" Cal demanded. "What about Teri?" "Oh, I am certain that you two are involved sexually." Ken held up his hand as Cal tried to say something more. "Don't worry. No one else has guessed, I am sure. And I don't judge you for it. You are two fine people who are good for each other right now." Ken decided to stop and let Cal absorb things for a while. When he continued, he said "Because of your concern for Amelia, and because you have a man's experience with a good woman, I will tell you this. In just these few days, Amelia and I have become extremely close. We are not yet intimate, but I believe that will happen soon." Cal was grinning broadly, and said "I am totally surprised, but I can't think of two people I would rather see making each other happy. She is some kind of woman!" "Don't I know it," Ken responded. "I was smitten by her when she first came to the dojo. She, however, viewed me as some kind of a monster until she shot that man. It was as if it opened up an understanding of me that she never would have had otherwise. In helping her through her trauma, we have shared a lot." "So Ismi will have a father she can really look up to," Cal enthused. "That thought may be premature, but..." They discussed the changes and stresses that Cal might encounter for quite a while longer. Before Ken left, Cal told him "My nightmares before were because of my helplessness. I don't feel helpless any more. I don't think there will be any nightmares. I have not felt the slightest bit of guilt. I can honestly say I would kill those men again to protect Ismi or anyone else I care for." Cal was still not allowed to stand because of his foot, but they exchanged a firm hand shake as they parted. Ken was barely out the door before Cal felt a chill run through him. Ken knew about his affair with Teri. Ken might be the most perceptive person Cal knew, but if he could see it, others would eventually, also. Both he and Teri had always known there was great risk, but the euphoria of their first weeks together had pushed it back in their minds. Ken's disclosure had brought it front and center where it could not be ignored. ------- Pete's and Ismi's graduation was the first event for which Cal left the house. After a rather heated argument with the rest of the family, he gave in and used the crutches, rather than just the cane he wanted to go with. His foot was not casted, just heavily bandaged, but he had been sternly cautioned not to stress it at all. After the ceremony, Pete stayed right with Cal, making his friends come to him for congratulations. It was far more attention than Cal would have expected, but it was very welcome. Ismi was on the other side of Cal most of the time. Every one at school had heard some version of the tale, and it was generally assumed that Cal and Ismi were a couple. It was just too dramatic and romantic not to be true. The football coach came up to Cal and gave a very disapproving look at the bandaged right foot. "Don't worry coach," Cal told him. "It's just a stress fracture. I'll be ready for fifty-yarders in no time." It wasn't until he noticed strange looks from Pete, the coach, and a few teammates gathered around that Cal realized what he had done. Not only had he rarely spoken to the coach, adopting such a jocular, familiar tone with him was something NO ONE on the team ever did, not even Pete. Cal had not felt any lack of respect for the coach. He just did not feel the gulf between them that he always had before, and that all of the players must have still felt. It was the first inkling that Ken's prophecy was accurate. One thing in Cal's life certainly was different. He made a mental note to never address the coach that way again, for the sake of team discipline and unity. The trip to graduation tired Cal to a disturbing degree. As he lay in bed recovering, he was not able to sleep. He began thinking about the adults in his life. Being a naturally respectful person, he was always uniformly polite to adult relatives, teachers, coaches, and customers. It was because he considered them to be in a position superior to his own, either by family position or authority. Thinking about the coach, he still respected him. But now it was because he was a person who was good at what he did, and one who returned respect to his players. There was no automatic respect just because he was the coach and Cal only a player. He had not realized it at the time, but Cal had talked to his father with the respect of an equal when he had told him about the first attack. His father deserved all of his respect, but because he had earned it, not just because it was Cal's duty as the child. Why did he suddenly think of himself as equal to all of the adults in his life? He was still just fifteen, not yet qualified to drive. Did killing a man really change his perspective that much? Ken's words came back to him. Facing death and taking life really were as significant as Ken had said. They were things only a small percentage of men experienced. No one could truly remain a child afterward. That's where the caring part of Cal took over. He already knew that those close to him were having trouble with who he now was. It was his job to make it easier for them. He could not allow himself to disrespect them in any way just because of his new view of himself in the universe. For their sakes, he had to show as much of the old Cal as he possibly could. Just because he felt more equal to them did not mean he loved them less. ------- Cal's freshman year had been one of massive change and upheaval in almost every part of his life. Instead of just golf, he now had great prospects in both football and basketball. In fact, golf had definitely receded to the background. From having never been kissed, never having a date, and not being very concerned about relationships with women, he now had a wonderful older lover. From being the little brother of Rebecca, and for all practical purposes Tessa and Ismi as well, he was now the undisputed alpha male to his circle of girls. Elaine and Teri could be legitimately included in that circle, as well. He had entered into martial arts to counteract feelings of helplessness. He had followed his training fanatically, but he was as secretive about it as he could be. Now, his victorious defense of someone he cared about had validated all of his dedication. There were no longer any shreds of the fear of helplessness. Perhaps the biggest change of all was one he did not fully recognize. He had been faced with surrendering his own life for the benefit of someone he had purposed to defend. He had chosen the sacrifice, but he had survived. Without realizing it, he had become a true warrior. His new set of values could be acquired in no other way, and was understood and appreciated by only those with the same life experience. ------- Martin had been battered by conflicting emotions since THE DAY. Disbelief over his youngest's actions and abilities warred with pride over the courage and character Cal had shown. His insistence on remaining at the hospital when the others had left was driven by a sense of a widening gulf between himself and his son. He had often regretted that they were not closer, and had become almost fanatical about attending every one of Cal's games. His enthusiastic support of the photo business was another attempt to keep in touch any way that he could. When Cal had told him the secret of the first attack, it brought overwhelming relief to Martin. It was a clear indication that Cal wanted to bridge whatever gulf was there as much as Martin did. As Cal drifted in and out of sleep that long first day, Martin wracked his brain for things he could do with Cal that could bring them closer. It was as he himself dozed uncomfortably in his chair that the idea hit him. Martin was an unabashed poster boy for the American dream. Undoubtedly, he was blessed with far above average brains, athleticism, personality, and looks, but his success was equally due to determination and a respect for others hammered into him by his parents. In the little town in which Martin grew up, there were few enough diversions for young men, and pool was one of the most popular. Before leaving for college, he became very, very good at it. In college, it had helped to augment his football scholarship with some nice spending money. Elaine was brought up in quite a different atmosphere. While not stuffy, it was not one where pool was looked upon favorably. Thus it was that Martin's hustling career ended after his third date with his future wife. It was about to resume - well, not the hustling part, but the pool playing. The day after Cal was released, a top-of-the-line pool table took over one of the few remaining unused areas in the Banners' spacious lower level. Uncharacteristically, Elaine had not been consulted on that particular purchase, and her first reaction when she came home and saw it was definitely not pleasure. However, Martin had taken off early to be there and he and a hobbling Cal were in the midst of a game when she came down the stairs. Elaine retreated without saying a word, even if she could have through the tears. Later that evening, Martin got very, very lucky. Martin made it a point to play pool with Cal as often as Cal was able in the early days of his recovery. Cal had to be very careful not to aggravate his foot, but he found the game much to his liking and spent a lot of time practicing. Just like golf, and kicking, and shooting a basketball, it was the kind of controlled, planned motion at which Cal excelled, and he picked it up very quickly. A ritual game or two of pool was to become an almost daily event for father and son, a habit that was to last well beyond Cal's recovery. Usually, there were no weighty subjects discussed as they played, and sometimes there was hardly any conversation at all. Still, there was a kind of communication, a communion, that both soon treasured as a high point of their day. While Cal was a very quick learner, Martin had a great deal of prior skill and experience that he re-aquired. It was not long before their games were very, very competitive. It was the best possible way for the two quite different men to forge a new bond. Interestingly, neither had any desire to take the game outside of their home. ------- With the removal of the binding on his foot and his return to regular workouts, Cal's freshman year was history, and his sophomore year was before him. It was to be an entirely different kind of year. After what had happened to him, Cal's sports could easily have begun to seem trivial to him. That was not the case at all, though. His confidence in his own abilities had grown dramatically, and he found himself anxious to prove those abilities in competition. Competition, especially football, was often viewed as an analog of, or a substitute for battle. Having experienced both, Cal would never trivialize battle with that comparison. What had happened, though, was that his already fierce competitive instinct had become even stronger. Maybe he would only be pitting himself against boys, but he wanted to prove his capability, his superiority. With the graduation of the previous placekicker/punter, Cal was pretty much assured that he would be doing all of the kicking in the coming year. That still left him far less involved in the game than he would like. He started the summer just south of 150 pounds, but he determined to bulk up as much as was physically possible. It was clear that we would never stretch beyond 5'10". All of his workouts would never make him a fast runner, at least not on a running back or cornerback scale. Nor would he ever be a great leaper. Taking a realistic inventory of his strengths and deficiencies, Cal decided that his only chance for substantial playing time was at safety. Certainly, that position depended on speed and benefited from size. But it was just as dependent on anticipation, positioning, and sure tackling. Those were things he believed he could improve on dramatically. Ken was an all-around sports fan, and he and Cal discussed Cal's aspirations. Ken pointed out that impressive tackling was a sure way to gain a coach's attention. Tackling also depended on positioning, technique, and force, all things that were essential to martial arts. With his slim build, impressive tackling was also a significant risk to Cal's own well-being. Unless the coach was convinced that Cal was indestructible, he would be reluctant to risk his kicker in the defensive backfield. The first, essential part of Cal's plan would have to be impact-proofing. The only proven approach was adding layers of rock-hard muscle. Just a few months earlier, Ken had helped Cal improve his leg speed and extension by countering the effects of excess muscles built up during basketball. As a kicker, he would need to maintain the leg flexibility, but he needed more muscle mass in his upper body. It was a daunting combination of requirements, but Cal set out with a very positive attitude. ------- Teri was the first person to encounter and recognize the full magnitude of the changes in Cal. It was a week after graduation before they were able to connect sexually. It was a Friday night after a shoot again, and she was almost vibrating with need as they drove into her garage. She tried to pull him to the bedroom as she had done on other occasions, but he almost shrugged her off, insisting that they all help until the van was unloaded and everything stored away. Teri was taken aback and a more than a little frustrated, but something in his expression told her there was no point in pushing him. Always before, he had been so eager for the sex that it was almost a race for the bedroom. Tessa had been along on the shoot, and when they were done cleaning up, Cal took her face in both hands, thanked her, and gave her a very intense kiss. Then he put his arm around Teri's waist and guided her toward the bedroom. Because of Teri's usual urgency, they had developed the habit of throwing off their clothes, coupling energetically, then showering together as a prelude to more relaxed intercourse. This time, they undressed almost as hurriedly as usual, but when she started to drag him toward the bed, he instead led her to the shower. She hung back and started to protest. He pulled her into an insistent kiss, then said softly into her ear "Let me drive." She looked at him in astonishment, then nodded and followed his lead. Teri had coached him in oral sex about the fourth time they were together, and they had both found it very enjoyable. Cal particularly liked to 'set her up' with his hands and mouth before intercourse. Making her come orally and entering her before she had completely come down gave him the best chance of taking her over again with his cock. To him, that was the pinnacle of sexual satisfaction, and she seemed to agree. He felt that their usual frantic first fuck gave her a little steeper hill to climb after they showered. He wanted to take full advantage of her need and eagerness. In the shower, he pulled another surprise on her. After washing her sensuously, but not letting her get too close to climax, he told her "Take the edge off for me. Make me come." When she gave him an astonished look, he explained "You know I don't have much control. This will make it better for you." Still obviously off-balance, she knelt to suck him off. He quickly pulled her to her feet and explained "With your hand is fine. It lets me do this while it's happening." He pulled her into an intense kiss. When she got control of herself, she dropped both hands and took advantage of his age and his long dry spell. Showing that she was not upset, she pulled back to rinse the effluent off of her tummy and grinned at him. "Do we need to go for two, just in case?" she asked. When he seemed too limp to answer, she just went ahead. She ended up having to use her mouth that time, but he had no objection. Once they got in bed, he deviated from the plan he had laid out beforehand. He had intended to work her up and down several times with his mouth and his fingers, then send her into an enormous crash. He had done it before and he loved the result. However, on this night, he could almost feel the sexual tension crackling from her fingertips. The dry spell had been at least as hard on her. He went to work on her pussy with intent, using his fingers, and as he expected, she came in a very few minutes. Her first come was not the mind-shattering explosion he wanted for her, so he started over with his original plan. He knew her clit would be too sensitive to touch for a few minutes, so he lapped the whole area with his tongue while his hands caressed everywhere on her hips, thighs, and belly. She was still soft and smooth, but she was not at all the same woman that he had first taken nude pictures of. Her weight loss efforts had brought her below her wedding weight, and her exercises were starting to show in more firmness under the luxurious cushion of her skin. After a few minutes, he inserted a finger and probed around for a sensitive spot that he had discovered once before. When her breath caught and she started to squirm, he knew that her clit and her nipples were ready for attention again. He began the roller coaster of escalating and receding arousal that he had planned for her. The wound had given Cal far too much time to think, and he had devoted a good deal of that time to Teri. Worry about possible discovery was a big part of his thoughts, but the character of their lovemaking concerned him as well. He was a beginner at sex, and he appreciated the way she took charge and made things wonderful. But he had to admit that the times he liked best were when she was wanting and helpless under his hands and his tongue. It was only when she was nearing her peak that she was not directing what was going on. Then, she told him with her body that what he was doing was good. She signaled with subtle little movements what she wanted, and he was able to read her as well as if she had spoken. He thought that was the way sex really should be. Cal had decided that starting with their reunion, sex between them was going to be different, and he was convinced, better. Maybe it was part of his new attitude, he didn't know. So far, he was thrilled with his decision. He lost track of how long it took, but he knew that he took her to the desperate edge of orgasm four times and backed off. He never let her cool off too much, making sure that the little moans and twitches that were her signals of excitement never stopped completely. On the fifth ascension, she could take it no more and she started alternately cursing him and pleading with him. It was just what he was looking for, an acknowledgment that he was in total control. As her reward for surrender, he took her over, and it was every bit as powerful as he had imagined it could be. The only word that truly described her reaction was 'flailing'. As soon as she exploded, he realized that he would not be able to keep contact with his mouth. Besides, his lips and tongue were threatening to cramp up, anyway. Moving quickly up over her, he got his hand over her clit and rubbed the whole area as firmly as he could. He kept it up until he thought he could move her legs apart against the tautness of her convulsions. As soon as he was assured of access, he pushed his more-than-ready cock into her, sinking all the way in just three strokes. When he bottomed out and bumped his pubic bone against her embattled clit, she let loose with a full-voiced scream. Part of his brain wondered if that would bring Tessa on the run, but he wasted no time pondering. It could not be said that he took her to another climax. Rather, he re-acquired the previous monster for her and kept it rolling and rolling. Because of how active her vaginal muscles became while in the throes, her pussy was jerking him off as he had never felt before. Because of the incredible intensity, he lasted only about three minutes, but neither of them felt short-changed. It was his third ejaculation of the evening, and she had been in convulsions and tremors for over four minutes. When he stopped thrusting and pulled out of her, she did not even know it. When she finally regained awareness, he was lying next to her, head propped on one hand, gently caressing her greatly reduced belly. At first, she could barely move her eyes to look into his. It took a full minute before she could ask "W... was that a l... lesson, or something?" Kissing her softly, he asked in return "Was it a good lesson?" She did not try to respond for a while, concentrating on catching her breath. "Cal, Honey, it was unbelievable," she breathed out, before another long silence. When her breathing and pulse had returned to something like normal, she rolled toward him and put her face into his chest. "Are you telling me I've been a controlling bitch in bed, too?" "I've never told you that at all, have I?" he asked gently. "Teri, you are a wonderful lover. Your body is fantastic, and you are unbelievably responsive. You know what you want, and you ask for it." "But... ?" she interjected. With a sigh, he plunged into a discussion he had hoped to avoid. "It's important to a man to feel that he is satisfying his woman." "Oh, Rick always left me satisfied," she insisted. "That was never one of our problems." "How did you make sure you were satisfied?" he prodded. "Well, I just... I just... Oh, God!" He could feel the sobs against his chest. "I told him. I told him! I TOLD HIM!" She was screaming on the last repetition. He didn't think he needed to say any more, so he just cuddled her as she cried. "Was I really awful about it?" she asked later, obviously desperate for approval. "Sweetheart, I knew nothing," he told her. "You had to guide me, teach me. You did a wonderful job." "But I didn't stop, did I?" He didn't answer, just hugged. "So, one more way Rick felt manipulated, huh?" After another long silence, "What if he didn't do it right?" "Teri, you have all of these wonderful little movements and noises. They tell exactly what you like and what you want more of. You don't have to talk. And you have a sexy body. You can entice. You don't have to ask, and you certainly don't have to drag a guy to bed." He could tell that that was pretty harsh, but he thought it had to be said. After a long siege of quiet sniffling, she said in obvious agony "Now I learn all of this stuff. After it's too damned late!" Cal slid down in the bed so they were nose to nose and took her chin in his had so she could not look away from him. "Beautiful, you are going to marry again. I guarantee it. You will have another chance." "Does that mean you're planning to dump me?" She was fishing for assurance, but there was more than a little fear in her voice. "Nope. I'm planning to be pushed aside by your next husband." That brought some more tears. "I know that can't be you, Cal, but I can't imagine any man who could push you aside." 'Rick could', Cal thought to himself. ------- Fortunately, Cal had a legitimate expert to teach him how to tackle. Martin sprang for a tackling dummy for the back yard, and the brothers spent many hours on it, not all just to teach Cal. Martin and Elaine found it a little sad that the brothers were sharing more than they ever had just at the time when they would soon part, probably for good. Pete counseled Cal that he might never be able to just plant himself and take on a runner as he, Pete, could sometimes do. He would always have to be moving at the time of contact. It was the only way to generate the force needed to put the runner down. That fit with Ken's advice, as well. The tackling dummy was top-of-the-line, and it was highly unlikely that either brother could knock it from its mounts. Cal strove to produce the same satisfying sound that Pete caused when he battered the dummy. As the summer wore on, he came closer and closer. Pete also cautioned Cal that he must never try to tackle a runner head on. If he did, the coach really WOULD need a new kicker. No matter how strong and hard he got, Cal was just not built for that kind of impact. Without risking any injury to either of them, they practiced several ways to stop a runner when there was no choice but head-on. A rolling block and bulldogging were the techniques with the best chance of success without dangerous impact. A runner could potentially vault over the block or he could carry the potential bulldogger for a long ways. Neither method was perfect, but risking a high probability of injury with a straight frontal assault was not good for either Cal or the team. Pete also helped Cal a lot with his weight workouts. The weight set had been in the basement since Pete was a freshman, but Cal had not used it with the intention of adding serious muscle mass until that summer. ------- One day in mid-June, Bobby came to pick up Rebecca, but she was delayed in returning from a shopping trip. Cal had obviously been working out on the weights when he answered the door, and he invited Bobby down to talk while he finished. He had liked Bobby from their first meeting, and Bobby had reinforced his good first impression several times, especially at Breakaway. "Um, Cal," Bobby led of hesitantly. "Can you say if any of the rumors about you and Ismi and what happened are true?" Cal respected him for coming right out and asking. "Let me ask you something first, Bobby. How serious do you think your relationship with Rebecca is?" "Well, we've only been going out for what, five months, but... Look, the way I feel, I would be the luckiest guy alive if I could spend the rest of my life with her. But she's this awesome babe, and I look kinda like the skeleton in the biology lab. I guess I'm saying that I'm serious, but I don't see how it could work. Somebody better is sure to come along for her." "Hmmm." Cal mused. "I don't think you're right about her feelings, but I'll make a deal. I'll tell her that if she is serious about you, she can tell you everything she knows. But you have to swear that it goes no farther, even if you someday break up. Does that sound like a deal?" "God, yes. If she tells me, I guess I'll know what she thinks." "You mean she doesn't tell you?" Cal prodded. "Not in so many words," Bobby explained. Suddenly, he switched subjects. "Do you think doing that," and he gestured at Cal's weights, "would make a difference in how I look?" "Absolutely," Cal assured him. "You might have to start taking some supplements to help build mass, but I'm sure you will notice a difference before too long. It won't be a quick change, though. You'll need the discipline to stay with it for many months." "I'll never be a jock or a muscle-bound guy, or anything. But I'm tired of looking like a stick. I really feel self-conscious when I'm with Rebecca. And then the way Greg just threw me aside at the dance! Will you help me get started?" "Nope." "Huh?" Bobby's confusion was obvious. "You should ask Rebecca to help you and tell her why you want to start." "But she doesn't know anything about it. In fact, she's kinda down on that physical stuff," Bobby pointed out. "I know," Cal answered, "but I think she'll get interested for you. Especially if you keep telling her that her beauty is what's inspiring you. Besides, she needs to get into some exercise, too. She is gorgeous, but if she just takes it for granted, it will all go soft before too many years." "I'll be damned," Bobby swore. "It's sure worth a try. Can we use your weights?" "They're Pete's, but he's leaving them here when he goes to school. You won't wear them out. Feel free." ------- At the dinner table, Rebecca was obviously puzzled, maybe disturbed about something. Cal had no doubt what the problem was, but he could not let Rebecca know that. A little later, he took pity on her and said he wanted to talk to her. Of course, she would have to bring up the workouts. "Hey, Sis, this afternoon Bobby asked me something." He could almost see her expecting the subject to be the workouts, but he surprised her. "He asked me if the rumors about Ismi and me were true. How serious are you about Bobby?" "Geez, Cal! Why, uh... I mean, we're just sophomores, and..." "Your face tells me you think he's the one," Cal told her. Her response was a furious blush. "Well, you can tell him whatever you want, OK?" Her eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded her head. For a minute, Cal thought that maybe Bobby had not mentioned the weights. If he had, Cal knew that Rebecca could not avoid mentioning it. Finally, with another blush, she got it out. "Cal, Bobby said he wanted to start working out." "Oh? Why did he want to do that?" "He said... Oh, Cal, this is embarrassing! He said he felt he didn't deserve to be with 'cuz I was so, um..." "So ugly?" He could not resist that taunt. "Cal! He would never say that." "So, he thinks you're as beautiful as I do, huh?" She did not respond to that, just blushed. "He wanted me to help him and do it with him. But I don't know anything about it. Could you help us?" Thus, Cal started coaching Rebecca and Bobby on free weights. Bobby came over at least three times a week and seemed to be very serious about it. Cal thought that was strong evidence of Bobby's true love for Cal's sister. ------- Chapter 12 When Cal was first able to walk on his foot, he had started taking walks in the cool of the evening. The foot was healed, but it could not yet take the stress of running. On the second night that he walked, his mother caught up with him halfway down the driveway, took his hand in hers, and made it clear that she intended to walk with him. "Teri gets to spend a lot more time with you than I do," she complained. "I've got to grab whatever I can." After a moment of panic that she might suspect something, Cal was elated at her initiative. Since THE DAY, she had seemed almost timid around him, and that disturbed him. After the breakthrough in their relationship a few months earlier, he had really enjoyed the time he had spent with her. The talks for the ten days before he could start running again ranged over every possible subject. The one constant was that she insisted on holding his hand the whole way. When he came to breakfast one morning, obviously having been running, he could see the disappointment on her face. Two days later, at supper, he asked, when no one else could hear, whether she would like to take a walk later. He had to keep reminding himself that women of any age could revert so easily to girlish reactions. He resolved to keep up the walks a couple of times a week. During the second week, he unloaded what had been on his mind for a while. "Mom, is Rebecca on the pill yet?" That stopped her dead in her tracks, and she just stared at him for a while. "Do you think she is that serious about Bobby?" she finally got out. "You've seen them together," he explained. "I see the same kind of looks I see between you and Dad." Elaine gave out a large sigh. "Yeah, I've seen that, too. I'm happy for Rebecca, but we're just not sure that Bobby is... you know..." "Mom, Bobby treats her like a queen. I can't tell you any more, but he has put himself in danger to protect her. Maybe she will tell you about it. I know he is different from us, but I'm impressed. He is as smart as Rebecca, and I think he has a promising future." "Do you think they will be having sex soon," she asked, almost afraid of the answer. "I don't know any more than you do. I think it will be quite a while. But wouldn't it get you two even closer if you brought it up - encouraged her." "How do you mean?" "You know - you would be acknowledging that she is a woman; that she has a choice about her body." "Ohhhh! I never thought of that," she said. "She wouldn't think I was butting in on her business?" "Hmmm. Maybe that could happen. I'm not the best one to guess at how she would react. My track record's not that good." Cal was thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "Well, it's your motherly duty to protect her anyway, isn't it?" "It is, but..." and Elaine paused for a while, "I hate to risk the closeness we've had since..." "Since Bobby, right?" he asked. "Pretty much," she admitted. "Mom, they're a couple. It could fall apart, but I doubt it. Just make sure she doesn't make a mistake, OK?" Cal had the strange feeling that it was just like when he talked to Rebecca. Elaine looked at him like she sensed the 'inversion' too. ------- Late in June, Amelia called and asked Cal to come with them to the cemetery the next day. Since the funeral four years earlier, Cal had not wanted to go near Kal's grave. He was still not certain about it, but the way Amelia asked, he could not refuse. He was somewhat surprised to be picked up by Ken, who had both Amelia and Ismi with him in Amelia's car. Ken did not join them at graveside, but waited respectfully, standing by the car. As the three stood silently by the simple marker, Amelia put her arms around both teens, and they returned the gesture. "I'm not going to cry this time," she declared. "I'm sure I'll cry again, lots of times. But today, I just want to tell Kal that he has been avenged. And I want to tell you kids that it's time to let him go, too. It's what he would want." Amelia kept her determination, and her eyes stayed dry. Ismi and Cal were less able to restrain their emotions, though, and both shed tears. Amelia saw this and spoke again. "You know, all we have as a memory of Kal is when he was eleven. You have both grown so much since then. Cal, he is not your contemporary any more. It is only natural that your memories will be less strong and less relevant to your life now. I don't want you to feel guilty about that. Ismi and I have talked about this, too." "You know, shooting that man was a terrible thing for me. It changed me, and it was not something I would ever want. But doing that, and hearing of Rachman's death, I felt like I had a part in it all. I felt like I had done it for Kal as well as for Ismi. I'll never forget how helpless I felt the day Kal died, but I've done something. It really helped." When they returned to the car, Ken unashamedly gathered Amelia in his arms. Then, she cried, having used up all of her control. It was a little strange for Cal to see his sensei, always the fierce warrior and stern teacher, showing such obvious tenderness. "Amelia and Ismi are going to stay with me permanently," Ken told Cal. "My place is much closer to Addison." Ismi had decided to stay close to home for college and go to the highly-rated local private university, something Amelia and Ken both endorsed heartily. The threat to her safety should have been erased, but the specter still hovered not far away. Ken lived on a rolling forty-acre plot just outside the developed area of the city. He had a moderate-sized older farmhouse that he had updated but never expanded. The house was surrounded by stands of trees, but, as befits a warrior, it was very defensible. "We'll be starting some serious remodeling and expansion as soon as my house sells," Amelia said, able to shake off the tears for a subject close to her heart. "It is so beautiful out there!" Cal was saddened to hear that the women would be moving farther away. They had been neighbors for his whole life, and he and Ismi had such a special bond. Still, since he and Ismi had decided that they did not have romantic feelings for each other, a separation at some point was inevitable. He was very happy for Amelia and Ken. ------- Teri had worked very hard at the photography business. She had included charges for her time and Tessa's time in the rates, but it was not money that she needed. In early July, she called a business meeting of the three of them. Cal had no problem acknowledging Teri as the 'boss' of the business, as he had told her from the beginning. "Tessa, you have been going on most of the shoots since school let out. It's working out OK, isn't it? I mean, you guys aren't getting on each other's nerves, are you?" "Oh, Mom! It's not like we fight all the time, you know." In fact, since THE DAY, they had not really fought at all. Cal seemed to react much less strongly to anything Tessa did. When she got bossy and presumptuous, as she still did, he felt the same irritation as always. However, he seemed much more able to under-react, and when he did say anything, she seem to fall all over herself to fix things. "I know. In fact, you two are a pretty smooth team, now," Teri complimented them. "Cal, do you feel you could handle some shoots by yourself during the summer?" "Hey! I need the spending money," Tessa objected, "and besides, I enjoy getting into people's homes and making them feel good about themselves." "OK! OK! Honey, I wasn't trying to put you out of work," Teri assured her daughter with a laugh. "Well, I'd like to let Tessa carry the load as much as possible, at least until Cal's birthday." "What will be different then?" Tessa asked. Teri paused rather dramatically, then told the teens "I've done some checking and consulted with a lawyer. When Cal is sixteen, we can take any kind of pictures the customer asks for." "Huh? Ohhhhh!" Tessa exclaimed. Cal had been silent during the entire discussion. "You mean, people have asked for more revealing shots?" "All the time," Teri said. "I have decided on some requirements to protect us. First of all, I will need to be there for any shots where the subject is revealing more than she would in normal street or beach wear." Cal entered in with a little snort. "Well, you shouldn't have to show up very often if we use Laura's bikini as the standard for 'normal'." That produced a good laugh. "You're right," Teri agreed, "but if a woman wants pictures in see-through sleepwear then I had better be there." "There is one other requirement I want to enforce," Teri continued. "The subject must have another adult of their own choosing present." "Well, that should cut WAY down on the number of sexy shots," Cal commented. "You'd think so, but I don't know what's going to happen," Teri responded. "I just don't want to take any chances, OK?" "I appreciate that," Cal said, moving close enough to give Teri a hug. "I can't imagine we will have any requests with those restrictions." "Will you be disappointed?" Teri asked coquettishly. "Nah! I've got all the 'glamour' I can handle, right here," he replied. "Boy, have you learned a lot!" Teri laughed as she gave him a serious kiss. "Oh, on a more mundane subject: as soon as you get your license, the business will buy a van that you can drive." ------- Through the rest of the summer, Cal had reason to question his assumptions about requests for revealing photos. Without Teri present, he or Tessa had to field the requests, which came with surprising frequency. At first, he felt a great deal of embarrassment and was amazed at the boldness with which the women asked. "Maybe they think of you like their doctor," Teri speculated as they discussed it one night in mid-August after a vigorous bout of love-making. Then, she rolled on top of him, kissed him hard, and said "Or maybe they're all just like me - can't wait to throw their clothes off and have you look at their boobs; and their butts; and their pussies; and..." That was all the words from Teri for a while as she fastened her mouth to Cal's for a long-running kiss. At the same time, she had her hand between them and her bottom raised a little so she could stroke him, hopefully to hardness. When they had started talking, she had been limp with exhaustion. As had happened several times before, she amazed Cal with her recovery powers. Since that first session after Cal's recovery from the wound, the two had talked a lot about their love-making. Cal had made his point, and generally took control. However, he had assured Teri that he loved for her to take charge, as well. This was certainly one of those times. He found himself wishing her luck, given the way his overworked penis felt when she reached for it. Well, if he made her want to throw off her clothes for him, she was just as good at getting him hard. Any fifteen-old male is an erection waiting to happen - that's just the way it is. But Teri's effect on Cal went beyond that. It was something he had pondered frequently, especially while he was recovering and unable to do his normal activities. It must be the way she gave herself to him, he had finally decided. The way she had first exposed herself and later opened herself to him was so eager, so enthusiastic, so almost desperate that it hardened him just to think about it. It had to go right to any man's ego to have a woman want to be with him like that. And when the woman was as feminine and as sexy as Teri, no wonder he could not stay soft. And she was doing it again. His tender organ that he had thought was done for the night had once again become a rampant cock. Teri, of course, knew exactly what to do with that. She slid backward, impaling herself while keeping her breasts in contact with his chest. For a brief moment he wondered if she ever got sore, but that level of organized thought faded out as even more blood fled from his brain to his cock. Teri was his first and only, but Cal could not imagine how any woman could be any more aroused or more arousing. As seemed to be their pattern, they both became lost in the passion of their union. Besides the stroking and the contractions in her highly active channel, Teri seemed determined to keep as much of her skin as possible in contact with him. He had learned that stroking her with his hands amplified the effects of stroking with his cock. Though barely in control of his motions, he kept his hands moving over her back and her bottom. Cal had stopped assuming that he could not ejaculate again. Time after time, she had found some way get yet another load out of him, and it was going to happen this time, too. He was not sure whether she had another orgasm or not. Sometimes, all of her motions and her sounds were so orgasmic that she seemed to be constantly in the throes. She had also taught him not to worry about her after she had come a few times. Knowing that she was never timid about asking for what she wanted, he let himself go and came yet again. Teri actually dozed off atop Cal, matching his own condition. It was several minutes before he roused enough to feel the moisture on his shoulder. This had been happening the last several times they were together. At first, he had asked about it, but now he just tried to comfort her. He knew she was always worried about the inevitable end of their relationship. He also knew that Rick was never far from her mind. It saddened him that their joyous interludes could end with her in obvious pain, but he was not sure what to do about it. Although he had never intended it, many of Cal's actions and responses had shown Teri what she had done wrong in her marriage. That only deepened her anguish. Rick was gone, and a lot of it was her fault. That was a tough load for anyone to bear. ------- Amelia and Ismi decided to move out to Ken's before their house was even listed. After two tragic episodes, neither could imagine spending another night there. Even though they hired a moving company, they asked Cal to help them, giving him a chance to spend some time with them and to see Ken's place, as well. It was a good half-hour drive around the metro area from Cal's home to Ken's, and without a driver's license, Cal knew he would not be seeing much of Ismi. ------- While recovering, Cal had thought a lot about football and basketball. Like everything else, he saw his sports from a whole different perspective since THE DAY. While he was still laid up, he had wondered if it was worth the time and the effort to play any more. But as the shock receded and his body recovered, he had to admit to himself that his competitive instincts were as strong as ever, if not stronger. When football practice started in August, Cal could feel the antipathy from Greg, mirrored by his faithful followers. "I'm not buying any of that hero crap, Kicker. No way a scrawny runt like you could do any of that stuff. That Kung Fu shit is all show, anyway." It was fascinating that the big guy could not remember how Cal had subdued him on two occasions. Cal just smiled at Greg and went on with his business. The big moment came in the showers afterwards. The entry wound on Cal's chest was small and clean. The exit wounds on his back, though, were another matter. Several times, he heard gasps as he turned in the shower and various teammates got their first look at the damage to the back of his shoulder. Greg obviously saw what the others saw and had heard what they heard. His only reaction was a scowl and a snarl. The biting comments did not stop. Cal could tell that there was going to be trouble with Greg and determined to avoid it all costs. Part of the reason was that he was just bored with the running back's constant hazing. It no longer even angered him, seeming trivial after everything else that had happened to him. Another reason was because of Cheryl. He was genuinely fond of her, and he could not understand why she was still going with Greg. Still, he did not want to make things difficult for her. The first few days of practice were taken up by conditioning and fundamentals, so there was little chance of encountering Greg. Cal worked with the kickers, and was also included in the defensive backfield drills. ------- At the time of Teri's divorce, Cal had known Rick, but as a child knows an adult neighbor. He had no particular memory of the man's personality. However, if Teri loved him so much, he must be a good person. All summer, Cal had been wondering if there was any chance of a reconciliation between Teri and Rick. He knew that Rick had stayed in town because of his business. Although Teri had seen Rick occasionally and Tessa more often, Cal had not seen Rick at all. He did know from Tessa that Rick's affair had not progressed to marriage, and that he was no longer with the woman. Upon Teri's strict orders, Tessa had not told Rick anything about Teri and Cal's photography business. Nor was she allowed to comment on Teri's discoveries of her role in their breakup nor her greatly improved appearance. As much as she wanted to do something to see her parents back together, Tessa honored her mother's request. In the first couple of years after the divorce, Tessa had pretty much put in her time with Rick because it was a legal requirement. The divorce had been a terrible shock to her because she loved both parents and felt that both loved her. Being very much like her mother in personality and still a young teen, she could not see the things that Teri did to trigger the breakup. Since the business started and the little battles with Cal occurred, Tessa had been the crying shoulder for her mother many nights. At first, she thought Teri was imagining things, but her own battles with Cal taught her a lot. Over the summer, she found herself much more sympathetic to Rick. She also found it very hard to honor her mother's wishes for silence. From one standpoint, Cal would have been perfectly happy to continue his relationship with Teri until his high school career was over and he left town. That, however, would have been just a long buildup to a major heartbreak for her, and he loved her too much to cause that. There was also the threat of discovery, which had bothered Cal more and more. Ken already knew about Cal and Teri. If he could see it, someone else would eventually. The repercussions for both of them could be severe. Unfortunately, ending their sexual activities immediately or trying to taper off did not seem like good solutions, either. What Teri really needed was her husband back. Teri was a much different person than when Cal took the first pictures of her. She had changed many of the behaviors that she blamed for Rick's departure. If by chance Rick looked back on the good things in their marriage rather than what drove him away, perhaps reconciliation was possible. As Teri's bouts of post-coital depression had continued and deepened through the summer, Cal decided to take action. Football practice had just started, and school would open in three weeks. It was not hard to find Rick's work phone, and Cal called him, asking if they could get together for a few minutes. They arranged for Rick to meet Cal before he came to pick up Tessa for dinner one evening. By arrangement, Rick picked Cal up a few blocks from his house and they went to a fast food place for a soda. As soon as they had sat down, Cal just came out with why he was there. "Rick, Teri and I have had a little business together for several months now. I have gotten to know her very well and I can tell you that she has changed a lot in that time. I am here to ask you if you would at least take Teri on some dates. I know she has never given up hope of getting back together with you." "Why are you asking me this?" Rick asked when he recovered from his initial surprise. "You know that Tessa and Teri and I have always been close," Cal answered. "Working with Teri, I have watched her change and seen her sadness over your divorce. More and more she blames herself for driving you away." Rick was stunned but did not react negatively. "I'm guessing you're old enough to understand. There were just some personality things between us that wore me down over the years. I can't see subjecting myself to the same stress again." "I know just what you mean," Cal stated, watching Rick's face. "She always means well, and she's never mean about it, but you can find yourself sort of, um, run over? Is that one of the things you're talking about?" Rick just looked at Cal in surprise. This was certainly not the nerdy kid he had moved away from. "From your reaction, I see I guessed right," Cal continued. "When we were starting the business, Teri and Tessa both did the same things to me. I guess I'm pretty independent and stubborn. I didn't like what they did and I let them know about it. Tessa and I had some pretty good fights." "I don't like to discuss personal details about a friend, but I believe this is for Teri's benefit. When I got pissed off at the way they played me, she began to see that she had done the same things to you. You must not have liked it either." "Guess you had more backbone than I did," Rick said dejectedly. "It shouldn't be a matter of who's stronger, Rick. Believe me, Teri knows that now. It is tearing her apart to realize the things that pissed you off without her even understanding it." "Well, I can't imagine she would want me back after the way I left," Rick lamented. "You're wrong there. She loves you as much as ever - probably more. She realizes how much you put up with, and it has made her miss you even more. She would marry you tomorrow if you asked her." "Why are you doing this? How do you know so much?" Rick asked. "I told you, we have a nice little photography business and we spend a lot of time together. Working a business gets you to know a person pretty well. Besides, Tessa and I have been friends forever, so I'm over there for that reason, too. I love Teri and I hate to see her sadness. It's there all the time." Rick just stared at Cal for a long moment, then started to ask "Have you and Teri... ?" Cal knew what question Rick was about to ask, and he was determined not to address it so he interrupted. "It would be terrible if you two refused to see each other because both of you feel guilty." That stopped Rick's question and there was silence for a while. "Just supposing we got back together," Rick mused. "Would you keep the business going?" "It will have to stop when I leave town after high school, but I would like to keep it going until then. I don't see a problem with that. Look, Rick. Teri is a fantastic person, and I think she is even more fantastic after working with her. Take her out. Find out how she has changed. See how she looks at you. Remind yourself of what you had before - the good parts. Oh, and prepare yourself for when you see her. She looks fantastic." Rick did not answer, and Cal did not press him. For the remaining few minutes of their visit they talked about sports, the photography business, Tessa's activities, and other neutral topics. ------- The phone call could not have come as more of a shock to Teri. Rick had called with some regularity, but only to arrange visits with Tessa. "Oh, hi, Rick. Do you want Tessa?" "No, Teri. I want to ask you out to dinner." Several seconds of total silence prompted Rick to say "Teri?" "Uh, yeah. Dinner? Really?" She was reacting like a kid, but she could not help it. As the excitement started to build, she was about to say 'Can we go to the Carriage House?' when she caught herself just in time. That's what she would have done before. She would have steered him toward what she wanted to do. "I'd love to, Rick. When? How should I dress?" Now it was Rick's turn for total silence. This was different, there was no doubt. Before, she would have dived right into all of the arrangements. Now, she was asking. Maybe the Banner kid was right! Caught off guard, he suggested the following evening, to which she agreed. He said he would have to call her back when he had a reservation. Five minutes later, Tessa came into the kitchen to find her mother sitting trance-like with the cordless handset still held by her ear. "Mom, did something happen?" "He... he asked me to dinner tomorrow." "Cal?" "No, your Dad." "Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Are you going?" "Uh huh." "Where?" "He's c... calling back when he knows." Teri was finally able to look at her daughter. Coming out of her fog, she said "God, Honey, I almost blew it big time." "What do you mean?" "When he asked me, after I got over the shock, I started out to arrange everything, just like always." "But you didn't?" "Huh uh. I think it surprised him. I just asked how I should dress. He was real quiet." Just as her mother had, Tessa had learned to understand, because of Cal, many of the reasons her father had bailed out. In the process she had become much more sympathetic towards him. She could honestly rejoice at this first small inkling that a reconciliation was possible. She spread her arms and Teri got to her feet to share a hug. "Damn!" Teri exclaimed. "I haven't bought a dress since I lost weight. I'll have to get something tomorrow, but it's a work day." "I'd say this was worth a sick day, wouldn't you," Tessa said. "I'll bet you could pick up a cancellation at the beauty parlor, too. Leave a message right now." For the rest of the evening and the next morning, Tessa could only watch in mixed amusement, hope, and concern as her mother reverted to a teenager anticipating her first date. Rick had chosen a restaurant that was well beyond casual, but did not require formal or cocktail attire. Teri had spent an inordinate amount of time with great results. She was lighter and much firmer than at the time of the divorce and she wore her clothes to great effect. She had been ready early so Cal could get some good pictures. He would have loved to have been there when Rick arrived, but that was not appropriate. Teri insisted that Tessa be there to greet her father, and Tessa told Cal about Rick's awestruck reaction. After Rick's invitation, Teri had spent a lot of the night tossing and turning, thinking about things she had done wrong before and should not do again. Sometime in the wee hours, she awoke with the inspiration. She would behave with Rick as she did with Cal. It was that simple. Cal would not tolerate the things that Rick had hated but never openly objected to. She had learned to interact with Cal in a whole different way for her. All through the evening of the date, she tried to picture how she would react if it was Cal driving or sitting across the table from her. Several times, she saw Rick pause in apparent puzzlement or astonishment. He was definitely not getting the things he feared and expected from her: the things that opened the old wounds. ------- What Teri and Cal did not know was that Rick had gone through as much change and regret as had Teri. The woman that he broke up with Teri for had been much less controlling, almost submissive. It took more than a year to realize that she just had a completely different way of maneuvering Rick into doing what she wanted. Where Teri just assumed that she knew what should happen and went ahead with it, the other woman used whining, complaints, and martyred expressions to indicate what she did NOT like. Instead of being steamrolled by Teri, he was constantly trying to avoid negative reactions from the other woman. Teri was energetic and upbeat, particularly in bed. The other woman was passive and clingy. At the two-year mark, when Rick broke off with the other woman, he started seeing a counselor. The many months of counseling had shown him that Teri really was the proper compliment for his own personality. For over two years he had been regretting leaving her. He had no realistic hope that she would take him back, nor the courage to approach her on his own. Cal's call could not have been more welcome. The capper of the date was when Teri waited at the door for Rick to make any move toward a kiss. Her posture was clearly inviting, but she did not initiate. Perhaps too much off-balance from the changes he had seen, Rick gave her a hurried peck on the cheek and left. Tessa was waiting as her mother came in the door. Teri headed straight for the phone, not saying anything. "Mom, who are you calling?" "Cal." "He's calling every fifteen minutes to see when he should come over." "Can't wait that long," and she dialed. When she hung up, she went into her bedroom and began undressing. "What happened, Mom? I want to hear about it," Tessa demanded. As she pulled off her lingerie and headed for the shower, Teri answered "Nothing bad. Maybe nothing good. I don't know! He gave me a peck on the cheek for a goodbye. Tell Cal to get right in here." "But Mo-om! I want to talk about it." "I'm sorry, Honey, but right now I need Cal. Please understand! I'm so keyed up I don't know whether to scream, or cry, or dance, or what." "So you're going to fuck instead, huh?" Teri was at least able to laugh along with her daughter at that. Having already turned the shower on, she walked back and gave Tessa a hug. "Honey, I promise. When Cal leaves, I'll stay up and talk for as long as you want." "Suuuure you will," Tessa teased. "When Cal leaves, you're usually unconscious." That got her a swat on the butt just as Cal rang the doorbell. As soon as Cal came into the bedroom, Tessa kissed him and hurried out. Sensing Teri's mood, Cal went and shut off the shower, which she had not yet entered. Then, he let Teri drag him to the bed just like their first few times. What she needed that night was high-intensity sex, not love-making: at least not at first. In the sweaty aftermath of their exertions, they made some tender love. Teri started shaking. "Cal, what if he doesn't call again?" "He will. I'm sure of it. Um, when he does, Teri, this had better be our last time making love." She looked at him with alarm and pulled him tighter to herself. "Do you think... would he want to... ?" "If he calls again, I believe you will soon be back together. It wouldn't feel right for us." "Oh, Sweetie! I'm sorry. I feel like I'm abandoning you." "Teri, that's crazy! I know you have been dreading when I leave. Now, instead of losing me, you'll be getting back what you really want." "I... I'm afraid to believe it can really happen." ------- Rick called again the very next day. He had hardly slept at all after the date, overwhelmed by impressions, questions, and regrets. It had taken him half of the meal to even talk to her like an adult. He had been captivated by her beauty since their very first introduction, but he had never seen her look more stunning. Even after he managed to stop staring at her and speak in full sentences, he was still off-balance. She just did not say the things he expected in the way he expected. Several times he found her waiting for him to take the lead. That was certainly not the Teri he ran away from. The worst part was the end of their date - it was a disaster. He wanted to kiss her so badly he could hardly stand it. It was the place where she was supposed to throw her arms around his neck and curl his toes. It was one of his fondest memories of their marriage. But she did not do it. She stood, obviously expectantly, ready for him to take the lead. As he tossed and turned, he cursed himself for not doing what his body cried out for. Rick was not a great dancer, but he liked country, something that Teri was not particularly fond of. Maybe it was a bit of a direct challenge, but he decided to ask her out again, this time to a country dance place. It would be a real test of how much she had changed. The date was for the next night. Teri read the invitation for exactly what it was, and she was determined to blow him away. It took a frantic evening of shopping, but she achieved her goal. When he rang to pick her up, she looked like a poster girl for Nashville. Her jeans were painted on and had silver studding down the outside of her legs. Her silky blouse was topped by a vest, also with silver studs. The large silver belt buckle sat sexily on her tummy. She knew she would pay for dancing in her brand new cowboy boots, but it would all be worth it if he was pleased. Her deepest hope was that she would have lots of chances to break them in. She would become the world's biggest country dancing fan if she could have her Rick back. The vision of his ex-wife almost stopped Rick in his tracks, but he had vowed to make up for wimping out on the goodnight kiss the previous date. After a second to regain his wits, he stepped right in and wrapped her in a hug. She was so startled that he couldn't get to her mouth to kiss her right away, but it was not long before she realized his intention and their mouths locked together. The end result of the long clinch was a tearful Teri fretting over her ruined makeup. He calmed her down and assured her that he would wait while she repaired it. When he told her she could just take it all off and he would not mind, the tears became so heavy that she had little choice. Rick took her out twice more over the next week and they had two outings with Tessa included. Two weeks after the first date, Rick came to the house in the evening, unannounced, and asked both women to join him in the living room. "Teri, I want to ask you to marry me again." He overrode her gasp with his next statement. "But I have a condition. I want us to start with what we should have done back then. I want us to go to counseling together. You, too, Tessa. I wanted you here, Tessa Honey, because I hurt you when I left, just like I hurt your mother." In a move very unlike the Rick of old, he said "Tessa, I think you and Cal are old enough to stand up for us. Teri, can we take the kids and go to a justice of the peace as soon as we can get the license. I don't want to go through the whole ceremony bit again. Let's try to act like the divorce never happened. Let our wedding pictures be real again." Teri leaped to her feet, grabbed Tessa, and dragged her over to Rick, who stood for a very emotional group hug. While they were all still sniffling, Tessa broke away a raced upstairs. "Where are you going, Honey?" Teri called out. "Packing a bag. It's a sleepover at Rebecca's." "I didn't know about that." "Neither did I," Tessa shot back, then all that could be heard was some scrambling in her drawers until she tore back down the stairs and stood in front of her father. She held out her hand and demanded "Give me you car keys." "Huh?" came from both parents. "Your car keys. You know, the thing you stick in that little slot and turn to..." "But..." "But nothing! You are not going anywhere until tomorrow morning. Except to bed! Got it?" Almost in a trance, Rick gave her his keys, she kissed him on the cheek, she whispered in his ear "Be the boss!", and she dashed out of the house. "Sorry, Rick. She, uh, hasn't learned some of the things I have," Teri said softly. She was unable to say any more because he had her all wrapped up. "She's got the right idea," he whispered between kisses. Teri wondered how long she would have to fight her instincts. She was about to drag Rick to the bedroom, but she managed to restrain herself. She just kept kissing, hugging and crying softly, determined that he would have to make the first move toward sex. Rick was also fighting old patterns. In many ways it had been comfortable to just go with the flow and follow Teri's lead when it came to sex. That actually wasn't a big factor in their breakup. The fact that she always left him very, very satisfied offset most of the potential dissatisfaction over her taking control. In complete contrast, the other woman was like a slave in bed. She was completely submissive, waiting for him to lead her or tell her what to do. It had made him feel good to be in charge, at least at first. When he started to wonder if her passivity meant that he was not pleasing her, it became much less fulfilling for him. Teri had never left any doubt how she was feeling and he just knew she was incapable of faking it. As Teri stood kissing, she thought of how well it had worked to pretend she was with Cal. But Cal had never taken this long to move her to the bedroom. In fact, they had never made out like this out in the main house. What could she do to move things to where she desperately wanted them to go? What had Cal said that time? He'd said that she could entice. But she was just wearing shorts and a T-shirt! And she had on her plain underwear! How was she supposed to entice him with that? The last part of the summer, she had really enjoyed caressing Cal's new muscles, and he seemed to enjoy it, too. Rick looked really good - like he'd been working out. Maybe... Still locked in a kiss, she brought both hands around to his biceps, exposed by the short sleeves of his golf shirt. First, she squeezed the muscles, then, she circled her hands around as if measure the girth of his arms. She felt the intensity of his kiss pick up and thought she could feel his pulse quicken. After a bit more fondling of his biceps, she slid her hands down, untucked his shirt, and began kneading first his abs, then his pecs. It sent a thrill straight to her crotch to realize that there was more bulk and more definition than at their last joining before he left. Noticing the hardness of his nipples against her palms, she rolled them between her fingers and pinched firmly. Teri was not dragging him to the bed, nor was she doing a strip tease. But she was telling him very clearly that she enjoyed his body as much as she always had. She was making it clear that she wanted more of it. Oh, how he had missed that kind of affirmation and reinforcement! He hardened, she felt it, and she pressed her belly against the bulge. The only sex for Rick in two years had been with himself. He would have bet money that Teri had been sleeping with Cal, but that possibility seemed strangely unimportant at the moment. All he really cared about was the woman he had loved for so long: she felt better than she ever had, and she was slowly driving him crazy with her touches. Just as with almost everything else in their new relationship, Teri's behavior was different from what he had remembered - different from what had made him flee so foolishly. Even through his growing arousal it got through to him that she was waiting for him to take charge. With the other woman, if he did not make a move, nothing would happen. It was hard to believe that could be possible with his ex-and-future wife, but other than skillfully turning him on, she was doing nothing to advance their love-making. If she was different, he needed to be different. With the other woman, he had learned to take control. Just the thought brought back disturbing memories because of how it ended. But he could take control with Teri, too. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw that the bedroom door was open. Gently easing her hands from under his shirt, he bent down to get his left arm behind her legs and his right behind her back and scooped her up. As much weight as she had lost, Teri was still no featherweight, and she was completely surprised to be suddenly airborne and on her way to the bedroom. She squealed, wrapped her arms tightly about his neck both in glee and in fear, and felt a rush of dampness in her crotch. Except for their wedding night, she could not remember him ever carrying her off to the cave like this. Something in her found it highly arousing. By the time they reached the bed, Rick was struggling a bit not to breathe hard or show any unsteadiness. When he had laid her on the bed, he encountered his next surprise. She pulled him down for more kisses and her hands were running all over him, but she made no move to undress. Always before, she had shed her clothes before reaching the bed. Now, he faced the appealing prospect of having to unwrap her himself. What followed was an hour of old and new experiences, familiar and novel sensations, regret giving way to promise, and love multiplying lust. It was different than at any time before because both partners were different in important ways. As if by agreement, they did not talk about the differences, nor did they apologize. Teri shed a lot of tears during that hour. Most were tears of happiness, but there were a few of regret, and quite a few of sadness for Cal. Her time with him had been wonderful. It had restored her in many ways and prepared her for her reunion with Rick. But for Cal, it had ended so suddenly. ------- The next day, there was a scheduled shoot. Teri had been wondering why Rick wanted Cal to stand up for them. There could only be one reason. She tried to act natural for the evening, but once back at the house she cornered him. "You made this happen, didn't you?" "No, Teri, you and Rick made it happen." "But you talked him into dating me, didn't you?" When he did not reply, she hugged him as fiercely as she ever had. "I should fuck your brains out for this!" "But it wouldn't be right any more. We both know it. It will always be the most wonderful time of my life, Teri. It will hurt to miss our times together. But it feels so good to see your happiness. I've got lots of time to find mine." ------- Chapter 13 While Teri and Rick were celebrating their reunited marriage in bed, Tessa was spreading the joyous news at the Banner house. She seemed almost as excited as her mother, except when she came down to Cal's photo lab and told him. Then, she was surprisingly reserved, almost sad. "Hey, Tessa, that's great news! How come you're not smiling?" "Oh, well I'm... I mean..." Tessa stalled out completely for several long seconds and just looked at Cal. "Do you really think it's great? You and Mom were so... I thought you'd be upset." Cal moved to her and put his arm around her, leading her to a sofa in the rec room area. "This is very personal information, but knowing how close you and your Mom are, I'm going to tell you." "All summer long, every time we were together, Teri ended up crying," Cal told her. "She did? What went wrong?" "Oh, I don't think anything went wrong. She kept thinking about when it would have to end between us. In fact, she worried about that from the first time." Cal paused as he debated how much more to tell her. "I think the real problem began when I, uh, started behaving differently," Cal said carefully. "You mean you took charge?" "Well... yeah. She started remembering how things had been with your Dad and decided she had done things wrong in bed. So, no matter how much she enjoyed what we did, it reminded her that Rick was gone and she thought she caused it." "Wow!" "Tessa, your Mom is a wonderful lover, and she showed me in lots of ways. But you know what? No one would ever be able to replace Rick. I don't think we can understand how much she loves him." "Yeah, I think I know. Remember, I've been there for all of her bad times. So, you're really just happy that she's got Dad back, huh?" "Yes, I really am. Teri's my friend. She was my lover for a while, but now she has what she really wants. But she doesn't have Rick back." "Huh?" Tessa's face showed her bewilderment. "They have each other back. That's the real way to look at it." "Hmmmm. I see what you mean." Tessa still looked surprisingly sober and Cal could tell there was something else weighing on her. "OK, what else is keeping the smile away?" She leaned her head on his shoulder and he again put his arm around her. "I... I just don't think I'm ready to, um, you know... take Mom's place." Over the last year, Cal thought he had learned a lot about the women around him. After his original three rules, he had added Rule Four after a comment from Ken: 'Don't assume anything'. Now it appeared he needed Rule Five: 'They can always surprise you'. His surprise made him stammer a little. "Did... did Teri ask you to... to do that?" "Mom? Of course not!" Tessa said indignantly. Then in a subdued tone "I just thought you... you know... might expect..." Cal had a flashback to the time he had to fight laughter in Rebecca's room when she thought he was expecting to take glamour shots of her. This was, of course, a more serious matter, but he still had to fight the laughter. Why would she think he would expect that? Of course it was a very appealing prospect, but he had no right to expect it. As he struggled to hold his composure, it occurred to him that her expectation was not really that strange. Ever since THE DAY Tessa's attitude toward him and her demeanor around him had been different. Rather than the usual combativeness, there was a bit of subservience that actually saddened him. Not only was it contrary to her delightfully strong personality, but it was proof of what Ken had warned him about. Cal did not want anyone to change their view of him because of what had happened. Especially, he did not want that from Tessa, but apparently it had happened. There ensued a long, emotional discussion between the two life-long friends. It wasn't that Tessa no longer loved Cal. She just was not ready for that step with anyone. She was also smart enough to understand the kind of friction that could still disrupt their relationship. As much as she loved him and enjoyed being with him, she could not see them as husband and wife. Contrary to much of the culture around her, she wanted her husband to be the only complete sexual relationship of her life. For his part, Cal had not even thought about Tessa taking Teri's place. They were two different people with different roles in his life. In fact, he had spent very little time worrying about finding another sexual partner. He knew how fortunate he had been for a fifteen-year-old and he knew that he had no right to expect to always have a lover. ------- All during the three-week pre-season football practices, Greg Overland had kept up a drumbeat of inflammatory comments at Cal. He had a following of five or six other players who joined in, at least when they were with Greg. Chad, now the starting quarterback, and Greg had always been inseparable and Chad was the one other player with the guts to take verbal shots at Cal even when Greg was not around. Overall, Cal found the comments childish and either did not react at all or came back with some sort of cheerful response. That tactic seemed to just crank up his tormentors even more. Despite appearances, though, Cal was very fed up with the abuse. All of the control instilled by his years of training was being strained to the limit. During the second week, the coach conducted an increasingly realistic series of scrimmages. On the second Friday, it was a full-game drill with the first-team offense and second team defense against the second-team offense and first-team defense. Unlike some coaches, he did not impose any restrictions on the intensity of play. Because of an injury to the starter, Cal found himself playing safety on the first team defense. That meant that he would be going against Chad and Greg. He had a little talk with himself, promising not to go out of his way to tangle with either of them. However, he vowed that he would use all of the tackling skill he had developed if the opportunity arose. The first chance came up very early in the game. On an option play, Chad kept and cut up off tackle. The linebacker had gone for the fake pitch and Chad had faked out the cornerback. That left Cal as the last defender, since the other two DBs were well away from the play. Trying to take control of the confrontation, Cal charged forward directly at Chad. As Cal closed to within a step or two, Chad planted his foot to change direction. In doing so, he swung the ball out in his outside hand, seemingly unconcerned about losing it. Good defensive doctrine dictated that Cal complete the tackle, taking no chance on giving up a long gainer. He had anticipated Chad's move and was sliding sideways in perfect position to either tackle the runner or hold him up until help arrived. The problem was, the ball was just hanging out there waiting to be plucked. Cal could sense Chad smirking as he anticipated faking Cal out of his jock-strap and sprinting for the touchdown. Cal knew that his arms and hands were far stronger than Chad's and the suppressed irritation of all those insults was just too much. Many of the players did not even see the take-away, it was that quick. Cal did not have to numb Chad's arm with a blow or do anything but grab the ball and yank it away. Carrying the ball was not something he had any experience with, and there was a crowd of offensive players pounding after Chad, so Cal's runback was short. That hardly mattered to Cal. He had counted some coup on his number two tormentor and it felt good. The coach did have a few words with Cal about taking a chance on the snatch rather than the tackle. However, there was almost a twinkle in the coach's eyes as he talked. Cal wondered if he was aware of the constant hazing that had been going on. In the second quarter, Greg broke loose along the sideline. Cal was again the last defender and dashed over to intercept the big guy. In a move that surprised everyone, Greg veered toward the center of the field, setting a collision course with the oncoming Cal. He obviously intended to trample the much smaller Cal - it was a challenge. Cal had watched Greg run enough to know that he liked to leap over low tackles. Knowing that, Cal waited until the right moment and started his dive. He knew there was no chance that Greg would sidestep - he was determined to smash Cal. Just as he was about to make contact, Cal pushed himself straight up. Greg had, as expected, gone airborne, and Cal was able to push upward on Greg's legs, causing him to flip completely over. The impact with which Greg hit the ground was loud enough to silence the whole team. With unaccustomed dramatic flair, Cal turned and walked several yards downfield into position for the next play. He scrupulously did not look back at Greg. Greg was undamaged, except for his ego and some short-term disorientation. The coach had Greg sit out for the rest of the series and he spent the whole time glaring at Cal. During 'half time' the coach took the time to talk for a while with each of the four units. He told the first defensive unit that he wanted to practice blitzes heavily in the second half. Cal tried to hide a smile, thinking that he might have another chance at Chad. As it turned out, Cal never got a good shot at Chad, but he did cause Chad to hurry three passes and Cal tipped one. The capper for the day, though, came late in the fourth quarter. Cal was on a blitz over tackle and the offense called a pitch out to Greg. Because of a mix-up in blocking assignments, Cal got through untouched and was in position as the ball was pitched. He had a fleeting thought of trying to intercept the pitch, but opted for the tackle for a loss. It was not just a tackle, either. Greg was reaching for the ball so he was barely moving. Cal, on the other hand, had been able to set himself and put everything into his charge. Greg had the ball in hand and had just turned upfield when Cal hit him. Once more, the big guy landed very hard on his back and once again, Cal just walked away. This time, Greg was done for the game and could not even work up a good glare as he sat befuddled on the sideline. ------- The fall season was going to be extremely hectic for the entire Banner family. Pete, though only a freshman, was number five on the linebacker depth chart. That meant that he would get quite a bit of playing time, and he was a regular on both kicking and receiving teams. Martin and Elaine had long ago made a firm commitment to attend all events when their children were performing, and they had done a remarkable job of keeping that pledge. The real problem was that Cal played Friday nights and Pete's games were on Saturday. Many of the college towns where Pete would play did not have non-stop connections from home. That meant either a late night flight to a major hub and a hotel there, or an early morning departure. The situation impacted Cal, too. He wanted to see as many of Pete's games as possible. Martin and Elaine wanted to stay over Saturday nights for most of the home games so they could spend more time with Pete. Cal, however, would have a shoot scheduled any Sunday that he was home, and sometimes there would be two. Before Pete's first game, a harried travel agent had worked out a schedule all the way up until Thanksgiving. If Pete's team made it to a bowl, that would have to been handled separately. There were two of Cal's games that his parents would miss because there just weren't any other flight options. Cal would not fly to those games. Cal consoled his parents by pointing out that they would have lots of his basketball games to watch, so he was already way ahead of Pete. In all, Cal would see Pete play seven times, a very busy travel schedule for a high schooler. Rebecca would fly to those same seven games, and for two of them, the whole family would stay over until Sunday night. ------- If Cal had thought the events of the intra-squad scrimmage would shut Greg up, he was sadly mistaken. In fact, it got worse because Greg and his lackeys turned their full attention to Rebecca, Bobby, and Tessa. That was almost enough for Cal to declare war on his teammates, but instead, he got his friends all together one night when Bobby was over working out. "The question is, do I need to hurt Greg. I don't like that he's taking it out on you guys." In somewhat of a surprise, Rebecca answered first. "Oh, Cal, he's been doing that to me for years. I hardly notice it any more. I think Bobby's getting used to it, too." "Well, you shouldn't have to get used to anything like that." "I'll bet you don't think I just smile and take it, do you?" asked Tessa with a chuckle. "It isn't bad enough for you to get in trouble." "OK, I'll let you handle it, but I don't like it. Listen, if any of those assholes touch any one of you, promise you'll let me know. That I won't stand for. Whoever does it will be very, very sorry." Cal's voice had a sharpness that none of them had ever heard before. ------- In the second week of school, Cal received a surprise that equaled anything that had happened with Teri. He had just opened his books to be sure he could finish everything in his morning time when he was called to the phone. It was Cheryl asking if she could see him for a few minutes. She wanted to pick him up in fifteen minutes. Cal wanted to ask what the quick visit was about, but Cheryl was not saying anything, so he saw no option but to wait her out. After driving for a few minutes, she pulled into the parking lot of an industrial park, shut off the engine, and sat back silently. She looked out the windshield rather than at Cal, and he continued to wait her out. Finally, with a huge sigh, she said "Cal, will you take my cherry?" It was an eery sensation for Cal as he flashed back to Ismi asking him the same thing not that long ago. He had talked Ismi out of it, and the rational part of his brain thought that he should do the same with Cheryl. "Cheryl, you have just offered me a fantasy. But you don't sound enthusiastic about it at all." When she didn't respond, and didn't even look at him, he went on. "I have to admit: I'm surprised you held out this long, going with Greg." She chose to only respond to his second comment. "I'm surprised, too. He was gone at football camp most of the summer, so that helped. But he has been bugging me to death and I made him a deal. If he gets 150 yards in a game with no fumbles, I'll do it with him. Cal, I can't stand the thought of him being my first." "I don't get it," Cal complained. "If you're that against giving it up to him, why don't you just break up with him?" "It's... complicated. There is a very good reason that I can't. I sure wish you had asked me out before I started going with him." "You know," he answered, "Breakaway was my first date ever. Until last Christmas I never thought much about dating." "Yeah, bad timing," she muttered, once again looking out the window. "Um, why me?" he asked. "You've shown me more respect than any guy I know. Ever since the night of the pictures I've wished we were a couple." "Then break up with Greg and I'll go out with you. You won't have to lose your cherry until you're ready. I just don't understand, Cheryl!" "OK, I'll tell you the story." "No, wait. I want to hear it, but I think Tessa and Rebecca should hear it, too." "Why?" she demanded. "Well, I think it is a real shame that you three are no longer close. And if it should come to that, I won't have sex with you unless both of them OK it." "Whaaaat?" Cheryl did not try to hide her astonishment. "Think about it. They are the two people closest to me. If I slept with you and it ruined things with either of them, I would never forgive myself." "Well, I guess I might as well look for someone else," Cheryl said sadly. "I mean, you and Tessa... "We are not really a couple," Cal explained. "Like you said, it's complicated." There was another long silence as Cheryl once again examined the surrounding buildings with apparent great interest. "I don't know, Cal. I'm afraid they would really hate me afterwards." "I can't imagine what you have gotten yourself into, Cheryl, but whatever it is, you need friends. Don't underestimate the girls. What have you got to lose. You know they will keep your secrets." ------- When the three girls and Cal were gathered in the Walts' basement rec room, Cheryl looked around nervously and started the conversation. "I told Cal at Breakaway that there was a reason I was going out with Greg. I asked him not to write me off and to try to get you guys to at least keep talking to me. Thank you for being nice to me in school. I can't tell you how bad I feel that we are not close any more." She paused a moment as her voice caught. "I guess you all know that I want to be a doctor. I AM going to be a doctor. What you may not know is the problem I have at home. I love my parents and they're good to me, BUT... Girls can be teachers and nurses, but not doctors or executives. It also is not ladylike to play sweaty games like volleyball and basketball and softball." "What that means is that I will get no help from home for med school. They'll do what they can for undergrad, except if I go for pre-med." "That's not fair," Tessa exclaimed, breaking into Cheryl's monologue. "Yeah, well..." Cheryl said with a shrug. "Don't they say 'play it where it lies' or something like that in golf, Cal? That's the way things are, but it won't stop me from being a doctor." The determination in her voice was palpable. "So you're what... gonna marry Greg so he'll put you through med school?" Tessa asked, a bit belligerently. Cheryl gave a big sigh, then continued. "Let me tell you just what has happened. I hope you won't hate me afterwards." "When Greg first asked me out, I was flattered. I mean, jock girls don't usually get into the inner circle, and it was my ticket. For some stupid reason it seemed important to me at the time. That was March, I think, and it took me until Memorial Day to realize what an absolute jerk he was and decide that the 'A' list wasn't worth it." "Well, the Overland family always has a big Memorial Day bash at his parents' estate, and he asked me to go with him. I almost broke up with him at that point, but I guess I was curious about, you know, how the other half lives. Here's what happened." ------- Cheryl had been told that it was a pool party and to dress informally. It took about fifteen seconds to realize that everyone else's pool wear cost a lot more than the best thing in her closet. Cheryl had two things in abundance - no, three, actually. She had brains enough to be a valedictorian candidate. Only the time she spent on sports kept her a little behind Rebecca and Tessa. She had beauty. Her body was that of an athlete, but she had all the right feminine curves and a movie star's face. And she had more self-confidence and poise than any sixteen-year-old was entitled to. Realizing that she was out of her element, Cheryl determined not to be beaten down or cowed by it, but to show the whole mob, and Greg in particular, that money couldn't buy class. From the outset it was a battle. Greg's cousins in particular were the most vicious and there seemed to be an endless stream of them. Each of the girls seemed more vain and bloodthirsty than the next. Little by little she deduced that Greg was himself an outcast because he had chosen public school. Along with his parents, he had decided that his chances for football exposure were much better than at any of the area's private high schools. The favorite family game was cutting up and tearing down each other, and the cousins went after anything negative about Greg's school like vultures after a carcass. A lower class girlfriend was a choice target, and an athlete besides was too good to be true. To her credit, Cheryl could hardly keep from laughing after the first few minutes. Then, she found the perfect way to fight back: she took off her outer clothing and spent the rest of the afternoon in her swimsuit. It was a two-piece that marginally qualified as a bikini. She quickly ascertained that none of the bitches' bodies came close to hers. It was a bit of exhibitionism that was not typical of Cheryl, but she was so angry that it became easy. When Greg introduced her to his parents, she was able to smile brightly despite his mother's withering glare. Her smile did nothing to hide the contempt she felt, and the woman must certainly have noticed it. It was not something she was used to. Greg was thrilled by the way Cheryl reacted to his extended family. Predictably, he was constantly battling his parents, and had no time for the vapid gaggle of cousins. Arrogant and self-centered though he was, Cheryl got to him. Almost from the first time he met her, she had fascinated him. It was an attraction not easily explained, and one he had never felt for another girl. Seeing her stick it to his relatives made him fall for her even more. Cheryl had seen a regal-looking, unbelievably well-preserved older woman watching her and Greg from the time they arrived. After a few minutes the woman was introduced as Greg's paternal grandmother, Genevieve Overland. For once, Cheryl felt what she considered a little common courtesy in the brief exchange brought on by the introduction. Cheryl noticed that even as the other girls bared their swimsuits, none ventured near the water, probably because of fear for their hairdos. Therefore, she dove into the pool and swam and frolicked with the boys and the pre-teen kids. There was an excellent diving board, and when there was safe space in the pool, she displayed her skill. She thoroughly enjoyed sitting down to eat in just her wet suit with her hair still wet. She was in such a light-hearted mood that she even joked and flirted a bit with Greg. They were almost co-conspirators at that gathering. After the excellent meal of grilled steaks, most people were just sitting around and chatting. On her way back from using the bathroom in the pool house, a woman in a maid's uniform stopped her. "Miss Carson, the senior Mrs. Overland would like to speak with you." "Fine. I'll be over with Greg if she wants me." Cheryl knew exactly what was expected, but she was not going to play along. She had had her fill and was just waiting until an acceptable escape could be made. Whether Greg would take her or she would have to find her own way was still to be determined. "But... but... Ma'am, I need to bring you... Please..." Cheryl walked off without reacting at all. She had an idea what the apparent matriarch of the group wanted to say to her, and it was completely unnecessary. This would be the last time she would go anywhere with Greg. After another half hour or so, Cheryl decided she would have to leave on her own. Greg had picked her up at her home, but she could not see staying until he was ready to take her back. She had hinted several times without a reaction from him. She was damned if she would ask him outright. As she approached the pool house to use the phone that was just inside the door, Grandmother Overland came up to her. Cheryl felt herself bristle with anger at what she expected to happen. When Genevieve addressed her as "Young Lady", she cheekily responded "Yes, Older Lady?" Genevieve had probably encountered her share of impertinence during her reign, but that seemed to stop her cold. Cheryl could not refrain from a bit of a smirk. There was a staring match for several seconds before the older woman gave in. "Miss Carson, Cheryl is it? Could I speak to you, in private?" "Mrs. Overland, I don't think that will be necessary. I am about to call for a ride, and I promise, I will be thankfully out of Greg's life forever. I'm one gold-digger that you don't have to chase away." "Miss Carson, I fear you have read too many trashy novels." "You mean to tell me you've never done just that?" Cheryl demanded. Once again, Genevieve was stopped cold. She could not remember encountering anyone like Cheryl. Certainly not in her obsequious family. "That is not what I wanted to talk about, at all. Please, would you join me in my study?" Feeling more chippy all the time, Cheryl waved her arm dramatically to indicate that Genevieve should lead the way. "Wouldn't you like to put some more clothes on?" Genevieve asked. "Nope. Everyone here has been eager to let me know what they have that I don't. This is what I have that they don't. I'll grab a towel so I don't get the furniture wet." "It's all leather." "Of course," Cheryl replied with a little purposeful sarcasm. Once they were seated in the study, it was another staring match until Genevieve said "Greg is quite smitten with you. I believe I can see why." "Well, the feeling is certainly not mutual. Pardon the jock talk, but your grandson is a first class asshole." "Then, why have you been going out with him?" "That question has kept me awake several nights," Cheryl replied. "I had a weak moment and thought about the glamour of getting into the school's elite social group." "Nothing wrong with that, is there?" Genevieve asked. "There sure is! It cost me some very good friends, and I'm going to have to work hard to get them back." "Why would going with Greg cost you your friends?" "Because he hates them, and they feel pretty much the same about him," Cheryl said heatedly. "Why the hatred," Genevieve demanded. Cheryl thought for a moment, then sighed and said "Look, you must know your grandson or you wouldn't have asked me in here. Anyone he can't rule over he hates." "I see." There was another long pause, but this time there was no staring match. "Haven't you made new friends in Greg's group?" "Hah!" Cheryl could not help exclaiming. "They could never accept me anymore than your, uh, grandchildren could. Not that I consider that any loss." After another measuring look, Genevieve went on. "I didn't ask you hear to discuss the character of my offspring." "OK," Cheryl responded. "So, if it's not to scare me off, then why am I here?" "Just the opposite. Is there anything that could keep you going with Greg?" "What?" Cheryl almost shouted in disbelief. When she got over the shock, she said "Nothing I can think of." "Oh, come now. I know you want to go to medical school. That costs a great deal, and your parents are not wealthy." "After today, I'm thankful for that," Cheryl spat out. "Miss Carson... Cheryl, we could go on for a long time throwing insults at each other. I will admit that I am not always proud of my offspring, and Greg is perhaps the most worrisome of all. I have been watching you carefully." "I knew that." "Please!" Genevieve took a deep breath to get control of her own anger. How could this teenager get the psychological upper hand on her so easily. She, Genevieve, was ALWAYS in the superior position. "Greg is a danger to himself and to the family. Whatever else you may think of me, I take my family very seriously. You are the kind of person that can help keep him out of the worst trouble. That is what I am asking you to do." "Why would he let me?" "As I said at the outset," Genevieve explained, "he is really smitten by you. You have a hold on him that no other person has ever had. I am trying to use that to protect him and the family name." "But I can't stand him. I have given up too much for him already." "But he is bright and good-looking," Genevieve protested. "With him, you could be Homecoming queen, Prom queen, and who knows what else." "You forgot doormat," Cheryl quipped. This time, Genevieve gave an audible hiss before regaining control. "Don't you think you are over-dramatizing this?" "I know for a fact that since we have supposedly been going steady, he has fucked two other girls." It gave Cheryl a bit of pleasure to see the woman flinch at the 'f' word. "Besides you, you mean." It was no surprise that Genevieve did not surrender verbal battles easily. "That'll be the day!" Cheryl said with a laugh. "Despite what you may think, my standards are much higher than that." There was a short silence, then Cheryl continued. "I guess we have resolved what you wanted to talk to me about, haven't we? I was on my way to call for a ride when you interrupted. Good bye, Mrs. Overland." As Cheryl turned to go, Genevieve asked with as snap to her voice "How much?" That made Cheryl turn back, at first in shock, then with a triumphant smirk. "Ten thousand a month." "What!" Genevieve came as near to a scream as she likely ever did. "That's ridiculous!" "It certainly is," Cheryl shot back. "This whole conversation is ridiculous, so why shouldn't I do my part?" This prompted another long staring match. Finally, Genevieve spoke. "All right." That caused Cheryl to stagger where she stood. Up until now, it had all been just verbal sparring. Suddenly, two realities fell upon her. First of all, if she accepted, she would be having sex with Greg before very long. That prospect made her shudder. Then, it occurred to her that she could accumulate some serious money toward her medical degree. When she connected the two realities in her mind, it was clear exactly what she would become. "If you stay with Greg for six months and keep him out of trouble, I will transfer sixty thousand dollars to your bank account." Cheryl could not resist all out laughter at that. "Mrs. Overland, I don't claim to be any expert, but I think prostitution is a pay-as-you-go cash business." "Prostitution? What are you talking about?" "Well, what else would you call it?" There was another long pause while Genevieve digested that question. "Here's the deal," Cheryl went on, "You call me tomorrow evening and I'll give you a post office box number. As long as cash shows up in that box on the first mailing day of every month, I will stay with Greg. Oh, and thirty thousand needs to be there before he leaves for football camp next week." "Thirty thousand! Why?" "Back pay." "Now, wait a minute. You come in here all high and mighty and scornful of us, and now you're trying to take advantage of me. Greg will be gone two months for his football camp. You don't expect to be paid for that, do you?" "Look, Mrs. Overland, I didn't start this whole idea, you did. We're talking about money here, something that means absolutely nothing to you. And we're talking my self-respect, which means everything to me. The only thing that means more to me is my M.D. I have decided my self-respect is worth the price." "But... but... !" The matriarch was actually stammering. "You have about one minute to say yes or no," Cheryl told her, "otherwise the price is going up. Which is it?" Still another staring match, then "Yes." "OK. One piece of advice. It would be good to let Greg think you highly disapprove of me. Now, I'm getting out of here before I throw up my dinner." ------- When Cheryl stopped talking, Cal sat impassively, Rebecca looked frozen in disbelief, and Tessa was grinning. "You really stuck it to the old broad, didn't you?" Tessa chortled. Then, her face fell as she thought about the bargain her friend had made. "I don't see how... I mean I could never..." Rebecca could not voice a concise thought at the moment. "Please don't hate me, guys," Cheryl pled. "And don't think I'm a slut, either. Look, even without scholarships, both of you are guaranteed all of the education you want, right? Both of you have parents who will support any career you choose, right? Well, that's not me. I have to make it happen by myself. You have no idea how much I want that M.D." For the first time any of them could remember, Cheryl cried. Tessa moved over next to Cheryl and put an arm around her. Rebecca was not able to do that yet. After a bit, Rebecca asked "Why are you telling us this now, Cheryl?" Cheryl looked at Cal, who showed no expression for a few seconds, then nodded. "Since Greg got back from football camp, he has been bugging me to have sex with him. I've held him off, but I made a deal with him. If he gets 150 yards in a game with no turnovers, he can have me." Rebecca took that information remarkably well. "That still doesn't explain why you're telling us." "I don't want Greg to be my first. I want Cal." That produced total, motionless silence in the room. Cal looked at his sister, who was sitting across from him. He became concerned because she did not seem to breathe for a very long time. "Wh... wh... why ask us about this?" Surprisingly, Rebecca still seemed to be taking the lead. "Cal said he would only do it if you both agreed," Cheryl said softly, unable to prevent blushing. "Why, Cal? Why do you need my permission to... to... I mean, I haven't even, uh... God! Why?" "Well, it seemed like a good idea," Cal started to say. "First of all, I think it is too bad that you two are no longer close to Cheryl. I know, I know! There's a good reason." "Uh, Tessa, I don't know if we are boyfriend and girlfriend or not. If you think we are, you have the right to say 'no way'. Rebecca, if my being with Cheryl were to come between us, I wouldn't do it. I guess that's the best I can explain it. Um, maybe I should leave you three to some girl talk. You work it out and let me know." "You mean you don't care one way or another?" Tessa demanded. "Oh, I care. I definitely do. But I've cared about you two forever." ------- Cal was doing some homework later that evening when Rebecca came into the room. In an interesting role reversal, she came up behind him and rubbed his shoulders. To acknowledge the switch, he rubbed his cheek against her forearm, as she usually did to him. "I've been assigned to give you the court's decision," she said. He could hear the tension in her voice without turning to see her face. When he did not ask what the decision was, she bent and kissed his cheek. "Teri says she could not have chosen anyone better." That made him turn around and stare at her. It had been a while since his sister had been able to totally shock him. When she saw it on his face, she giggled and asked "You haven't forgotten Rule One, have you?" Now he was not just shocked, but upset as well. "You mean she told you?" "Of course not! She never would. But I figured it out and she finally admitted it." "But you never let on! You didn't get angry; you didn't avoid me; you've been perfectly natural around me." "Teri is a very wise and very persuasive woman, you know. I was ready to go running and screaming when she admitted it, but she explained a lot of things. She says you got Rick back for her, too. That makes up for an awful lot." "So, you're not angry or anything?" he asked. "Nah. Jealous maybe." "You save it for Bobby. I think that's the right thing for you," he told her. "How do you know I'm still saving it?" she asked with a grin. "Well, congratulations, then." That stopped her for a moment, but she recovered and told him "No, we haven't yet. We're not in any hurry. God, Cal, I can't thank you enough for getting us together. That's the other thing that buys you lots of slack." With that, she gave him one of her patented kisses, this time on the mouth. "If that's a sample of what Bobby gets, he must be a man of steel to hold out so long." He had not said it to embarrass her, but her blush was incandescent. "Speaking of a man of steel," she said, eager to change the tone, "Did you know he's gained fifteen pounds? And it's all muscle!" She enthused. "And look!" With that, she rolled up her sleeve and showed him her bicep, which indeed showed a bit of swelling as she flexed it." He obliged her by squeezing her arm and making appropriate noises of approval. Then it was his turn to change the tone. "So, how are things between you three girls?" She sat on his bed before answering. "I could never, ever do what she is doing. But then, I don't think I have ever wanted anything that badly, either. Cheryl is such a great person I can't think of her as a prostitute like she calls herself. It will be hard for us to spend much time together because of Greg, but we let her know that we are her friends." "That's good," Cal told her. "I think I need to go and talk to Tessa." ------- Rule Three [They know what you're thinking]. Tessa was sitting on the front steps when he walked up. Much to his relief, she walked briskly out to meet him, took his hand, and led him up the street. "Since we're not really girlfriend and boyfriend I can be bossy, right?" Then she giggled. Somewhere during the summer, Ken had mentioned 'Never assume anything' and Cal had quickly incorporated that as Rule Four, which he now invoked. He had been expecting an emotional storm, and he was both pleased and puzzled by the way she greeted him. It also meant that they were back in competition mode, so he told her "I guess this means we are officially broken up, then." "No, not really, since we were never officially anything," she retorted. "So, we're just friends, then?" he asked. "Uh, huh. I read somewhere about 'friends with benefits'. I'd like to be that kind of friends." "Hmmmm. Now, that sounds interesting," he teased. "Just what kind of benefits were you thinking about?" "Look, with Dad back and Cheryl out of reach, you're unattached. I've never been attached. In public, let's let people still think we're a couple, OK?" "That's easy. You're a fun date," he assured her. "I might get to be even more fun, who knows?" Now it was her turn to tease. Then she got serious again. "Cal, you know I love you. After what happened with Mom, I'm jealous of a lot of things. And now with Rebecca and Bobby, it's even worse. I'm not going to give it up for a while yet, but I get pretty damned horny sometimes." "Maybe it's hereditary," he quipped. "Must be. What I'm saying... asking, I guess, is if I want to do some more petting and stuff with you, can you stop when I say." "No, that's not a good idea." "Huh? But I thought..." she sputtered in confusion. "Tessa, if you ARE like your Mom, you'll get too excited and change your mind. Then you might feel bad about it later. How about you tell me the rules ahead of time, and I promise I won't break them, OK?" That earned him a one-armed hug of agreement. "Um, Cal... I don't think Cheryl will be satisfied with just once." "And how would you feel about that?" "I guess if I agree, I've agreed, huh? Seriously, I'm OK with it." ------- One person was not OK with what Cheryl was doing. She had barely gotten home from school the day after she met with Cal and the girls when Genevieve called. After identifying herself, the woman dove right in. "Should I assume that you want our agreement to end?" Genevieve asked. "You know, you've gotten a lot of money already and you've hardly had to see Greg because of the camp." "Why do you think I want to quit?" "You met with the Walts girl and the Banner children. The ones Greg hates." "Those two girls have been my friends for years. I'm trying to keep some connection with them. This thing with Greg won't last forever and I'll need friends - good friends." "Besides, I'm sure you know about the deal." Genevieve was driven silent by the girl's ability to read her, but recovered with the most casual sounding 'Of course' that she could work up. "If I'm going to bed with Greg, why would I give up?" Ignoring the question, Genevieve pushed on "So this will be your first time." It was a statement, not a question. "Not that it is any of your business, but I would never give my cherry to him." Now Genevieve was confused. She considered her intelligence to be rock solid, but there had been no indication of any other involvement. If her information had been incorrect, heads would roll. Getting control of her anger, Genevieve thought back to what Cheryl had said, and realization dawned. The girl was going to have sex with someone else before paying off her deal with Greg. And it would be the Banner boy. It was perfect from the girl's point, since Greg had a pathological hatred for Cal Banner. Once again, the girl had gotten the edge on her, and she was infuriated. "If you have sex with Cal Banner, our deal is off," Genevieve almost shouted. "I'm glad you told me before I went to bed with Greg. Can't say it's been nice doing business with you, either." "No, wait!" Genevieve said frantically. The girl was playing her! Nobody did that! "How can you quit when you've taken all that money for nothing?" "Hey, I don't remember my virginity being part of the bargain, do you?" "But you will be cheating on him!' Cheryl laughed out loud over the phone. "How many girls do you think he banged when he was away at camp? Faithfulness wasn't in our deal, either, was it?" If they had been in the same room, there would have been another staring match. Cheryl broke the silence forcefully. "Lady, you have really pissed me off. Now I'm thinking you're going to wait until he fucks me, then stop the payments." "Oh, I wouldn't..." Genevieve asked herself why she was protesting like a child caught in the cookie jar. "You absolutely would. This is going to cost you. I don't go to be with Greg until I see thirty thousand in my box. Ten of it is next month's payment, and twenty is a penalty." "But that's extortion!" "And... ?" Cheryl waited but heard nothing. "If I get one more phone call from you or see anyone who even looks like a private eye, we're done, got it? Now, do I break up with Greg tomorrow or not?" Genevieve's sigh was audible over the phone. "No, don't break up with him. The money will be there." Cheryl could not help wondering how much she could really have gotten from the crazy woman. ------- That night as he lay in bed trying to get his mind around Cheryl and the incredible situation she had gotten into, Cal happened to remember a conversation with Dex Madison. Dex, having lost both parents on the same night, had received a lot of money from insurance and from the sale of the house. He mentioned working with a lawyer or someone who helped manage the money for him. It was very late, but Dex was, after all a college student. Cal risked the call and caught Dex still up. Without giving away any secrets, Cal explained Cheryl's general situation. Dex gave Cal the number for Dex's lawyer, Marty Granville. Dex thought that Cheryl should have some sort of trust to defer and reduce the tax bite on the large sum she was receiving. He assured Cal that the increased growth from professional management of Cheryl's money would more than offset the legal and management fees. In the morning, Cal sent a message to school with Rebecca for Cheryl. Later that evening, Cheryl called Cal. "Cheryl, I think you should get some professional help with your money." "Oh, I'm not really concerned about getting lots of interest or anything." "Well, you should be," he chided her. "Look, you know I'm not a financial whiz, but there are a couple of important things you need to consider. The first is taxes. You could owe a lot this year, but the right kind of trust fund can reduce that." "Trust fund? I've heard of that, but why would I need it?" "That's the other important thing. You need to protect the money so there is no way your parents or anyone can interfere with it." "But they'll never know about it until I'm eighteen." "Genevieve knows." Cal stated, letting the words die out. "Damn! She would, wouldn't she. Oh, God, Cal. I've got to protect that money!" "Good. Here's who you need to call. She's doing a great job for a friend of mine." Three days later, Cheryl took a chance and stopped Cal as they passed in the school hallway. "Marty is awesome. Thank you so much, Cal." ------- Chapter 14 Two football games had already been played, and Cheryl was very concerned. Greg had gained right around 100 yards in each game, although he had fumbled once. She talked with Cal on Monday night, trying to arrange a time when they could get together. She was adamant that it had to be before that Friday's game. Finding a time and place was actually rather tough. The rendezvous had to be kept secret from both sets of parents and from Greg. That ruled out Cheryl's home, and it made evenings problematic, since Greg tried to keep track of everything she did. They could have used Cal's home during the day because both parents worked. Cal asked Cheryl if he could call her back, then made a quick call to Teri. When he called Cheryl back, they decided that using Teri's spare room during the day was the best option. It then became a matter of deciding when they could both skip classes. Wednesday morning, Cheryl had lunch and study hall back to back. Cal would miss one class, but he was not as concerned as she was about grades. The bad part was the unromantic circumstances they found themselves in. She had managed to get a car, and drove them to the Walts'. Cal almost broke into tears when they reached Teri's guest room. Cheryl did. The room and its en suite bathroom had been transformed into a love nest. The curtains were closed and there were more than a dozen candles scattered about, with a lighter on the bathroom counter. Soft rock music was already playing when they arrived. An ice bucket contained champagne and cola, and there was a saran-covered tray of fruits, cheeses, and small sandwiches. The covers were rolled back on the bed, and two matching robes were nicely folded at the foot. On top of one robe was a note 'Use the Jacuzzi'. On a night stand were three condom packets and a tube of KY. As strained as their arrival had seemed, Teri's loving efforts went a long way toward building a mood conducive to making love. Cal had never had much alcohol, but he went right to the champagne and poured a glass for each of them. Cheryl was a bit hesitant, but she accepted it and sipped it slowly. Cal had a personal dilemma. As far as Cheryl knew, it was his first time, but to make it good for her, he would have to take charge. That would reveal his experience. The decision had to be made right then, and he decided in favor of her satisfaction. Taking her hand and having her sit beside him on the bed, he told her "I need a promise from you. You're going to find out something that I need to have kept secret. Will you do that for me?" As nervous as she was, Cheryl managed a little chuckle. "With what I have to keep secret here, how could I think of telling your secret. Of course I promise." "That's what I thought, but I had to make sure. It really is important. Cheryl, I have done this before, a number of times. I'm not going to tell you who I was with, just that it was only one person, and that she is completely safe." "I think this will work best if I take charge," he went on as he began unbuttoning her blouse. "Ever since the night of the pictures, I have been dying to see all of you again." He interrupted his work on her blouse with a gentle kiss. The night of the memorable picture, Cheryl had seemed supremely confident displaying her beautiful body. Perhaps it was the staged setting. Perhaps it was Teri's presence and assistance. Whatever had happened then, she was now too nervous to speak, and her hands shook as she removed her blouse after he had unbuttoned it. Cal was about to ask her once again if she really wanted to go through with it, but he realized that what she needed was relaxation and comfort, not more well-meaning doubts sowed by him. On the bathroom counter, Teri had left a large towel with some body oil on top of it. A massage would be the perfect way to start. She had worn a skirt to school that day, something so unusual that Greg might have been suspicious if he had paid any attention. Kicking off her sandals, she removed the skirt to stand in her very nice bra and panties. She was a little confused when Cal walked to the bathroom, but seemed to understand when he came back with the towel and the oil. Blushing brightly and shaking a bit, she turned sideways and took off her bra. With her shoulders hunched forward and her near arm hiding her breasts, she looked over at him with her lip quivering slightly. When he smiled, she dropped her hands to the tops of her panties. She was still sideways to him, but she presented a lovely profile. Her hands were frozen, seemingly unable to finish stripping. "Just leave them on for a while," he reassured her as he helped her lie down on the towel. Before opening the oil, Cal caressed her back reverently. So many times since the picture he had enjoyed visions of her lovely back. Now, he reveled in the tight smoothness of the luxuriously cushioned muscles. He traced the straight, proud line of her shoulders and the sensuous taper down to her taut waist. The frilly, skimpy panties adorned rather than covered the enticing mounds of her ass. His hands were drawn almost irresistibly to her bottom, but he somehow pulled back, respecting her nervousness. Time was a problem, but Cal was determined to make the experience as good as he knew how. He could have spent hours just doing her back, but he had to move things along. He moved down to her feet, and as he worked up over her calves, he could feel her start to relax. By the time he reached her thighs, she was making small sounds of contentment. Not saying anything about it, he took hold of her panties and began sliding them down. To his relief, she raised up to assist him. When he first rubbed oil into her cheeks, she flinched, but his efforts soon brought back the contented sounds. At that point with Teri, he would have had her roll over, and the sexual intensity would have increased quickly. With Cheryl, he felt the need to move her along a little more slowly. Standing by the bed, he took off his own clothes as she watched. He could feel her gaze on every bit of skin that was revealed as he took off his shirt. When he dropped his jeans, her eyes locked on his bulging crotch and stayed there as he finished stripping. Her breath caught when his erect cock was finally bared before her. She probably expected him to lie down with her, but instead, he held out his hand. "Let's take a shower and get the oil off, OK?" When she stood, still nervous about frontal exposure, he pulled her to himself for a kiss and she responded with feeling. Still worried about rushing her, he led her to the attached bathroom for the guest room. He thought about Teri's offer of the Jacuzzi, but time was too short. Besides that, he thought it would make her more nervous walking through someone else's house. Teri had made it clear on several occasions how important it was not to get the woman's hair wet unless she said it was OK. Cheryl wore hers short in deference to her sports, but he was still careful of it. He began with her back and washed all of the areas that he had oiled. She seemed able to relax through that, but flinched when he turned her to face him and started on her shoulders and chest. Dropping the rag he had been using, he gently soaped her breasts and tummy with his hands. He did not try to avoid the rigid nipples, but did not give them any special attention right then. He worked from her feet upward, feeling her tense up as he approached her crotch. Again, he was a little surprised at her timidity. He was certain that Cheryl would have bathed in preparation for the big event, so cleanliness was not his concern. What was important was the first touching of her pussy, and the shower was a good place to breach that psychological barrier. He tried to keep it business-like, not spending any more time on her cleft than it took to make sure she was clean. It still made her hiss and shudder. He decided not to worry about her anus, but she took over for him with a small blush. The next part was important for her impending liaison with Greg. When she was all washed and rinsed, she knew it was her turn to wash him. She went at it with enthusiasm until she got to his stiff cock. There, she slowed down and handled it tentatively. He did not want to ask, but it appeared that she had managed to go out with Greg all of those months without even giving him a handjob. She really did have some kind of hold on the big guy. "You need to make me come, Cheryl. Young guys don't have much control. If I come now I will last longer when I'm in you." She looked at him with a little surprise, but was soon stroking and fondling him. It was thrilling to feel her touch, but it was much too gentle to get the desired result. When he made suggestions, she took it in the right spirit, apparently not embarrassed about her inexperience. Cal kept thinking about Teri and how wonderfully she had guided him through all of his firsts. He was determined to pass on the benefit to Cheryl, and it was definitely not a chore. Just from watching her at volleyball practice all of those times he had fallen into lust for her. The picture session had only increased those feelings. After hearing about her incredible deal with Greg's grandmother, he was more than a little in love with her. He hated that she had to give herself to Greg to achieve her goal. But he could relate to the level of commitment that made her do it. For him, it was protecting those he loved; for her it was an M.D. For both, it took effort and sacrifice beyond what most people would give. He loved her for that. Her technique may have needed improvement, but it made little difference to Cal, simply because of the feeling she put into her ministrations. Between her hands and the thoughts running through his head, it was not long at all before she was rinsing the semen from her tummy while he tried to recover his breath. Cal had heard that athletic girls often broke their hymens somewhere along the line, but she had asked him to 'take my cherry'. After drying and getting into the bed, he asked her as he pulled her in for a kiss. "Do you still have your hymen, Cheryl?" Dropping her head to his chest, she told him "Yes. My doctor said mine is pretty strong and it would probably be painful when it broke. She offered to cut it, but I... I don't know. It's the symbol, I guess. That's one reason I wanted you to do it, not Greg. If you have to hurt me, I know it will hurt you to do it. That means a lot to me." That was another time when Cal was brought close to tears. He felt that he had met his match in strength and determination. He would do everything he could to make it as easy as it could be. Glancing at the nightstand, he saw the condoms, and it forced an unpleasant discussion. "Cheryl, I'm hard again. It's a good time for you to put the rubber on me." "Oh, I don't want to use one. It's my first time and I'm on the pill. I trust you to be clean." "I don't want to use one, either. But you must never, ever, let Greg into you without one. You already know that he fucks around. Even if it is only half as much as he brags about, it is still a danger. Part of getting ready for him is learning to use them right." It was probably not the best time for that particular discussion. He had managed to get her relaxed and enjoying herself, but the subject of condoms brought the enormity of her bargain crashing down on her. She lost it. All he could do was hug her, and in the process, their bodies were pressed together in the most intimate contact, yet. As he comforted her, she seemed to want to burrow right into him. It took several minutes, but her emotions of regret and fear started to change into arousal as he kept up gentle stroking and encouraging words. He would not have set it up that way, but it was working out. As soon as he thought she was ready, he started a long, intense kiss. From the kiss, it was a progression that Teri had helped him to perfect. Deciding that the condom issue could be deferred at least for their first coupling, he began the wondrous journey down her body with his mouth and his hands. With Teri as his only previous experience, the newness of a different body and different responses made it a priceless privilege. Perhaps out of some dissatisfaction over their modest size, she seemed to shrink back a bit when he began kissing her breasts. It only took a little attention to her bloated nipples, though, before any concern other than wanting more was wiped from her consciousness. Teri had once mentioned that young girls who had never nursed a child had nipples even more sensitive than her own. Cal quickly verified Teri's comment as sucking and light nibbling almost brought Cheryl up off of the bed. He had to find the right pressure that triggered her arousal without causing her to shrink back from the sensitivity. When he moved his kisses down over her near-six-pack tummy, Cal kept one hand playing with a nipple. After many licks and kisses and a playful tongue into her 'innie', he dropped his hands to her thighs and pushed her legs apart. Cheryl had thought she knew what she would be giving up - what she would be experiencing. She had willed herself not to be embarrassed when she exposed her body, and she had steeled herself for the pain that she knew would come from the first penetration. But she had not anticipated Cal's mouth on her most private spot. Of course she had heard about oral sex, but had not prepared herself mentally as she had for the exposure and the pain. Because of her general nervousness, Cal was not surprised when she resisted his first attempt at spreading her legs. It did not take her long to relax, and he decided he needed to give her a reason to open up. Stroking gently along her hips, he stuck his tongue as far as it would go into her pubic hair between her squeezed thighs. Licking forward and up, he was able to bring enough sensation to responsive tissues to let her know that it was something she wanted more of. Nervous she may have been, uncertain, even. But Cheryl was also decisive. Just the delightful tingling as his tongue touched the top of her cleft was enough. Opening her legs wide, she reached down and took his head between her hands, guiding him downward. Having only Teri as a reference, Cal set out to take Cheryl through several cycles of arousal almost to release. The only problem was, he misjudged. She probably was no more responsive than Teri, but the combined anticipation and fear had put her on a very short fuse, and she surprised him by coming while he thought he was still just warming her up. Again, relating to what he had learned from Teri, he backed off to avoid her over-sensitized clit. That did not suit her, though, and having lost any timidity, she let him know by pulling his head into her crotch and gasping out "More!" That gave him the chance to do what he had planned and many minutes later, he sent her into the hoped-for monster climax. As he feasted between her legs, Cal had decided to let her get on top for the first penetration so she could have control of the pain. After her huge orgasm, she was limp but still twitching and extremely well-lubricated and he changed his mind. Sliding up over her quickly, he managed to open her slightly with one hand and get his head between her labia. From there, he made a series of very short thrusts to get far enough in so there was no danger of being squeezed out. With no experience to go on, he did not know if it was better to break her barrier with one brutal thrust or to ease through it in smaller intrusions. Cheryl resolved that debate for him. She had recovered more than he realized. Bracing her feet, she raised her bottom a little, grabbed his ass with both hands, and pulled. The first try almost popped him out. He was not at the perfect angle and the bending of his rigid shaft hurt. Consoling himself that the pain was much less than she was about to go through, he corrected his angle, and did the next thrust himself. It must have hurt because she squeaked and jerked, but she did not back off. It was clear that he had not gotten completely through and he hated the thought of having to hurt her again. She, however, had a one-track mind. She wanted to get it over with, and once again she pulled him strongly toward herself. That time was enough to get through. A load groan escaped her and he looked up to see moisture in her eyes as she relaxed her legs and breathed deeply. For Cal, it was a very helpless and disturbing feeling. He had heard guys in the locker room bragging about the thrill of breaking in a virgin, but he felt no thrill at all. If anything, he felt guilty for having hurt her and frustrated at not knowing how to fix it. The one thing he could do was to be tender, so carefully holding still within her, he kissed her teary eyes, then her mouth. After breathing deeply for a minute or so, she looked at him with a strained smile. "Damn. I'll never let my patients talk me out of cutting the stupid thing." "Do you want me to pull out?" "No way! From what I heard, the pain isn't supposed to last too long. Can you hold yourself there? Can you stay hard?" "Staying hard could never be a problem when I'm naked with you." That had just popped out, but it was just what she needed to hear. Tentatively, she pushed her pelvis toward him just a little, and he felt his cock sink a bit deeper. It must have still hurt, because she was motionless again for quite a while before the next little push. It must have taken ten minutes, and Cal's arms were feeling a little shaky by the time his pubic bone bumped her clit and she hissed at the contact. Teri had taught him how to stimulate her with little circular motions and he started doing that to Cheryl. Her clit was quite a bit larger than Teri's, and it must have felt the contact a lot more. It was not long before she was showing signs of arousal rather than pain. At that point, Cal made a tough decision. "Cheryl, I would love to keep doing this until I come, but you're not ready for Greg, yet. I'm going to pull out so you can practice with a condom." "Can't you get hard again if you come?" she begged. "Maybe, but I want to make sure you are ready for him. Besides, you must be pretty sore inside." "Yeah, I can feel some pain. But there are some really good feelings, too." "Well, once you get the rubber on, we can try again if it doesn't hurt you too much." With typical thoughtfulness, Teri had several small towels, a washcloth, and a bowl on the bathroom counter. Reluctantly pulling out of her tight, hot sheath, Cal went into the bathroom, washed himself, then brought back a warm, wet washcloth for Cheryl. There had been a little blood on his cock, but fortunately, there was none on the sheets as he gently wiped her crotch. With the condoms, it was a case of the blind leading the blind, and they were reduced to reading the instructions on the packet. It was a good thing there were three because it took all of them to get one on correctly. The process involved a lot of giggling, and he even lost some of his rigidity. When he was finally encased properly, she asked if he wanted to try again. "Are you willing to miss another class?" he asked her. "Shit!" she spat out as she looked at the clock, "Greg's in that one with me. I don't want to have to make up a story." It was not the kind of resolution either of them had hoped for. Cal wondered if he should have spent less time with the massage, the shower, and going down on her. After thinking about it, he decided he had given her the loving things that Greg would not or could not give. The fucking Greg would do. He had done his best for his friend in the time they had. ------- Greg came up fifteen yards short in the game Friday night. There was a rather angry, half-hour long argument between him and Cheryl afterward about that being close enough for her to pay off. She stuck to her guns. It was wonderfully empowering when she really did not care if he dumped her. Of course, there was a great deal more money that could be made. On the other hand, if Greg dumped her, she might be able to go out with Cal. At times, that prospect seemed more valuable than the money. The hold she had on Greg still puzzled and amazed her, but she had come to accept it and to use it. Already, she had been able to steer him away from two situations that could have caused him real trouble with either the coach or the law. Cal was not totally surprised to get a call Sunday morning. "After a big argument, I'm staying home while the rest of the family goes to church and to Grandma's for dinner. Can you get over here? I'm without a car." It took Cal about twenty minutes on his bike, but the vision that opened the front door to him was well worth it. Cheryl wore a short, silky robe and it was quite obvious that there was nothing underneath it. Her welcoming kiss was toe-curling, but he detected a little tension in her. "Hey, I'm pretty sweaty from the bike ride. Join me in the shower and you can tell me what's bothering you." The last sentence brought a cloud over her face, but she quickly brightened. "I was hoping you would ask. This time it's my turn." With that, she had his shirt off in a few seconds and was starting on his shorts before he could get rid of his shoes. In the shower, he gave her a questioning look, then said "You talk, I'll wash. Deal?" Her big sigh ended when he started right in washing her butt. "I'm still worked up from 'Lecture 3'." "Lecture 3?" "That's the one about if I didn't waste so much time on silly games I could get all my studies done and still have time for the really important stuff like church and visiting grandma. "They're really into church, huh?" "Oh, not so much. That's just the place to find the right kind of boys." "What do they think of Greg?" "That's funny! About all they know is that he's filthy rich and a great catch." "Hmmm. Not to rub a sore spot, but do they go to any volleyball or basketball games?" "They've never seen me play," she spat out, her anger obvious. "They don't know what they're missing," he assured her. "You're beautiful any time, but when you play, it's like..." Words failed him for a moment. "Did you know I watched you practice?" "Oh, yeah! I was always bummed on days when you didn't drop in." "Do you think Greg will come to your volleyball games?" That earned him a laugh. "Are you kidding? He wouldn't be caught dead at a girls' event." "Then it will be safe for me if I can make it?" he asked. It was easy to bring up images of Cheryl on the court: leaping, blocking, hitting, setting, diving; all of her moves were done with such a combination of grace and power that Cal sometimes fell into a near trance just watching her. She was impressive at basketball and softball, as well, but in volleyball, she was magnificent. Inexplicably, that produced some tears. "God, it would be nice to have someone in the stands!" "There'll be three of us yelling for you, I promise. Oh, I may have some conflicts with practice, but I'll do my best." By that time they were out of the shower and drying. She had become very emotional and hugged him with all of her might. When he started to lead her out of the bathroom, she seemed to come out of her funk. "Wait!" She grabbed a condom packet that he had not noticed on the counter. "We're going to do our practice right here. I'll use this thing when I take the pressure off for you, but you'll never wear one when you're in me, OK? That will be the special thing between us." He was at first concerned that the reduced sensation through the latex would make it harder for him to come. It was harder, but only by degrees, and he was so primed that it was not a problem. As she took the filled rubber off of his cock, she told him "I did a little research. Just so you know, it's important not to leave a sheathed cock inside as it shrinks. There's too much chance of semen leaking out." "I didn't know that. I may never have to know it, but it's good information." There was a long pause and she was very still. Then, "I suppose there was no reason for you and Teri to even talk about condoms, huh?" He felt that all-too-familiar flash of panic at her words. The concern over discovery of his affair with Teri had always been there, but he had always thought they were very careful. Ken, Rebecca, and now Cheryl had figured it out. The thought of who else might know was alarming. She finished cleaning him up and led him to the bed while he was still almost in a trance. "Cal, Please don't worry. You showed a lot of trust when you told me you were experienced. You needed to do that to make it good for me, and I appreciate it." "So you just figured it out?" "Uh, huh. There weren't very many possibilities, you know. I called and talked to her, and she knows I would never, ever let it out. I tell you, Cal, that is one woman who would do absolutely anything for you. Her husband and Tessa aren't far behind, either." Taking the initiative, she worked him out of his shocked state. When they got down to making love, they were able to do all of the things they did not have time for on their first meeting. After an hour and a half of mixed arousal and tenderness, she blurted out "I'm not going to let myself fall in love, you know." "Sometime you'll have to show me how to stop that," he retorted. ------- Cheryl and Cal got together one more time before Greg had his 'qualifying' game. Rebecca and Tessa were sitting with Cheryl in the stands, something that made Greg snarl every time he looked their way. Cal was keeping an eye on the stats sheet when he was not on the field and when Greg passed the 150 mark, he signaled the three digits with his hands. Cheryl shook with a repressed sob and both girls gave her a hug. By the end of the game, Cheryl had gotten her emotions under control. She kept telling herself that it was worth it because she was building a big bank account toward med school. To make it work, she had to fake a lot of things, but she would do it. If she could stay with Greg until she graduated, it would mean a huge amount of money, more than she had ever imagined. She felt dirty for what she was about to do, but the cause was just. When she met Greg outside the locker room, he was obviously beaming. She saw him about to say something, but jumped in ahead of him. "So, it's finally your lucky night, Stud. Great game!" For show, she plastered herself all over him as his teammates streamed by. From their crude comments, she knew that he had told everyone about the deal. Asshole! There were two crises that night that could have ended the relationship. In both cases, Cheryl depended on the strange, strong hold she had over him. In both cases, she won. The first crisis came when they reached his car and she asked, "So where are we going for the big event?" "Well, I thought Volunteer Park would be a good place," he said offhandedly. "You mean you want our first time to be in a car that doesn't even have a decent back seat? How about a little romance?" She hoped she had just the right mix of scorn and anticipation. It worked, and they drove to a motel known for its leniency in renting to teenaged couples. The next crisis, predictably, involved the condom. She had done a little strip tease for him, thanking Cal every moment for the confidence he had given her. When he practically tackled her to the bed and pounced on top of her, she said "Wait! Rubber!" "I don't use rubbers!" he exclaimed in surprise. "With me you do." "Aren't you on the pill?" "Sure, but I know how many places you have put this guy," she said as she stroked his trembling cock as seductively as she could manage, "and I am not taking any chances." That produced an explosion that very nearly blew their relationship apart. Inevitably, lust won out. She gave him a handjob first, to take the edge off. Even so, when he entered her, suitably raincoated, he still lasted barely a minute. When he collapsed, she managed to roll him off and out of her. As she stripped off the condom, he was almost asleep. She fought back the tears, once again thanking Cal fervently. If it had not been for him, what had just happened could easily have made her a confirmed lesbian. ------- Cheryl had told her parents that she was sleeping over at Rebecca's after the game. When Greg dropped her off at home, well after midnight, he took off before she was even inside. She had planned on that, and started walking. There was a convenience store about a mile away, and she went there and called a cab. It was one of the Fridays when Elaine and Martin had already left for Pete's game and Rebecca had given Cheryl a key. When she came in and woke Rebecca, the two old friends hugged and Cheryl begged for a shower. After her shower, Cheryl came into Rebecca's room and told her "I need to sleep with Cal. Is there any chance your Mom and Dad could find out?" "They're gone to Pete's game, remember? Anyway, they don't come up here much. On a Saturday morning - no way! I've wanted to do that myself several times, but..." "I just need to be held. That's all. Honest." "It's OK. You probably need some good lovin' after Greg." "For a virgin nerd you're pretty smart, you know." Cheryl's quip barely masked the sorrow in her eyes. Cal was asleep with no idea that Cheryl would join him. She slipped in behind him as he lay on his side. The only thing she wore was a long Tee she had borrowed from Rebecca. Cal awoke at the first pressure on the bed, but he did not move as she snuggled up to him. At first he thought it might be Rebecca, then Tessa, and finally the smell told him it was Cheryl. He turned over to face her and she enfolded him in a death grip. Neither said a word and neither initiated as much as a kiss. Within fifteen minutes they were both asleep. ------- The football team was in a minor rebuilding process, having lost Pete on the defense and a solid quarterback and a running back on offense. It had taken Greg a few games to adjust to being the bread-and-butter ball carrier, and they had lost one of those games. Chad had also taken a few games to fit into his new starting quarterback role. By the fourth game they were rolling. Cal worked easily into his kicking duties. In the first four games, only two kick-offs had been returned, and those were because of unwise decisions by the receivers. He got good distance and very good height on his punts, and most resulted in fair catches or went out of bounds. Because the offense was not able to sustain a lot of long drives, Cal kicked a surprising number of field goals. In fact, he outscored the offense in the first two games. He was not a starting safety, and ended up playing only twelve or fifteen snaps a game. Through the rest of the season he did a creditable job in the defensive backfield. He made a number of tackles on running plays and was only beaten badly twice. Against passes, he also made a number of tackles. Twice on pass coverage, he was beaten by fast receivers, once for a touchdown, and once for a long gain that led to a touchdown. There was an interesting conversation with the coach after the touchdown play, which happened early in the year. "Why didn't you grab him when he went by you?" the coach demanded. "I didn't know he would catch it, and I didn't want to give up the penalty." "Next time, just grab him. Our rule is that no one gets past us in the clear. I won't yell at you for the penalty if you play your position right. I know you aren't as fast as some receivers." Cal was troubled by the order because it offended his sense of sportsmanship. It took another conversation with an assistant coach to convince him that it was the best move for the team. Perhaps because of his tackle on Greg in the scrimmage, Cal was sent in frequently on blitz plays. Most of the teams in the conference played an option style, and he had a knack for sensing whether the quarterback would pitch or keep. He was responsible for several losses in the backfield. By the end of the season, Cal felt he had done an excellent job of kicking and a satisfactory job at safety. He had come through with nothing more than a few bruises and minor strains. ------- For the most part, Cal and Greg did not cross paths much during the season. That did not keep Greg from using every possible chance to harass Cal. One day, about mid-way through the season, Cal was walking toward a place where he and Rebecca met briefly every day as they changed classes. He got to their meeting place first and saw her thirty or forty feet away. Rickert, a teammate and the crudest of Greg's followers, was walking beside Rebecca, talking animatedly. Suddenly, he put his hand on her shoulder and tried to turn her to face him. By the time she shrugged it off, Cal was already sprinting toward them, pushing people aside. Rebecca saw him and shook her head frantically, begging him not to do anything to Rickert, who had turned back in the other direction. Her plea was enough to bring him to his senses. It would be totally foolish to do anything physical in school. Cal got to practice early that day and was waiting when Greg showed up. He moved directly into the big guy's path and waited until Greg stopped. There were already two hangers on behind Greg, but unfortunately, Rickert was not one of them. There had been two more classes for Cal to sit through while he debated how handle this latest insult to his sister. Mr. Yokata did not hold a high opinion of threats in any form other than applied. He did acknowledge that sometimes they were necessary in order to protect loved ones. This situation seemed to fit perfectly. "Greg, if you or any of your dogs ever touch Rebecca, Tessa, or Bobby again, their season will be over immediately. Now, get the word out, especially to Rickert." "Hey, why are you telling me? I didn't do anything!" "Those jerks are doing it to try and please you. You need to convince them it's a bad idea." "Well, screw you, kicker! I'm not telling anybody anything! Besides, who you gonna hire to hurt one of us?" Dropping the usual calm with which he faced Greg, Cal took a half step forward so he was practically touching Greg. He had to look up because of the height difference, but he did not let that affect the fierceness of his words. "OK, don't tell anybody anything. If it happens again, I'll just take it out on you. And you know damn well I could end your career right now without breaking a sweat." Greg was now very uncomfortable. The shrimp was blocking his way to the locker room and did not seem ready to move. His two followers were expecting him to just push through, but something held him back. Just then, from the hallway leading to the locker room, the coach called out "Overland, can I see you a minute?" With a glance of mixed hatred and relief, Greg turned toward the coach's office, followed by his shadows. Later, after practice, Cal found Rickert and asked him "Did you get the message from Greg?" The "Fuck you!" response was all the answer Cal needed. ------- Cheryl gave Genevieve Overland her money's worth for the football season: the coach, too, if he had known. On three occasions, she forcefully took Greg's keys away after he drank far too much at parties. Once, she almost bodily hauled him away from a party where marijuana showed up. They literally passed a patrol car at the corner as they drove away. At another party, a girl was pulling a train in a bedroom, and Greg was all set to take his turn. That time, Cheryl laid it on the line that if he went in there, they were through. She said it to him privately so he would not lose face, but he still wanted to argue about it. Taking the biggest chance of her 'contract', she just walked out the front door. He caught her halfway to the street, and they left. Through good luck rather than her own wisdom, they avoided another bust that night. A date rape drug was found on one of the leaders of the gang bang. A couple of times a week they managed to have sex. After the third or fourth time, Cheryl became suspicious of Greg's rather modest level of arousal and started doing some research. He had really bulked out over the summer, more than she thought normal. Three weeks before the end of the football season, Cheryl pulled out Genevieve's card one evening and called the number on it. She was not surprised when someone else answered. "Would you please tell Mrs. Overland that Cheryl Carson needs to speak with her on an important matter." "Does she have your number?" the voice asked. "She cannot reach me," Cheryl responded. "I will wait while you find out a good time to reach her." "But Mrs. Overland does not accept calls. She always initiates them." "I think you had better make an exception. I will call back in thirty minutes and give you a chance to save your job." The voice must have heard the way she slammed down the receiver. Exactly thirty minutes later the same voice answered and when Cheryl identified herself, she was told to hold. About a minute later, just when Cheryl was about to hang up in disgust, Genevieve came on the line with what Cheryl knew was exaggerated politeness. "Hello Miss Carson. Are you calling to report on how you have earned your money?" "No. Why would I need to do that?" "I thought you might be concerned that I would be become dissatisfied with your efforts." "Your new investigators are much better. I haven't noticed them at all," Cheryl teased. "Then how did you know... ?" Genevieve NEVER left a sentence hanging. Except with this insolent girl. "I never doubted that you would be keeping track. It would be very unlike you." Genevieve stifled the indignant objection on her lips and instead asked "Then why did you call?" "I believe Greg is on steroids and has been for some time. It may have started a year ago at football camp. Long term use has proven dangerous to health. It's not a problem I can do anything about." "Steroids? I don't think I understand." "They are used to accelerate muscle growth and increase strength and speed. Unfortunately, the side effects can be quite unpleasant." "Are you sure about this?" Genevieve demanded. "No, I am not. I'm calling you so you can find out for sure." "Tell me, Miss Carson: considering how you feel about Greg, why are you bothering with this?" "That should be obvious, Mrs. Overland. My desire to be a doctor is not to make lots of money. I hate to see anyone with health problems, especially if they are self-inflicted." "I see. I will look into it." There was no 'Thank you', nor did Cheryl expect one. Just as Cheryl was about to hang up, thinking the call was over, Genevieve asked "Miss Carson, why are you still sleeping with the Banner boy?" It took a moment for Cheryl to stifle her surprise, but she answered "After being with Greg, I really need some good loving." That answer irritated the woman. "What could be so bad about sleeping with Greg? He is a well-built young man." "Look, Mrs. Overland. Do you really want the dirty details about your grandson?" "Yes, I believe I do." "OK. He is the original 'slam-bam' guy, only he does not even bother with 'Thank you Ma'am'. He just falls asleep. I don't think he knows what a clitoris is, and he has no interest in using it to bring me any pleasure." "I'm sure you must be exaggerating. Perhaps your dislike for him is coloring your opinion." "If you don't believe me, ask Cecily," Cheryl said. She had not wanted to use that particular weapon, but the old bitch had seriously pissed her off. "Cecily who?" "That's funny. How many do you know?" "But... but she is his cousin! And she is only fourteen! You can't mean... !" Damn! The young witch had her stammering now. "I merely said you should ask Cecily about Greg's sexual prowess. I don't have anything else for tonight. Do you?" When silence was the only response, Cheryl hung up. She wished she could just stop the daily debates with herself about whether her contract was worth it. Her times with Cal had preserved her sanity, but they had also shown her what she was missing. But if she was not going with Greg, could she really take Cal away from Tessa? What was the deal between those two, anyway? As usual, the debate always came down to that precious M.D. and the money it would take to get it. She would stay with it. Someday, Greg would do something that made the money not worth it, but that wasn't today. It was a Tuesday night, but she could not help it: she called Cal. ------- Genevieve had heard of steroids, but since they were associated with sports, she had not bothered to find out any details. That would have to change. Cecily and Greg! That could not be true! But of course it could, sadly. That one she knew exactly how to handle. She had known from her investigators that the two had been together frequently. She had been so happy to see Greg interacting with any of his relatives that she had not even thought of the possibility of sexual activity. Genevieve could not allow herself to admire the Carson girl. The payouts had already reached $80,000, a ridiculous sum. Still, if Greg had not narrowly escaped the police those two times, it might have cost more in lawyers' fees to make the problems go away. And what if he had been kicked off of the team? One thing she could admit was that she wished some of her progeny had a fraction of the drive and determination the young bitch had. Greg did, but it was not channeled in positive directions, except for sports. ------- Chapter 15 Genevieve Overland was faced with a delicate problem - two delicate problems, actually. This steroid thing was worrisome, if the Carson girl was right about the potential health dangers. The Greg/Cecily relationship was really worrisome. Greg had blindsided them all with Cecily. Genevieve had four children, and they in turn had spawned fourteen grandchildren for her. Out of the eight female grandchildren, Cecily, at fourteen, was undeniably the prize. She was pretty and surprisingly sexy for her age. In a very real sense, she and Greg stood out from the rest in looks, brains, and force of personality. Greg seemed to have total disdain for all of his other cousins. They, in turn, seemed to spend every family gathering trying to get his attention. Their intent was probably to get some positive attention from him. When that never worked, they quickly turned mean and found every possible chance to cut him down. Not that it seemed to bother him in the least. Cecily was always in the pack with the other girls, but seemed to observe more than participate. This in spite of her outgoing personality. That anomalous behavior now made sense to Genevieve. Being female, Genevieve could not deny the same attraction to her grandson that every other female seemed to feel. Intelligent and well-read, she knew about alpha males, and the description unquestionably fit Greg. But that was not the only reason she worried so much about him, to the extent of paying the Carson girl ridiculous sums to try to keep him in line. She had always harbored some hope that Greg might displace his own father, Genevieve's eldest son Brandon, as head of the family before she died. Brandon had been a wild teenager, too, but there was a difference. Greg was not just wild. He seemed to be purposely self-destructive. Except for grades and sports, he showed no regard for anything: health, the law, or any other person. Actually, the grades and the sports success came so easily and naturally that little effort was required on Greg's part. Greg had an enormous ego, perhaps the biggest Genevieve had ever encountered. That ego spawned a fiery competitive streak that manifested itself in every part of his life. The sad thing was that he never seemed to do anything just for enjoyment or relaxation. Grades, football, sex, drinking, interpersonal relationships - those were some of the areas he seemed driven to dominate. For all of his intelligence, Greg was still dangerously immature. When he wanted something, he seemed unable to apply any caution or rationality. Largely because of his privileged upbringing, very few restraints had ever been placed on him, and he had developed none of his own. If he wanted it, he tried to get it or to do it. It was as simple as that. In a very real sense, he was nothing but a big, handsome, intelligent, athletic, personable, spoiled child. Genevieve's hopes for Greg's eventual management of the family fortune were definitely in jeopardy. She didn't care if he ever turned out to be a nice guy: that was not essential to doing a good job for the family. Her concerns were more basic than that: ruined health and running afoul of the law. Despite her initial outrage and after some contemplation, Genevieve decided to pretend that she did not know about Greg and Cecily. Although she would never admit it, the idea of an in-family marriage for Greg had some appeal. Greg's mother Penelope, an outsider, had been an excellent mate for Brandon. Still, Penelope did not have the same outlook for the family as 'real' family would have. The steroids were another matter. Genevieve had people who could find out everything about that situation. If they were as dangerous as the Carson girl had inferred, Genevieve would put a stop to the problem. There was still hope that Greg would straighten out, and he needed to be healthy. She wondered if the girl had been right about all of his sexual activity, and she hoped he was taking precautions. ------- Genevieve had to defer her confrontation with Greg about the steroids. The night she planned to address it, Greg came home in a thunderous mood. The selections for the basketball team had been made and he had not made the varsity. Penelope was quite well tuned in to her children's moods, and she was home when Greg arrived. She followed him right to his room, somewhere she seldom went, and sat in a side chair waiting for him to tell her the problem. Greg's instinct was to tell everyone just to leave him alone. However, he was aware of the impact he had on his mother, and he sensed how far she would go on his behalf. He was canny enough to protect and nurture the hold he had on her. "What happened, Greg? I haven't seen you this upset in a long time." "The coach left me off the basketball varsity! Chad, too!" "How can that be?" Penelope demanded. "You're the best athlete in the school!" "Damn right! And..." "Greg!" Penelope was death on 'coarse' language. "... that funckin' kicker made it! What the hell is the coach thinking?" Penelope decided that it was not a good time to make an issue of the language. Besides, she was genuinely puzzled as to how her son could be left off of the team. "You mean the Banner boy? He hardly seems like a basketball player." "Yeah, well, he's good at brown-nosin' coaches." "Well, I'll bet I can do something about this," she said with a comforting pat on his cheek. Greg had been so consumed by anger that he had not yet considered seeking his parents' help to get on the team. Well, his mother's help, actually. She was the one who seemed able to pull strings and make things happen - she and his grandmother. But this was perfect! Except for his inexplicable attraction to Cheryl, Greg did not really have feelings for people. He was, however, adept at manipulating them, and his mother was an easy mark. She was going to bat for him and she should be rewarded. When her hand touched his face, he pulled her into a hug, feeling a tremor run through her as he purposely pressed her full length against himself. Penelope could not see Greg smile at the certainty that he could bring his mother into his 'harem' any time that he wanted to. He was a long way from needing that, however. There was far too much prime young pussy out there unexplored, yet. Sure, it might be fun to break through that regal demeanor of hers, but not yet. Genevieve saw Greg come home in a rage and she saw Penelope head for Greg's quarters. Genevieve had wondered for some time if that mother/son relationship was taking an unhealthy turn, but there was no evidence of anything but Penelope's adoration of her son. The steroid thing could be solved without direct confrontation with Greg, Genevieve reasoned. Her people could cut off the source - all sources. ------- Principal Jameson was perspiring when the basketball coach entered her office in response to her call. The air conditioning was working perfectly, but she would probably have been sweating naked in Antarctica right then. She had only had her job for three years and she loved it. It was exactly what she had dreamed of when she got her degree. Not only did she feel good about her performance, she received plenty of encouragement from those over her and those she served. Of course, replacing the unlamented Lester Schantz [see 'Redemption'] made it easy for her to look good. Now, it could all come apart. Her lesbian affair had ended six years before, in a different state. She was alone, now, but that might not matter. In many parts of the country she might have been praised for her courage, but not here, not yet. Even the fact that she was now dating a man quite seriously might not help. In fact, she could very well lose him over the disclosure. Damn them! And the whole brouhaha was not about anything she had done, that's what made it so frustrating. The coach was a real winner, a good teacher, and a gentleman. Their relationship was excellent, and that made this meeting even worse. After somewhat tense greetings, the principal dove in. "Coach, you know I have never interfered in team matters before, but could I ask you about a couple of your selections?" All good coaches read people well, and he was no exception. Of course, after the shit that he had been through personally the last few days, he did not have to guess what was going on with the principal. He liked her and he felt sorry for her. This should not be her problem, but there must be some indiscretion they had found. "As you can probably guess, I have been through this already. I know what you are going to ask. Let me lay it out for you." "Cal Banner is one of the best shooters I have ever seen on a high school team. He is also a very disciplined player with good court awareness. He is not that fast, and he does not jump too well, but he always seems to be in the right position. When he is on the floor, he makes his teammates better." "I see. I don't know much about him myself," the principal added, "except that he had some impressive kicks in football games." "I would guess that the real question is about Greg Overland, right? And Chad Clark, too, I suppose. Well, Greg is big, strong, and a fast runner. However, he does not fit in the style we play. At 6'3", he is marginally big enough to play center, but he has lousy footwork, poor hands, and he is not a good leaper. He can't shoot, pass, or dribble well enough to play outside. On top of that, his arrogance would be destructive to a team that right now has great chemistry." When the principal just sat looking glum, the coach asked "Is it serious enough to cause you real trouble?" Startled, the principal asked "What?" "I'm guessing that they found something in your past that you would rather keep secret - something that would at least be embarrassing," the coach told her. Reading her expression, he sighed and continued. "Look, I've enjoyed working for you, and I would hate to see you lose your job over something that's not your fault. But I could not live with myself if I made my team decisions because of outside pressure. I'm sorry, but I won't do it. If it is that serious, you will have to fire me." She was able to laugh at that. "Sure, and what could I come up with as 'cause'? Three State trips in six years?" Running out of sarcasm, she seemed to collapse into her chair. "I really should not even have called you in here. I can't give in to them, and neither can you. I don't know how much it will hurt me. It may cost me a promising relationship, and maybe even my job. But that is my own doing, not yours. We'll just gut it out and see what happens." The fact that they did not even discuss Chad Clark's omission from the team had more to do with less pressure from his parents than with his relative suitability to the team. ------- The effect of the team selection on Greg's attitude toward Cal was predictable. Hatred that was already strong became pathological. Cal had never understood what had started the bad blood in the first place, but it probably centered around Rebecca. Neither she nor Tessa had ever showed the slightest attraction to Greg. That was something Greg could neither understand nor tolerate. The urge to catch the big asshole off campus and give him a thrashing was almost too strong for Cal sometimes. The discipline instilled by his years of training was a major restraint, though. Fear of making things harder for Cheryl was another. Cheryl actually made things a little harder for herself. By agreement between them, she did not interact with Cal at all in school. Though they both attended the school dances, they never danced together again. But she did see quite a bit of Rebecca and Tessa at school. They had several of the same classes, and except for the two that Greg was also in, they behaved as long-time good friends. The support of her friends was critical to Cheryl's emotional survival. She had made a bargain with the devil. To her, the reward was worth it, but it was often agonizing along the way. Except for Rebecca and Tessa, and Cal in secret, she had no close friends. The circle of girls that hung around Greg and his buddies would have nothing to do with her. She was an outsider that had snared a prize that should have belonged to one of them. In a way, that made Cheryl even more appealing to Greg. He was so arrogant that he did not consider anyone worthy of him, with Cheryl the only possible exception. And he really kept her around because... well, he could never have put the attraction into words, but it was very strong. Besides the strong basic attraction to Cheryl, the fact that she was not accepted by his family or by his social group was a plus to Greg. To himself, he scorned both groups, and her outcast status bound them closer in his screwed-up mind. When football season ended and Greg failed to make the basketball team, Cheryl's 'job' got even harder. He seemed determined to destroy himself, and she felt more and more like a nursemaid or a jailer. Somewhere along the way, someone must have gotten him off of the steroids. From her research, she knew about the emotional effects of withdrawal. As if she needed anything more to make him unmanageable. But manage him she somehow did. She kept him out of jail, out of the hospital, and away from suspension at school. The big mystery to Cheryl and her friends was why he let her do it. She told them everything. She had to or she would have gone crazy. One reason Cheryl believed Greg was off of steroids was his sexual performance. He was still a selfish, inept pig, but his arousal level and his endurance had increased quite a bit. There was never a question of him getting her off with intercourse, but at least he was lasting long enough so that she could fake it convincingly. Manual or oral stimulation of her was something she had suggested a few times, to complete scorn from him. As his libido increased, Greg's demands for sex became more frequent. She knew that he was still finding it other places, but she also knew that those places were potential sources of trouble where she had no control. Keeping him out of trouble was important to her because the money was important because the M.D. was all-important. Cheryl joked to her friends that she was now giving Greg so much sex that she probably made less per session than a high-class call girl. Neither Rebecca nor Tessa could work up a laugh over that. Her first few times with Greg, Cheryl had been so keyed up and angry when he rolled over and went to sleep that she brought herself off as he snored. Later, she came to feel that orgasms were too beautiful and too precious to be sullied by his presence. That left Cal. If her relationship with Greg was strange, the one with Cal was hardly normal, either. But it did have one thing that she desperately needed: there was genuine care and respect for each other. Both scrupulously avoided the 'L' word, but any observer would have been hard to convince otherwise. Cal was grateful for the sexual outlet and the privilege of enjoying her delightful body. Any man is drawn to a sexy woman who desires him openly, and Cheryl was eager to express her desire for Cal. She in turn craved the tenderness, the intimacy, and the respect that was so lacking at her home and with Greg and his crowd. She needed the great, considerate sex, too, but that was actually secondary. They had found a fairly regular time to get together. Cheryl had laid down the law at home that she was through with church for good. The Banners and the Walts had never been involved. Martin and Elaine usually went to a long brunch at the club with friends on Sunday mornings. Cheryl's refusal to go to church left her without transportation, but she was content to ride her bike, and sometimes Rebecca, Tessa, or Bobby would do taxi duty. Occasionally, Cal would come to her house, particularly when his parents did not go out. Because Rebecca was jealous of every possible moment she could be with Bobby, she asked Cheryl to tell Bobby what was going on. He was often around on Sunday mornings, as well, and Cheryl's presence could not be kept from him. As it had been for some time, the relationship between Cal and Tessa continued to be baffling to everyone who knew them. They were close, close friends, about as close as a boy and a girl could be. The strangest thing of all was that Tessa showed no jealousy toward Cheryl. One night, coming back from a shoot at a home, Cal just blurted it out. "Tessa, I know you are one in a million, but I don't understand how you can be so cool about Cheryl. As far as I know you haven't dated anyone but me. We don't do any more than some hugging and kissing. Yet, it doesn't seem to upset you when Cheryl and I are together." "I don't know, Cal. Sometimes I puzzle myself. Look, I love you. You know that. But I don't own you, and you don't own me. I don't have any right to be upset about Cheryl." That didn't really answer anything for Cal, so he remained silent. "Cal, if I said I wanted us to go steady, would you drop Cheryl and do it?" He just had to go and open his big mouth, didn't he. Talk about unexpected questions. "Um, it would be pretty rough on Cheryl, but yes, I would." OK. He could score once in a while. She looked dumbstruck. Then, she shook her head and gripped the steering wheel more tightly. "Damn! You weren't supposed to say that. What you're saying is that whatever we have between us is up to me, right?" "Tessa, it's always up to the woman. That wouldn't make headlines in the 'Fanfare'." Tessa was on the staff of the school paper, and was in reality the de facto editor and publisher. Thus the newspaper reference. "Does... does that mean you would like us to be closer?" "I don't think we could be much closer, do you?" he asked. "Except physically, that is." "Like I said before. Sometimes I can't figure myself out. You know Mom. I think I'm as horny as she is, but it's like I have so many other things that are important. I can't say that I have fallen as madly in love as Mom did. Maybe that will happen. I'm sorry that it hasn't happened with you, but..." "Hey, no 'sorrys' allowed, OK? I guess I shouldn't be asking such personal questions." The rest of the trip home was silent. Cal thought about her 'madly in love' statement. It had not happened for him, either, to be truthful. Not with Ismi, not with Tessa, not with Cheryl, and not even with Teri. In fact, he was not sure he could even grasp the concept of that kind of love. Of course, watching Rebecca and Bobby was a pretty good object lesson. He could honestly say that he loved all of them. He was willing to risk anything to protect them. Yet, if any of them found someone else, he would not be destroyed. It had happened with Teri, and he was OK. He had to admit to a little concern that he was missing out on something. If he was missing something, he certainly could not complain about what he had. With a friend like Tessa and a sometime lover like Cheryl..." ------- Around mid-summer, Elaine had finally acted on Cal's advice about getting Rebecca on the pill. Taking another day off from work, Elaine had scheduled a full day of shopping, primping, and dining out. As they sat at supper, she broached the big subject. "Rebecca, Honey, do you sense how much our relationship is changing?" "How do you mean, Mom?" "Well, a mother has a lot of responsibilities with a child, but a lot of them aren't needed any more with you." "Like what, Mom?" "Discipline, for one. How long has it been since I've even had to scold you or correct you about anything?" "Well, that's good, isn't it?" "It's wonderful, Honey. When I brag about you, my friends just do not believe it. Another thing a mother needs to do is help her daughter find good relationships. You've always had wonderful friends. Now, you've got a great guy and it looks like it's the real thing." "Geez, Mom! We've only been going out for six months or so!" "Yeah, but I've got eyes." "Do... do you really think he's a great guy? I mean, he's different than we are in some ways, and..." "Honey, he loves you to death and treats you wonderfully. He's bright, he's respectful, and I think he has a great future." Rebecca blushed and grinned at the same time. It was as if a major worry had been lifted from her. "You've never said much about him before. Why now?" It was Elaine's blush as she tried to find the right words, but Rebecca interrupted. "I know. Cal, right?" "He thinks a lot of your boyfriend, you know," Elaine said. "Yeah, they get along really well," Rebecca agreed. "And you know he is really particular when it comes to his sister, don't you?" That made them giggle together. "Anyway, what I started out to say is that our relationship is already changing, and I want to make sure we don't lose anything. It has been so great to get closer to you!" Elaine had to pause as her eyes filled a little. "It's been great for me too, Mom. You know, Tessa and Teri always had that, and I'm so glad we've found it." "You probably know that we never went near Pete's room without asking. Well, I want you to know that the upstairs belongs to you and Cal. We will not question or interfere with who you want to have up there or what you want to do." "Wow! That's awesome, Mom!" "To be sure I can sleep well with that, there is one important thing we need to take care of," Elaine told her. "Yeah. The Pill. You probably know that we haven't done it yet. We're not really in a hurry, either. You mean it won't bother you if we do?" "Of course it will, at least a little. But you've earned the right to decide when it happens. I'd much rather you have your first time in your own bed than in the back seat of a car." "And Dad's all right with this?" "He's fine with giving you the upstairs. All fathers believe in immaculate conception for their daughters' children, and I probably can't change that. But he's a realist and he loves you so much it hurts." That was too much for Rebecca and she came around the table to sit by her mother and give her a hug. "I love you Mom. I promise I won't do anything to make you sorry." "Oh, just a few details. The upstairs vacuum is in..." Grinning from ear to ear, Elaine recited the location of all the housekeeping essentials, emphasizing the responsibility side of the new privileges. Dramatizing it to the hilt, Rebecca stood in a huff and pranced back to her side of the table. "Spoilsport!" she complained as she sat down. "I suppose there will even be inspections." Elaine vowed that she would take more days off to be with her daughter. The time was priceless, and she could already see it slipping away. ------- With the new upstairs policy in effect since mid-summer, the comings and goings of the group of friends became even less structured. The rear outside garage door was fitted with a keypad lock, and Tessa and Bobby already had the combination. They also knew the hiding place of a key from the garage into the house. After some discussion, Cheryl was given the same privilege. The garage entrance to the house opened into the central front hall, right next to the stairs to the second floor. Thus, the teens could come and go with little chance of disturbing Martin and Elaine. It became a little joke routine between brother and sister to do an 'occupancy check' when one of them came home. Rebecca and Tessa had always split time between their two homes, and each had two queen beds in their room to accommodate the other. It was about the first of December on a Saturday night, and Tessa was staying over. Rebecca had been out on a date and would be arriving late, but Tessa came over anyway. She and Cal sat in the downstairs rec room and watched a movie, cuddling and kissing occasionally. At such times, Cal sometimes wondered if that's what married life would be like. Anticipating his early workout, Cal gave up after the movie ended at eleven, and Tessa walked upstairs with him, hand in hand. On the bedroom level, she gave him a quick kiss and headed toward Rebecca's room. Cal was feeling very upbeat as he stepped into the shower. The first basketball game had been the night before. He was in a backup role, but he had gotten in for over a quarter of the game in total and had hit three of four three pointers. He had also fed Dante Roberts, the big center, twice for easy lay-ups. It had been sheer fun. And Cheryl would be over in the morning! Just as he was thinking of Cheryl, her mental image was replaced by a very live, very naked Tessa stepping into the shower with him. "I've always thought showering together was the sexiest thing," she explained. "I need my turn." Cal barely had time for a quick look at her previously unseen parts when she took his already-expanding penis in both hands. "... and I'm tired of this showing up only in my fantasies," she told him. Cal thought he wanted to say something, but before he could frame an appropriate comment, she was drawing too much blood to parts other than his brain. Tessa may have been totally inexperienced, but timid she would never be. Her hands told him that she loved the feel of his straining maleness and just the impact of the new situation brought him to the brink in record time. When he blasted his load all over her belly, she was moaning as if she had been the one to come. "Damn, that's cool!" Not bothering to rinse off, she plastered herself against him, aggravating his already unsteady balance as he tried to regain his breath and strength. "When I get through with you, you'll have nothing but mouth and fingers left for Cheryl in the morning." How typically Tessa. Her first time naked with any guy and her first time giving a hand job. But not a shred of shyness, nervousness, or timidity. Only eagerness, wonder, and a sense of fun. God, how he loved her! She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss, then said "Speaking of your mouth. Let's get out of here so you can use it on me, OK?" Then, with just a little less bravado "Uh, remember Cal - everything but, OK?" She took his continued silence as affirmation and began washing him. By the time she finished washing him, he had recovered enough to return the favor, and it was just as much fun for him. Tessa, even more than her mother, was made to go naked. She was voluptuous and she looked sexy in most clothes. But naked, she just looked... right. And edible. And fuckable - no, he couldn't think that. She wanted to retain her virginity, and he would honor that. When he washed her breasts, he hardened again. They were phenomenal. Ever since the boob shot, he had fantasized about them, but the reality was so much more than he expected. His experience with breasts amounted to two women - two very different women. Cheryl's were smaller, firm, and perky, with extremely sensitive nipples. Teri's were large and very full, as were Tessa's. Though not as large as her mother's, Tessa's seemed more 'packed', and they were incredibly firm. The feeling was unbelievable! "You like 'em?" she asked through erratic breathing as he teased her large nipples. "They make up for some of the fat?" Through the sheer pleasure of what he was doing, Cal managed to remember that Tessa was not confident about everything. She had her own need for reassurance. "Nothin' to make up for," he said. He purposely dropped his hands to her waist and rubbed and squeezed all over her middle. The fact that he replaced his fingers with his lips on one nipple made her forget about objecting to his playing with one of her least favorite places. That was a trick he had learned with Teri. When he and Teri first made love, she was still heavier than she wanted to be. She hated her belly and the roll around her middle. After feeling her shrink from his touch on the 'wrong' spots a few times, he went to the direct attack. He spent a lot of time stroking, squeezing and playing with the places she disliked. It showed her that he loved all of her, and before long she would purr at his touch anywhere. It would take a while for Tessa to get over some reluctance, but he had a feeling this would not be his only chance. Eventually, they got out of the shower and dried off. Turning playful, she insisted on leading him to his room naked. As luck would have it, Rebecca came up the stairs just as they came into the hall. He was actually behind Tessa at the moment, so his sister never got a look at his penis. She did stand there and scope out his bare butt as he went into his room. Tessa almost tossed him through the door, then went back out into the hall and fell into a giggling fit with his sister. "Are you... are you really... ?" Rebecca stammered out when she had enough breath. "I'm staying a virgin." "But..." "Our rule is 'everything but', Tessa explained. "Will you be upset if I sleep with him tonight." "Of course not. If Cheryl can, why should I object to you?" "Thanks." Tessa looked down at herself, blushed a little, then shrugged. The two had never been casually naked with each other. "I've gotta figure out a way to get Bobby for a night. We could use that 'everything but' rule, too." "How much have you... ?" Tessa blurted out. "Sorry! That's none of my business." "Oh, that's OK. We haven't gotten naked, and we haven't touched, uh, down there. We're taking our time." "Good for you. I think you've got lots of years ahead of you." When Tessa came back into Cal's room, he was in bed, and she slid in and laid right on top of him. "You don't ease into things, do you?" he teased. "I wasted all my 'ease in' time doing nothing. Gotta catch up," she answered. "And I've got a come to catch up with." She rolled off of him and spread herself open in invitation. Presentation. Cal had observed before how important that was to a woman's sex appeal. The way Tessa presented herself to him and the way she looked at him just drew him to her. It was not crude or slutty. It was achingly beautiful. Her nicely trimmed pussy made him want to dive right in, but she deserved better than that. He began a slow gentle journey down her delicious body with the longest, most intense kiss they had ever shared. She got her come, and two more in the bargain. Cal wondered if there really was such a thing as a shy virgin. Cheryl had opened herself to him with no hesitation, in fact with eagerness. And now Tessa. There was no holding back at all, and he did not mind. After her third, it took her a while to recover. "I'll take pity on Cheryl. I'll only get you off once more. Then I want to cuddle up and go to sleep. That's something Mom never got to do with you." ------- When Cheryl arrived the next morning, the other three were sitting around the kitchen table eating a variety of breakfast foods. Tessa wore a Tee - just a Tee. It was short enough that her bare bottom was partially visible as she sat. Cheryl looked pointedly, than raised an eyebrow in a dramatic questioning expression. Around a mouthful of cereal, Tessa said "Yeah, the chair is kinda cold on a bare butt." Both Cheryl and Tessa broke out laughing and Cheryl came over to her with arms open. Tessa stood to meet her and they hugged each other while Tessa's bare butt winked at the other two. Cal could see Cheryl's face as the two hugged, and it was not long before her eyes filled with tears. When she looked at Cal, they started to leak down her cheeks. Seeing that, Cal stood and came over to the pair. Touching the back of Cheryl's head gently, he asked "What's wrong? Rough night?" "Uh, no," Cheryl stammered. "It's just... you two... I guess..." Tessa picked up on it first. "Oh, no Cheryl! Remember what I said about 'friends with benefits'? I just needed some real good benefits. I guess it makes us kinda the same, huh?" The relief and the release of tension caused Cheryl to break into all-out sobs. It had indeed been a rough night, and she had run out of cope. Greg had wanted a threesome, and Cheryl had gotten a cab home. She had used some of her money to buy a cell phone that she tried to keep Greg from knowing about. If she only used it for an occasional escape, it was worth every penny. As seemed to happen at least once a month, she again thought that her contract would be over. Again, she had very mixed feelings about it. Both Tessa and Rebecca did their best to comfort her, but it took many minutes before she was fully in control. As it turned out, Cheryl did not want to have sex - did not even want to undress. "I just need to be with you guys. I need to know I can just... I don't know... be me, I guess. All the time I'm with Greg and that bunch of assholes I have to play a role. Then if I go home, they're always pounding on me to quit this or that sport or forget about med school or something else to make me the right kind of daughter. If I didn't have you guys..." The rest of that thought was lost in more tears. Eventually, Cheryl did get naked. Cal talked her into a massage, but she did not want to be away from the girls. Cal suggested that they sit by her on the bed while he worked, and they all agreed. While Cal spread the towel and found some lotion, she stripped to her panties. Then, looking at Tessa, she said "Hell, if Tessa's gonna keep flashing us, it doesn't matter if I go bare." Rebecca was bothered at first by the nudity of her two friends, but it wasn't long before she was chatting merrily with the others. It was only a queen bed, and when they both stretched out beside Cheryl, Cal barely had room to work. He didn't really mind. Tessa was having the time of her life. She lay on her back with her hands behind her head, jabbering away. The Tee was too short to reach her pubes, so they were on display the whole time. Cal could not resist frequent looks, and she gave him a grin every time she caught him. Despite her emotional weariness, Cheryl became very talkative and started telling more about her home situation than any of them had ever heard before. "I still can't believe I'm doing this with Greg," she started. "In a way, I feel like my parents forced me into it." At her friends' expressions of surprise, Cheryl launched into to a long description of her journey. ------- "My family is so strange. I mean, Mom and Dad do their best to give us a nice home, decent clothes, medical care - all that stuff. But it's like their doing it for their prized possessions, not for actual people." "I knew something was wrong when I was real little. Mom always made me wear dresses, and if I got dirty when I was out playing, I got punished - hard. When I was six, I started taking off my dress and just playing with all my friends in my panties. I could climb trees, play ball, wrestle in the dirt, and do anything I wanted. I learned how to clean off the worst of the dirt before I put my dress back on and went home. I headed straight for the bathroom as soon as I got there." "Before you say anything about me being an exhibitionist, that wasn't it. I just wanted to play like the other kids. A neighbor mother complained and I got a terrible spanking and was grounded for most of the summer. I knew even then that I would have to fight for everything I got." "See, both Mom and Dad came from very, uh, chauvinistic families. Grandma Carson is just the sweetest person, but she's like invisible in their family. Grandpa Carson is not mean or anything, but he and Dad and my two uncles are all macho athletic types who think sports and business and a bunch of other things belong strictly to men. Mom's family is almost identical." "When I got to fifth grade, there was a girl's basketball team, and I begged and pleaded for all I was worth to get signed up. They absolutely refused. I was ten, I knew I was good, and I was desperate. I could do anything better than all the boys, and I loved to play and compete. I went on strike." "I refused to dress myself or bathe or eat. Dad got as pissed as I ever saw him. He ordered Mom to leave me alone to starve and stink. I can still remember how terribly hungry I got after four days. It was when I passed out in the hallway on the way to the bathroom that Mom stood up to Dad for the only time I can remember. Mom dressed, bathed and fed me like a baby after that, and I did nothing to make it easier. I had missed two days of school and I refused to go out and get on the bus the next day, so Mom had to drive me. When she let me off, I just stood there. It ended up with her taking me into my classroom and right to my desk. In school, I just sat like a lump. I wouldn't say anything or do any work. Let me tell you, that was bloody. It went on for two weeks, they were so determined to keep control of me. The thing that finally got through to them was the school Counselor. I never did find out what she said to them, but I remember Mom was as white as a sheet and actually shaking when they came out of the office and told me I could play." "Here I was not yet eleven. I stood there and told them if they tried to keep me from any other sport, I would do the same thing again. I guess I was a little bitch, but what was I supposed to do? I wasn't asking for anything unreasonable. I only wanted to be able to do what the other kids were doing." "I wasn't just demanding, though. I tried to be their perfect daughter every other way. My room was always spotless, and I made sure the kids' bathroom and the other kids' bedrooms were clean, too. I did all the kids' laundry and way more than my share of dishes. As soon as I was old enough, I mowed the lawn and trimmed the shrubs. You know what it got me? Lack of scoldings, is all." "I hate admit it, but part of the reason I play so well is because I play angry. I mean, I love to play, but there's always the feeling that I have to show them - even if they've never seen me play." "God, the battles we had over clothes! A friend's mother gave me shorts and stuff for sports. Other than that, I never had slacks or shorts until eighth grade. You know what I did then? We had a field day at a big farm, but Mom insisted I still had to wear my usual dress. As I was saying goodbye to Mom, I took off the dress and handed it to her. Dad was already gone to work, and she went hysterical trying to stop me. The neighbors talked about that scene for years." "I got on the school bus in my panties and bra. I was shaking so bad I could hardly walk, but I knew it was the only thing I could do. I wasn't asking for anything unusual, just the right clothes for the occasion. I would give in and wear dresses to school." "Let me tell you, all hell broke loose when I got to school and the first teacher saw me! But I got two pair of jeans and two shorts out of it. The idea of my doing that again just terrified my mother." "Lots of times I've wondered if I really wanted to be a doctor or if I subconsciously chose what would upset my parents the most. For a while, I thought of joining the Air Force and becoming a pilot - maybe applying for the Academy. That would really set them off. If I hadn't found a way to get money, I probably would have done that. I knew I couldn't do med school on my own." "So, my contract with Genevieve is crazy. It's desperate. But I've had to fight for every little privilege that my parents don't think is feminine. I'm so used to fighting and using any weapon I can that I couldn't refuse Genevieve's offer. I knew I didn't want anything to do with Greg, and having sex with him was against everything I believed." "Now, I'm stuck. I hate myself for what I'm doing. But the money gives me a chance at my dream. I'm sorry to admit it, but knowing how much it would hurt my parents gives me pleasure, too." Cheryl's contract with Genevieve had always been a desperate move on her part. How any sixteen-year-old virgin could agree to such an arrangement was beyond understanding. In truth, Cheryl herself did not understand it. From the time Greg returned from summer football camp, Cheryl had been under extreme stress. From Memorial Day, when she had made the deal, it had seemed like something of an unreal game. Because she had never had to go to bed with Greg, the true significance of what she had agreed to had not really hit her. With the start of school, the reality of impending sex with him destroyed any lingering feeling of 'playing' at the relationship. She actually extended the 'game' a little longer by making the deal of yards for sex, but it was only a delay of long enough to have Cal prepare her. With football ended, Greg's libido strengthened, and the anger over missing the basketball team exacerbating his already surly and demanding attitudes, things had become far worse than Cheryl could have imagined. Day by day the reality of her bargain was impressed upon her. Many people can use family as an excuse for their misdeeds. Some have justification, and Cheryl certainly fell into that category. She was a person who naturally felt strongly about family. As the oldest, Cheryl was the typical groundbreaker, and in a real sense, she ended up getting broken. ------- After a while, Cheryl fell asleep. As soon as Cal sat back from rubbing her, Tessa was on her feet stripping off her Tee. "I've waited a long time for one of those," she said. They covered Cheryl, left her sleeping, and moved to the second bed in Rebecca's room. As he worked on Tessa, Cal saw a strained look on Rebecca's face. "Sis, we've been through this before. I'm not expecting..." "Oh, that's not it, Cal. I'm just bummed that Bobby couldn't come over today." "Are you watching so you can tell him how to do it?" "Um, uh... I couldn't let him do that?" "You could keep you bra and panties on." "That would still be so... so..." "Hey," Tessa broke in, "it's great. It lets him show how he feels about you." "But he doesn't know how," Rebecca complained. "So what? He'll still be touching you. Don't you like that?" Tessa demanded. The conversation stopped there. A little later, Cal had his hands on Tessa's bottom, more caressing than actually massaging. He looked over at Rebecca and caught her with her hand between her legs. She went incandescent and bolted from the room. "I'd better go and talk to her," Cal said quietly in Tessa's ear. She gave a small hum, and he covered her over and went to Rebecca's room. "You must think I'm the biggest dork," Rebecca muttered, unable to look up at him as he entered her room. She was sitting on the bed. He sat beside her, then laid back and pulled her down close. She struggled a little, but he held tight and she relaxed against him. "I don't like anyone calling my beautiful, brilliant sister a dork," he said with mock sternness. "But I'm not like Tessa and Cheryl. I can't just do stuff that easily. I need to get used to things, and..." "So take all the time you need. No one is expecting you to do anything. Well, maybe Bobby would like you to go a little faster, but he'll let you go at your own speed." She snuggled in for a close hug and didn't say anything for a while. Then, in a small voice she asked "Do you think he would really like to, you know, massage me?" "I think he'd come in his pants if you suggested it." "Cal!" she shrieked. Then she broke into laughter, he joined her, and their little interlude ended on a light note. ------- During the fist few weeks of basketball, Cal learned a lesson. He had not really thought himself prejudiced, but he discovered to his dismay that he had a real problem with one of his teammates. Two sophomores had made the varsity in their freshman year, and Cal had not spent very much time with them. One was Terrell Roberts, the brother of Dante, the big, talented center. The Roberts brothers were black, but that was no problem for Cal. He and Terrell did not share any classes, but they had the same lunch hour and often sat together. They both seemed comfortable with each other. The problem came up with Mahmoud Salaam, another black sophomore player. He and Terrell were usually together, and Mahmoud was a likable guy. Cal tried, but he could not loosen up and Mahmoud knew it. "Hey, man," Mahmoud challenged Cal one day in the lunch room when Terrell was elsewhere, "sometimes it seems like I'm not even here when you and Terrell are jawin'. Did I do somethin' to piss you off? I don't think it's a racial thing. You're fine with Dante and Terrell and Derrick." That brought Cal up short. He had felt the unease, but he did not realize he had let it show. Sighing, he shook his head sadly and told Mahmoud. "I'm sorry, Mahmoud. I had a terrible experience with the Muslim religion, and I just can't seem to relate to anyone who can follow it." His teammate's reaction was not at all what Cal expected: he broke out laughing. "Man, I ain't no more Muslim than the Pope!", and he had to pause for another belly-laugh. "My Pop played almost two years in the NBA. It was back when there were lots of civil rights rallies and war protests and shit. The Black Muslim thing was really big. Pop wanted to fit in, so he converted." "Some conversion," Mahmoud said with another laugh. "They gave me the name, but I was baptized in the AME church, and I've never been in a mosque. My parents haven't, either, since then." Cal felt as sheepish as he could remember feeling. Trying to break the awkwardness, he asked "Have you ever thought of changing your name?" "Nah. Even black Christians would think it was because I was ashamed of my race. You know, a lot of Africa is Muslim." Both boys were quiet for a bit, then Mahmoud asked what had happened. Cal told him about Rachman, Ismi, and Kal, since it was all public information. He did not mention the kidnapping attempt. "Ismi. Is that the babe I saw you with sometimes last year?" Mahmoud asked. "Shit! If that's what Arab pussy looks like without the Klan get-up, I think I WILL convert." Even though Cal thought the coarse comment was indirectly insulting to Ismi, he joined his teammate in a good laugh. Conversation with Mahmoud was much easier from then on. ------- Predictably, Cal was not big on celebrations, and his birthday was no exception. That did not mean that he was not enthusiastic about it, though, for some very good reasons. Naturally, the biggest reason was driving. During the summer, he had taken a qualifying course at a private driving school. With good advance planning, he had taken and passed his tests on his birthday, even before the little party that his mother absolutely insisted on. True to her word, at the party Teri handed him the keys to a three-year-old mini-van that the photo business had purchased, licensed, and insured. She told Cal that for all practical purposes it was his vehicle. For many sixteen-year-old guys, the prospect of driving a mini-van might not have seemed thrilling. But as oriented toward utility as he was, Cal was very pleased with his new mobility. As every parent of an involved teen knows, the sense of freedom when a child can finally drive himself or herself greatly offsets concern over safety and potential mischief. Tessa and Rick gave him a nice case filled with the necessities for operating and doing light maintenance on the van. Teri also gave him a cell phone, prepaid for a year. "I'd like you to have that on whenever you are away from home," she told him. "I know it is kind of big and clumsy. We can get one of the new smaller ones that are supposed to be out soon." With Cal's busy schedule, most of their shoots were now scheduled for weekends. The Sunday following his birthday, Cal was a little surprised when Teri, rather than Tessa, joined him in the van, insisting that he drive. "This one requires my presence," she explained. Her statement did not mean anything to him at first and he must have looked puzzled. "Hey, don't you remember our little meeting last summer? The one where we talked about our rules for more intimate photos?" "You mean... ?" "Yup. You're sixteen now. I've got a bunch of women dying to bare their boobs for your camera." "You mean, you found a woman who actually agreed to do sexy pictures with another adult present?" "No, I didn't find one," she assured him. When she saw his confused look, she giggled and told him "I've got a list of customers who have been waiting until your birthday." "You've got to be kidding!" "Cal, you should know by now how much women long to be thought sexy. Well, word has gotten out that your pictures can make them look that way." "Yeah, but why have they waited for me? There are lots of pros out there." "Right. But you go into their homes, which most won't do, and our rates are still cheaper. And don't forget: you have the talent for catching just the right setting and the right look. And I think there's something about undressing for a young guy that gets women extra excited." "Are you telling me that's what we'll be doing for a while?" "Yup." Pausing for a moment and getting serious, she told him "Cal, you must know that you've been kind of spoiled, don't you? I mean between Tessa, and Cheryl, and Rebecca, and Ismi, and your Mom, and Laura you've got some beautiful bodies to look at, but..." "And you!" he interrupted. "Don't start, please!" she begged. Composing herself, she went on. "My point is, some of these women who want to look sexy - well, it's going to take some work." "Oh. Just how sexy are they going to want to get?" "I think you need to be ready for anything." That sounded utterly ridiculous to Cal, but he could recall many past failures at predicting or anticipating women. He also remembered the requests he and Tessa had had to turn down over the summer. "Well, I have to thank you for the wonderful training, then. It didn't really take much to make you look sexy, though." "Cal! Please!" "Sorry. Say, do we have time to pull over and plan how to handle this first woman?" he asked. "Women. Two sisters. Forty-something. Well-built. Moderately over-weight. Used to be knockouts. Kinda like me." "Now YOU stop it!" he told her. He pulled into a parking lot and they talked for about ten minutes. ------- Chapter 16 When they were ushered into the home, only a few minutes late, Cal asked if they could talk for a few minutes. This was by arrangement with Teri. "I understand that you would like to have me take some revealing photographs. Is that right?" Both women nodded, somewhat nervously. "How revealing do you want them to be?" When neither woman came up with an answer, he asked "Will you be wearing lingerie? Sleepwear? Swimwear? Nothing?" He finally got a reaction as the one whose home they were in replied "Well, maybe all of those. We didn't know if you would..." "OK. I take that to mean you want some nude shots, right?" He was keeping things almost clinical, as Teri had suggested. He was succeeding, but there was a definite tightness in his pants. "Now, how much do you want revealed?" "Well, if they're nude shots..." the other woman started to say, then shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, do you want your breasts exposed? Your nipples? Your pubic hair? Your bare bottoms?" It was apparent that while they had an idea of doing some sexy pictures, they had not thought through the particulars. "OK, I'm going to bring in the equipment. Let Teri help you get ready for the first set of pictures. Where would you like them taken?" It seemed that Cal rarely used the backdrops any more. They had picked up some additional lights that were very useful in normal household settings. Since the photos were being taken in homes, many of the customers wanted their rooms and their furnishings as background. Cal and Teri found that he had an excellent feel for the lighting, contrast, depth, and balance issues of these real-life settings. By agreement, for the initial positioning for every setting, the woman would wear a robe. Once a pose was worked out, Cal would either leave the room or turn away as Teri helped the subject out of the robe, and got her ready. Cal would then take care of any final position or expression adjustments. Cal was worried as the first sister came out for the initial sitting, but he could see that she was much more nervous than he was. All at once, he felt that same 'inversion' of roles that he had noticed so often since THE DAY. He was no longer an inexperienced boy as he was that memorable night in Teri's basement when he first took the glamour shots of the girls. There was no longer a life-experience gap between himself and these women. Or if there was, it was in his favor, despite his tender years. These were nice women who wanted an ego boost that he could give them. There was no reason he should feel shy or nervous with them. To do his best for them, he needed to be calm and in control, and he needed to be their friend. The first sister, Christine, was the older, taller, and trimmer of the two and she wore a nightgown and peignoir set reminiscent of the first glamour shots of Teri. Within a few minutes, Cal, Teri, and both women were talking easily, even laughing and joking a bit as Cal suggested changes and worked to get the right facial expressions. Things became relaxed enough that the sisters soon laughed off the need for robes between scenes. In fact, it seemed to please them greatly to wait casually for the other while clad in increasingly revealing outfits. Cal half expected them to start changing right in front of him, but Teri made sure that did not happen. After each sister finished a series of poses in filmy bra and thong panties, there came an awkward silence. Cal felt he had to take control at that point. "Now, at first you said you wanted some nudes shots. Is that still true?" Both women nodded, but Cal could see that their resolve was weakening as it came close to reality. "OK, Charlene (the younger one), come to the kitchen. I want to set something up that I think you will like." "The kitchen?" "Yes, because of the high counter. By the time we take the picture, no one will know it's the kitchen, though." He tried kitchen chairs and bar stools until he found just the right height with a chair and two phone books and had her sit. Then, he placed her forearms crossed on the counter and moved her forward until her breasts rested on her arms. "OK, Charlene. The pose I want is topless. Is that going to be all right?" He watched shock, alarm, and uncertainty flash across her face and he took a chance. "Your breasts and you chest are really lovely. I think this can be a picture you will be very proud of. Do you want to do it?" Charlene blushed as hard as anyone he had seen, then nodded. "I'm going out to fetch a backdrop. Teri, can you and Christine find a soft green cloth, maybe with a little shine, to put on the counter top. Also, some flowers or knick-knacks at the side of the setting would be good. Charlene, you just stay in place." As he turned to head outside, Teri was frozen in place, staring at him as if he had two heads. When he smiled at her, she shook herself out of her stupor and got busy. As he set up the backdrop he had fetched and positioned the lights, the two women were finishing the arrangement of the countertop. The moment of truth had arrived and he told Charlene "It's time to take the bra off, now. Still want to do it?" She nodded and started to move her arms. "Uh! Uh! Let Christine do it. You just hold the pose." If took a little while for the blush to recede, then Cal said "Charlene, pull your shoulders back a little... not too much. We want your breasts to look like they are hanging naturally. We don't want their shape distorted by your arms underneath, but we want them just a little higher than if you were standing. Good, that makes a beautiful valley between them. Now, if I can get the shadow just right..." He moved the camera a bit and adjusted a light. "Oh. One other thing. Do you you want your nipples soft or hard?" He heard all three women gasp at that question. Thinking that he had maybe pushed too far, he quickly said "Let's just take a couple this way, first." From nervousness or whatever, she was quite soft. "Charlene, you have children, right? Did you breast feed them? Good. Now, think back. It's the middle of the night and you have just finished feeding and changing your baby. You look down at the crib - remember what you were feeling." He caught a wonderful expression of love and contentment on her face. After a few more shots of that pose, her nipples were still soft, and he decided to take another chance. "OK, you have gotten back all of the pictures from tonight. You're sitting in a romantic cafe with your lover, and you decide to show him this one first." Click! Click! Click! Her nipples had hardened instantly and expressions of mischief and lust were caught by the shutter. He thought it was significant that when he said she could get up, she did not even think about her topless state until Teri came to her with the robe. For Christine's turn, he wanted to take advantage of her very nice ass and legs. He positioned her on the floor in front of the fireplace, lying on her stomach, wearing just the short top of her baby doll set. He took shots with first the front leg, then the rear leg bent upward, then completely prone with her head down. "Please don't be offended, now," Cal said to Charlene and Christine a little later. "but I see that you two are exceptionally close. I would like to suggest some nude shots of the two of you together. I know, I know! Maybe there is no one else you could show them to, but wouldn't they be priceless to have? Actually, I can take some so only one of you is obviously nude." There were some nervous glances between the two before they agreed. He positioned them for the first pose, then turned around while Teri helped them get completely naked. They were facing each other, sideways to the camera. Their toes and foreheads were touching and their hands were linked below the line of their breasts. Both had a little more belly than was attractive, but the lowered hand position provided some camouflage. He had them fluff their fairly full bushes and adjust their stances so the hair was just visible from the side. From the first time with Teri, he remembered that as a very erotic touch. He also had them raise up on their toes to enhance the lines of their legs. He took several shots, including ones that isolated one woman or the other so that they could show them to their husbands. He wondered if the complete shots might not be shown to both men anyway, but that was none of his business. That did trigger an idea, though. "Christine and Charlene, I want to ask you something. If we don't charge you for any more time, will you do some more settings? This is our first time with photos like this, and you are such wonderful subjects! We could learn a lot if you can spare the time. With two of you, this is a unique opportunity." "Your first time? I don't believe it!" Christine exclaimed. "My husband flew out of town this afternoon so there is no time problem here. Can you stay longer, Charlene?" They both agreed to work longer, and Cal told them he wanted to do several poses with only one of them nude. "Why do you want that?" Christine asked. "Well, I didn't want to assume that you would show both of your husbands the ones with both of you nude." That produced a giggle that lasted quite a while. "Um, that's a good idea," Charlene told him. He noticed that neither sister commented on who would see which pictures. Cal was very thankful that he always carried three times the film he expected to use because the three women went berserk inventing poses where only one sister was nude. He actually suggested the first one. It had Christine in a robe holding Charlene's hand to support her as she stepped out of her panties. From then on, it was a free-for-all. One removing the other's bra from behind; the clothed one touching up the nude one's makeup; washing the naked one's hair; combing hair; painting toe nails: all of the poses were tender and loving. They were erotic, but still tasteful. It was Charlene's suggestion that caused Teri and Cal to huddle up and discuss whether it fit within their guidelines. Charlene wanted Christine to pretend to trim Charlene's pubes. Teri expressed their reluctance to do shots that revealing, but Charlene was a great beggar. "Look, I love my husband to death, and he's a good lover. But I could take twice as much sex as he gives me. I could save a shot like that for when I really needed it, and I'd have in him in bed in thirty seconds. What's wrong with that?" Cal's head was still spinning from Charlene's blatant comments when he starting snapping shots. After a half-dozen shots, he almost dropped the camera when she spread her legs wide and brushed back the hair to display the inner pink of her pussy. "Charlene, I don't think..." "Come on, Cal! Please! I'll pay extra. No one will know. Your reputation won't be hurt." Teri was standing nearby and just shrugged. At first, Christine did not want to do the pose, but her sister more or less shamed her into it. She never did try the lewd display that Charlene pulled, though. After the long series of shots with one sister clothed, Cal asked to see the bathrooms for the next setting. The master bath was large and had two sinks in front of a full-wall mirror. The tub was across from the double vanity. It was perfect for what he had in mind. Since the shooting distance was limited, he got his widest angle lens. Then, he found that he had to sight in and focus the best he could and move the camera back tight against the wall to get every possible inch of distance. He had the sisters stand facing the mirror, one putting on lipstick and the other eye shadow. They were spaced apart and the reflection of their naked fronts was visible. "Keep your elbows out without looking awkward," he told them. "Keep your nipples visible to the camera. Keep both arms raised." He did not say it to them, but the arms raised did two things. It lifted their breasts nicely, and it minimized the tummy bulges. Cal left the bathroom first and Teri came right in with the robes. The last setup was to be back in the family room. Cal tried not to react when Charlene came in with the robe on but unfastened and flapping open. There was a coffee table that looked plenty sturdy, and Cal took the few items off of it and laid an afghan atop it. Then, he had the women sit on it side-by-side. After they had shed their robes, he coached them into position. Charlene had her arm around her taller sister and her head on Christine's shoulder. Christine's head was bent over and resting on her sister's head. Christine's hand was resting on Charlene's thigh with Charlene's other hand on top of it. After Cal had shot a number of pictures, he heard Teri sniffling when he told the women he was done. All three were very quiet as Cal and Teri packed their gear. Only when everything was loaded did Christine ask "When can we see the pictures." "I like to do them quickly," Cal answered. "I should be able to drop them by in the morning, if there will be anyone here." As it turned out, Teri dropped them off since it was more in her route to work than Cal's to school. ------- When Cal got home from practice on Monday, his mom told him that Teri needed to see him. Half expecting some kind of trouble, he walked over before supper was ready. "Well, we've got our hands full," was all Teri said when she opened the door. Fearing either complaints about the quality or some sort of legal complication, Cal could not help letting his shoulders slump. Then, with a grin, Teri said "I think we have enough nude shots scheduled to keep you busy through August." "You're kidding!" "Nope. Those two women are absolutely over the moon about the pictures. I think they must have called everyone they know and had them over to see the photos." "Even the naked ones?" "Especially the naked ones." Rule Five [they can always surprise you]! Was anything he assumed about women ever right? "Sure you don't want to quit basketball and do shoots every night?" Teri teased. "Well, I did think they were pretty good," Cal admitted. "I looked at them before I dropped them off. Cal, they were unbelievable! The expressions! Christine was literally crying on the phone when she called me at the office this morning. I had just barely gotten there and she had already gone through them." ------- Much as she would love to watch Cal play, Cheryl wished that the basketball season would end at Christmas. It was such an irritant to Greg that he seemed to be looking for ways to get into trouble. Between his irritation and his increased libido, he seemed to be on the prowl for other sexual outlets even more than before. Cheryl was becoming a bit of a laughing-stock at school as word got around about Greg's other escapades. Greg seemed to be able to rack up A's without spending any time studying. Cheryl's grades were better than his, but she studied hard and she was in some sport all year. Because of that, she had much less free time than Greg did. That meant that she had to refuse many of his requests to go out. He was not one to suffer any loneliness, so he often found another girl to keep him company. Much as she hated to do it, Cheryl knew that it was time to ask a favor from Genevieve. As before, it took a left message and a wait before she had the woman on the line. "Mrs. Overland, I think you know how hard it is for me to ask anything from you, but I believe this would help me fulfill my end of our agreement. I would like the names, places, and times when Greg fucks other girls." "Hmmm," Genevieve could not resist gloating, "does that mean you're willing to talk about a price reduction?" Cheryl paused both for dramatic effect and to let her anger subside. "Fine. I'll stay with him until the end of this month, then we'll end it, OK?" Cheryl retorted. "You would really give it up that easily?" Genevieve asked in disbelief. "It takes everything I have to stay with it," Cheryl assured her. "I am on the ragged edge of quitting about a hundred times a day. If you won't give me a little help that costs you nothing, then let's end our contract, and Greg can go to hell. He is working very hard to get himself there right now." "I still don't understand why you detest him so much. There seem to be many girls who would grab him in a minute if you dropped him," Genevieve said. "If you can't see him for what he is, then I pity you for the kind of men you've had in your life." Cheryl knew that statement was highly inflammatory, but the damn woman just got under her skin. "Now listen here, you little tart!" Genevieve almost screamed at her. "You have no right to be judgmental with what your are doing!" "Don't bother with January's payment, then," Cheryl shot back. "It's going to be a Merry Christmas for me after all." It really was with a sense of freedom that Cheryl slammed the phone down. ------- Cheryl desperately wanted to refuse Greg's invitation to a New Year's eve party. She cursed her sense of honor for not doing just that. She had said that she would finish the month, and that is what she would do. The party was at another estate in the Overlands' neighborhood. The boy hosting the party, Royal, was known to play around with drugs. Cheryl reasoned, though, that in such a fantastic home, no one would take a chance on doing anything illegal. She told Cal about the party. He was not surprised that she would be going with Greg that one last time. He was learning a lot about his lover. He made her promise to take her cell phone and he promised to keep his on and with him. He had heard the same stories about the host. On the phone, Cal talked her through setting him up as a speed dial number. Then, he had her try it several times to make sure she could do it in a hurry. Elaine and Martin, Laura and Will, and Teri and Rick were all going to the country club's annual New Year's Eve party. After a great deal of lobbying, Rebecca got permission to host a party. Invited were Bobby, of course, and the group that had classes together and lunched together. Cal and Tessa were included, of course. Jolie was invited as a matter of courtesy, but no one saw a remote chance that she would come. Depending on who canceled, there could be fifteen kids at the party. Elaine had at first put her foot down firmly at the idea. It was Cal that took her and Martin aside and explained about the character and intelligence of the kids invited. They worked out a series of check-up phone calls, and they would not be far away in case of any real emergency. As seemed to happen as a matter of course since THE DAY, Cal was viewed as the adult chaperone, forgetting that he was a year younger than all of the others. Plenty of food and drink, lots of games, including computer games, puzzles, endless dancing music: the cool crowd would have laughed at the preparations, but the invitees seemed truly excited. Elaine went through the obligatory phone call with each set of parents. The deciding factor seemed to be the proximity of their own party. Cal did one other thing that sealed the deal for many of the invitees. He agreed to take pictures for nothing. He suspected that he would not have much free time, but his sister's glee more than made up for his sacrifice. Having a few of the original girls from his first shoot a year earlier made it more appealing. Only Cal knew it, but three different set of parents, including the Armstrongs, were scheduled to stop by at various times during the evening. No one expected anything to cause them concern. ------- There were several more sexy photos sessions, mostly from Charlene's recommendations. All of them went extremely well with no hitches until the Sunday between Christmas and New Years when the cell phone rang as they were on their way to a home. When they started accepting the more revealing shoots, Teri had switched the business number to a cell phone that she kept with her at all times. Coverage within the city had improved to the point where was a better tool for their business than a home phone. "You can't come!" The frantic woman told Teri. "My husband isn't leaving like I expected. It's... it's a mess! My neighbor was already here and she let something slip. Now, he's really upset that I would do something like that behind his back." "Hold on," Teri told the woman, then explained the situation to Cal. "Let's go there and try to patch things up," Cal said. "Do you think that's smart?" Teri questioned. "I'd hate to be the cause of a problem in their marriage." "But we're not marriage counselors," she objected. "I know, but I just think we should try." To say that their entry into the house was strained would be a gross understatement, but they were admitted. The husband, Rob, was more downcast than angry. The wife was in tears. The neighbor had apparently bailed out. As had become the pattern, Cal took the lead and introduced himself first to the wife and then to the husband. He was just turning to Teri to introduce her when the husband asked "Cal Banner? The one who plays basketball? And kicks?" "Yes, that's me," Cal answered, relieved that an opening of some sort had appeared. "Well, what are you doing taking, uh, porn shots?" "That's definitely not what we do," Cal answered, letting his indignation show. "We have turned down a number of requests for pictures that we thought were nothing but porn. We won't do that." Teri thought it was a good time for her input. "Mr. Krantz, the reason why I am here as an adult with Cal and why we require an adult with Joyce (the wife) is so there can never be any accusation of taking advantage or of taking unauthorized photos. We are very concerned with our reputation and that of our subjects." "But don't you take naked pictures? Why would Joyce want to do that?" "Do you enjoy looking at you wife's naked body, Mr. Krantz?" Teri asked. "Well, yeah. Of course. I am male, you know." That little bit of levity was a very good sign. "Joyce knows that," Teri continued. "She wanted these pictures for a gift to you. It gives her pleasure to show herself to you and to see you enjoying it. That's why she wanted to do it." "But to bare herself to him..." "You have to think of Cal as a professional, just like a doctor," Teri explained. "He has done a lot of these photos already." "Yeah but she's my wife!" "Mr. Krantz, come on in the kitchen with me for a minute, would you?" Cal asked, and walked off assuming the older man would follow. He did. "Look, Mr. Krantz, I..." "Rob. Please." "Thank you. Rob, I know I'm just a kid, but let me tell you the most important thing I've learned through photography. It's that women can never get enough boosts to their self-image." Rob was about to say something, but Cal held up his hand. "I know, she is a very good-looking woman and she should not have any problems. But believe me when I tell you that the most beautiful women I've photographed did it for the very same reason." "Teri told me Joyce wanted these pictures for an anniversary present, is that right? How many years?" "Twenty." "Well, congratulations. That's a milestone. My parents are almost at twenty-five, and I think it's wonderful. But now you have a big problem." "What's that?" "If we just leave, how do you think Joyce will feel about this whole deal?" "Shit. Probably not good. But what can I do about it now?" "How do you think she would feel if you went in there and offered to be her adult attendant, instead of leaving and calling the neighbor." "But I don't want her to take the pictures!" "You mean you don't want me to take the pictures, don't you?" "Well, yeah." "I'm sorry you're in this bind, Rob. Believe me, I'm not just trying to keep your business. We have more than we can handle. But you've got to think of what happens if we just drive away." "Damn! Damn! Damn! How'd you get so smart at sixteen?" After a pause he asked "You really do this a lot? It doesn't affect you?" "Hell yes it affects me! I wear the tightest, heaviest jock strap I can find. If I see your wife naked, I will get hard, guaranteed. But I promise you, I will treat her as the thoughtful, loving person she is: a woman who wants to give her husband a gift." "Ohhhh. I don't know!" Rob moaned. "Time for reinforcements, I guess," Cal said. "Wait right here." "If I could take the pictures as well as Cal," Teri said as she walked in, "believe me, I would. But he really has a special talent. The reason Joyce called is that she saw the pictures he did for some of her friends. She wanted so badly to give some to you." "So you're going to tell me the same thing he did, huh?" Rob asked. "You should go to Joyce and offer to be her attendant. I'll bet that's what he said." "And it won't upset her to have me there when another man sees her naked?" "Speaking from a woman's viewpoint, she won't even notice him with you watching." "Boy, it would be tough on me, though!" "And she would know that. Think of how it would make her feel to know you were doing it anyway. Personally, if I was in Joyce's place, you would get very, very lucky for a lot of nights afterwards." Rob just made a gurgling sound. "I never really had a chance, did I?" he muttered. Teri laughed gaily, then told him "When we take a break, ask Cal about his five rules for dealing with women. The still-tearful Joyce was absolutely astonished when Rob offered to be her attendant. When she plastered herself to him, he looked over her shoulder at Teri, who gave him a saucy wink. Cal was already bringing in the gear. Joyce went to the bedroom to fix her makeup and Rob went with her. The gear was all set up and Cal and Teri were wondering if she was already showing her gratitude when they reappeared. Teri had taken to counseling the subjects beforehand on what to wear. She had spent a good deal of money on an assortment of garments that most women would not own. She brought the little wardrobe with them to every shoot. The now-familiar filmy nightgown and robe had proven to be a great ice-breaker, and that is what Joyce wore. Cal and Teri's sexy photo engagements had gone much faster after the first few. Of course, there were two subjects for that very first one, and that took longer. Unless the customer had some specific poses in mind, Teri set them up with those that had proven effective. Naturally, not all bodies looked their best in all poses, and Teri and Cal were still learning about how to emphasize each woman's best features. There were some predictable stresses along the way as Joyce revealed more and more. After the first three sets, Cal decided to head off any crisis at the end. "Joyce, just so we don't keep surprising Rob, how much had you planned to reveal?" "Everything. Oh, not porn, but... you know." "Nipples, pubic hair, and bare bottom, right?" Cal asked. "If... if Rob will let me." All three of the others looked at Rob. It looked like he was about to object, but he saw Joyce's expression and his shoulders sagged. That made Teri step up and put an arm around his shoulders. "Hey! Don't think of it as a defeat, Rob," she whispered in his ear. "Be the proud husband! Be excited about what she is showing you. Don't let her have any doubts, please!" Her psychology was right on, and Rob really did want to please his wife. He started offering to fetch or hold things and made a few little suggestions along the way. Before the next shot, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the bottom that caused her to light up. Joyce had a trim, athletic build with modest breasts. Cal had done a little informal experimenting with Cheryl, and had found some good poses for that type of figure. One was a low angle shot taken from the bottom of the ribs aiming slightly upward and at a 45 degree front angle. Both arms were raised and the hands clasped behind the head. The chin was raised. Teri laughingly referred to it as the arm-pit shot. Joyce looked great in the shot, and after the first take, Rob unexpectedly stepped in and said "This will look even better, Hon." He took both nipples in his fingers and teased them until they were surprisingly long. Neither Cal nor Teri could hold back their admiration. While Joyce blushed and flushed, Rob grinned in obvious pride. "Get a good view of those. They're delicious." It was an erotic little episode and Cal could not help getting aroused. Mostly, though, he was happy that the disaster they had feared earlier was definitely not a threat any longer. When Joyce had shown absolutely everything and it looked like the end of the shoot, Teri grabbed Rob's arm and dragged him into the kitchen. "Rob, Joyce is a lucky lady. You handled this wonderfully. You can see the results in her eyes, can't you?" "Yeah, she is thrilled. I never would have believed it, but..." "Do you want to completely blow her away?" "How would I do that?" "Join her." "WHAAAT?" "You heard me. Take your clothes off and let Cal take some nude shots of the two of you. Think of the memories those would be someday!" "God, I couldn't do that. I'd be... would you leave?" He was at least considering it, despite his voiced objections. "Nope. Look at it this way. How hard do you think it was for Joyce to decide to expose herself to Cal? Is she an exhibitionist, or is she modest?" "That's what's so amazing! She is really quite modest." "So what does that tell you about why she is doing it?" "It's... it's a real act of love, isn't it?" he asked softly. "So, what would she think if you hung your dick out with me watching?" She hoped a little coarse talk would jolt him. It did. "You... you're saying it's the old 'good for the goose... ' business, aren't you?" "But the important thing," Teri emphasized, "is how it will make her feel." Rob was silent for quite a while, not looking at Teri. "I... I've never done anything like that." "Neither had she." "No other woman has ever seen me." "Has any other man seen her before?" "I don't know if I can... keep control," he lamented. "Tell you what," Teri told him, "we'll take a little break. You take Joyce in the bed room and offer to do it. Take a shower if you want. Let her get you off so you aren't so nervous." That left Rob speechless, so Teri walked out of the kitchen to let him decide. She chatted idly with Joyce for a few minutes, giving no hint of what she and Rob had talked about. Rob walked in looking quite natural "Honey, can I talk to you in the bedroom for a minute?" When they left, Teri explained the situation to an incredulous Cal. She had barely gotten it out when there was a loud squeal from the bedroom, making them both work hard to smother their laughter. "I guess he's going to do it," Teri giggled. "You didn't have any ulterior motive now, did you? Did you offer to leave the room?" "No way." She then replayed the rationale she had used on Rob. "And if you believe that..." Cal said sarcastically. "Well, why should you have all the fun?" she pouted. "This is my only chance!" They teased back and forth for several more minutes. "Guess we know what's happening in there, don't we?" When the couple came out in robes, their faces indicated that both had gotten some tension relief. The trick now for Cal was to come up with poses. Teri actually stepped in and took over. She started with him standing behind her with his arms crossed below her breasts. They were both nude, but the first shot was only from the waist up. Succeeding ones were full length, but his genitals were always hidden behind her. Next, she had them face away from the camera with their arms around each other and her head on his shoulder. As always, Cal supervised the final adjustments and made changes for each of the several shots. Like his wife, Rob was also quite trim. He was not muscular, but he was not afflicted with a beer belly or a sagging butt. Teri tried not to be noticed as she snuck glimpses at his package. For the next pose, Teri had Rob sideways on a bench, straddling it. She sat Joyce with her back to him, her knees raised, and her feet up on the bench. Again, his arms were around her middle. Her head was back and they were kissing. Cal had him raise his arms a little for one shot so her breasts were hidden, making it a PG-13 shot. Teri was just about to suggest a pose that displayed Rob's crotch when Joyce beat her to it. "Hey, I've had everything hanging out here. It's time for my stud to show his stuff." Rob threw Teri a stricken look, then squared his shoulders and stood up from the bench. "OK, guys," Teri said. "It's up to you how revealing you want to get. My next suggestion was going to be full frontal, holding hands and looking at each other. Rob looked very nervous again, but Joyce just pulled him into position. "I need some good expressions, guys," Cal told them. "As you look at each other, pretend you're strolling on an empty beach down in the sunny Caribbean. Great! Now, you're on your way up to your room on your wedding night. Super!" Cal had them picture two more fantasies as he clicked away. "That wedding night thing gave me any idea," Teri said. "Rob, pick her up and pretend you're about to step over the threshold. Give him that adoring look, Joyce." Cal had them turn for several different angle shots and some from low down before Rob's arms gave out. Cal even took a couple that showed hair winking in the crack of Joyce's bottom. "Um, um, I... think I need a break," Rob stammered as he quickly put Joyce down and turned his back to Cal and Teri. Joyce walked up to Teri and Cal, totally unconcerned with her nudity. In a whisper, she asked "If he gets hard, will that violate the rules you gave me?" "We, uh, never even thought of that problem," Cal admitted. "If we promise to keep this totally secret," Joyce continued whispering, "will you take some if he's hard?" "You shouldn't ask me," Teri said. "My answer would be biased." That made the women giggle. "Really, won't it bother you if I see him aroused?" "Cal saw me aroused," Joyce retorted. "Besides, I'm proud to show off what I get to love on." Cal had to remind himself that women would probably never stop surprising him. Rob had slunk off into the bedroom, and Joyce went to fetch him. He looked only slightly tumescent when she led him back. "Did you have any other poses you wanted to do?" Joyce asked. "Yes, there's one more," Teri said, working hard to keep her eyes off of Rob's crotch. She put them in the face-to-face pose that they had used with the sisters on the first nude shoot. Then, she had Joyce stand on tip-toes, pull his face down with both hands, and kiss him. His hands were placed on her hips. As with the sisters, they made sure that a hint of her pubic hair was showing and the now-relaxed tip of his penis was just visible. After a few shots, Joyce let herself down off of her toes. "Stay in position, Rob. We're not done with this, yet. Then she gave his penis a couple of strokes, causing it to swell noticeably. "JOYCE!!" he exclaimed and turned away. "Rob. Please. For me. I want some pictures of you at your best." "But she's..." Grabbing him from behind on both arms, she turned him quickly to face the camera. "Look, Teri. This is my husband's cock. I love it. He does wonderful things with it. Now, Rob, that's over with, so let's do the picture again." It took a while to get him to settle down, but when they shot again, he was about half-way to horizontal. To everyone's amazement, that wasn't enough for Joyce. "Now Rob, don't you dare move!" She stroked him again until he stood straight out. "Don't wait for him to stop blushing," Joyce instructed Cal. Without saying anything, Joyce set up the next pose. She turned Rob so he was almost directly facing the camera. She plastered herself against the side away from the camera, her leg, one arm, and one breast in front of him. She made him spread his legs apart so his ball sac was more visible. When she had everything the way she wanted it, she reached up with her front hand and pulled his face down. "Put your back arm around me," she instructed. "Leave the other one at your side. Now shoot, Cal," she said as she kissed Rob. When Cal had taken three shots, Joyce instructed him to wait. "Rob, I'm gonna get it all the way hard, so don't panic." He didn't move, but he looked at the transfixed Teri with obvious panic on his face. When Joyce was satisfied, she resumed the pose, but Teri roused herself and interrupted. "Wait! Joyce, drop your hand to his thigh, almost touching his, uh... yeah, like that. Now, look right down at it. Rob, drop your face and kiss the top of her head. Rob... Rob... yeah, that's right." "Joyce, I want adoration," Cal chimed in. "Rob, close your eyes. Perfect." Teri could sense Cal's 'last shot' attitude and she was grabbing the robes before the shutter clicked. She went first to Rob, standing behind him to help him put it on. She moved around in front of him and dramatically pulled his robe closed and belted it. She ignored the protrusion from his cock and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a hell of a man, Rob Krantz! I don't think one in a thousand husbands could have done that. It's been a privilege to do your anniversary present." Teri still had Joyce's robe in her hand, but it was never needed. "You guys can clean up and let yourselves out, can't you?" she asked, almost panting. "We have an emergency here." Teri laughed and shouted out "Happy Anniversary!" as the couple disappeared into the bedroom. The first five minutes of the trip home were totally silent. "Cal," Teri broke the silence, "don't suppose you'd let me cheat on Rick, would you?" "Dammit, Teri. Now don't YOU start!" "Can you believe what just happened," she asked. "You know, since I first showed Rebecca those pictures, I've had to learn to believe almost anything," Cal answered. "We probably shouldn't have allowed that, should we," she lamented. "Allowed what? Rob to strip?" "I mean her getting him hard." "It bothered you, huh?" he teased. "Hell, yes! You'd better just drop me on the street, cause if Rick's not home, you're in danger." They were able to laugh, finally. "I have felt a little guilty because I got to see all of those naked females and you never got a chance," Cal told her. "Question is, should we allow it again. Maybe even suggest it?" "We'd better talk about that when I'm not terminally horny," she cautioned. ------- Back home, Cal wanted to process the afternoon's shots immediately, as he usually did. On the way home he had been thinking about something, and he went looking for Rebecca. She was watching TV, and to no great surprise, Tessa was with her. He had not considered Tessa, but her presence made sense when he thought about it. At times, the two seemed like one being, just with two very different parts. "I could use a little help after I get these pictures printed," he said as casually as he could. "You two willing?" It was a first, at least for Rebecca, but it did not seem like anything to break their concentration. Both responded absently, and Cal got busy developing. After developing all of the rolls, he first printed all of those with Rob, then called the girls. He had them wait in his workroom and brought in as many barely-dry prints as he could carry. He re-hung them on clips he had installed there and casually said "Just see if you think these are interesting enough to give to the customer, OK?" The first group he brought in hid Rob's crotch, as did the second and third. Rebecca received the ribbing of a lifetime from both Cal and Tessa when she had to take a potty break. When she returned, Cal decided it was safe for her to see the revealing ones and brought some in. "Do you think the customer will want these?" Cal asked teasingly. "If he doesn't, I'll take 'em," Rebecca answered almost unconsciously, then slapped her hand over her mouth and withstood another brutal ribbing. When he let up, Cal held out his arms and she accepted a big hug. "I don't have to mention secrecy, do I? Look at them all you want tonight, but I won't break our promise and keep any prints." Just as he left the workroom, he said back over his shoulder "Even on vacation, you probably should get a few hours sleep tonight, Sis." She was afraid to throw anything that was in the room so she just stuck out her tongue at him. He could still hear the giggling several steps away from his workroom. It was an unethical thing for him to do, especially with Rebecca. Since Tessa was an employee and worked with him, that might be different. He just thought that Rebecca's naivete needed to be jarred a bit, and this was a good way. He really had no concern at all about secrecy, given the other secrets that they all shared and kept. ------- As it should be, New Year's Eve was chilly. The kids arrived at seven and did not waste much time settling in for the evening. Given the home's size, there were plenty of places to cluster and chat. The powerful PC was an instant draw for Bobby and some of the other boys. Cal put off any pictures until 8:30. It just happened that a girl who was doing a portrait sitting soon afterward had her parents drop in. The girl was a little upset, but the mother was thrilled and they stayed for half an hour. After three rolls, Cal took a break to develop and print them. That also drew an interested group of boys, including Bobby. Before he let the boys into his lab, Cal pulled Bobby aside. "I know this is neat stuff, Bobby, but how much time have you spent with Rebecca since you got here?" When Bobby admitted it had been maybe ten minutes, it only took a questioning look from Cal to send him off on a girlfriend search. Cal called a halt to sittings at 10:30, whereupon Tessa began shooing everyone to the dancing area. Since that was also the snack area, it was not a tough sell. Cal took many, many snapshots, hoping for a few gems of each of the kids. The second and third parent visits came only fifteen minutes apart and found the group eating and dancing. The son of one the first set of visiting parents made a huge coup by pulling his mother in for a dance. At least to the girls, he was the Big Man for the rest of the night. Bobby followed suit as soon as his folks showed up. Midnight came, some surprise kisses happened, more food was eaten, Cal developed and distributed the snapshots, and everyone left claiming to have had a fantastic time. By permission, Bobby stayed to help with clean-up. ------- Cheryl was having a far from fantastic time. Actually, the night started out quite well. Greg took her to dinner at his parents' country club. As they sat in the beautiful dining room eating exquisite food, it occurred to Cheryl how seldom she and Greg did anything with just the two of them. Well, there was sex, but that was a different matter. Not that she wanted more alone time with her supposed boyfriend. He was so gregarious, such a party animal that he seemed lost without a gang around him. She could not help analyzing him during the many times that she stood around while he interacted with his buddies. She had to stop analyzing and just play her role! This was the last time! Get through this night and she would be free of him. A little regret over the money that she could have made by going on longer was impossible to put out of her mind. But that was not enough to make her go on. And his queen bitch grandmother! If she never saw or heard from that woman again it would be too soon. Greg even danced a couple of songs with her after dinner. With the way he murdered any dance, that was no great favor, but it was uncharacteristically thoughtful. Once they got to the party well after ten o'clock, Greg showed no vestiges of thoughtfulness. When he was at parties with football buddies, there were at least some real people there. This was strictly the upper crust social group and Cheryl knew she was the only commoner. It got so bad the last hour before midnight that Cheryl ended up watching the Times Square festivities alone in some kind of study or library. As midnight approached, Cheryl thought she had better find Greg for the traditional kiss. She wished she had not bothered. She could hardly believe how drunk he had gotten in the ninety minutes or less they had been there. It was absolutely the most disgusting kiss she had ever endured. In the minds of the male partygoers, midnight was some sort of signal for the real partying to begin. Cheryl noticed couples heading off down various hallways and up stairways. More than once, one of the slobs asked her to go with them. Cheryl did not use alcohol at all. As she was getting ready to call a cab and get out of there, she found a Diet Coke bottle with a glass or so left in it. She poured it, put in some ice, and started sipping. When she went to look at her watch, the face of it was blurry. With her interest in medicine, Cheryl had read voraciously about any medically related topic that she could find. She had read in depth about date rape drugs because there had been several occurrences among her classmates. As she felt her awareness and control slipping away, she knew what it was. All she could think of was Cal. Her purse was only a few steps away on a counter, if she could just force herself to go there. She could move just fine, but with each step it was harder to remember why she was walking that direction. She kept repeating in her head 'Call Cal', 'Call Cal', 'Call Cal'. When Cheryl reached her purse, she could not remember that she wanted the phone. But 'Call Cal' broke through her fuzziness just enough for her to pull out the phone and push the two buttons she had practiced. She had the phone to her ear and was trying to remember what she was supposed to do next when it was pulled from her hand. ------- Cal heard his cell phone ring just once. He hurried to pick it up, but there was no connection. The display did not show a calling number. It was probably someone's misdial. No. He could not take that chance. Pocketing the phone, he yelled to the others "I think Cheryl's in trouble! I'm going over there!" Predictably, the other three demanded to come along. Not wanting to waste any time arguing, Cal waved them to the van and they tore off. As they drove, Cal tried to tell Bobby and the girls that they had to stay in the car. His results were predictable. The last several miles were driven in tense silence. ------- Cheryl was relieved. Someone was showing her where she should go. It had been so confusing not knowing what she should do. But something nagged at a small undrugged corner of her mind: 'date rape'; 'date rape'; 'daaa... '. With all of her might, Cheryl pushed away from the person leading her. He grabbed her back. Someone else grabbed, too. Not recalling why, she pushed again with all of her might. She was falling; bumping; banging. 'Stairs' went through her mind. Then 'crawl'; 'crawl'. Relief again. Being led. Didn't have to remember. Easier that way. Cool air on bottom. Where pants? It's OK, can feel cock pushing in. Dry. Getting better. Greg? Cal? Mmmmm. Good feeling! ------- The section of town was old and quite eclectic. The mansions were along a lakeshore, with patches of much less expense homes interspersed and some rundown clusters quite nearby. There was no gate or guard house to contend with. Reaching the party location, Cal drove across the manicured lawn right up to the front door because the entire driveway was blocked with cars. He still did not know for sure that Cheryl was there, but he would worry about consequences later. He did not try to tell the others to stay in the van. As he burst through the door with the others right behind, two guys turned to face them. "Hey, d' 'tack a nerds!" one slurred. "Fresh pussy!" chortled another. Picking out the larger of the two, Cal got chest to chest with him and asked "Where's Cheryl?" "Who? Oh, Gre' bish. Dunno! Pro'ly wi' him." Realizing that he would not be needing much of his skill on this drunk and that time was precious, Cal grabbed the drunk's nuts and squeezed. "Where's Cheryl or you won't be caring about pussy any more?" "U... up... fir... l... lef," the drunk gasped out. The sight that greeted Cal and the others as he opened the indicated bedroom almost made him lose all control. ------- Chapter 17 Author's Note: OK, since it's Christmas and the name-calling has been unbearable, here's the next chapter. Be warned: there's another 'cliff-hanger' right after this one, and I've run out of holiday spirit (and my chapter inventory is below my personal limit, too.) ------- There were three guys with their pants off in the bedroom, and Cheryl was bare-assed on all fours on the bed. One guy was fucking her. Another was trying to get his cock in her mouth, and the third was apparently awaiting his turn as he stroked himself. Rebecca was too stunned to become aroused, and she stood transfixed by the sight. She was seeing her first live cocks, and seeing them under far from romantic, or even erotic, circumstances. Bobby could not help but feel embarrassment at what Rebecca was seeing, given the rather chaste nature of their relationship. Cal's only fear was hurting Cheryl as he got behind the fucker and pulled him out of her. Slamming the boy against the wall, he saw that it was Royal, the host. Just as Royal hit the wall, his cock erupted, spewing several globs of sperm on himself and on the carpet. "Ohhhhh! Don't gooo! Need morrrre!" Cheryl whined. The boy trying for the blowjob was kneeling on the bed in front of Cheryl with his hands holding her head. Tessa had moved almost as fast as Cal, and she attacked the boy at Cheryl's head. Overwhelming his inebriated state with the sheer force of her fury, she jumped onto the bed on her knees, grabbed his hair in one hand and slapped at his cock with the other. It took two tries for a solid slap, and by the third blow, the pain had pushed through the alcohol haze enough for him to bring his hands down for protection. Still with one hand firmly gripping the boy's longish hair, Tessa made a grab for his balls with the other, and with those two 'handles', she roughly pushed the now screaming drunk onto the floor. Disregarding its possible cost, Cal ripped the coverlet from the bed, wrapping it around Cheryl. Calling Bobby over, Cal turned Bobby around and hoisted Cheryl onto his back. Cal looped the compliant girl's arms around Bobby's neck and her legs around his waist. She immediately started humping her crotch against Bobby's back and moaning. "Help keep her on there and let's go!" Cal ordered the girls. Rebecca jerked from her confusion and fascination enough to comply. Not nearly done venting her rage, Tessa rushed at Royal, now slumped in a heap. He was groggy from drunkenness, from ejaculation, and from being slammed against the wall, but he must have figured out Tessa's intent because he rolled over enough to shelter his privates from her. Tessa waded right in with kick after kick, most of them hitting Royal's bare ass and the backs of his thighs hard enough to leave some rainbow bruises. One lucky blow, however, got right between the backs of his legs, and either directly or indirectly, had enough impact on his testicles to elicit a scream from him. That brought her attack to an end, and she hurried to help Rebecca hold Cheryl in place on Bobby's back. Cal led the way down the stairs. He had wanted Bobby to carry Cheryl because he thought he might have to fight their way out. After Royal's scream, he was even more concerned. They got several angry stares, but no one moved toward them. Part way down, Cal saw Greg slumped at one end of a sofa with a girl on top of him. Bobby's workouts were paying off. Cheryl was tall and muscular, and she was anything but motionless as they descended the stairs. Still, he did not stumble, and when they reached the main floor, they headed straight for the door. Once Cal saw that Bobby would not be challenged on the way out, he said "Tessa, let them go. Help me get Greg." "Why bother?" Tessa demanded. "Just a hunch," Cal said. "Come on!" Greg was pinned under a buxom natural redhead with puffy nipples. That was all obvious because her panty gusset was pulled aside and the cum-encrusted hair was clearly red. Her blouse was open and her bra pushed up. Whether she started with a skirt or with slacks could not be determined. Cal could not have cared less. Peeling the girl off of Greg, they faced the next problem. His slacks and shorts were halfway down his cum-streaked thighs. He would not be able to walk that way. "'Summm-biii... wherrrre?" Greg tried to say as he felt cool air where the girl had been. Tessa was angry and disgusted. She detested Greg anyway and she was not happy about taking the time to 'rescue' him. At that point Cal almost agreed with her. The only reason he persisted was because of Cheryl's deal with Greg's grandmother. He just had a feeling that it could be harder for Cheryl if the police caught Greg at the party. Many men have misjudged the strength of a pissed-off female to their own regret. It took Tessa mere seconds to remove Greg's designer slacks, seeming intent on hearing some tearing sounds in the process. His underwear went even faster. Greg semi-focused on Tessa and with a contorted grin slurred out "Wa-ah dance thi' tighhhhh?" Tessa did not consider that remark at all funny. To show her disdain, she snapped the head of his penis with her finger - hard. Greg's instant yelp made Cal wonder where Tessa had ever picked up that trick. It actually made things easier for Cal because Greg had focused what little brain activity he could muster strictly on his smarting dick. That made him much easier to control. Within seconds, Cal was using an arm and hand pressure hold to force Greg to his feet amidst groans and garbled oaths. The free hand was still busy trying to soothe and protect his stinging glans, meaning he did not try to fight Cal in any way. Because of Greg's odor, neither Cal nor Tessa wanted to touch him any more than necessary. When Greg was more or less upright, Cal started piloting him toward the door, instructing Tessa to bring Greg's slacks along. She held them out from her body, not wanting to know what all of the stains were. Greg was spouting complaints and threats. At least that's what Cal and Tessa assumed they were. The few other partyers who were aware enough to be amused made a few ribald remarks. No one tried to stop them. Bobby and Rebecca already had Cheryl in the passenger seat with the back reclined all the way. Cheryl complained "Isn't a'y'wuh gon fu' me?," causing Rebecca to drag her eyes from Greg's crusty, exposed penis which was swinging as he lurched toward the van. She looked at her drugged friend and burst into tears. When she started to stomp toward Greg, as angry as Cal had ever seen her, Bobby had to restrain her. When Cal got Greg to the van, he asked Tessa to open the rear door and he threw the big guy in. Greg reeked of beer, booze, urine, semen, and vaginal juices, at least. Cal did not want to soil the seats. The Overlands lived less than a mile away. The place was brightly lit and there were eight or ten cars in the drive, causing Cal to curse under his breath. He was now regretting taking the time it took to get his tormentor out of the party. His real concern was getting Cheryl help as quickly as possible. Now, they would have to half-carry Greg up the long drive, or ruin another lawn. Cal decided not to cause any more damage. He briefly considered just dumping Greg and leaving, but that was not his style. Cal got Bobby to help him, and they eventually got to the front door. As they struggled, Cal had become more and more angry and decided to get the most pleasure out of the situation. Greg had on only socks and a button-down dress shirt. Cal took a couple of seconds to unbutton the shirt, making sure that the tails would not hide Greg's crotch. Bobby grinned, picking up Cal's intent. The main door of the mansion was not locked, and Cal pushed it open. A servant inside tried to stop them, but Cal heard where most of the noise was coming from and piloted Greg in that direction, handing Greg's reeking slacks to the servant. The sight of the obviously drunk, effectively naked Greg framed in the arch of the main hall brought all sound to a halt within seconds. Cal recognized Greg's mother, and she came hurrying over. "What did you do to him?" she demanded. Cal noticed where her eyes were locked as she reached out to button Greg's shirt for at least some minimal coverage. "Do? We got him out of the party before the police come," Cal explained as he prevented Mrs. Overland from getting at the buttons. "Police? Why would they come? They aren't supposed to bother us." "Well, Cheryl was drugged and raped while Greg was fucking some other girl. That's police business," Cal said, his rising anger apparent. After a gasp at Cal's language, Penelope spat out "I told him over and over that he should get rid of that girl," disapproval dripping from her voice. "Then you can have him while we get her to the hospital and call the police," Cal almost yelled as he let go of Greg and pulled Bobby after him. Greg managed to sway on his feet for a few seconds, unsupported, before he sank to the floor in front of his shrieking mother. Cal's purposeful stride got him to the main door quickly, but just as he pushed it open, an older woman called from behind him, then hurried up in a surprisingly good imitation of a trot, given the heels that she wore. "Wait! We have to talk about this, young man!" "No, ma'am. Our friend needs to get to the hospital. I don't have time to talk." "Have you called the police yet?" "As soon as I get back to my van." "Don't. Please don't involve the police." "Look, Mrs. Overland," Cal said, noticing the woman's eyebrows rise at that, "I'm pretty sure that Cheryl was given a date rape drug. That's police business." "You're Cal Banner, right?" the woman asked. "And you're Genevieve Overland," Cal shot back as a statement, not a question. "I assume your only real interest is Miss Carson's welfare, correct?" Cal nodded. "If I can have her in a private clinic within the hour, with no need to call her parents, will you forget everything else?" It struck Cal that the woman was very, very good. He had known that from Cheryl's descriptions, but mentioning Cheryl's parents was the one tactic that could sway Cal. And it did." "I stay with Cheryl the whole time, agreed?" Genevieve nodded. "Mrs. Overland, no one here is to see Cheryl in her current condition, is that clear. I want the keys to some vehicle right now, with directions to that clinic. If they are not waiting for her when I arrive, it's off to the hospital, police and all. Is that clear?" Cal had the benefit of many replays of Cheryl's bouts with Genevieve, so he had an unfair advantage. He could see the anger rise in her face, and he almost felt guilty at the pleasure it gave him. Almost. "That may be faster than they can react. One of our guests is a doctor. Will it be acceptable for Dr. Warren to tend to Miss Carson here until the clinic is ready?" "No one but him gets near her. Understood?" When Genevieve nodded, Cal told her "Bobby and I will go and get Cheryl. Clear everyone but the doctor out - including you. He can show us where to take Cheryl." Teeth tightly clenched, Genevieve explained "Wilbert, here," indicating the servant, "will signal when you can bring her in." Cal had time to explain the situation to the girls while they waited for the signal. Cheryl continued with her whining and begging until the door opened and the servant waved. Genevieve had not corrected Cal when he had referred to the doctor as 'him'. Before Cal could get very upset at seeing a woman standing in the entry way, she said "I'm Dr. Warren. This way." Cal was holding Cheryl against himself, still wrapped in the coverlet. Bobby was supporting her feet and legs. Dr. Warren was smooth and professional, despite her elegant attire, but there was also a hint of compassion in her expression as Cheryl kept up her lewd begging. "Bobby, take the girls home," Cal instructed. "Tell no one any more than you absolutely have to until you hear from me. I will call whenever there is news." "It certainly looks like one of the date rape drugs," Dr. Warren said. "Does she use anything else?" "Absolutely nothing," Cal asserted. "Cheryl is totally clean." The doctor looked at him quizzically, then asked "Are you her boyfriend? Were you at that party? What happened?" Cal gave her a brief rundown. "I heard what was said when you brought Greg in. Nice entrance, by the way," Dr. Warren said with a chuckle. "I'm just a party guest so I can drop the doctor's face a little." She continued to check Cheryl over and to try to keep the girl calm, talking as she worked. "If she is as clean as you say, I'm surprised that she got in with Greg and his crowd." A little later she said "Every girl should have friends like you and the other boy. He didn't even look at her nakedness." "He's my sister's boyfriend. She and another friend were out in the car." They chatted a bit longer about the girls and the Banners' party. "Cal, it probably is not necessary for Cheryl to be hospitalized, even at the clinic. I would say that her biggest risk now is pregnancy or STD's. Do you know if she is on contraceptive pills?" Cal nodded. "I can arrange for all of the pertinent blood tests and draw blood right here." "What about a rape kit?" "Ah. You know something of police procedure," Dr. Warren observed. "I am an OB/Gyn. I can do all of the required swabs and samples right here." "And you're willing to do this on New Year's Eve?" With a chuckle, Dr. Warren answered "Actually, this is the most exciting New Year's Eve in years. This is what I do, Cal. Maybe it sounds trite, but I love helping people. Cheryl needs it right now." "She's going to be a doctor," Cal said off-handedly. "Is that her career goal?" "No. That's what she is going to be. You have to know Cheryl," Cal said with a little laugh. "I still don't see why she is going with Greg. She'll never get any Overland money, you can be sure of that." "It's, uh, a long story." Cal decided he had said more than enough on that subject. "Dr. Warren, please don't be insulted, but are you in any way obligated to Genevieve Overland?" He used the first name on purpose. Looking at Cal with a surprised expression, Dr. Warren asked "How do you know so much about her?" "Cheryl would have to answer that, if she chooses to." "Well, the answer to your question is 'no'. Cal, my suggestion is this. Take Cheryl home now. It will definitely cause less of a problem with her parents. I will give her a sedative that will help until the drug wears off in a few more hours. Have her come and see me on the second. I will work her in whenever she shows up. Oh, unless I'm doing a delivery, that is." "And you don't think there is any risk?" "Well, STD's as you mentioned. But going to the hospital won't change that. You must have responded quickly. She is not torn or damaged in any way, and they hadn't gotten to her anus. My guess is that you caught the first boy before he ejaculated." Cal could not help chuckling at that, but he did not try to explain. "Dr. Warren, will your findings be available to the police, or to lawyers?" "It sounds like you DO know Genevieve. Yes, of course." ------- Tessa was back with the van barely ten minutes after Cal called. Rebecca was with her, of course. Bobby had to go home. Cal insisted on going back to the party house, even though it was now after 2:00am and Cheryl was still rather hard to handle. He parked the van on the street and instructed Tessa to be ready for a quick departure. There were still a few cars in the driveway, and as expected, Cal found the door still open. As he entered, he was confronted by an angry couple. "What are you doing barging in here?" "I came to retrieve Cheryl Carson's purse and cell phone. She was drugged and raped here earlier." The woman's knees gave out and the man helped her to a chair. "Where is she now?" the man asked. "Receiving medical attention." "Who... what boys were involved?" Cal just stared at him for several seconds, then said "Will you let me look for her purse, please?" He was trying to decide how much pressure to put on these people. Since they did not even mention the police, he had to assume they had no fear of them. He recalled Greg's mother's earlier comment. It was probably best, Cal decided, to let them stew over too little information. They must have just returned home and had not even had time to chase away the lingering partyers. He could quite easily end up as the target of their wrath, especially after he had plowed up their lawn with the van earlier. It took only a moment to find Cheryl's things. He showed the parents her ID in the purse and left. It turned out that Cheryl was already officially sleeping over with Rebecca, so it was an easy decision just to tuck her into Rebecca's spare bed. It took Cal almost an hour to get Elaine and Martin settled down and convinced not to do anything. ------- When Cal and Bobby had let go of Greg to get back to Cheryl, Greg was in a semi-conscious alcohol haze. He thought that he was in his home, and he wondered how he had gotten there. And he had a vague impression of lots of people around. It also seemed like he was missing some of his clothes, and wasn't there just a warm, soft body on top of him? Where did that go? He probably should go to... to his room, yeah. Probably not dressed for these people. That plan never made it to action as the room began to swim even faster and the light dimmed to darkness from the outside of his vision in. Greg did not so much fall as sag to the floor. His feet were still planted, but very soon, so was his butt. As the light went out completely, he laid back rather quickly, his head making an audible thump on the hardwood floor. He ended up on his back with his knees raised but fallen limply to the sides. His uncovered crotch could hardly have been more exposed. Penelope Overland stopped shrieking and stared for a moment, then ordered "Someone cover him up and help get him out of here!" "No!" That came from Greg's father, Brandon, who had been watching silently until then. "But, he's... he's..." "He's exposed," Brandon finished. "He deserves to be!" "We can't just leave him where everyone can see his..." Penelope protested. "We most certainly can. He got himself in this situation, and everyone might as well see what got him there. Let him get himself out of it for once." "But it's not right to..." "Most of what that boy has done for the last two years is not right!" Brandon bellowed. I said leave him!" That tone, seldom used on his wife, signaled the end of discussion. "Wilbert, get the Polaroid." Brandon had at least kept up with his guests' alcohol intake, and with the emotions he was feeling, he forgot all about decorum. "Ladies, if you want to bring your daughters over to check out Greg's package, feel free. I suspect he'll be lying here all night, at least. Wilbert, no sleep for you tonight." Part of the reason for Brandon's tolerance of his son was his memory of himself at the same age. Greg was indeed a 'chip off of the old block'. It seemed, though, that with the prevalence of drugs and STDs, the risks were higher than in Brandon's boyhood. He ruefully decided that he had waited too long. He hoped he could still do something. Greg was so arrogant and willful that it would take a lot to shake him up. Previous attempts had failed to even get his attention. By everyone's consent, the party ended once Cheryl had been carried upstairs. Penelope and Brandon showed their guests out, and when they returned to the main hall, Genevieve was standing there, staring at her grandson. "Are you going to leave him here?" she asked Brandon. "Maybe the shock of waking up like that will shake him a little," Brandon replied. "Hmmmm." Genevieve replied, then absently to herself "Too bad." "What was that, Genevieve?" Penelope asked, visibly upset almost to the point of tears. "Oh, nothing," Genevieve reassured her daughter-in-law. Genevieve could certainly not reveal what she was really thinking as she gazed at her grandson's appealing, if messy, package. She was wondering how the Carson girl could find Greg so inadequate as a lover. Was the Banner boy some kind of freak, as far as size? Or was there something else. The girl kept talking about inconsiderate. With that thing stuck up her, why should she worry about anything else. That part of Greg's genetics must have come from her side. Brandon's father never had anything like that to ram into Genevieve. She forced herself not to look at Brandon's crotch as she wondered what her son had inherited. Tessa and Rebecca had arrived with the van just as the last guests were leaving. Seeing Cheryl safely to the van, Dr. Warren wandered back into the house. OB/Gyns did not drive to events with the family, always separately. As Dr. Warren walked in, she could see the little gathering around the archway to the main hall and stopped to watch. She barely held back her laughter at what happened next. Genevieve stepped between Greg's widespread knees. Putting one hand on Brandon's shoulder for support, she took the toe of one elegant pump and lifted Greg's lifeless shaft, trying to get it to stay up on his belly as Penelope gasped. It just kept flopping back to hang down. After several tries, she gave up and used her toe to jiggle his sac up and down. "Genevieve," Penelope shrieked after watching for a while, "how can you?" "I understand a lot of females have been playing with this. Want your chance?" After another gasp and shriek, Penelope said "But I thought he and that Cheryl girl..." "She was the official girlfriend, but that didn't stop Greg." "Was?" "After tonight, what would you expect. He takes her to a party and she gets raped while he is involved with another girl." "You make it sound like she was faithful or something." Another 'Hmmm' was Genevieve's only response. She had worked hard to arrange the marriage of Penelope and her son Brandon. Penelope came from an old money family with resources similar to the Overlands'. She had the looks, the bearing, and the breeding to be a proper wife for Brandon. And by and large, she had met all of Genevieve's expectations and some of her hopes. Penelope was very active with her own money and was high on the list of power brokers in the philanthropic and artistic communities. Unlike many children of great wealth, she was savvy in the way the real world worked. Many times she had surprised and pleased Genevieve with her ingenuity and guile. Genevieve was not always as pleased with Brandon. By and large he was doing all right, but she knew that she would not die with the assurance that the estate was in the best possible hands. Unless, of course, Penelope took over all of the management tasks. That was not likely. For all of his lapses, Brandon wanted to be in control, or at least believe he was in control. Their marriage was reasonably good, but there were some battles of will. Recently, Genevieve had become very concerned that Penelope might have a blind spot where her son was concerned. There was growing suspicion on Genevieve's part that it was more than just motherly love and loyalty. She kicked off her pump and continued to play with Gregs balls with her stockinged toes, watching Penelope carefully without seeming to. There it was! A flare of the nostrils, followed by a subtle squeeze of the thighs. Penelope was in love, or at least in lust, with her asshole son. With a sigh, Genevieve gave up playing with her grandson's exposed package, only to hear a titter from right beside her. There stood Cassandra, Greg's thirteen-year-old sister, in nightgown and slippers, her face a brilliant red and her hand unconsciously jammed into her crotch. "Cassandra!" Penelope shrieked. "What are you doing here? "Wilbert said I was supposed to come down and see, and..." "Well, you get right back to..." "No!" Brandon countered. "If he's going show that thing all over, let her get some sex education." Husband and wife squared away to match wills, but Genevieve took over and settled it quickly by kneeling between Greg's legs and pulling Cassandra down with her. It was clear that the girl was going to stay. It had been a long time since Penelope had stood up to her mother-in-law. Within a couple of minutes, the three female servants who had helped with the party were standing timidly around the naked, passed out boy. They all seemed reluctant, but Brandon moved around pushing them closer, making crude comments about his son, and instructing Wilbert on what pictures to take. His fury at a peak, Brandon ordered "Wilbert, have the camera ready. I suspect there will be some girls coming by." "Brandon, you can't!" Penelope shouted, but she seemed cowed by his anger. "I damn well can. This boy is doing his damndest to embarrass the family. Well, he'll get embarrassment, all right!" Penelope stood staring at her son, then turned and walked slowly away in tears. ------- Greg awoke sometime before dawn with his bladder about to burst and his head having already done so, apparently. It took many seconds for the total confusion about his whereabouts to clear up. Once he realized where he was, he made a dash for the nearest toilet, not wanting to risk trying for his own room. As he relieved himself, his state of undress registered and he wondered how he got home like that. Then he remembered where he had waked up and that his parents were supposed to have had a party in that room the previous night. A lot of unpleasant possibilities began to run through his mind. Eventually, he thought of Cheryl and wondered why she had gone off and left him. Uppity bitch! Maybe he should just dump her. Still, she had that something... Concern over other possible fallout from the previous night soon pushed Cheryl from his mind. The act of getting to a bathroom just about drained Greg's energy, and the pounding in his head made him long for a return to unconsciousness. He made it upstairs to his own room and collapsed on top of the bed. ------- Genevieve and Brandon had to browbeat Penelope into doing it and including Cassandra. It was rare for any of the adults to enter the childrens' wing, but they all walked into Greg's room. Cassandra only got a limited look at what she really wanted to see. When Brandon shook his son awake, Greg took a while to stretch and roll over, not realizing that he had an audience and that his morning erection was on full display. Genevieve maintain her stern demeanor, but not without effort. Penelope could not restrain a gasp at the sight. Greg's head felt only marginally better than it had in the middle of the night, and the only other sensation he was aware of was the acute pressure on his bladder. It seemed like his father had shaken him awake, but that made no sense. He was just stretching to try and get some of the kinks out when he heard his sister's damned irritating titter. What the hell? Looking toward the sound, he saw all three women in varying stages of shock. As soon as his lewd exposure sunk in to him, Greg scrambled to cover himself with the bedspread and Brandon did not stop him. When the laying down of the law started, Greg keep pleading for some clothes so he could get to the bathroom. Brandon refused, and finally Greg jumped up and dashed to his en suite, covering his now-softened member with his shirt tails to Cassandra's giggles. That simple show of embarrassment gave Brandon the satisfaction that there was at least some way to break through his son's shell. The adults waited while Greg showered and returned in a towel. Brandon blocked Greg's closet and yelled him down when he tried to get clothes from his dresser. Everyone, including Greg, was surprised when he gave in and sat down on the bed in just the towel. Then, they started on him again. Cassandra had lost interest by that point and left. Brandon started by dramatically laying out a series of Polaroid shots of Greg lying naked and spread out on the floor. The pictures included several different girls, some of whom were bold enough to be fondling him for the camera. Then, Brandon started laying down the law. He never said a word about the pictures, but the implied threat was more than enough. As always, restrictions started with the car, the keys to which Greg could now only obtain with permission. It was made clear that he would be observed at all times, and serious limits were put on his spending money. As a rap-up, Penelope stated "At least you're rid of that Cheryl person." That caught Greg by surprise and to his credit, he was genuinely disturbed at the news of her rape. He threatened all kinds of mayhem on Royal, and Genevieve had to use all of her force to head him off. For the next three days, Greg tried to call Cheryl, but she was always at the Banners', something Greg did not have any reason to suspect. ------- New Year's Day morning was interesting for Cal. As Cheryl came out of the drug, it must have been just the the suppressed inhibitions that lingered on. Our maybe the drug had an aphrodisiac whose effect dwindled slowly. Whatever the case, Cheryl was horny with a capital 'H' and let Cal know in graphic detail just what she needed him to do for her. Cal could not help but be amused at her unusual behavior and aroused by her demeanor. However, he could see why it was happening. Furthermore, he did not want to do anything with Cheryl until Dr. Warren could check her out the next day. It was a little strange calling for help from his virgin sister and the virgin Tessa to get Cheryl calmed down and mollified. Of course they understood that Cal and Cheryl were lovers, and encouraged the relationship. Still, it was a bit outside of normal. Cal sometimes wondered if he was ever destined for a 'normal' life. Since she was no longer with Greg, at least in her mind, Cheryl spent most of the rest of the holiday break at the Banners'. She and Cal talked endlessly about her rape and what, if anything, should be done about it. Genevieve's idea of handling treatment privately was brilliant, they grudgingly admitted. Any involvement of the hospital or the police would have required notification of the Carsons. Cheryl wanted very much to maintain as much of a normal home life as possible, and that would have been destroyed. At some point, she would have to drop the bomb about going on her own to med school, but she wanted to put that off a while longer. Both Cheryl and Cal distrusted Genevieve. They just could not see her doing the honorable and just thing for Cheryl if it cost her or her family in any way. There did not appear to be any threat that could trigger retaliation from Genevieve at that point. In fact, pulling Greg out of a potential arrest situation should have gained them some favor. However, with Genevieve, there were no favors, and even the quid pro quos had to tilt her way. Martin helped and got a lawyer to take depositions from all five of the teens, covering everything that happened relating to the party, to Cheryl's rape, to the escape, to pulling Greg out, and to Cheryl's private treatment. Dr. Warren's records were also included in the collected evidence and statements. It was not clear that these depositions would have any legal value, but it was the best Cal could think of at the time. He did not want Cheryl to feel helpless before Genevieve. Cheryl did not have to address her breakup with Greg face to face, and in fact did not even have to talk to him the rest of that holiday week. The reason was that Greg's life was no longer as carefree and unfettered as he was accustomed to. ------- Her holiday 'retreat' to the Banners forced Cheryl into something she did not want to do. Her parents became very upset at her constant absence and retaliated by taking away her car privileges. Previously, use of a car had been tied to grades, which had meant that it was never a problem for Cheryl. Cheryl bought herself an older but serviceable car and insured it without saying anything to her folks. Cal had driven her around and helped with the selection. The discovery of the different vehicle ignited a storm of questions and accusations. Cheryl thought of playing the ultimate card - the threat of moving out - but she was more than a year away from being eighteen, and she did not know what complications would arise. Besides, she could stonewall on the source of funds for the car, but enough to live on independently could not be hidden. On top of that was her reluctance to use any of her precious med school fund. ------- Genevieve was perceptive enough to call the Banner home in her attempt to reach Cheryl, but Cheryl wanted nothing but to be rid of all connection with the Overlands. Genevieve resorted to the totally unprecedented move of coming to Cheryl. When Genevieve appeared at the door with the limo parked on the driveway, Elaine could not simply tell her to go away. Cheryl had insisted that she wanted no contact, but Elaine had her own standards of courtesy and it was her home. Showing Genevieve to a seat and making the obligatory offer of a drink, Elaine set off to find Cheryl. Cheryl was just as adamant as she was about the phone calls. It was Cal who finally went up to confront the woman. He received permission to use the office/study that was across the hall from the parlor. Elaine was puzzled over the need for such privacy, but Cal promised to explain later. About to walk into the parlor, Cal had an idea and pulled back. He asked his mother to show Genevieve into the study. Cal was seated in the big chair behind the desk when the older woman was shown in. Such shows of position were foreign to Cal's normal attitude toward people. However, he was becoming more and more of a skilled strategist, and he knew from Cheryl how the game had to be played with Genevieve. Giving no sign of unease or disappointment at seeing Cal rather than Cheryl, Genevieve took the initiative. "I assume I will have to convince you before I can talk to Miss Carson." "If you get to talk to her at all. You were not asked to come here. Cheryl wants nothing more than to forget the name 'Overland'." "I assume that she will remember the name as she withdraws money for tuition," Genevieve countered. "Oh?" was all Cal said. "Are you trying to convince me that you know nothing of our arrangement?" Genevieve queried. "I see no need to convince you of anything." Genevieve could see this conversation heading from the same verbal sparring she did with Cheryl to the same hurled insults that often resulted. That was pointless. "Could you recount what happened that night?" Cal saw no harm in her knowing the facts and spent several minutes telling the tale. "If you would like, I can make the depositions available to your attorney," he finished. What was it with these teenagers? They should not be able to surprise her as they regularly did. They certainly should not be able to outmaneuver her as it appeared they just had. She had to under-react and hope the kid saw nothing on her face. "Why did you decide to take Greg out of there?" "Out of concern for Cheryl. He was her boyfriend, after all. I expected all of those kids to be arrested after the drugs were discovered." "And why was he almost naked?" Cal softened Tessa's attitude and portrayed it as a need to get Greg walking quickly. "But you could have easily held off any interference from drunk teenagers," Genevieve stated, getting in her own unexpected shot. She had researched Cal, actually paid for some detailed research by a professional. She was convinced that the tabloid account was 100% true and that the young man facing her was in fact quite deadly. "What do you want to talk to Cheryl about?" It was now Cal's turn to change the direction of the conversation. Deciding that there was no way around Cal's intervention, Genevieve answered "To discuss resuming our arrangement." "I know for a fact that she has absolutely no desire to do that," Cal assured Genevieve. "She needs to know that Greg's behavior will be considerably better in the future." Genevieve had not wanted to reveal that to Cal, but she saw no choice. She went on to describe the controls and restrictions. "Please wait while I talk to Cheryl. It could be a while. Can I get you anything?" "A glass of water would be appreciated." Cal brought it himself rather than letting his mother take on a servant's role. Genevieve again marveled at the skill of her 'opponent'. The discussion between Cal and Cheryl took nearly thirty minutes, and it was only Cal who returned. "Cheryl asked my to give you her answer. She will agree on three conditions. First, Greg has to ask her to be his girlfriend again. Second, you must supply the information you refused her before. Third, if Greg asks her, it will be as if he had asked her on January first." Genevieve almost winced at the last condition. The girl just had to push the money issue as hard as she could. It irritated Genevieve and the little bitch knew it. Oh well, she got what she came for. "Have her get a message to me when Greg asks her." ------- Cal knew Dex Madison from the dojo. Ken Yokata considered the two of them to be some of his prize students, so they had worked out together quite frequently. The four year age difference meant that there was little social contact, but they considered each other friends. Now a sophomore at Addison University, a local private school, Dex was leading that school's emergence as a basketball power. As busy as he was, he felt a lot of loyalty to his high school coach, so he managed to visit practice occasionally and watched all of the local games. Whenever Dex visited, he sought out Cal in particular and they discussed the guard position. Dex was much bigger than Cal, so their approach was not the same, but Cal picked up many valuable insights. Playing with college-level talent, Dex had much more experience evaluating teammates and opponents and adjusting floor strategy to gain advantage. That kind of strategy planning resonated with what they had both learned from Ken Yokata. Interestingly, Dex had never been granted the first name privilege as Cal had. It was one more in a series of things that emphasized how much things had changed for Cal on THE DAY. With Dex's help, Cal practiced more and more planned responses to certain game situations. He was always most comfortable when he knew just what he was going to do. What he had once considered too random and unstructured for his particular skills became more like a chess game with a finite number of permutations. Of course there were far too many possibilities to anticipate them all, but many very similar situations occurred over and over in a game. Cal had a fan club at every football or basketball game. His parents were always scrupulous about being there when their children performed. Laura was almost as dedicated as her sister. Being with Elaine and Martin was a relief from the stress of her life with Will. In her freshman year, Jolie had already taken up with a questionable crowd, and would not be seen at anything as common as a school sporting event. In the previous year, Amelia and Ismi had been almost as faithful as his parents, including the less-than-riveting JV basketball games. Now, Ken brought Amelia to most of the games, but Ismi's college schedule made her an infrequent spectator. Teri had always been like an aunt to all of the Banner children, so her determination to see all of Cal's game did not arouse any suspicion. Whether he knew or suspected the whole truth or not, Rick treated Cal as a close friend and equal. Almost without fail, the entire Walts family was in the stands when Cal played. Rebecca, Bobby, and an ever-changing collection of their friends and classmates also sat in 'Cal's section'. Basketball games were a problem for Cheryl. She very much wanted to attend with the girls and watch Cal play, but Greg had made that almost impossible. Since he had been rejected from the basketball team, he would not come near a game, and he usually wanted Cheryl with him elsewhere. For the first game of the new year, Cheryl and Greg were 'broken up', so she was free to attend the game with her friends. That night, Cal gave Cheryl and all of his fan club a special moment of athletic glory that they could cherish. They were playing their chief conference rival with early first place at stake. Cal had already hit three of his five three-point attempts, and had played well in his time on the floor. Unfortunately, they were down by three points with just four seconds to go, and the other team had the ball out of bounds. Cal was in because one of the starting guards had fouled out. As the referee handed the ball to the out-of-bounds player, Cal mentally planned out a desperate move. His man was in the back court, and Cal backed off, inviting the pass that way. Just before the pass was released, Cal gambled that it would go to his man and started his planned motion. He saw where the player would catch the ball, and reached him a split second after the ball arrived. Swinging his hand up from below, knowing that a downward hack was an automatic whistle from the high-school-caliber refs, he knocked the ball loose, sending it down the floor and toward the middle. Since he was already in motion, Cal had the best chance to get to the ball. His main concern was time as he charged after it. When he was able to grab it, he was about halfway between the center-court line and the three-point line. He knew there was precious little time left, and he could not do his usual setup. Instead, he launched himself into the air, his momentum carrying him toward the basket. While airborne, he did the best he could at setting himself to shoot. Every time he shot, Cal put himself into a mode of ultra-intense concentration. The basket was the only thing that existed at that point: the rest of the universe was completely shut out. Ken Yokata had once made the analogy of zooming in for a telephoto shot with a camera, and Cal had understood immediately. His basketball shooting improved dramatically from that point. Cal did his mental zoom-in and just let the ball go. He remembered hearing the buzzer sound just after he released it, and was just registering relief that he had gotten it off in time when he felt a hard blow on his right side. He was not sure how long it was before he was aware of his surroundings again, but his teammates were all around him as he lay on the floor on his left side. And they were mixing congratulations with their expressions of concern. He had tied the game. The player from whom he had stolen the ball, in a desperate attempt to keep Cal from scoring, had body-blocked him a split second too late. When Cal was on his feet, the referee informed the coach, erroneously, that because of the injury delay, Cal would have to come out of the game. After a very heated but futile argument, the opposing coach, as per the rule, designated Cal's weakest teammate to shoot for him. Fortunately, the foul was declared deliberate, and two shots were awarded. The substitute shooter, who was usually lucky to drop one out of three, calmly drained the first one for the victory. The game was on the opposition's floor, and Cal recovered enough to join the jubilation from his school's fan contingent and with his own fan club. The downside of any brilliant play, in Cal's opinion, was press coverage, and Cal's desperation play was a classic. It was so classic, in fact, that it made the weekly prep report show on a national cable sports network. His family and friends knew better than to tease him about the coverage. His classmates and teammates were not so charitable. ------- Genevieve contrived numerous ways for Greg to sense her 'relief' at his separation from Cheryl. Penelope did not have to contrive because she genuinely felt that way. Greg didn't have a chance. The pile of restrictions dumped on him made him look all the harder for ways to get back at them. It did not take him long to figure out that Cheryl was one perfect way to thumb his nose at them. Cheryl made a show of great reluctance, asking for three days to think about it. She immediately left a message, and two days later the money arrived and she gave Greg the good news. ------- Chapter 18 Since he had shown Rebecca and Tessa the nude pictures of Rob Krantz, the girls had lain in wait for Cal's return every time Teri went on a shoot. They knew there would likely be nudity if Teri had to preside. "Any naked guys?" would hit Cal as soon as he walked into the house with film in hand. "I gotta have a talk with Mom," Tessa pouted. "I can't understand why only she gets to go on the sexy shoots. It's just not fair!" Cal looked quickly at Rebecca, who had not yet finished her final perusal of one male subject's equipment. She had heard Tessa's lament, and responded with her familiar blush. Tessa announced "I'm staying the night, Rebecca, but I won't mess your other bed." A night with Tessa was perfectly fine with Cal. Cheryl had been unable to come over that morning, and the shoot had been very erotic. He could not help noticing a flinch in Rebecca's shoulders and a look of longing on her face at Tessa's proclamation. He felt for her, but she and Bobby would just have to work out things on their own. Cal and Tessa communicated a lot. Just not that much in bed. They had lots of chances to talk going back and forth to shoots and just hanging around. Time in bed was for the critical stuff - sex. Well, almost sex - everything but, as Tessa described it. As his experience with women increased, Cal would realize that Tessa was the epitome of fun in bed. Not only was her body built for fun, but she greeted every type of sexual contact with a sense of joy. Teri had been a highly passionate lover, and Tessa had inherited that trait. But Teri brought a heavy load of pathos to bed, probably because of the divorce and her recently-discovered role in the breakup. It certainly cranked up the emotional intensity of love-making, and that was never a bad thing. Tessa, by contrast, never seemed to have a sad thought during sexual play, and she was easily as voracious as her mother. If Cal made a new discovery of a sensitive spot, it would be treated by the expected gasps and whimpers. But a glance at her face always revealed a satisfied smile, or at least a look of contentment. Because intercourse was out, foreplay became the main event, and the pair practiced it diligently. Tessa was wild about oral, so various permutations of sixty-nine became a frequent part of their play. And play it was. Her body was a wonderful toy. There was luxurious padding: too much in a lot of places, but it never felt that way in the dark. When it felt as good as it did, how could there ever be too much? Her pussy had long, spongy labia that stayed closed even when her legs were spread. Her hood and clitoris barely forced a separation at the top of her slit. It was positively gorgeous, and Cal would sometimes make her lie there with the lights on as they talked and he played with it. They would do this while watching TV or a movie or just talking, not just in bed. She was equally fascinated with his cock. Whenever they got together, she had it out and in her hands at the earliest possible moment. She usually made him come rather quickly, often in the shower. Then, she would keep hold of it, reluctant to let go until she had to do something that just could not be accomplished with one hand. Somewhere, possibly from her mother, Tessa had heard about tit-fucking. From the first time, she became addicted. Given the magnificence of her full, firm breasts, Cal became equally fond of it. She loved to spread a generous glob of KY in her valley and use her hands to squeeze her globes as tightly to his shaft as possible. Both were quite fastidious, and a shower generally followed a tit-fuck. As a matter of fact, the unusual number of shower sounds coming from the kids' area of the house must certainly have given Elaine and Martin some idea of what was going on there. Since there was no intercourse, every one of Cal's ejaculations had to be cleaned up. Neither partner believed that rolling around in messy fluids added to the enjoyment of sex. The strangest thing about the Tessa/Cal relationship was that he very often ended up as the defender of her virginity. In her passion, she regularly 'decided' that it was time. He just as regularly insisted that she make that declaration in the light of day, preferably at school or somewhere equally non-erotic. Cal's duty was particularly tough because Tessa was addicted to pussy/cock contact, external only. A favorite of hers was sitting atop him with his cock pressed upward against his belly. She would move her pussy back and forth over it, masturbating both of them as his shaft forced her labia apart and rubbed against sensitive inner tissues. It never took long for her juices to provide a wonderfully slippery bed for her motions. When Tessa was doing that, Cal would sometimes feel some resentment that she was teasing him so relentlessly with such a strict limit on his response. But then he would look up at those unbelievable breasts, so taut that the skin almost shown; so taut that they seemed to jiggle less than the soft pooch that surrounded her deep innie. He would see the beatific expression on her face and thank the gods of sex that he had even that much access to such a wonderfully erotic woman. Then she would wring another load out of him onto his front, and he knew he had little to complain about. ------- Rebecca, Tessa, and Cheryl were all juniors and that spring became the peak period for college investigation. Tessa was intent on journalism, and she had a list of five schools any of which would be perfectly acceptable to her. Her grades made a scholarship likely, even given her family's comfortable financial status. None of the schools on Tessa's short list was local. Rebecca was not nearly as certain about her career choice. Since she was young, she had thought she was headed for a music career, but her relationship with Bobby had brought that into question. He was just as avid a musician as Rebecca, but he was also very strong in math and the sciences. He told Rebecca that he would take all of the music courses he could fit in, but that he would major in engineering. He believed the oft-repeated joke that 'musician' is spelled 'b-r-o-k-e'. Cal once again intervened on his sister's behalf. This time, instead of a walk with Elaine, he took both parents to lunch. "I think you should encourage Rebecca to go to school wherever Bobby goes," he told them. "Wouldn't it be better to make her decision independently and see what happens to the relationship?" Martin asked, and Elaine nodded her agreement. "Look," Cal said, "my sister is the sweetest, brightest, most gifted person I know. But she does not have a strong sense of where she wants to go. You've probably noticed it, Mom, but even with all the changes, she doesn't have a good sense of who she is." "Is that because of something we have done wrong with her?" Elaine asked. It struck Cal how strange it was for a parent to ask that question of another of their children. Just one more ripple effect from THE DAY. "No, I don't think so. I have no idea right now of where I want to go after high school, and I know you've done nothing wrong with me. Maybe it's just the way we are." "So, why should she go to school with Bobby?" Martin asked. "For Rebecca, Bobby is that missing piece - he kinda completes her. He has all of the drive in the world, and she can, uh, piggy-back on that." "But what if he isn't the right one for her?" Martin asked. "I know you have some concerns about Bobby, but I think he is perfect for Rebecca. He still has some growing up to do, but he would do anything for her." "What if she can't get a scholarship to Bobby's school?" "What if she can't get any scholarship because you make too much money?" Cal asked back. "Yeah, I'm finding out that may be the case," Martin mused. Cal had mentioned to his parents in passing that he had no idea what he wanted to do after high school. It was becoming a greater concern to him. As basketball season wound down, he wondered if he should go out for the golf team. His game was definitely rusty, but he believed he could still compete. A golf scholarship would be a way to make the college decision. His only other scholarship chance was as a kicker, and he did not find that appealing enough for the commitment level college football required. ------- The remainder of Cal's sophomore year went by rather peacefully, except for one stressful event. Once again, it involved a husband and a sexy shoot. This time, the husband made the appointment. He asked if they would take nude pictures of his wife. He also asked several questions that seemed to point toward wanting borderline porno shots. Teri was a little suspicious, but the man was very smooth on the phone and he referenced a very nice previous client. From the time they entered the door, it was obvious that the wife was extremely nervous. Just as he was on the phone, Mr. Edwards was smooth and personable. He told his wife what to put on and he wanted to take charge of the poses. When Teri set something up, he invariably made some kind of a change. When the outfit got down to bra and panties, the husband took the wife into the bedroom and they were in there for quite a while. She did not have on a robe when she came out and he smoothly but strongly told her several times to stop covering up. Cal had been uncomfortable with the 'feel' of the shoot from the beginning, but now he was ready to pack up and leave. He pulled Teri aside. "Let's close up and get out of here. This is not right." "I can't be sure, but I think she has heavy makeup all over her," Teri replied. "It might be covering something. Let's go." "Mr. Edwards, I'm sorry we took your time," Teri said, "but we don't think we should continue. Your wife appears to be frightened, and Cal cannot make good pictures out of that. There will be no charge, and here is the exposed film." At first, the husband tried to use charm to change their minds. He looked right past Teri and talked to Cal. "She'll be all right. I'll go have a talk with her. Just hold on." "No, Mr. Edwards, we have decided," Teri insisted. "We feel like your wife is being forced, and we don't want any part of that." Edwards' first reaction was just a light restraining touch on Teri's shoulder. She saw Cal about to spring and restrained him with a slight shake of her head. "Mr. Edwards, please. Why would you want to put your wife through something that is so traumatic for her?" Cal had been silent, letting Teri deal with the man. That probably infuriated him, based on what they found out later. Teri reached to fold one of the light stands, and Edwards made his big mistake - he grabbed her wrist. Before Edwards had a chance to do a thing, Cal had the man's offending wrist locked in a painful grip, putting pressure on a point that numbed the hand. "Mr. Edwards, go and sit on the sofa until we are done. Do you understand me?" This time it was Cal who spoke in a voice that assumed compliance. Edwards hesitated, tried to pull his arm away, then reared back as if to throw a punch. Teri had pulled away as soon as Cal had loosened Edwards' grip, so the man was wide open to attack. Instead, Cal increased the pressure from numbness to pain and began pushing Edwards backward toward the sofa. That started the stream of invective. Edwards gave up all pretense of smoothness and polish as the profanity poured from him. It all must have been familiar to the wife because she started to shake. Teri and Cal had always had the ability to communicate a lot with just a few words or just with gestures. This time, just a look at the wife then at the bedroom was all it took. Teri apparently had the same idea. "Are you going to sit quietly while I pack up, or do I need to restrain you?" Cal asked evenly. "You can't make me sit here! This is my house! Where is the bitch taking my wi... AAAAAAGHHH!!" "We can keep this up for as long as you want," Cal assured the man as he eased the pressure on the wrist. When Edwards started up again, Cal felt they would never have a chance to get out of the place without the man being restrained. He used the same pinch hold that had felled Greg at the dance. While Edwards was out, Cal used electrical cords to tie Edwards' hands behind his back and to his ankles. By the time Edwards recovered, he was hog-tied. Cal had everything packed up and sitting by the door when Teri came out leading a weeping Mrs. Edwards. Teri had one arm around the woman and a suitcase in the other hand. "She has bruises on bruises, Cal. We are taking her to a shelter." Edwards absolutely exploded at that, yelling and screaming at his wife. She quailed at his words, but with Teri hugging her, she held her ground. Cal had Teri take the wife to the van, then asked Teri if she could carry everything else out. He did not want to leave Edwards unsupervised. In a big surprise, Mrs. Edwards came back with Teri and helped move things out. When everything was gone, Cal untied Edwards to retrieve their cords. Then, he used the pinch hold once more and they had all driven off before Edwards recovered again. Both Cal and Teri understood the legal risk they had just taken, and they talked openly about it with Mrs. Edwards. It appeared that she was not a totally submissive woman. She was just all alone, with no family or close friends to help her. Without thinking about it, Teri promised to be her friend and help her through the divorce process, which the woman pledged to do. Once the process was started, she would go back to her hometown where she had a sizable family. Neither Cal nor Teri knew just where a women's shelter might be, but Teri recalled a billboard ad and they drove to the billboard and got a phone number. From the phone call, they were instructed to meet someone at an industrial park and Mrs. Edwards would be taken to the shelter from there. Mrs. Edwards was reluctant to leave Teri and Cal, her new benefactors. Teri was about to invite the woman to stay at Teri's house, but thought better of it. Teri explained to Mrs. Edwards about the medical and legal resources the shelter had, and that they had to try to keep their location from becoming common knowledge. Teri made sure that Mrs. Edwards had her phone number, and with a tearful goodbye, the battered woman went off with her escort. It turned out that there were no repercussions from the extraction of Mrs. Edwards. Mr. Edwards was on the ragged edge of dismissal from his job for a string of misogynistic actions. His only hope was to endure the divorce quietly and keep the battery of his wife a secret. ------- Much to everyone's surprise, Greg really was much easier for Cheryl to be with than ever before. His attitude was not any better, but his parents' rules had enough teeth to restrict his activities. Royal's parents had been badly shaken up by the New Year's eve fiasco. From Genevieve they had heard about the depositions. They assumed that those were precursors to a lawsuit. All of the parents in that social circle heard about the situation, and for once they did not shrug it off. Just the inclusion of rape took things to a different level than ever before. A lot of long-overdue parental control was suddenly in vogue. Its effectiveness varied, but the overall effect was to reduce the number and wildness of the parties that Cheryl had to attend with Greg. Not that Cheryl had it easy. Just going to the parties meant that she had to face the guys that had drugged her. She was almost sick with apprehension entering the first one, especially when she encountered Royal's smirking face just inside the door. Without having planned it, she smiled and said "Hello there, Mini-Dick!" The ensuing ribbing from Royal's friends took a lot of pressure off of Cheryl. Over and over, Cheryl had to remind herself how much she was getting paid for every nasty dig, every patronizing comment, and every disdainful glare. Cheryl tried to earn her pay, as well. She became much bolder in pressuring him to cut down on his alcohol input, and Greg mostly went along. She also became bold about his other sexual activities as that information now came directly from the private eye. Her scoldings always led to arguments, but she never backed down. At Christmas, she had reached the point where the value of the money and the cost to her self-respect were in perfect balance. If Greg broke up with her, the feeling of freedom would be worth the lost earnings. If the relationship continued another month, the money would assuage her shame. Because of the restrictions on him and because of the information Cheryl received, Greg's other sexual activity dropped to almost nothing. The most frequent one was the cousin, and she was the only 'repeater'. It amazed Cheryl that the family had not somehow stopped that. Genevieve got the same private eye reports as did Cheryl. Maybe they felt like the royalty of old where cousin marriages were common and believed to be the best way to keep bloodlines pure. Cheryl began referring to the cousin jokingly as the 'inhouse girlfriend'. ------- Unbeknownst to Cheryl, her constant denigration of Greg's sexual technique to Genevieve had a cumulative effect. That effect was particularly strong once Genevieve knew about Greg's liaisons with his younger cousin Cecily. And after New Year's Eve when Genevieve had a chance to examine her grandson's body in naked detail, her curiosity became a constant background thought. Having literally more money than she knew what to do with, Genevieve could usually just spread some around and get anything she wanted. Trying to convince herself that it was because of concern for the family's welfare, she decided that she needed to witness a liaison between her grandchildren. For the right price, a trivial amount to Genevieve, her investigative firm assured her that they would provide film that exceeded the quality of the typical porn production. She bridled a little at the crude description but chose to say nothing. Her investigators were very, very good. Their skill far exceeded their ethics, and that suited her just fine. If they had to use some coarse professional humor, she could live with that. Genevieve already knew that Cheryl and Cecily were Greg's only recent sex partners, so it was just a matter of waiting - and paying - until the desired results came back. A month later, sooner than Genevieve had expected, two VCR tapes were delivered to her, covering three different encounters between her grandchildren. The two tapes were the same, except that one was overdubbed by critical comments from staff members of the security firm, as she had requested. Watching the tapes and listening to the comments, Genevieve could finally see what Cheryl had been talking about. ------- "If I learn that you have had any more unprotected sex with Greg, your parents will be told, and I will show them a tape," Genevieve told a totally shocked Cecily the next day. "But... but... but I'm on... pill!" the girl objected haltingly, almost in tears. Deciding the time was right to be a friend and confidante to the girl, Genevieve adopted a conciliatory tone. "Cecily, Honey, the pill does nothing to prevent diseases." "But Greggy said Cheryl always makes him wear a condom. He couldn't catch anything from her." "Cheryl is not the problem. Greg has been with many other girls, and I'm afraid he brags about never using a condom." "Yeah, he does, Grandma. I can't figure out how Cheryl gets him to wear one," the girl mused. "Does Cheryl know about the other girls?" "Oh, I'm sure she does. The way Greg talks about everything, everyone must know." "Then why does she stay with him?" Cecily asked, no longer frightened, but seemingly thrilled at the chance to talk about important things with her grandmother. "That's... complicated," the grandmother replied, completely unaware of how many times that exact wording had been used to describe the relationship between Greg and Cheryl. There was a period of silence, then Cecil asked "Grandma, is there really a tape of me and Greggy?" At Genevieve's nod, Cecily went on "Just, uh, how many people have seen it?" "Honey, I think we should just forget about the tape. Just make him use a condom. I just want you to be safe." "No. What did people say about me when they saw me on the tape?" Cecily was bright and perceptive. Her grandmother's non-answer about who had seen the tape gave it away. Genevieve made a very painful decision at that point. They were in her apartment, and she took the girl to her den and started the tape, the one with the comments. When it ended, Cecily was very quiet, then she just started talking. "You know, I didn't know anything. Mom and Dad never told me, and our stupid school doesn't have sex education. I heard all the girls drooling over Greggy and when he first came on to me, I was thrilled. It sounds like he's not very good from what those people said. From what those guys were saying, my body isn't the problem. Are there guys who can make me feel a lot better?" "I'm sure there are, Honey." "Well, next time, I'm telling Greggy to go fuck himself," the girl declared. "Um, should I see a doctor?" ------- In bed one Sunday morning, Cal told Cheryl "I am amazed at the way you have almost pussy-whipped Greg. How do you do it?" "I'm just becoming a better and better whore, I guess." "Hey, you know I don't like you calling yourself that." He slapped her rather harder than playfully on her bare butt. They were lying in their favorite talking position - face to face. Because of their similar height and her long legs, his cock fit nicely between her thighs when their mouths were aligned. They could talk and kiss for long periods while she used gentle thigh motions to keep him hard. He usually reciprocated by teasing her nipples absentmindedly. As they talked, Cal's hands were seldom still. He knew that the caresses and exploration were among the things that made their encounters love-making in Cheryl's eyes. They were the things she did not get from Greg. Cal did not have to remind himself to keep on touching. Teri, his first partner, was a 'touch-a-holic', so to him, it was a natural part of sex. On top of that, Cheryl's body was a delight to a connoisseur. Everything was a wonderful combination of taut and smooth. Her back tapered seductively from her shoulders to her hips. Quiescent, her back felt wonderfully upholstered. When she moved, though, the muscles rippled and Cal could feel the power. Sometimes, as they discussed a lengthy topic, Cal would spend many minutes on her hip. He would run his hand up from her thigh, reveling in the smooth peak of her hip and the valley of her tight waist. The return trip was no less fascinating. Her ass was compact, like most of her, and had that same 'cushioned velvet over steel' feeling. When he was fondling her ass cheek, she would often raise her knee up along his thigh. The feeling of her powerful leaper's gluteus muscle flexing always made his cock twitch between her thighs. When she moved her leg like that, Cal could seldom resist catching her thigh just to feel the wonderful strength. She would often respond by straightening her leg up over his hip and rhythmically pointing and flattening her toes. That made the muscle in her leg do a gentle, enticing dance. Cheryl was no less into touching than was Cal. His arm and torso muscles were knotty and corded. If he exerted only a small force, the muscles would stand out in relief, luring her to trace their origins and terminations. Cal joked that she was getting a free anatomy lesson from him. They talked freely about Greg's bulky muscle bundles, as well. Cheryl admitted to using many of the same touch techniques to either arouse or subdue the big guy. She would often get emotional as she assured Cal that she touched Greg because she had to: she touched Cal to say what she felt. Or course, the genitals were the ultimate destination for touching. The couple forestalled the need to get their hands immediately in their lovers' crotches by her holding his cock between her thighs, tight against her labia. That provided needed stimulation, but allowed them to commune for long periods before seeking final relief. The fingers of one partner or the other slipping down the ass crack was the early warning signal that intercourse was now on a predictable schedule. Before many minutes, their hips would pull apart to give them free access to the other's organs. Cal had learned oral quite well while he was with Teri, and he loved to do it to Cheryl. Naturally, Greg demanded blowjobs from Cheryl, so she was also proficient. Talking was so important to the couple, though, that Cal generally used his fingers to bring her over once or twice before entering her. While she was approaching hers, she would knead him in such a way that he usually came, as well. They always went to bed with a few rags under their pillows to catch his early discharge. When it came time for intercourse, there was no set pattern. Cheryl freely admitted that she wanted to perfect many positions in her plan to keep Greg interested in the sex. "I want that cousin and all those other sluts to seem like blow-up dolls compared to me," she had said several times. Many a man would have lost his erection upon hearing that statement while getting ready to mount his lover. That kind of talk was definitely tough on Cal at first. But he began to realize that it was just another grasp for intimacy with Cheryl. Having to be Greg's whore was a dominant factor in her life. Sharing it completely with Cal went a long way toward making it bearable. As athletic as she was, Cal was not surprised that Cheryl could make any coupling position mind-blowing. She even got ahold of the Kama Sutra one time and they spent hours looking agog at the weird positions, then deciding which were worth trying. Cheryl liked some of the positions that ended up with very little touching except for genitals. Not only did it mean that she had less contact with Greg, always a good thing for her, but he was not much into touching in any way. Greg liked the new and strange positions because it made him feel like an adventurous sexual pro. No matter what the position, Cheryl did her very best to wring every drop from Greg. Cal had gotten used to the fact that Cheryl would break into tears at least once every time they made love. Most often it happened when Cal resumed touching and exploration after they had orgasmed. Then, her entire body was ultra-sensitive and it made the feelings go on and on. She cried because with Greg, sleep came in a very few minutes after his last come. Cal and Cheryl were not even able to get together every week. Worse, there were very few occasions when they could spend all night. What they could do was maximize the tenderness and the communication when they were together. Cal believed her claim that she could never survive Greg without Cal to turn to. ------- Sometimes mistakes can be fun, at least for some of the players in a scene. Teri did all of the scheduling of shoots, and decided when she would have to go along. As careful as she was, one got by her. Cal and Tessa pulled up to a house on a Sunday afternoon in early May. This one had been arranged by the husband, but Teri had detected none of the trouble indicators that had shown up with the Edwards. A man, assumedly Ted Connors, opened the door barefoot and wearing a robe. With a quick glance, Cal detected a ripple in the cloth that was most likely caused by the head of his unrestrained penis brushing the material. "Oh!," Ted commented, "you two seem a little young to be taking nude pictures." "We weren't aware that was what you wanted," Cal responded. "We aren't prepared to do those today." "Does that take some special preparation?" Ted asked. "By policy, Mrs. Walts must be present for the more revealing shots," Cal explained. "Can you call her and get her here? Everything is perfect today." "I'm sorry, she is out of town." Ted was not angry or indignant, just disappointed. "Tell me, where did that policy come from?" "It's to protect us from any charges of coercion or inappropriate behavior. We also require an adult attendant for the photo subject." "Damn!" Ted lamented. "I guess I screwed up, Honey. I said we wanted couples pictures but I didn't specify that they would be nude. She really didn't ask, either." His wife, Kathy, had come up beside him. She was resting her hand on his shoulder. The opening of her robe was pulled so that it almost exposed her crotch. It was obvious that there would be no timidity with these subjects. Too bad they had to pack up and leave. "Tell me, Cal, is it? Do you know the legal basis for Mrs. Walts having to be present?" "No. I know we had to wait until I was sixteen, and I think she consulted a lawyer for the other policies." "Well, I'm an attorney, and I cannot see any difference between an adult being present and a - how old are you, Miss? Seventeen?" I don't see a legal problem." "Look, I don't want to get you in any trouble," Ted went on, "but we have done a lot of preparation and we are really looking forward to these pictures. I have seen your work, Cal, and I am very impressed." At that point Kathy said her first words. "We opened the pool early and we have been running the heater non-stop so we have warm water. Wouldn't want Ted all shrunken for the pictures, would we?" She giggled. "Oh, I'm sorry, Honey," Kathy said to Tessa. "You name is..." "Tessa, and you're Kathy, right?" "Mmm, hmm. I hope I didn't embarrass you." "No problem. Uh, Cal, can we talk a minute?" Tessa asked. When they were away form the Connors she told Cal "If you cancel this because of that stupid policy, you're stuck with just Cheryl. Got it?" "Figure it's your turn for some live dick, huh?" Cal teased. "Well?" He just nodded. As Cal turned back to the Connors, Ted joked "Out-gunned, huh?" "As usual," Cal said in mock sadness. "Are all of the shots going to be by the pool?" "We're not sure yet," Kathy answered. "Let's start there, though?" When they got to the patio, husband and wife nodded at each other and just dropped their robes. Cal made it a point never to comment on a subject's appearance, except as it related to a pose. Tessa had no such compunctions. "Wow! You two are in fantastic shape!" She did not add 'for almost fifty'. "Thank you, Tessa," Kathy said with no trace of nervousness. "We've worked hard for almost two years to reach our goals. This set of pictures is a reward and a reminder. We've got some 'before' pictures that are pretty ugly." Ted added "I was working myself to death, not exercising and not eating right. It took a little heart episode to wake me up. We both joined a health club and we went to see a nutritionist. Here we are." He spread his arms dramatically. "Tanning booth or right here?" Tessa asked. "Right here. We've gotten kinda fond of laying out here naked," Kathy explained. The first pictures were of one spouse putting suntan lotion on the other. After the backsides were done, they each did their own fronts and wanted very sexy pictures of that. Ted insisted on shots of Kathy oiling her breasts and moving them around. She retaliated by ordering close-up shots of him protecting his cock and balls from the sun. Cal had a pretty good idea by then that Tessa would be more than happy with her day. After they were oiled up, they did a series of tanning poses. After the oiling-up set, Cal just assumed that they would want close, clear genital shots, and he included them. He was doing more hand-held shots than he normally would. Since it was a very bright day, he could use a fast shutter and not be too concerned about slight camera motion. Because there were no lights to take care of, Tessa would have been pretty much a spectator if Cal had not found everything he could for her to do. He thought Ted and Kathy probably realized what he was doing, but they did not seem to mind Tessa's presence. From their relaxed nudity, Cal wondered what other naked experiences they might have had. Water drops in bright sunlight, especially on oiled skin, make for excellent pictures. For the next set, the couple would get into the water, being careful of Kathy's hair, then pose in various places around the pool with the water glistening on their skin. The process was clumsy and the shot had to be taken quickly before the drops evaporated in the sunlight. Here, Tessa earned her keep. She got together with Kathy and they came up with a spray bottle for wetting them down. Remembering all of the couples poses from previous shoots, Cal described them to Tessa and had her set them up. Some they modified for the outdoor setting, and some, the Connors improvised on their own. During a break, Kathy brought out several of the 'before' pictures and Cal and Tessa ooohed and ahhhed appropriately and honestly. It was an impressive achievement for both of the Connors. After the session, Kathy asked Cal and Tessa do join them for a swim. "Thank you, Kathy," Cal replied. "It's not a matter of shyness. I just don't think it would be proper when we are on a shoot." "I guess you're right," Kathy said, "but it would be fun. How about when you bring the pictures? Could you do it then?" Cal and Tessa looked at each other and shrugged. In the van later, Cal said, "You know they mean skinny dipping, don't you?" "Of course. I think it will be fun. Tomorrow night, then?" As Rebecca scrutinized the pictures later, she complained "Hey, how come there are none with him hard?" "He just didn't get hard," Tessa explained. "But I've got another chance," and she told Rebecca about the invitation for the next night. "You're going to do it?" Rebecca asked in amazement. ------- Cal thought many times during school Monday about just delivering the pictures and leaving. The problem was Tessa - she was determined. Teri was still out of town with Rick, so delivery was up to them. When he saw Tessa's face as she waited by the van, he knew there was no chance. Ted had promised to be home by three, so the timing would be good. When Cal headed straight for the Connors', Tessa wondered why they weren't going home. "What do you need that you don't have. I'm sure Kathy has towels." There was a secluded wooded park on the way and Cal pulled in to the parking area, away from any other cars. "You wanna help, or do I have to do it myself?" He was undoing his jeans as he asked. "Whatsa matter? Will seeing Kathy naked make you hard?" "Probably not. But seeing you always does." It took a while, but Cal felt much more confident after two comes, courtesy of Tessa. Kathy greeted them, again in a robe. Cal handed her the pictures, but she pushed them away. "Ted said if I dared to look at them before he got home, he'd... well, it wasn't good. You guys wanna get right in the pool or wait for Ted." They decided to go right out. Tessa began stripping right on the patio, so Cal had no choice but to follow suit. "My God, Girl," Kathy said as the teens walked to the pool ladder together. "Where can I get some boobs like those? They're awesome! And Cal! Talk about being in shape!" "Football, basketball, and martial arts," Tessa said proudly. Even after his two comes, that kind of attention was difficult for Cal. He rather hurried into the water. About twenty minutes later, Ted came out the patio door, already naked. He did a double take when he saw Tessa standing in the shallow end talking to Kathy. "Aren't you glad we invited them, Lover. Will you look at these!" Kathy teased. Ted looked alright. Possibly because of surprise, his penis lengthened noticeably. "Hey," Kathy protested with a laugh, "You didn't do that for me all yesterday." Ted ignored the gibe, although he seemed to grow a little more. "Where are the pictures?" he demanded. It evidently took a lot to get the Connors to put clothes on. They went through the whole set of shots sitting naked on patio chairs. "Cal, your reputation is well deserved," Ted said when they were finished. After Cal's thanks, Ted went on. "We have a group of couples who enjoy skinny dipping. I think you might be getting some more calls after they see these. Oh, and Tessa, I would hate to deprive our friends of seeing you." "Oh, Mom's pretty awesome," Tessa said, blushing a little. "Seriously, though," Ted told them. "I did some research. Your mother's concerns have no legal basis." They swam for another half hour before the teens headed home. ------- Just before the end of Cal's sophomore year, the news broke that the basketball coach had accepted a college job. Cal was very disappointed because he was a very successful coach, he taught well, and he treated his players fairly and respectfully. At the same time, Cal was happy that the man was being rewarded for his talent and his hard work. The selection process for a new coach took almost a month. When the choice was announced, the news articles made Cal think of quitting. The new coach, named Roy Hall, was known for running a Princeton-style offense. He had had great success with his approach at three smaller schools. The choice made no sense to Cal, as his school's recent success had been built on a high-powered, fast-paced offense and a challenging, opportunistic defense. That was the way younger players were taught up through the grades, as well. The change in styles was bound to disrupt the team severely. Cal was the acknowledged choice for point guard, and the expected strength of the team was in the three black players, Dante and Terrell Powers and Mahmoud Salaam. They were tall, fast, and very athletic, and could generate a lot of points in a hurry. Cal could only hope that the new coach would adapt to the talent he had rather than staying with his previous style. His parents, Laura, and Ken all encouraged Cal to stay with the team and see if things would work out. For the sake of his teammates he agreed to do that. He thoroughly enjoyed basketball, but his life was full of enjoyable things and it was not his number one interest. The way his old coach played made the game a pleasure for Cal. If the fun was taken from it, he honestly wondered if it was worth his time. Trying to apply the disciplines he had been taught, Cal pushed his concerns from his mind and set out to enjoy the rest of the summer. ------- The summer looked like it would provide much to enjoy. The photo business boomed. Some weeks, Cal could have been shooting every day. The limitation was Teri's or Tessa's time. Ever since her brief break-up with Greg at New Year's, Cheryl had been having a much easier time as Greg's paid girlfriend. She had not come close to even liking the guy, but she had come to understand him a lot better, and she was becoming a master at controlling him with sex. As he had the summer before, Greg would spend seven weeks at a football camp. Because of the steroid issue the year before, it was a different camp. The seven weeks would be a wonderful vacation for Cheryl. She was still not free to be seen with Cal in public, but she practically lived at the Banner home. Cheryl's parents had been on her mercilessly about getting a summer job to earn some money for college, so with Tessa's help, she made one up. On paper, she was a lab assistant for the photography business. She would transfer money from her 'Greg' account and make the total known to her parents. They would be satisfied that she was putting away the pittance typical for high school kids. To Cal, Greg's time at camp looked like seven weeks of Heaven. He was very much looking forward to spending a lot more time with Cheryl. The current reality, though, was lots of shoots. Among the usual wedding and graduation jobs, some of the Connors' friends began to call. After Ted's assertion that Teri's presence was not required for nude shoots, Tessa became the main assistant. When the second referral from Ted and Kathy called, Cal asked Rebecca if she would like to go on that one as his assistant. "A nude shoot?" Rebecca replied in alarm. "Oh, no! I couldn't!" "But you'd have your clothes on," he teased, "unless you decided to swim afterward." "Cal!" she squealed out. Then after a moment to think, she demanded "Are you just trying to see me naked?" "Only if you want to show me, Sis," he assured her. "Really, I couldn't be your assistant. What would I tell Bobby?" "Why tell him at all?" "You know we're not like that. Let Tessa have her fun. I know she loves it." "Do you still want to check out the pictures?" Cal asked. "Sure!" came back very quickly and rather loud. Rebecca blushed, Cal laughed, and Cal ducked another of those play swats. ------- It was a long-standing tradition for the incoming upperclassmen at the high school to stage a huge last-day-of-vacation beach party at a lake just outside the last ring of suburbs. It was held on the last Friday before school started. The lake was not huge, but much of the shore was swimmable, there was a long stretch of sandy beach, and it was in the center of a wooded park. All in all, a perfect place for an end-of-summer bash. Over the last three years, there had been a strong move to shut the party down due to general rowdiness and disruption. Several students had been arrested the previous year, but that was not enough to force action. For one thing, it was a public park, and the students all came on their own. Short of closing the entire park that day, no one could figure out how to stop the party. Rebecca and Bobby were now going everywhere together. She had matured to the point where she cared little how she was viewed by most of her fellow students. She cared what Bobby thought about her, and what their small, close circle of super-bright, super-talented friends thought. The fact that Bobby's consistent exercise program had added thirty solid pounds to his once-skeletal frame was certainly not a negative factor. Rebecca and Bobby had not gone all the way yet, much to Cal's, Tessa's and Cheryl's surprise. Had there been a pool, it would have been on Prom night of their junior year, but it had not happened. When Cal and Rebecca had talked about it a few times, she had just shrugged and said "What's the hurry?" What was clear about the two was that they would someday marry, barring the totally unexpected. As love will often do, it had made Rebecca blossom. Facial expression, posture, gregariousness, dress, makeup... everything about her had totally changed. Now, most of the male students agreed with Cal that she was one of the most desirable girls on campus. The year before, Rebecca had scoffed at the idea of attending the party at the lake. At that point, she still felt like an outsider. Now, however, she was adamant about attending. Cal and Bobby agreed that it was not a good idea, but... Rule Two. When it was obvious that Rebecca would win, Cal asked Tessa to go with him. He was reluctant to let his sister out there without protection. Cal never thought of getting their parents involved, although it did take some explaining why he would not be going to see Pete play his first game of the year that weekend. Elaine and Martin were flying out that evening. Rebecca was not as adamant about seeing Pete play as was Cal, and when Cal explained that he wanted to watch out for Rebecca, his parents agreed readily. Bobby had blossomed, too, but he had also attracted even more abuse from the jock set. It had been bad enough when he was just the brain and into music. Now that he was going with a girl the he didn't 'deserve' - one who totally ignored any and all approaches by the jocks - he had attracted a lot of outright hatred. He and Cal both knew that, and it was the reason they did not like the party idea. One thing eased Cal's mind a bit. After all of the negative publicity, twelve sheriff's deputies had been assigned and a paramedic truck was on station. The county was trying to charge the school district for the extra expense, but not having much luck. With his increased knowledge of all things legal and political, Cal assumed it was the party's last year. ------- Greg's football camp had been one known for the presence of scouts from the top college teams. Perhaps it was the prospect of being a BMOC, but he returned from that camp worse than the pre-breakup Greg. He was much harder to keep out of trouble, and his demands on Cheryl began to be outrageous. He had returned barely two weeks before the big party, and Cheryl had been dreading the day. With the substantial police presence, a lot of the edge was taken off of the gathering. However, teenagers intent on getting drunk are nothing if not creative. Many must have been chugging it rapidly whenever they had the chance, for there were many barely-ambulatory boys spouting rude belches and ruder remarks. Cheryl stayed right with Greg like the good bodyguard she considered herself to be that day. He was trying to make sure that no one else won the consumption title, and she was having little luck restricting his input. ------- Food for the party came from a variety of sources. Some kids packed lunches, some organized barbecues, and many bought from the variety of vendors that showed up for any significant gathering. Rebecca and Tessa had packed a cooler, and the two couples got together again for supper. After eating, Rebecca pulled Bobby to his feet and they headed up the beach. This whole day had been her thing, and Bobby had learned well when to just wait for her to talk. They had been walking along, swinging their clasped hands when she reached her arm around him and pulled herself close. That brought forward progress to a crawl, but they weren't really heading anywhere in particular. Rebecca steered them away from the water along a trail that led back into the surrounding woods. After a quiet little stroll, they came upon a large clearing, surprisingly devoid of any people. There, Rebecca moved in front of him, got her arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly. "Bobby. I'm ready," she breathed out between lip-locks. "Ready? Ready for... ? Ohhhhh! God, Honey! Are you sure?" "I'm sure I've been stupid for waiting so long," she assured him. "But... but not here!" He pushed her back a little to look into her face. Relaxing against his hold, she smiled and told him "No, not here. I want it to be perfect. We need to let your folks know first, though." "My folks! But they won't..." "What will they do, Bobby? I think they know we're... I mean..." She almost said far more than she intended. "... that we're forever?" He put words to what she was afraid to say. "Rebecca, if we do it, that's what it will mean to me." They went through three sizzling kisses before she could squeeze in "Me, too." ------- Supper at the party meant only one thing to Cheryl. It meant she was that much closer to eventually getting out of there. Although, she doubted that Greg would be satisfied to let anyone linger longer than he did. She just hoped all of the police would chase everyone out at some reasonable hour. The big problem was that Cheryl could not get too far from Greg. Her watching over him had attracted some nasty comments that irritated him mightily, and he was trying to show his independence of her. A good part of that show involved drinking whatever he damned pleased. A few sips of champagne the day she lost her cherry to Cal was the most alcohol Cheryl had ever ingested. Like many teetotalers, the smell of beer, wine, or booze was offensive to her. Just one more way she really earned her money. Someday she would try to figure out how so much alcohol got through all of those deputies to the crowd of underaged drinkers. After eating, Greg had headed for the water's edge with Cheryl, Chad, and Vick right with him. Vick was barely with them, as his legs were hardly functioning as designed. Cheryl shook her head over how the otherwise nice guy had fallen since getting sucked into Greg's sphere. Actually, he was not really one of Greg's inner group. Only those from his lofty economic circle could belong to that. He and Chad made a habit of having one or two 'little people' around them. Referring to Vick Smaak as 'little' was laughable, but in economic terms, it was certainly true. Vick was not even in the same universe economically as the other two. His mother was divorced and had a decent job, but they got by and that was about it. He was also the one that had fallen the farthest by attaching himself to Greg. Always a very well-behaved boy, he had the reputation of never hurting a fly - unless the fly was carrying the football. He was always attentive and respectful in class, even when Greg was there. His grades combined with his athletic talent made him an excellent candidate for a football scholarship. That was extremely important to his dedicated mother. Falling under Greg's influence had severely damaged Vick's formerly strong relationship with his mother. He felt bad about that, but he could not seem to break free of the lure of all of the things Greg's money and influence could get for him. Greg liked the adoration of his 'little people' and enjoyed having them at his beck and call. They, in turn, got to pose as part of the school's elite and Greg was sure to provide them pleasures that they might not ordinarily have. This kept them around until they saw the light or until Greg got tired of them. Greg was getting tired of Vick, and he and Chad had been tricking Vick all afternoon, making him drink ridiculous amounts to supposedly 'keep up'. Thus, Vick was now staggering openly and speaking in an obvious slur. At the edge of the lake, Greg and his crew strolled for several yards, then he told Cheryl "I told the guys you'd take care of them. Let's go in the woods and find a clearing." "You what?" "I told them you'd do them. Chad's been wanting it for a long time." "No way!" "Why not? You might like it!" "Asshole!" As Cheryl stamped off to Greg's laughter, she heard him say "Let's get some of that sweet nerd pussy that headed up that way." Cheryl's blood ran cold and she stopped in her tracks. She was ready to go back and try to stop Greg from going after Rebecca. But what could she do? In his current mood he would not listen to her, and she could not physically stop him. All she could think of was to find Cal. ------- Vick tried his hardest to keep up, but Greg and Chad seemed to be walking so fast. He knew he had drunk a lot, but he had never felt like this before. He just had to keep up with them. He could not be left behind. What had Greg said about pussy? Greg and Chad entered the trees and Vick was pushing himself to keep up when his stomach revolted. He barely had time to get down on his knees before he began spewing violently all over the surrounding ground. For uncountable minutes he wretched and heaved, barely able to gulp a breath of air before the next spasm gripped his tortured stomach muscles. For more minutes after the heaves subsided, Vick sat shakily back on his haunches and tried to get the world to stop spinning around him while at the same time trying to spit the last of the acidic bile from his mouth. As he sat there, his still-addled brain thought of Greg. He had to catch up with them. He could not let them think he could not keep up. He had to prove that he was one of them. Technically, he was on his feet and walking, but it was only his massive strength that propelled him toward where his companions had gone. Given the muddling of his brain and the exhaustion of his body, he should not have been able to move at all. And he could not get rid of that annoying sound. Time was not a meaningful measure to Vick and he had no idea how long it was before he broke into the open to a scene that his inebriated mind could scarcely process. ------- Several minutes earlier, Rebecca and Bobby were sitting on an old tree stump where they had been chatting for a while. In the glow of Rebecca's momentous declaration they shared more openly about their feelings and their hopes than they ever had before. When Greg and Chad came into the clearing, both of the lovers felt the chill of fear, especially when Greg stomped right up to them. "Nerd Girl, how can you stay with this wimp and keep turning me down?" Greg demanded, a drunken slur just evident in his speech. "Greg, Cheryl's your girl. I couldn't go out with you even if I wanted to," Rebecca said in a courageous attempt to lighten the mood. "Screw Cheryl!" Greg spat out. "She pissed me off one time too many. Thinks she's my fuckin' mommy or somethin'. Come on! I ain't taken 'no' this time." He reached out and grabbed for Rebecca's wrist. Bobby was no athlete but he had quick hands. Greg was drunk and never thought about being interfered with. Bobby slapped Greg's hand away and moved between Rebecca and the big drunk. Bobby had not reasoned out his move. It was reflexive and instinctive. Part of his mind knew that he was putting himself in real danger, but the only thing that translated into action was protecting Rebecca. "Chad, grab that cunt while I pound the shit out of this nerd," Greg yelled in anger. Right then, he was mad at the world. His dick had been hurting since he got home from camp. Cheryl had been on his case all day and some of his friends were laughing at him. These two nerds had been treating him like... like he was the nerd or something. Bobby sensed that Rebecca would be completely at Greg's mercy if they got separated. He knew he had no chance of doing anything against either of the two football stars, let alone both. He saw Greg rear back to hit him and some instinct took over. He spun around and wrapped both arms around Rebecca, holding her arms in tightly so that she was as sheltered as he could make her. Then the blows started. With nothing in the way, Greg was able to put full force into his punches. Bobby at first tried to lift Rebecca and move both of them sideways out of Greg's reach. It only took four blows before Bobby hurt too badly to do anything but clasp his arms around his hysterical love and think of one thing - don't let go; don't let go; don't let go. Bobby could not recall much after six or eight blows. There was only pain, grim determination, and chilling fear for Rebecca. He could not remember collapsing to the ground, his arms still maniacally clamped around her. He was not aware of when he passed out of consciousness. When Greg and Chad both struggled to separate his arms to get at Rebecca, he was holding on with some sort of subconscious autonomic control and knew nothing about it. When Chad pulled Rebecca upright with painful grips on both upper arms and Greg started kicking Bobby's prone body, Bobby was mercifully unaware. ------- So that was the noise he had been hearing as he staggered up the path. As Vick looked out to see Chad holding Rebecca by her arms and Greg kicking someone lying on the ground, it filtered through Vick's brain that the sound was Rebecca screaming. Greg was really kicking that guy! Bobby! If that was Rebecca, the one on the ground had to be Bobby. A shot of adrenalin was bringing the first clarity to Vick's thinking, and his upbringing was coming to the front. Greg shouldn't do that! It wasn't right! Bobby could be badly hurt. Vick's brain was not yet ordered enough to plan action, but he was moving anyway. Greg was fifty or so feet away, but even at Vick's staggering pace, he was there quickly and unnoticed. He crashed into Greg's back, but without much force. Greg was staggered, but neither he nor Vick fell. "Fuckin' traitor!" Greg swore as he spun around. Then, he kneed Vick viciously in the stomach. With the world becoming black again, Vick collapsed to his knees right beside Bobby and fought to catch a breath. Rebecca's screaming did not stop. Vick was able to turn his head and see Greg ripping off her clothes. Then, the two attackers forced her to the ground. Chad held her down by her arms as Greg shed his swimsuit and knelt between her legs. Vick wanted desperately to do something, but he could not even breathe. He could not make himself stand or even crawl. He could only watch in frustration and shame as Greg prepared to rape the helpless girl. ------- Chapter 19 To Cal's relief, nothing bad had happened by the time most people had eaten and the sun was getting low. He had relaxed his vigil on Rebecca and Bobby and was talking with Dante Powers about the new basketball coach and the team's prospects. He realized that he had not seen the lovebirds for a while, and when Dante walked off to see someone else, Cal started scanning the beach for them. He was just starting to be concerned when Cheryl came running up to him, followed closely by Tessa. "Cal, Cal!" Cheryl panted out. "Greg and his dogs went up the beach talking about some sweet nerd pussy that was out that way. They're really drunk. Rebecca and Bobby walked that way earlier." The 'dogs' referred to Greg's closest followers. That afternoon there had been two, both teammates. One was the quarterback, Chad, who had come to resemble Greg's shadow. The other 'dog' was Vick, the top defensive lineman. Cal was in motion before Cheryl stopped talking, cursing himself for losing track of his sister. He could hear Tessa pounding along behind him and was only slightly surprised to see the athletic Cheryl surge just past him as he put everything he had into his stride. They got lots of stares as they flew by but only a few people started to follow them. It was a good fifty yards from where Cal had been standing to the end of where the students were congregated. They covered at least another hundred yards beyond that before he heard screaming ahead and back from the water a ways. After what seemed like miles but was only about thirty yards farther, Cal and Cheryl burst into a large clearing to a chilling scene. Rebecca was on her back, naked. Chad was pinning her arms to the ground as she struggled. Greg was kneeling between her legs, trying to aim his cock at Rebecca's opening as she kicked and squirmed frantically to avoid him. His swim trunks were behind him and he apparently had not worn a shirt. ------- To Vick's amazement and relief, he saw that Rebecca was not as helpless as he had at first thought. As Greg and Chad forced her to the ground, she turned into a dervish of wildly flailing legs. Vick desperately wanted to help her, but he had barely gotten his vision back and he could not marshal enough breath to stand or even to crawl. As Rebecca had watched and felt Bobby take the brutal beating from Greg, she had been almost paralyzed with fear, but it was fear for Bobby, not for herself. She did not know how badly he was hurt, but she feared the worst. The fury of Greg's attack had been stunning, and she could not see how her lover could survive the impact that she had felt through his body as Greg beat and kicked him. Suddenly, Vick had appeared, and Greg's attention was now on her, rather than on Bobby. Greg was going to rape her, that was obvious. But a strange thing happened. The potentially paralyzing fear drained from her as she was forced to the ground, replaced by a rage that she never knew she possessed. Her virginity was the most precious thing she possessed, and she had long been committed to giving it to Bobby. Maybe Bobby was dead - she did not know, but if Bobby could not have the gift that was rightly his, there was no way that Greg was going to steal it. Instances of people acquiring superhuman strength in situations of great duress are well known. Rebecca's virginity - Bobby's property - was being threatened. To her, that was enough to drive her into that superhuman zone. Her crotch was exposed for the first time to anyone. That did not matter. She was naked in front of three males. That did not matter. All that mattered was that Greg was trying to steal what belonged to Bobby. The fact that it was her body about to be violated was secondary in her thinking. At that moment, her heart told her that she would rather die than let Greg have what he was trying to take. Rebecca had been flailing frantically at Greg for many seconds, throwing her body around violently to prevent him from lining up his cock. When he let go of a leg to try to guide himself into her, she kicked him with all of her might, forcing him to grab her legs again to hold her still. At that moment she caught a glimpse of two people rushing toward them, and she knew that it was Cal and Cheryl. Knowing that help was at hand did not cause Rebecca to relax. To the contrary, knowing that she was going to win allowed her to turn her anger toward punishing Greg, rather than just protecting her cherry. Once more Greg released her leg and tried to line himself up, swearing at her for resisting and at Chad for failing to hold her still. Instantly, her foot flashed out, hitting Greg solidly in the face. He redoubled his efforts to restrain her and slapped her hard across her cheek. ------- When Cal's discipline caused him go pause momentarily to assess the situation, Cheryl never broke her stride and pounded across the sand toward her erstwhile boyfriend. Cal saw his sister kick Greg in the face, receiving a hard slap on the cheek in response. That made Cal lunge forward, whereupon he caught a glimpse of Bobby, crumpled and motionless on the other side of Rebecca with Vick bent over him. Cal's sister Rebecca was just the sweetest person he would ever know. Her genuine innocence was endearing. And Bobby! It was not hard to figure out that one or more of the three had beaten him badly. It was hard to believe about Vick. In fact, it looked like Vick was himself either hurt or ill. That Bobby had been beaten trying to protect Rebecca was obvious to Cal. It was the way Rebecca and Bobby were, and it was the most beautiful thing in Cal's life. That Greg would try to steal that innocence, that purity out of some perverse hatred just drove Cal over the edge. Although he was still a good fifty feet away, Cal let out a yell. Looking up, Greg hollered "Stop that fuckin' kicker so I can finish this piece." Somehow, Greg had not seen Cheryl hurtling toward him and she had not made a sound. Vick heard the yell and rose up shakily. The big quarterback let go of Rebecca's arms. He saw Cheryl, but ignored her and immediately headed toward Cal, assuming that he could just block Cal's way with his superior size and strength. When Chad released her arms, Rebecca went instinctively for Greg's eyes, scratching him viciously down both sides of his face. When he reflexively put his hand to his face and sat up, she aimed a solid kick at his crotch. He had barely recoiled from that when she scored another solid kick to his throat. Rebecca should have scrambled away from Greg as soon as Chad released her arms, but she was so overcome with rage that all she could think of was to hurt him. Emitting a strangled bellow of pain, due to his wounded larynx, and grabbing at his crotch with one hand, Greg hit Rebecca in the face again, this time with his fist. That blow left her barely conscious. Vick saw the blow to Rebecca's face, and it was almost like he had taken the hit himself. Somehow, somewhere, he found a hidden reservoir of strength and got his feet under himself. Half-crouched, half-standing, Vick saw Greg winding up for another blow to Rebecca's head. His massive arm outstretched, Vick flung himself toward Greg. Vick's hand reached Greg's arm just as it started forward toward the almost-unconscious girl. It was enough to knock Greg off balance, and the blow never connected. The alcohol, the exertion, and the oxygen deficit from his barely functional diaphragm left Vick once again semi-conscious on the ground, but the potentially deadly blow had been deflected. At just that moment, Cheryl reached Rebecca and knelt down over her legs, belligerently facing Greg. Meanwhile, knowing that time was critical, Cal ran toward Chad at full speed, then did a slight sidestep to get by him. As Cal slipped past, Chad reached out to grab him. Although it was not essential to his objective of saving his sister, his towering anger caused Cal to grab Chad's arm and spin himself. As Cal heard the pop and the instant scream, he felt satisfaction that it was the right arm. No passes that year. Greg had not even looked back toward Cal until he heard Chad's scream. All chance of 'getting his piece' had ended when Rebecca's heel hit his testicles. It was not a disabling blow, but it hurt enough to shrink his erection instantly. Now that his supposed lackey, Vick, had interfered once again and 'his woman', Cheryl, was protecting his intended conquest, sex receded from the forefront of his interest. Anger at being denied what he wanted became his new driving force. He was about to deal with Vick's betrayal when Chad screamed. Then, the fact that his quarterback was disabled seeped through the alcohol buzz and amplified his rage. Swearing vehemently but barely audibly, Greg lunged to his feet, already moving toward Cal, the alcohol somehow overcome by adrenalin. He hardly noticed that he was only seeing thru one eye. Vick was marginally aware of what was happening, as if in a nightmare. Greg had beaten Bobby, beaten him badly. Bobby was a good kid. Now Greg had tried to rape Rebecca, another good kid. How did he, Vick, get in the middle of this. This was terribly wrong! He would never do these things himself! It was against everything his mother had taught him. His mother: she had warned him that something bad could happen. Hearing Chad's scream of pain had taken the edge off of Cal's rage and allowed the discipline of his training to take hold again. He saw Greg coming at him, obviously drunk and just as obviously wounded by Rebecca's heroic defense. "Greg! Greg! Just back off, Asshole, and you won't get hurt! It's over! Greg!" Calling the big guy 'Asshole' and suggesting that he, Cal, could hurt Greg were both highly inflammatory moves. Cal could not say that he said those things on purpose, but that was what came out. At any rate, Greg never broke stride. Later, Cal had to admit to himself and to Ken that his next move was more deadly than it had to be. But within a fraction of a second he had unleashed a full-force kick at Greg's knee. Immobilizing a dangerous opponent by taking out a knee was a standard defensive tactic, and Cal used it instinctively. There was more than just stopping Greg on Cal's mind, though. He wanted to punish the would-be rapist. Cal could deliver a punishment that Greg could not buy his way out of. Cal's sense of fairness demanded it, overruling all of the years of training and discipline that had momentarily governed his actions. It was a flashback to the first attack on Fasil fifteen months earlier. This time, though, the target was not a trained fighter and was drunk besides. Greg's knee took the full force of Cal's kick. It was Greg's forward foot and his weight had just transferred to it. The joint was forced to bend sideways into a terribly unnatural configuration and gave up the ghost, ligaments probably beyond hope of adequate repair for any future high-level football. Vick had been able to turn his head and he saw Greg's destruction. The sight energized him enough to get on his knees. He pulled off his smelly but large T-shirt and handed it to Cheryl before he again collapsed onto his hands. Now it was time for Cal to take care of Rebecca, whom Cheryl had quickly covered with Vick's shirt. Cal saw his sister's suit and her cover-up a few feet away, but when he got to them, they were torn apart. Helping Cheryl pull his sister to a sitting position, Cal took off his own shirt and put it on her, keeping Vick's shirt around her lower body. Rebecca roused from her semi-conscious state just as Tessa pounded up to them. When Rebecca recognized Cal, she screamed out "Cal! Oh, God, Cal! He killed Bobby! He killed Bobby!" She tried to roll toward her boyfriend, but she was still too weak. "No, Sis. Bobby's alive. He's breathing." Hoping that what he had said was true, Cal looked at the boy and saw that it was. Rebecca collapsed backward and Cheryl let her down easily. "Cops! Ambulance!" Cal shouted. With barely a glance at Greg, Cheryl tore off the shorts she was wearing over her swimsuit, tossed them to Cal, and said "Put these on her." Then, she took off in a sprint. Fortunately, an alert deputy had seen the three running off in apparent panic and other students starting to follow. He decided to investigate. Cheryl had only gone sixty or seventy yards when she encountered him. "Ambulance! More cops! Tried to rape! Beat up bad!" she managed to get out before sitting down on the sand, gasping for breath. The deputy did everything right, and in less than a minute, the paramedic van could be heard coming up the beach and at least two squad car sirens were right with it. While this was going on, Cal had gotten the shorts on Rebecca. He was cuddling her and restraining her from touching Bobby, telling her that she might hurt him more if she touched him. Tessa was right with them, crying as she tried to comfort her friend. Rebecca was still almost out of it and could only keep sobbing and chanting "He killed Bobby! He killed Bobby!" Two paramedics arrived with a stretcher and their equipment kit. They looked first at Greg, then at Chad, both of whom were moaning pitifully. As one stooped over Greg, Cal got angrily to his feet. "Hey, he's the rapist! Forget him. This boy's hurt real bad and he did it. Take care of him. Now, damn it!" The paramedic sputtered at Cal's bossiness. "But... but this is Greg Overland..." It was the first deputy that almost dragged the EMT over to Bobby and got the situation corrected. While Bobby was being examined, several more deputies and the first flight of students arrived on the scene. Gasps and titters were evenly mixed as Greg moaned and writhed, not caring that his crotch was regularly displayed in full view, his limp penis flopping around. The deputies had all they could handle trying to enforce a perimeter around the scene. It took both Cal and Tessa to hold Rebecca back as the paramedics worked on Bobby. When they had him laid on the stretcher, he came to and tried to sit up, croaking out "Rebecca! Rebecca!" with what little voice he could muster. The paramedics tried to get him calmed down, and finally, the lead EMT turned to Rebecca and said "Please! See if you can calm him down before he hurts himself worse!" As Rebecca crawled forward and looked like she was going to lay right on top of Bobby, the EMT had to catch her and warn her. "Hey! He may have broken ribs! Don't touch him!" "Bobby, Bobby!" Rebecca sobbed out. "I'm OK! He didn't get in me! Cal got here! I'll be right here, Honey. Just let them take care of you. Ohhhh, Bobby! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" As much as Cal had always loved his sister, his admiration for her went even higher at that point. Here she was, nearly raped, her face already discoloring from Greg's blows, both arms bruised from Chad holding her down, and all she could think about was Bobby. Instinctively, Cal knew that anger and concern for someone else were good for her. They would help stave off her own shock reaction. By this point, over a hundred students had arrived and Rickert forced his way to the police line. "What the fuck?" he yelled. "Who wiped out Greg? Shit! Chad, too! Christ, we're screwed! Lemme at the motherfuckers!" Cheryl had recovered her breath enough to beat the police back to the group, where she hovered near Rebecca. When she heard the new arrival yelling, she jumped to her feet in anger and strode toward him, squeezing between two deputies to get right in his face. "Rickert, you slime ball. They tried to rape Rebecca and they beat up Bobby. That's what happened. Luckily, Cal got here in time." "Cal? Then who the fuck hurt Greg? And who gives a shit about a coupla nerds, anyway? Man, we had the championship!" "Cal took 'em both out in about three seconds, that's who did it. And if you don't shut your filthy mouth, I'll take you out myself!" Cheryl spat at him. "Cal? No fuckin' way! That shrimp kicker? Why would he wanna wreck the team?" "He was trying to keep Greg from raping his sister, you asshole!" Cheryl was screaming at him. "Rape, Hell! She probably wanted it!" With that, the angry player broke through the police line and headed for the little huddle around Bobby's stretcher. But before he got halfway there, the hulking body of Vick suddenly blocked his way. "Far enough, Rickert! They got what they deserved. Now get back out of here and shut up!" Vick never tried to approach the victims, and never said anything more. He did stand as a second line of protection between the growing crowd of students and the medical team. At that point, Vick was full of self-loathing and disbelief. Cal's destruction of Vick's two teammates had shaken him badly. When he saw the depth of love and concern Rebecca and Bobby had for each other, it reminded him of what he once had with his mother. The enormity of what had happened - what he had been a part of - hit him and he vomited again, violently. In all of the furor, hardly anyone noticed, except for Tessa. She came over to him and just patted him on the back until he was able to stand again. By the time most of the rest of the football team reached the scene, a female deputy had helped Greg get his trunks on, but his moans and curses had not abated. Having gotten a good idea of what had happened, the medics now seemed to be taking all of the time they needed with Bobby before paying any attention to the others. The other players reacted with mixed shock and anger, with most of the anger directed at Cal for ruining their season. Most of the rest of the school did not know much about Cal, and there was general disbelief that he could have wrought such mayhem. Chad had managed to get to his feet and started moving toward the crowd, probably hoping to get away. It was Vick who stopped him, threatening to tear off the other arm. Chad apparently believed him. When the questioning began, Rebecca refused to say a word. She said she would only talk when she was at the hospital with Bobby. Even Cal could not budge her. It was Cal who reminded the officers that a rape victim or intended victim needed to be examined for injuries or other evidence. After a couple of arguments, the deputies reluctantly allowed her to be taken into the van for transport to the hospital along with Bobby. Another ambulance had been dispatched for Chad and Greg. Just before the door closed, Cal yelled out "Hey, get fingernail scrapings from my sister. She scratched his face good. Wait! Don't leave or the evidence won't be good! And her torn clothes - they're evidence, too." A deputy was questioning Cal at the time, and tried to keep him from heading toward the van. Fortunately, the very first deputy was keeping close track of things and ordered the evidence properly taken care of. ------- Vick did not even think of the humiliation of having his mother pick him up from the party. Once the endless questions were finished and it was decided that he had done nothing to be arrested for, he refused a deputy's offer of a ride home. Seeing him dropped off from a patrol car could have killed his mother. He had to wait for several other callers at the lone working pay phone by the park's putrid rest rooms. It took more courage to dial his home number than to charge across the clearing at Greg. "Mom. Can you pick me up at the park. I... I'm OK, but I screwed up big time. You were... you were right all along about Greg. I'm so s... sorry!" The ride home was silent, and Vick could not look Emily, his mother, in the eye. She decided that it would all come out when he was ready. Her son had been like a different person since early the previous spring. He had flaunted her rules and mouthed off to her in ways he would never have done before. Emily had much to be proud of in her son, and it been the one huge bright spot in her otherwise hard life. She had worked very hard to give him a chance to rise above their meager existence, and it looked like football was his ticket. Lately, she thought that she had lost him to that gang of rich playboys who were just using him. Now... she desperately hoped he was not in serious trouble. When they got home, she risked the motherly move of telling him that he really needed a shower. She busied herself with tea, trying not to worry about what she would learn. Vick just stood in the kitchen for a moment when he returned. Then, he almost sprinted to her and engulfed her in his arms. She was much shorter than him and no lightweight, but he lifted her right off of her feet and hugged her almost painfully. He began a tearful chant of "Mom, I'm sorry! Mom, I'm sorry!..." After a minute, Vick led Emily to the sofa, and pulled her right onto his lap, a totally unprecedented move for them. He told her the story of what had happened. "But you didn't do anything to those kids. In fact, you tried to stop Greg," she pointed out. "But if I had been there, I could have stopped it all! I know I wouldn't have let them hurt Bobby or Rebecca," he insisted. "No, I'm sure you wouldn't, Honey." "You know the worst thing, Mom? When I saw how those two thought only of each other, it... we had that until I screwed it up!" "I think we've got it back now, Honey. I really do." "Will you go to the hospital with me, Mom? I've got some big-time apologizing to do." ------- Elaine and Martin were literally about to board an airplane when they were paged and found out about the attack. Pete's team had an early pre-season game on national television, and they had planned to spend the whole weekend. That plan ended in a hurry. Bobby suffered a painfully bruised kidney, a dislocated shoulder, a concussion, three cracked ribs, a hairline fracture of his pelvis, and massive bruises all over his back, buttocks, and upper legs. There was nothing that he could not recover from completely, but it would take quite a while and he was in for a lot of pain. Only the fact that Greg was drunk and was kicking Bobby with bare feet prevented paralyzing or fatal spinal injuries. Martin and Elaine visited Bobby's parents in his hospital room as soon as they were sure that Rebecca was OK. Her cheek was turning alarming colors, as were her upper arms, but there was no concussion. The fact that she refused to talk to them until they went and saw how Bobby certainly spurred them along. They ended up staying well past midnight as Rebecca refused to leave until she got a definitive report on Bobby and was allowed to see him. Bobby's display of selfless courage on their daughter's behalf erased any lingering concerns Elaine and Martin had about the boy's appropriateness for their daughter. If the attackers had not taken the time for Bobby's beating, the rape would have succeeded before Cal arrived. The whole situation was very traumatic for Rebecca, but not nearly what it might have been. Her anger and her concern for Bobby were good signs. An ugly scene occurred around midnight as the Banners and the Armstrongs went to the cafeteria together for some coffee and encountered the Overlands. Because Greg and Pete and Greg and Cal had been teammates, they knew each other. The Overlands were old money, so the Banners, who had earned theirs, were beneath any serious attention. The Armstrongs, who had little money, did not really exist. Penelope Overland stepped completely out of her normal patrician ways and came screeching toward the Banners. "Greg was going to play college football! He could have gone to the NFL! Your son ruined his future! Now he will have months of surgery before he can even walk right! And his eye! And his throat! And his... his... How could he do that to Greg?" Elaine had put up with a host of slights from the snobbish woman for years and had had enough. "Well, I hope for his sake that he can get good rehab in prison," she spat out. "Prison? What are you talking about. Greg is the one that was attacked!" "He tried to rape my daughter, and he almost killed her boyfriend. They're going to try him as an adult. With all of the witnesses, he'll go to jail." "But... but... Greg said..." "I feel sorry for you. You must be the only one who doesn't know what your son is really like," Elaine said as she turned pointedly away. She spun back, though, and spat out "Cal took out Greg's knee to stop him from raping Rebecaa. Rebecca did the rest of the damage herself. I couldn't be more proud of both of my kids!" The other four adults had just stood and watched. The Armstrongs were still too much in shock to react. Martin beamed with pride at his wife, while Brandon Overland tried to stifle a flash of guilt. The little confrontation had ended up on video. As soon as the combatants separated, a female reporter was on the Overlands, trying to get a statement. When she was rebuffed, she took off after the Banners and Armstrongs. Keying on Martin, they all walked along ignoring her completely. As soon as they encountered a nurse, Martin asked her to call security and have the reporter and the cameraman removed. Having to put aside his concern for his daughter, Martin was concerned about what the reporter and cameraman may have seen, heard, or shot. He called his lawyer, who started a scramble to get an injunction against airing anything the news team might have acquired. Martin did not know what the law did and did not allow with regard to publication of identities of minors involved in crimes, either as victims or perpetrators. The confrontation between the mothers was certainly fair game, except that it would lead directly to the identities of Rebecca and Greg. That, Martin definitely did not want. ------- The Banners and the Armstrongs returned to the waiting area nearest Bobby's room to find Vick and Emily Smaak waiting for them. Vick was staring at the floor, but he finally raised his head and looked straight into Jan Armstrong's eyes. "I don't know how I can apologize for what happened. I am so ashamed to have been with those guys. And I'm so ashamed that I was too drunk to keep it from happening." "But you did help. Rebecca told us," Jan replied. "Only after he was already hurt pretty badly," Vick lamented. "I could have stopped the whole thing, but I... I was throwing up when it started. I got left behind." Vick stayed and talked with both sets of parents, apologizing every other sentence. ------- Cheryl was suffering emotionally as much as anyone gathered at the hospital. She had the feeling that her involvement with Greg had somehow aggravated his antipathy toward Cal and fueled Greg's lust for Rebecca. It was not rational, but very little about her last eighteen months had been rational. She wondered if she could have prevented the attack by staying with Greg instead of storming off when he asked her to service Chad and Vick. She had always been able to steer him away from his worst urges. Even more than regret over her actions, Cheryl felt a growing loneliness. Rebecca and Bobby were surrounded by people who cared for them deeply. The gulf between herself and her parents had widened every month that she spent with Greg. Strong, smart, and resourceful as Cheryl was, she needed a support system. The two injured friends and Tessa and Cal meant more to her than her family, but that was not a comforting thought. Cheryl desperately needed to crawl in bed with Cal and be held, but she knew that she could not do it that night. Rebecca's family needed to be together by themselves and support Rebecca. Cheryl could not intrude. This time, there would be no going back to her 'arrangement' with Genevieve. There was no agonizing choice to be made between her MD and her self-respect. Final, irrevocable liberation from Greg should have made Cheryl feel euphoric. Instead, she was deeply depressed when the group broke up and they all headed to their homes. When the Banners left the hospital, they were accosted by three reporting teams. Martin stopped and held up his hands for silence. All he gave the reporters was "Check the police report." ------- It was very late when the Banners got home, and it had taken extreme measures to get Rebecca away from the hospital. They had to promise to let her drive back there as soon as she was ready in the morning. Cal thought he would be too keyed up to sleep, but it seemed like he had just barely showered and crawled between the sheets and he was out. He did not have long to sleep before he felt Rebecca cuddling up next to him. He was about to chastise her when he felt her tremble. It hit him that as hard as she had fought and as tough as she had seemed, maybe she had used it all up. Following his natural instinct, he hugged her as tightly as he could. Unable to think of anything to say, he once again chose silence and just held her close until he returned to sleep. She must have fallen asleep as well because they were in almost the same positions when he awoke to the watery light of pre-dawn. His inclination was to get up and start his usual workout routine, but concern for his sister made him cancel for one of the rare times. Since she was still out and they were rather tangled together, he remained motionless and tried to drift off again. They could not have slept for more than three or four hours and she obviously needed more. Apparently, he successfully went back to sleep, because he next awakened to the sound of his door opening. His mother was there, first looking very worried, then relieved at having located her daughter. Her face then showed a flash of concern that was soon overwhelmed by a watery-eyed smile as she closed the door. When Rebecca did wake up, she just looked at Cal, gave him a quick kiss, and left his room. He would have liked to talk to her, but he assumed that talking might have to wait for some days. Everything now focused on Bobby, and she had needed to borrow some strength from Cal to be strong for her boyfriend. It was a duty Cal was happy to perform. ------- Elaine had to cajole Rebecca into eating breakfast before she went to the hospital. By the time Rebecca herself had been released the night before, Bobby was too far under the pain medication to know if anyone was there. Elaine had gotten together with the Armstrongs before they all went home, and they had instructed the nursing station to consider Rebecca family for visiting privileges. They had to tell the nurses the whole story, but that was enough to get the rules bent. It was just after eight o'clock, but there were two press vehicles parked by the driveway. One reporter tried to stop Rebecca's car, but she just eased out and took off for the hospital. Rebecca came into the room as Bobby was getting his meager breakfast, before his parents had even arrived. When he saw Rebecca's face, his tears started spontaneously, and she rushed to his side, kissed him, and stroked his hair. "Hey, don't cry for me, Honey. It's just a bruise. I'm fine, really. Did you hear what Cal did to that asshole?" "I don't remember hearing anything," Bobby said very deliberately. "I'll be really doped up for several days. Guess the kidney pain is the worst." She could see him panting from the exertion of saying that much. "Well, Greg will never play football again, from what I hear. Cal trashed Greg's knee. Chad's throwing arm got dislocated when he tried to grab Cal." "Bet the team is bummed," Bobby was able to say. "Yeah. Oh, Vick tried to keep Greg off of you, but he was so drunk that Greg knocked him out." "Didn't see Vick," Bobby said. "Sure you're all right?" "Oh, Bobby. I get so scared when I think that Greg almost got my..." Rebecca looked at the nurse who was still giving Bobby mouthfuls of food. "... Please get better fast! I don't want to take any more chances." Bobby blushed, coughed a little, then moaned. Coughing and laughing do not go well with cracked ribs. Rebecca found his hand under the covers and just held it while he finished eating. The nurse had barely left when Jan Armstrong came in. She smiled at Rebecca and unashamedly kissed Bobby on the forehead. "Dad had a meeting scheduled this morning," she told Bobby. "He'll be in later. How are you doing, Rebecca? Does that bruise feel as bad as it looks?" "I'm OK, Jan. Everyone tells me it will hurt more and look worse in a day or two. My arms hurt where Chad grabbed me, but it's nothing compared to..." Rebecca was unable to finish as the tears started. Jan came around the bed and hugged the girl. The two had become even closer than had Bobby with Rebecca's family. The women chatted for a while as Bobby drifted in and out. "See the contraption they put on his leg, all the way from his knee to above his waist?" Jan asked, pulling back the covers. "With the pelvis crack, he can't bend that hip for about a week. That's going to be tough on him. It means he'll mostly be flat on his back. He'll be home Monday and he'll be pretty helpless. We'll have to get a nurse to bathe him. I don't think he'd want me to." "Let me," Rebecca blurted out. "Oh, that wouldn't be right, either," Jan protested. "You have to wash his,... I mean everywhere." "Jan, just before the attack, I told Bobby I was ready for us to make love." Jan gasped and the two women looked at each other for a long moment. Then the mother's shoulders slumped and she nodded. "I have to say I am surprised that you waited this long, Honey. But with college and everything, are you sure you want to make that kind of commitment? I know if Bobby does it, he will take it as a lifetime promise. That's how we brought him up." "Jan, I already knew I would marry Bobby someday. And after yesterday, how could I even think of anyone else. And I'm going to school wherever Bobby does. I've talked that all out with Mom and Dad." "Well, I guess he would rather have you washing his privates than his Mom, then," and the two giggled together. They happened to look over at Bobby's face at the same time and caught his eyes wide in astonishment. He immediately closed them and groaned. That just amplified their giggles. ------- Cheryl's mood did not brighten when on Saturday she got a call at home from Genevieve. The woman dropped all pretense of class and polish and screeched at Cheryl. "How could you let this happen? Is that what you call earning your money?" "Genevieve," Cheryl replied, using the woman's name for the first time, "I did everything I could. I kept him from actually raping Rebecca. Think how much it would have cost you to get him out of that one." Cheryl could hear an angry hiss on the other end of the line, so she went on. "I heard what they were going to do. I knew I couldn't stop him myself, so I ran for help. It wasn't soon enough to keep Greg from almost killing Bobby." "Was he the boy that helped bring Greg in on New Year's Eve?" Genevieve's tone had gone back to reasonable. "Yes. Greg has been tormenting Bobby ever since Rebecca and Bobby got together. It enraged Greg that Rebecca would have nothing to do with him." "Why wouldn't she?" "Until Rebecca started dressing better, Greg had called her 'Nerd Girl' for years and made crude remarks." Cheryl could hear a sigh from the other end of the line. "Was there a point to this call, or did you just want to yell at me?" "I wanted to make sure that you will protect Greg in your testimony." "I will not lie about what happened." "If you testify against him, your parents will find out about our arrangement. The IRS, as well." "You can certainly do that, and it will cause me a great deal of trouble. But we anticipated that move." "We?" "Cal and me. He had me set up a trust and make sure that taxes were covered. My parents have absolutely no control over the money." Once again, the damned kids were one jump ahead of her and Genevieve was furious. She thought she had at least that one card that she could play in Greg's defense. At least she could still screw up the little hussy's home life as punishment. After the phone call, Cheryl could think of only one thing - Cal. And it was not the sex she thought about, but the holding and the comfort. Without even calling, she headed for the Banners'. When Cheryl arrived at Cal's house, she had to run a gauntlet of reporters. Knowing the Banners' feelings about the press, she refused to acknowledge them in any way. Rebecca was still at the hospital and would not return until she was kicked out of Bobby's room. Cal was home, and without saying a word, he led Cheryl to his room. There, he pulled her down onto the bed beside him and she unleashed months of pent up tears. "Genevieve threatened to tell my parents about the money," Cheryl moaned when her tears had abated. "Then you need to go and tell them right now. You need to tell the police, too." "Oh, no! What if she doesn't really tell?" Cheryl grasped for some shred of hope. "Are you willing to take that chance? Besides, that was a stupid threat for her to make. I think the disclosure would hurt the Overlands pretty badly." "Cal, I just can't!" "Then I'll do it for you. Fix your face and let's do it now." The debate went on for quite a while longer, but within the hour, Cal was taking Cheryl to her home in his van. The reporters were still there, but inexplicably, they did not follow the van. The Carsons knew who Cal was, and they had heard about the attack from Cheryl. They were still puzzled over why he was there with Cheryl and why Cheryl looked so upset. "Mr. and Mrs. Carson, we need to talk where no one will disturb us for a while. Can you arrange that?" "Right now?" Hal Carson asked. "Yes. There is something you need to hear." After a few minutes, the younger children had been disposed of and the four were sitting in the living room. "You would have been told this information soon by someone else. Cheryl wanted to tell you first, but she does not think she can say it, so I am going to speak for her." "Up until now, the only people who know about this are Cheryl, Mrs. Genevieve Overland, myself, my sister Rebecca, Tessa Walts, and Bobby Armstrong." Cal waited a moment to let the suspense build even longer. "It would be best if you told no one." "Since a year ago at Memorial Day, Mrs. Overland has been paying Cheryl a very large sum of money to go out with her grandson Greg. Cheryl has detested Greg since the first couple of months she went out with him. She has only stayed with him for the money." "Why would Mrs. Overland pay Cheryl?" Darlene Carson asked. "To try to keep Greg out of trouble. Cheryl has done just that many times. She has a very strong hold on Greg, and she has used that to steer him away from the worst trouble. Until yesterday, she had been very successful." "Is that all she did - keep him out of trouble?" Darlene asked again. "Mother," Cheryl entered in "I had sex with him, many, many times." Darlene gasped, then just dropped her head. There was a silence that lasted minutes. "How much money is there?" Hal asked. "With careful management and some scholarships, enough to get her through med school," Cal answered. "I'm afraid we'll have to take over that money," Hal declared. "We cannot allow her to throw it away on an unrealistic girlhood fantasy." Cal could feel Cheryl about to explode, so he hurried on. "The money is safely put away in a trust that you cannot touch except upon Cheryl's death," Cal explained. That made Darlene gasp loudly. Without having previously planned it, Cal abruptly stood. "Cheryl will be staying at our house for the next two nights to give you a chance to think about this." He pulled Cheryl to her feet and led her quickly to the van, before either stunned parent could react. ------- Back at the Banner house, Cal and Cheryl debated for a while, then Cheryl called Genevieve's. To the answering servant, Cheryl said. "Take this down exactly. 'I told my parents. Should I tell the police? Now it's your turn'. I'll wait on the line while you take that to Mrs. Overland... I warn you, if she misses this call, she will be very hard on you... Just take her the note!" "That was supposed to be a secret!" Genevieve shouted at Cheryl a minute later. "You were going to tell my parents, and I wanted them to hear it from me." "But I wouldn't really..." Another unfinished sentence, to Genevieve's own amazement. "How was I supposed to know that?" Cheryl demanded. "What about the police. Do I tell them without their asking?" "Don't tell them at all," Genevieve insisted. "I told you before, I won't lie to them." "What did you mean, 'now it's my turn'?" Genevieve demanded. "Oh, that. I'll give you two days to tell Greg before I do." "Miss Carson! Cheryl! Please!" Now, Genevieve was begging, something else she never, ever did. "I would not have told your parents. You can't do this!" "If that was an idle threat, than I advise against them. From you, they are far too believable. Mine is no idle threat. Greg will know within two days. You decide who he hears it from." With that, Cheryl hung up. Cheryl managed to eat a little of the dinner that Elaine had left for the children. After that, she looked like a zombie. Months and months of stress and shame had worn her down, but the sudden release from all of that was totally disorienting. On top of that, the careful tight-rope act with her parents had been disrupted and she did not know what would happen. Where would she even live? "Come on, Cheryl, you need to get to bed." "But it's not even dark yet." "Tell your eyes that it makes any difference. You're dead on your feet." "Oh, Cal, I just..." and tears started again before she could finish." 'What she needs is a little pampering', Cal thought. Leaving her at the kitchen table, he went up to his bathroom and started the tub filling. He laid out some large towels and found some of Rebecca's bubble bath. Leading Cheryl back up to the bathroom, he assured her that he had no designs on her body. She was too down to even joke about it. Almost an hour later, he had let her soak, then he had washed, dried, and combed her hair, and had given her an abbreviated massage: abbreviated because she fell sound asleep almost at his first touch. After covering her and darkening his room the best he could, he started a little debate with himself. Going to Cheryl's house with her had been out of character for Cal, a level of 'meddling' that was unusual for him. But there was nothing usual about her whole situation, and if he did not help her, no one would. He was soon on his way back to the Carsons'. Cheryl's parents were not really happy to see Cal, but he could tell that Darlene, at least, was very distraught. They did invite him in and shoo the other children to their rooms. "Why did you come back?" Hal asked with no warmth. "I'm not really sure," Cal admitted. "I'm just looking for some way to help Cheryl." "It doesn't sound like she needs any help. She has pretty well taken care of herself," Hal declared. Cal could feel the anger flash across his face and for once he did not try to suppress it. When he was steady enough, he told them "It has been tearing her up for a long time that she does not have your support." "Of course she has our support!" Hal shot back. "Is this about that medical school nonsense again?" "And volleyball, and basketball, and softball," Cal added. At that, he saw Darlene stiffen. "You only support her if she does exactly what you plan for her. You don't support Cheryl, the person, just Cheryl, your perfect daughter." This was much stronger than Cal intended to get, but he was reacting to their attitudes. There was no response from the Carsons, so Cal said even more than he probably should have. "The arrangement with Mrs. Overland has torn Cheryl up from the very beginning. It has cost her self-respect." "Well, I should hope so!" Darlene spat out. "Why on earth did she do it, then?" "Folks, Cheryl IS going to be a doctor. You were doing everything in your power to prevent her, and she was feeling desperate." "But we have the right to decide what is best for our children!" Hal insisted. "Up until what age?" Cal asked him. That brought no response. "I'm sorry to say this, but you have lost Cheryl." That made Darlene gasp, but Cal went on. "She doesn't even know if she can sleep here Monday night." "Of course she can," Darlene insisted. "This is her home. We love her!" "Cheryl does not believe that right now. All she feels is the disapproval." "Now wait a minute," Hal objected, "she's overreacting." "OK. Other than grades, what was the last thing you complimented her on?" Cal knew he had no right to speak to them that way, but he had already gone too far to stop. There was a long, strained silence, finally broken by Darlene. "How... how can we convince her?" "That may be tough. Maybe you need to convince yourselves first and decide what it means." That was way beyond appropriate, but it seemed to hit the mark. "The first volleyball game is next week. That would be a start." ------- Chapter 20 Cal arrived back home just as Rebecca was coming in. They chatted briefly with their parents, and as they headed up the stairs, Rebecca grabbed his arm. "Can I sleep with you again tonight?" Just about to say that Cheryl was already there, Cal caught himself. This chance with his sister was too precious to miss. Yet Cheryl needed him badly, too. Giving Rebecca a quick kiss on the cheek, he hurried off to see what he could do. When Rebecca came into Cal's room a while later, she did not notice Cheryl on the other side of Cal until she was right up to the bed. Cal had awakened Cheryl and warned her of the coming squeeze, so when Cal jumped up and hugged Rebecca to prevent her from leaving the room, Cheryl held up the covers for the two of them to get back in bed. Rebecca resisted, but Cal pulled her forcefully in with him. When Cheryl reached across Cal to stroke Rebecca's hair, Rebecca gave in and relaxed against her brother. "I wish there was room here for Tessa. And Bobby, too," Cheryl lamented. "I just need you guys so much!" Cal proceeded to tell Rebecca about the day's happenings with Cheryl's parents. That triggered Rebecca, and she started to tell about her plans to make love with Bobby. "Wait, Sis. If this is tell all time, Tessa should be here, too." "But your bed is already full!" "Just call her. We'll work it out." By the time Tessa arrived, the two queen beds in Rebecca's room were pushed together. A little later, Cal mused that he now knew what a pajama party was like. From sadness and need, the mood quickly changed. Rebecca was cajoled into starting again and telling about her plans with Bobby. When she recounted her conversation with Bobby's mother, the girls all squealed with glee. When the three friends got going strong, Cal managed to sneak out and make some popcorn. That boosted the spirits even more. Cheryl had slept for a few hours already. Rebecca was so high emotionally that sleep would have been difficult anyway. Tessa was never one to worry about sleep if there was talking to be done. Thus it was that Cal found himself waking up alone in the improvised bed some time later. He was about to get up and find out what was going on when all three girls came back into the room. Feigning sleep, he let them arrange themselves the best they could, and soon they were all asleep in a disorderly but loving pile of bodies. Two consecutive mornings of skipped workouts had not happened since Cal's wound, but it happened that Sunday morning. Cheryl was much less stressed in the morning, and Rebecca's glow overshadowed her massive bruises. By the time the others made their way downstairs after showering, she was already at the hospital. By means of one of those strictly female signals that Cal knew he would never be able to decipher, Tessa decided that she really should get home. She and Cal had a shoot that afternoon, and she claimed some remaining homework. Tessa was no sooner out the door than Cheryl was towing Cal up the stairs, her reason crystal clear. The depression of the day before was overwhelmed by her natural energy and optimism, and absorbed by the love of her close friends. Now she was horny. "It's about time I gave YOU a massage, don't you think?" He decided thinking or responding in any way was not necessary when she pushed down his shorts and began stroking him. If that was what she meant by a massage, he was all for it. Cheryl was at least semi-serious about the massage, though. She finished undressing him, but just before putting him down on his stomach, she wrapped a clean washrag around his cock. "Don't want you lying there in a mess," she said mischievously. Lying with a rock-hard erection pressed upward against his belly was not the most comfortable position Cal had ever been in, but Cheryl's plan soon became obvious. She actually worked his back and shoulder muscles, but every little while, she would grab his hips and move them back and forth or use them as handles to move his whole body slightly up and down. Naturally, every such motion caused his cock to rub against the coarse material of the rag, adding to his already high arousal. After she paused and moved around a bit, Cal felt first some soft hair against the back of one thigh, then warmth, then heat, then wetness. At about that time, she leaned over him and slid a hand underneath to grasp his rag-enclosed cock. Her other hand went between his legs and she began rubbing her finger along the sensitive area behind his scrotum. With his weight over her hand, she could not really stroke his cock, but she started squeezing rythmically, in time with her other hand. She rested her head on his back and kissed and licked the skin. Cal did not know he had an erogenous zone there, but it did seem like his whole body had turned into one all of a sudden. He did not know she had taken off her top until he felt her diamond-cutter nipple tracing over his back. All of the sensations added up to a charge running up and down through his whole body. When she started whispering dirty thoughts, it was too much and he almost bounced her off of his leg with the strength of his convulsions. "That's what the rag is for," she cooed. "I knew you'd fill it up for me. Now, let's do your front." When she said that and grabbed his arm to roll him over, he was still twitching out small spurts of come. With her determination and his exhaustion, she had him on his back in nothing flat. She knelt beside him and almost reverently wiped off his tender glans with the rag. But then the reverence ended, just as it had so often with Teri. What was it with these women who wanted his cock just when it wanted to be left alone. He was still rigid, and she crouched over him and lowered her very slippery cunt right down onto him. His first impulse was to scream and throw her off of himself because he was so sensitive. But he remembered how he had survived many such times with Teri and enjoyed tremendous feelings afterward. She probably saw the struggle in his face, but his hands holding her hips down stopped her from pulling off. Instead of starting an up and down motion, she started massaging his shoulders and chest. "This is the way to massage the front," she declared. He had to agree since her relative stillness gave his body time to redirect blood back to his shaft, thus reducing the extreme sensitivity he always experienced. Although he was not analyzing her actions at the time, he later figured out that she knew exactly how sensitive he was. She must have assumed that a little pain would make the intercourse even better. After the fact, he was hard-pressed to argue with her. Being considerate, he reached one hand up to tease her super-sensitive nipple, and slid the other thumb down over her clit. "Huh, uh!" she scolded him. "This time is for you. If you can do it without my clit, fine. Otherwise, just lie there and take it." Now, that was a challenge he could not pass up. Once the sensitivity was gone, he knew he could stroke for quite a while, and he knew another way to work her clit. Grabbing her arms, he pulled her down atop himself and began pushing and pulling her back and forth. He knew her clit would bump into his root when he pushed her back, and her noises and twitches told him that he was right. When he started moving his pelvis laterally and in circles when their pubic bones contacted, the evidence of her arousal increased. When he was sure there was no way she would stop the motion, he re-aquired one nipple and increased his own thrusts and wriggles from below her. He was half-expecting it when she soared into a major orgasm, then broke into long, wrenching sobs as she came down. The overflow of emotions kept her writhing for a long time, even as she sobbed. The climax seemed like the destruction of a dam with which she had held in months of anger, shame, fear, and regret. She had cried the night before, but nothing like this. Cal had just put one hand behind her head to pull her close and had just starting comforting strokes on her back and shoulders when it happened. The only way he could describe it was that Cheryl went crazy. Having not come since being inside her, Cal was still very hard. Almost as if someone had flipped a switch, she started pumping vigorously back and forth, her chest against his and her turgid nipples rubbing against him. Right away, she started moaning, gasping, and muttering unintelligibly. Soon, every part of her body seemed to be in motion: kicking, pounding, jerking, writhing, plunging. Cal had never seen anything like it, and he feared for her safety. He also feared for his own safety because of the violent way she was pounding against his cock. He was about to roll over and pull out of her when she roared into another orgasm. This one was accompanied by a high-pitched keening sound, but her frantic motions did not stop. If anything, they increased. Cal had the brief thought that he was glad that his parents had already left for their usual brunch. The orgasms were the whole point of her fit, if that's what it was, Cal decided. And if she needed them, he would do what he could do help her get more. Both to protect himself and to make sure he did not pop out of her in her violent motions, he took hold of her hips for all he was worth. It took all of his strength to guide her motions. He was working so hard that coming himself was not even a consideration. It was not a very erotic episode as far as Cal was concerned, but it seemed to be what Cheryl desperately needed. With Cal's guidance and her keyed up state, the orgasms began to chase each other in a non-stop stream. Cal did not try to count them. There was no way to tell a single come from the one before it or the one after it. Time also became indistinct. It probably was somewhere between five and ten minutes before Cheryl stiffened one last time and passed out. Carefully holding her head as he rolled them over, Cal pulled out of her. He could already feel the bruising of his pubic bone and his penis felt like it had been rubbed raw. He could not imagine how Cheryl would feel when she woke up. As with all of the homes in the affluent neighborhood, there was a hot tub on the patio. It was a long way to carry Cheryl, who did not weigh a lot less than Cal. Still, it seemed like the ideal place for a gentle recovery. They were both drenched in sweat and the smell of sex was overpowering. The hot tub was just what they needed. Picking up her totally limp body and bracing her as best he could over his shoulder, Cal started down the hall. He hoped that she would rouse so she was not quite such a dead weight, but he had to kick back the hot tub cover with his foot and step shakily down into the water as she stayed in her unconscious state. He tried to find a place to brace her where she would not fall over, but ended up having to sit with her to keep her face out of the water. He had no chance to finish removing the cover and he could not even reach the controls. Cheryl's return to wakefulness was almost as remarkable as her recent emotional seizure had been. She just opened her eyes, smiled at Cal, hugged herself to him with all her might, and mouthed "No more Greg! No more Greg! No more Greg!" She did not ask where she was; she did not even look around to check out her surroundings. A few minutes later, she released her death grip on him and sat beside him, but she still did not seem to care where she was. "Do you think there is a chance of patching things up with my folks?" The night before, she had slept through Cal's return trip to her house, and he had not mentioned it when he returned. It did not seem to fit the loving mood that developed between the four of them. Now, he replayed his visit with the Carsons in as much detail as he could. At the end, she was teary when she said "Thank you for doing that. I couldn't have done it without getting hysterical. I hope it helps. I really do want a family." ------- As Cal was going off to a shoot that Sunday after his intense session with Cheryl, Genevieve Overland was facing a far more stressful encounter. Greg's knee had been stabilized with braces, and he was now waiting for the swelling to recede enough for the first surgery to be performed. Everything was set up in his suite at home and a nurse had been hired to care for him. Rebecca had scratched his cornea and he had a patch over his eye to let it heal. He had talked very little since the attack, and when he did, the bruising of his larynx made it sound raspy. If his testicles still hurt, there was no way for Genevieve to know that. Besides the pain, this had been the most humiliating weekend of Greg's life. The police had insisted that he report for booking whenever he left the hospital, and all of Brandon's legal maneuvers could not dissuade them. Thus, Greg's booking photo showed him with an eye patch, visible facial scratches, and one handle of a wheelchair showing over his shoulder. Greg's alcohol haze from the party had been largely erased by the excruciating pain of his mangled knee, only to be quickly replaced by the blessed fog of painkillers. Since sometime Friday afternoon, nothing that had happened to him seemed quite clear, and none of it seemed real. He would not be playing football that season, and might never play again. That fact hovered somewhere at the edge of his consciousness, but it seemed like it only affected someone else. It could not have been him that the nerd girl and her nerd brother trashed. That just was not possible. Despite the extra dose of painkiller, the trip to the limo from his hospital room had left him sweating from the pain. And the police station... there was just no connection between that and reality. Genevieve, just by luck, timed her entrance into Greg's suite perfectly. He had just slammed down the phone with a curse and he looked up angrily at his grandmother. "Trying to reach Cheryl?" she asked. He just grunted in reply. "Why do you think she would want to talk to you?" Genevieve prodded. "She's my girl. It's not my fault that nerd bitch wouldn't..." "It absolutely is your fault!!" Genevieve shouted, as loudly as Greg had ever heard her. "What is wrong with you, anyway, that you have to try a rape some innocent girl that was not bothering you at all?" "Innocent? Hah!" The old arrogance was there, but he could not generate any fire. "As of Friday night, she was still a virgin," Genevieve stated. "See, her wimp boyfriend doesn't deserve her! She needed me to take care of that problem," he sneered. "Is that how you really think? That you can just do whatever you want, with no consequences?" she demanded. "Well, what's the big deal? That's how Mom and Dad think. And you." Somewhat taken aback, Genevieve recovered to say "At least we don't break the law." "You mean you believe their story and not mine?" Greg asked, trying his best to look angry. "Your half-killing that boy makes theirs pretty credible," she said, "and your skin under her fingernails. My lawyers have examined everything. You are in a lot of trouble. The DA has open and shut cases on assault and attempted rape. How could you do this to the family?" At the last question, her voice had risen to a shout again. "Fuck the family!!" he tried to scream at her. "There," and he pointed to his knee, "goes my football career!! Just 'cuz some nerd bitch thought her pussy was so damned special. And because her crazy ninja brother has had it in for me. I oughta fuckin' break his neck." Greg had rarely used such language in the presence of any of his family and Genevieve was about to light into him full force. She held back in time, though, realizing that shouting matches were not her best venue. "What would you have done if someone was trying to rape Cassandra?" With a big snort, he laughed. "Cheered! Little twat needs it bad." "All right. What about if it was Cecily, then?" That froze Greg in place. By then, Genevieve realized that she was neither going to sway Greg's opinion or cause him to reform by anything she said. It was all just delaying the inevitable. She believed that Cheryl would somehow get the word to him, and Genevieve could not stand that. As bad as it was to have to reveal here own perfidy, it would be so much worse if the young hussy told him. "I suggest you forget Cheryl. You won't be seeing her again." "Why not? She knows I've been with other girls before. It didn't stop her." "Well, it's final now. I won't pay her any more," Genevieve stated with some satisfaction at his completely confused expression. "You won't what?" Greg again tried to shout. "I won't pay her any more. I've been paying her huge amounts of money to be with you for the last eighteen months." "Riiiiggght! Very funny! She's hot for me!" "No. She detests you." "Bullshit!!" "She was ready to break up with you a year ago Memorial Day. I caught her going out the door and made her an offer she could not refuse. She wants to go to medical school, you know." Genevieve was thankful that she could leave out the details of her battles with Cheryl over the many months. "But... but she was with me all the time!" Greg protested. "That was her job: to keep you out of trouble. Until now, she was remarkably successful." "You mean... you mean... those times I swore at her and told her she wasn't my mummy: she really was, because you paid her to be?" "That's right. Now, before you go yelling and screaming at me, it is my job to protect the family..." "Fuck the family!" he screamed. "That is precisely what you have been trying to do for the last few years. Cheryl helped stall it off, but you have finally succeeded." "I don't believe a damn word of this," Greg spat out. When Genevieve just shrugged her shoulders, he went on. "But she's a damned wildcat in bed!" "I do not like Cheryl, but I have to respect her. She took her job very seriously and worked very hard at it. She worked hard at being a good sex partner. That was one way she held onto you." "Well, I guess I taught her a lot." he stated in an obvious attempt to salvage some ego. Genevieve knew that she should leave at that point. Saying anything more would not be productive. But the damned pup had put them all in a bad spot, and she was just plain angry. 'Screw him' she thought, in her closest approach to crudity. "No. Apparently, you learned almost nothing from her," Genevieve said, plunging in with both feet. "What the fuck does that mean?" "That means that she considers you a very selfish, inept lover." "Stupid bitch! What does she know anyway?" "Well, I checked with Cecily, and she verified how you perform in bed. It does seem pretty amateurish. Why do you think she cut you off?" Genevieve had debated briefly using the Cecily card, but at this point she was aiming her full arsenal at her grandson. He deserved it. When Greg was silent for nearly a whole minute, Genevieve got up and walked out. She saw no need to encourage Greg to keep the Cheryl arrangement secret. It was about the last thing he would care to divulge to anyone. ------- Shortly after Genevieve's session with Greg, the family doctor, ever on duty for his premier patients, called with more disturbing news about Greg. Blood tests done as a matter of course in any situation involving rape showed that he was infected with both chlamydia and genital herpes. Having no appreciation for the seriousness of either disease, Penelope, to whom the report was given, tore into Greg's suite in a near panic. "Greg! Where did you get chlam... chlam something and... and herpes? Who gave them to you? My God! What's going to happen to you?" "God! Settle down, Mother. They're not fatal, you know. I kinda suspected something. Shit! I don't need this!" "But who gave it to you? Was it that Cheryl?" Greg just stared at her without answering. Penelope tried several more times to engage her son in conversation, but he just clammed up. Not knowing about the most recent news, Genevieve called Penelope and Brandon to her apartment, the place where all momentous family decisions were made. Penelope was taking Greg's injuries very hard, further convincing Genevieve of her daughter-in-law's unholy attraction to the boy. They were hardly gathered when Penelope blurted it out. "Greg caught chlamydia and genital herpes somewhere. I'll bet it was that Cheryl girl. Can we sue her? I knew she was trouble!" "Penelope, I am positive Greg did not catch anything from Miss Carson." "How could you know that?" "She always made Greg wear a condom. She wants to be a doctor and is very conscious of diseases. It was the only time Greg wore condoms, so he could have caught it anywhere else." "How can you know all of this? You can't just take her word for it," Penelope almost screamed. "Who else could he have been with?" With a resigned sigh, Genevieve revealed what she had never planned to tell. "I have had Greg followed for over two years. I know of at least eleven girls besides Miss Carson that he has had sex with. Unfortunately, there were some gaps when he was at football camp this summer. It probably happened there." "I still think we should sue her!" "Do you want it public knowledge that he is infected? Think of how that will sound to a jury." "Jury? Why would Greg ever have to face a jury?" Penelope demanded. "He is charged with assault and attempted rape. We need to strategize how to keep him out of jail," Genevieve declared. "WHAAT?!?" Penelope shouted. "How can you believe he would do that?" "Penelope," Genevieve answered, trying to be gentle, "the evidence is overwhelming." "I don't believe it," Penelope asserted, sounding almost like a petulant child. In a more subdued voice, she asked "How could that Banner boy do so much damage? Greg is so much bigger. Chad, too." "The Banner boy could have very easily killed both of them," Genevieve informed them to a huge gasp fron Penelope. "He is highly trained in martial arts." "Then isn't it a felony if he attacks someone?" Brandon asked hopefully. "This was in defense of his sister, and Greg attacked him. If Greg had just backed off, nothing would have happened." "How can you believe what they're saying about your own grandson?" Penelope asked, almost in tears. "Someone in this family has to deal with facts," Genevieve answered, not trying to disguise the bite of her words. "Enough of this. We need to develop a plan that will allow us to negotiate Greg out of jail." "Jail! But that boy put him in the hospital! Why should he go to jail." "The charges are assault and attempted rape, woman! That means jail! Whether you believe it or not, we have to have a plan." ------- Late that evening, Genevieve Overland was having a rare struggle with her conscience. The thought of Cheryl catching the diseases from Greg despite the condoms gave her some perverse satisfaction. On the other hand, she remembered Cheryl's concern over Greg's use of steroids. Also, the way Cheryl's friends had extracted Greg from the potentially damaging New Year's Eve party. All that despite how Cheryl detested Greg. It had been a terrible thing for Cheryl to threaten to tell Greg about the contract, but Genevieve had to admit that she had brought it on herself. Did the girl deserve to be punished by being infected? Punished for what? For facing down Genevieve? For outsmarting her repeatedly? For working hard and honestly to do what she was paid for? In all of the rest of Genevieve's dealings with Cheryl, anything was fair. But the girl's health? Hardly believing that she was doing it, Genevieve dialed the Banner home at 11:15 pm. Rebecca answered the phone in her room. "This is Genevieve Overland," the voice said. "I doubt if Miss Carson will want to speak to me, but please tell her this could be important to her health." Wide-eyed with disbelief and concern, Rebecca hurried to fetch Cheryl. As soon as Cheryl identified herself, Genevieve started right in. "I know you always used protection with Greg, but I thought you should know. He has chlamydia and genital herpes. You probably should get tested. Good night, Miss Carson." There was no chance for Cheryl to even say 'Thank you', and that was how Genevieve wanted it. She had assuaged the loudest voice of her conscience. That did not prevent her from hoping that she had at least ruined the night's sleep for the girl. Cheryl's sleep was indeed very troubled that night. Her tests did prove out negative, but she was left with the concern that she might never really by free of Greg. ------- It probably would not have changed what Cal did if he had known the legal melee that would ensue. Oh, he might not have permanently crippled Greg. Then again, it was the only way to make sure he was severely punished. Legal? Doubtful. Fair? In Cal's mind, absolutely. Somehow, Greg and Chad had gotten together and concocted their version of the story. According to the two, Bobby had become enraged when Rebecca decided that she wanted to go and have sex with Greg. He had shaken her and slugged her, explaining the huge bruises on her arms and on her cheek. In retaliation, Greg and Chad had roughed him up. In the fight, Bobby had scratched Greg's face - just like a girl, they both pointed out. They did not deny the beating. They also said that Rebecca wanted sex with Greg, and wanted to do the others afterwards. Cal had been furious and had attacked Chad and Greg before they could explain what had happened. Brandon initiated a civil suit against the Banners for excessive force. Martin's lawyer explained that it was a bargaining ploy. The Overlands wanted some negotiating power to try to avoid jail time for Greg. They already knew that the weight of evidence and testimony was against him. The lawyer advised the Banners that the only way to avoid a major financial blow was to push the case to trial and hope for a conviction. The conviction would make the civil suit untenable. It was to be a contest of who the jury believed. In another tactical move, the Armstrongs were convinced to file civil actions against both Greg and Chad. Martin promised to cover the legal expenses in the worst case. The action against Chad was strictly done to put pressure on him to change his story. He had falsely claimed to have participated in the beating, and it became a useful tool. ------- While the legal maneuvering was cranking up, school started. Football practice had been going for three weeks already, and on the first morning of school, Cal was called to the coach's office. "Banner, turn in your gear. You're off the team." Cal's first instinct was to try to argue. However, he had heard enough to know that Greg and Chad's version had been spread around the entire school. He had learned to enjoy football and had been looking forward to the season. From what he could tell, though, any chance of being accepted by the team had been lost. "So, you haven't bothered to find out the truth, huh?" Cal asked. "What do you mean?" the coach demanded, but Cal was out the door already. In the very next class, Cal was summoned to the principal's office, a place he had never been before. "John, I am surprised that you showed up for school today." "Oh, why wouldn't I?" "Well, after what you did to those boys..." "So, you're just like the coach. You haven't bothered to find out the truth, either. Read the police report then call me back in." He knew it was highly impertinent, but he was angry and stood up and headed out of the office. "Now, just a minute young man, you don't walk out on me. I'm going to have to suspend you because of the events at the park." Cal had half expected this, and had done some research over the weekend. "No, Ma'am. You do not have the authority to do that." "What do you mean? I'm the principal. It's my responsibility to see that disruptive elements are kept out of the school." "Nothing in school board policy allows you to suspend me for something that happened outside of school control. There are at least nine students now attending class with felony charges against them." The principal's reaction was stony silence, so Cal continued. "My sister is in the running for valedictorian. She is still a virgin, thanks to Bobby's courage and my arriving in time. Bobby is the only boy she has ever dated, and they have been dating for almost eighteen months. And you believe that fairy tale Greg Overland cooked up? Are you sure you don't want to re-consider?" To her credit, the principal took the high road. "Sit down, please, and tell me your version." "First of all, it's not just my version. It's also Vick Smaak's, one of the players that was with Greg and Chad; Cheryl's, Greg's long-time girlfriend; my sister's; and Bobby's, until he lost consciousness." Then, he proceeded to tell what had really happened. She did not react directly when he had finished, but asked "What did you mean about the coach? Aren't you on the football team?" "I was. He kicked me off." "Didn't you explain this to him?" "No. I was too surprised and angry to argue." "But you did argue with me. Why?" she asked. "Because I have some legal rights where the school is concerned. With the team, the coach is the dictator. He doesn't have to care who is right and who is wrong." "John, please stop and see me when school is out today. I need to do some investigation." There were a number of interesting scenes at school that day involving Rebecca. The self-conscious girl who had once recoiled at every slight, real or imagined, had suddenly become bulletproof. She had insisted on going to school. Furthermore, she had refused to wear any makeup to mute the ugly colors on her cheek. To top it off, she had insisted on a sleeveless top to showcase the bruises on her upper arms. It did not take long for one of the school gossips to accost her. "Wow! Bobby really did that? Good for him. It's too bad he got beat up for it." Rebecca had not expected that kind of an attack, and while she was trying to come up with a counterattack, Vick came up behind her and interrupted. "No. Bobby didn't do that. Bobby damned near died trying to protect her. Greg did that to her face, and Chad did that to her arms. Chad was holding her down so Greg could rape her. She scratched Greg in the face and kicked him in the face and in the nuts. She fought like a wildcat to defend her cherry. Her brother got there in time and wiped out Chad and Greg. I was with Greg and Chad but I was too drunk to stop them." "Now, if you don't make sure everyone in the school knows the truth by the end of today, I'll lay you over my knee on the front steps and paddle your big-mouthed ass. You got that?" The girl probably set a world record for stuttering and stammering. As the girl walked away, Rebecca turned as if to thank Vick, but he held up his hand "No, don't even think 'Thank you'. I don't deserve it. I can't undo what I did. All I can do is make sure everyone knows the truth. I'll be your shadow for a while." ------- When Cal entered the office after school, the coach was there and spoke up immediately. "John, it appears that I was hasty this morning. I want to apologize and ask you to stay on the team." Cal could not fail to notice that unlike in the morning, the coach used his first name. The fact that neither the coach nor the principal knew him well enough to know that he went by Cal did not really matter. It was something he had become quite used to. It was also significant that the coach had said 'stay on the team', rather than 'rejoin the team'. "I don't know, Coach. My being there could really tear up the team, given how most of them feel." "That's my problem, not yours," the coach insisted. "If you're man enough to take the crap when you know you're right, and I assume you are, there shouldn't be any problem." "Well, several, like Rickert, are really angry. Will I get kicked off again if I have to get a little physical to make my point?" The coach actually laughed at that. "As long as you promise not to cripple any more players." After a pause to stare hard at Cal, he went on. "I did more than just talk to the police. I assume you could have killed Overland just like that, couldn't you?" and he snapped his fingers. The principal gasped and sat bolt upright in her chair at that. "Coach, my sister and her boyfriend were in real danger. Chad and Greg both attacked me. If they would have backed off, no one would have been hurt. I had to take them out of the fight to protect Rebecca." "Yes, I realize that," the coach said thoughtfully. "You know, if it had been my sister or my daughter, I might have killed him. Don't know if I would have had your restraint." "That's what all of the training teaches, not just moves." He could not avoid a twinge of guilt with that statement, knowing that he could have disabled Greg with less permanent damage. After another pause and stare, the coach spoke again. "You know, I had an interesting visit from Vick. That boy is suffering the worst case of regret that I have ever seen. He wanted to quit and I tried to talk him out of it. He said he would only play if you were back on the team. I would at least like to keep our defense intact." "Vick was stupid to fall in with Greg, and especially stupid to get falling-down drunk," Cal said. "But he did what he could, and maybe kept Bobby and Rebecca from even worse injury." The coach's dismissal of him that morning had come as a real surprise to Cal. The coach had always seemed like a straight up guy and a good teacher. At that point, Cal decided to chalk it up to a one-time emotional mistake and let it go at that. ------- The coach had just glossed over his conversation with Vick, but it was quite remarkable. Vick had skipped his second period class after hearing that Cal had been kicked off. "Coach, how could you kick Banner off? He just did what I'm sure you would have done!" "What do you mean? I though he attacked Greg and Chad." "Chad was holding Rebecca down while Greg tried to rape her. Greg had already beaten up Bobby. You know, that kid wrapped himself around his girl and just took the beating to protect her. Can you blame Cal for tearing up those two?" "I hadn't heard that version," the coach murmured, obviously chagrined at his precipitate action earlier. "I really screwed up, Coach. I don't know how I let Greg suck me in. They got me so drunk that I was heaving my guts out when I could have been protecting those two kids. I'm turning in my uniform." "Vick, don't do that. You're the heart of our defense. And you're a cinch for a scholarship." "I couldn't play if Cal is kicked off. It wouldn't be right." "It sounds like I was hasty and listened to the wrong people." "Coach, if you let Cal back on, I promise, we will win conference, even without those two assholes. You're gonna see defense like you've never seen before." ------- Chad's injury required only a harness for his shoulder, so he came to school the first day. He was on his own without Greg, but he fully expected to bask as the star of the little drama at the lake. He could imagine all the pussy his injury would get him. He had called every member of the team that he could reach, as well as the cheerleaders, and relayed his version of the incident. Early in the day, Chad's expectations were pretty well met. He was particularly pleased to hear that Cal had been kicked off of the team. But just after second period, Vick walked right up to him in the hall. "Get outta my face, you fuckin' traitor!" Chad yelled at Vick. "Listen, Chad," Vick said evenly. "You may want to give up and go home. The real story will be out by the end of the day. It could get pretty uncomfortable for you." "What do you mean?" Chad demanded. "I've told everybody what happened. Coach believed me and kicked Banner out." "Well, I straightened that out," Vick assured him and walked off. By the next to last class of the day, Chad skulked in and out amidst palpable disapproval. He did not even go to his final class. He was not around for the coach to inform him that he was off the team, even if he recovered. By Wednesday, Chad was enrolled at a private school. ------- Practice Monday afternoon got very interesting very quickly. Cal was barely into the locker room when Rickert came storming up to him. "You've got some nerve coming in here, Kicker. Get the hell out! You've done enough damage!" Rickert was a linebacker. Not as big as Pete, he still had a big size advantage on Cal. Cal quickly set down the things he was carrying as Rickert reached out to grab him. Within two seconds, the angry Rickert was on his knees, yelling from the pain of a bent wrist. Cal was about to speak to him when Vick grabbed Rickert by the ears and lifted him to his feet. "Listen, you stupid asshole! Greg and Chad were the bad guys, not Cal! He just did what you would have done if that was Lacey (Rickert's sister) under Greg. You know, Cal could have killed Greg like nothing. I think I would have if I could have. So get your head out of your ass and forget that jerk." Vick was the core of the team's defense and everyone took him seriously. Absolute silence reigned in the locker room and Cal could see the coach watching through the open office door. For the rest of the practice, Rickert sent Cal constant angry expressions, but said nothing and did not approach him again. ------- Cal stopped after practice and watched Cheryl at volleyball. He only caught the last few minutes, and she came up to him in the stands when it was over. "Think your Mom will mind if I have to bunk in for a while?" she asked. "Do you really think it will come to that?" "Hell, I don't know, Cal. If showing them all of the women doctors in the yellow pages didn't make a dent, I don't know if anything will change Dad's mind." "Forget trying to convince him that it's OK for a woman to be a doctor." "Huh?" "Just work on convincing him that you have a right to be whatever you want. I think by now he knows how serious you are about it." "Like I have a right to fail, huh?" "That's right. 'Course, I know that won't happen, but even if he never believes it, he has to let you try. Look, Cheryl, I don't want to try splitting your family, but if your dad won't move, work on your mother." "With her, it's sports, too," Cheryl reminded him. "And she goes along with Dad, always." "If it comes down to losing you, don't you think she might stand up to him?" "Maybe. Will you park outside with the van in case I need to move my stuff out?" This time, when Cheryl went into her house, Cal was not beside her. On the other hand, her father was not home, so that made it a little easier. Her mother waited in the kitchen, not coming to the door when she heard Cheryl enter. She did not turn around from the counter until Cheryl had finished greeting her siblings and said "Hello, Mother." When her mother just looked at her but did not respond, Cheryl asked "Can I stay, or do I need to get my stuff out of here?" "We... we're still arguing about that," Darlene stammered. "Mother, I need an answer right now." "But I can't let you without your father's..." Cheryl was already moving upstairs toward her room before her mother finished her sentence. After the first hurried load, Cal came in with her and helped. Darlene stayed in the kitchen and the younger kids watched with dismay and amazement. It was a sad, quiet hour. Hal Carson came home about twenty minutes before they were finished, but he pointedly sat and read his paper without a word to either Cheryl or Cal. When everything that she valued was in the van, Cheryl went back and hugged and kissed her siblings. She said goodbye to both of her parents, but did not try to touch them. Her mother said goodbye, but her father did not respond at all. Cheryl ate supper with the Banners as if she was just visiting. Rebecca was at Bobby's and would stay as long as she could get by with. After the meal, Cal asked his parents if they could talk for a while. "Cheryl has had a major problem with her parents for years. They highly disapprove of her med school plans and even her sports." "She did something very courageous that has them extremely upset. Her father wants her out and her mother won't stand up to him. Everything she has is in the van, and she needs a place to stay while things sort out." "Of course she can stay here," Elaine said before Cal could finish the request. On hearing that, Cheryl said "I think you deserve to hear everything. I trust you not to spread it around. With that, she gave a twenty minute version of her last eighteen months. "So Genevieve was going to tell your parents as punishment for telling the truth?" Martin asked. "Uh huh. Later, she claimed she wouldn't really have done it, but I couldn't take that chance." "Cheryl, I hope you have taken special care of that money - paid your taxes and everything," Martin said. Cheryl explained the terms of the trust. "That's good thinking, Cheryl." "It was Cal's thinking that got me started." That earned Cal a surprised but pleased look from his father. Martin had always assumed, with good reason, that Cal had little interest in and less knowledge of business affairs. Another couple of hours was spent getting Cheryl moved into a spare room. Rebacca came in as they were working and took the news cheerfully. It was plain to see that there was more on her mind. At bedtime, Cal was going to bring up a delicate subject with Cheryl, but she beat him to it. "I'd like nothing better than to move right into your room permanently. But I've got to talk to Tessa. Maybe it's a good thing that my pussy is so sore it even hurts to wipe. I'll sleep in 'my' room tonight." ------- Monday was an unbelievable day for Rebacca. Just living through the swings of opinion at school was enough of a test, and her face hurt. But in a sense, school was just something to get through. Bobby was coming home and Rebecca was going to bathe him. That made the rest of the day seem trivial. She had wanted to be there when he got home, but the time was uncertain and she knew she needed to be at school. When school was out, Rebecca got to the Armstrongs' just as fast as she could. "Hello, Honey," Jan greeted her. "Bobby's out like a light right now. The trip home was hard on him. Turned out they had to send him in an ambulance, and carry him to his room on a stretcher. His left leg has to be straight out and he was not able to stand. They almost kept him there longer, but he pitched a fit. I'm not so sure he shouldn't have stayed." "Look, Honey, I know how we talked about you bathing him. Well, that's fine, but you need to know this. He has to use a bedpan or one of those little urinal things. Right now, he can't even hold the urinal himself. I'm going to have to help him, and even wipe him when he has a bowel movement. He doesn't want us to have to hire a nurse, and he & I will get past it." "I know you've been looking at nursing him as sort of romantic, but believe me, it's not really. I know Bobby has been nervous about you seeing and touching him, too. How about if you let me do the nursing stuff. You can spend as long as you want here, and I don't care if you get in bed with him." "Really, Jan, it won't bother me to help him. After what he did, nothing could be nasty or disgusting." "I think you mean that, and I'm not trying to keep you from something important to you. I just thought your first intimate times should be in a more romantic setting." "Anything I can do for him or with him will be romantic, Jan." "OK, when you're here, you're in charge." "Uh, if I need some help, will you?" Rebecca asked in her first show of uncertainty. Rebecca had been studying in Bobby's room for almost an hour when he stirred awake. He was awake but not sharp and alert. "Hi, Baby," he said as soon as he saw her. She almost dropped her books in her rush to give him a kiss. "Really bad breath," he cautioned her. "From medicine. My mouth tastes like rubber. Um, can you get Mom for me? It's kinda urgent." Instead of leaving to get Jan, Rebecca picked up the urinal, walked around to the right side of the bed, and pulled back the covers. She tried to act businesslike when she saw that he was naked from the waist down. Because of Rebecca's feelings, the two had gone very, very slowly with their petting. So far, they had rubbed each other's crotches through their clothes, but had not been bottomless with each other. She was sure her face flushed on seeing his penis for the first time, but she stuck to the task. Bobby stiffened and sucked in his breath when Rebecca exposed him. He was conflicted. It was very embarrassing for his mother to have to care for him, but was it really any better with Rebecca? He was about to object when she glanced at him. He saw the blush, something that always melted him down instantly. But in her eyes, he saw adoration, excitement, and wonder. Saying 'no' to her was a skill he had definitely not mastered. Even in his addled state he could tell that rejecting her now would be a real blow to her. Bobby closed his eyes and laid his head back. Just then, she gingerly took his shaft and put it into the tube. He wondered how he could stand her touch without going hard, but he remembered that he had not even had a morning glory while in the hospital. Must be the pain killers. His bladder was stressed, and embarrassment notwithstanding, he had to go, and soon. 'Just forget who is holding it', he told himself. Actually, in a very short time, it really did not matter who was holding it because he released and just let it flow... and flow... and flow. Both young lovers chose the same method of avoiding embarrassment - silence. When she was sure that he was done, she tried to shake him off a little, then carefully removed the full receptacle and took it into the bathroom. He truly did feel a bit weak after going, so his apparent snooze when she returned was not completely faked. Rebecca picked up her books and studied for another fifteen minutes or so. When Bobby stirred again, she gave him the best hug she dared, then started a conversation about his pain, how long until the next pill, and where it hurt the worst. There was no bath that night and he did not have to go again before she left. Still, even Bobby's father noticed the glow as Rebecca left the house. ------- Tuesday afternoon, Rebecca got to Bobby's just as quickly. This time he was awake when she arrived and he was able to kiss her back. "Mom helped me brush my teeth," he explained. Rebecca made a pretense of just wanting to talk, but Bobby could see that she was not really in it. He was pretty sure he knew what she was thinking about. In fact, he had purposely held off peeing since late morning. His mother was very sweet about helping him, but he could not help but be embarrassed. With Rebecca, it had not been as bad as he had feared. He knew that one of these times he would get hard. He would rather that happen with Rebecca than with his mother. "Baby, I... uh, have to go. Can you help?" His assumption about what was on her mind was correct. She sprang to it with almost manic intensity. Once again, both of them used silence to shield them from embarrassment. When she returned from the bathroom, he decided to be a man and tell her what worried him. "Um, do you think you could come by early in the morning?" he asked her. She was so thrilled she could hardly believe it. "Sh... sure! What time? "Well, that's the problem. It would have to be pretty early. When I wake up, I really have to go. And then I always have to do the other. If you can stand it, I'd rather have you..." "You dope!" she spat out, not having to fake her anger. "Of course I can stand it! You almost get yourself killed for me, and you don't think I could wipe your dirty bottom? I'd do anything for you, Bobby. Don't you get it?" Her eyes were moist when she finished. Bobby had watched Cal deal with the girls. Even though it was against his nature, he had begun to believe in the tactical use of silence. This time, he just held out his arm in a clear invitation to a hug, which she gladly accepted. Bobby asked Rebecca to fetch his mother so they could explain the plan. Jan showed a little sadness that she was being displaced, but she could see her son's excitement and relief. "Honey, it's silly for you to be running over here while it's still dark in the morning," Jan said. "Why don't you just get what you need from home and stay in the guest room?" "Really? You don't think your husband, uh, Mel will mind?" "It will be an interesting conversation, but it will be fine. Trust me. If you don't happen to mess up the guest room bed, I won't get suspicious," Jan added with a grin. ------- Chapter 21 Rebecca went home for dinner, and when she sat down at the table, everyone could see the static issuing from almost everywhere on her body. Elaine waited until everyone had finished, then asked "Honey, is there something you wanted to say?" "I want to stay overnight at Bobby's so I can help him in the morning," Rebecca said as rapidly as she could. "Help him with what?" Martin asked before Elaine could warn him to keep quiet. "Well, he has to stay lying straight - can't bend at all. He can hardly do anything for himself yet, so..." "But you shouldn't..." Martin started to say. At that moment, Elaine's fingers dug viciously into his thigh. "Oh, Sweetie! That's such a loving thing to do!" Elaine said, overriding Martin's protest. Instinctively, she looked at Cal for his reaction and saw a wink of approval. "I... I need to go and pack!" Rebecca almost knocked her chair over as she scurried off to her room. "Do you mean she's going to help him go to the bathroom and everything?" Martin asked as he rubbed his battered thigh. "Don't you think that's inappropriate?" Giving her husband a quick kiss to soften her earlier attack, Elaine explained "If the attack had not happened, Rebecca and Bobby would probably have made love for the first time by now." Being an experienced husband, Martin knew instinctively that it would be Rebecca's idea. Therefore, if he objected, both of his women would be against him. Before he could formulate his posture on the issue, Elaine made his chances of having any impact even more remote. "I think it will be a wonderful healing experience for both of them for her to nurse him. Anything she can do for him, especially unpleasant things, will help make up for how bad she feels about him getting hurt for her." While Martin was wisely acknowledging his wife's wisdom, Rebecca was almost bouncing off the walls of her room. Choosing clothes for the next day was easy. Toiletries and cosmetics were not much of a problem, either. But after she had pulled out one of her usual sleeping Tees, she stopped dead. Pulling open a little used drawer, she took out a baby doll set. The top was quite transparent, designed to be warn over the matching bra and panty. While she debated with herself mentally, she packed her robe and slippers, then, put the baby doll top and panty in the bag, and stuffed the bra back into the drawer. She had made the decision, but she was shaking almost too much to zip up her overnight bag. The attack had been a nightmare, but now it was turning into a dream. All of the times that Cheryl or Tessa had slept with Cal, Rebecca had been hard on herself for being unwilling to do the same with Bobby. She wished that she could display herself as freely as her two friends did, but she just was not that way. She thought of herself as a prude, and it did not please her. Bobby was letting her see and touch all of him. She was already his, as far as she was concerned, so what was there for her to hide? 'Grow up', she scolded herself. She was already happily committed to sex with him, so what was so hard about showing him her body? Rebecca gave a perfunctory wave to her parents as she zoomed by the kitchen on her way out. "Did you get the feeling that we just lost our daughter?" Martin asked soberly. "You mean that wonderful woman who just went off to nurse her lover? No, Dear. We didn't lose her, and I'm sure we never will. We just have to get used to having her in a different way." "I'm not sure I'm ready for this, yet," Martin complained. "But she is, and that's what counts. Honey, be happy. Be proud. We done good! You gonna be up late tonight?" There was no mistaking the implication of Elaine's last question. ------- Rebecca tried to study in Bobby's room, and she tried to act calm and relaxed, but she was afraid that he sensed how she really felt. She was angry with herself for her childishness, and that did not help to make her calm. At long last, it was impossible for him to stay awake any more. Once again she helped him pee, somewhat surprised at how little stress she felt that time. He asked her to help him brush his teeth, and she could not scurry fast enough to comply. Finally, there was nothing left but for her to change into her sleepwear. Taking everything into the bathroom, she puttered much too long with her face and her hair before walking back to his room in her robe. Walking into his room, she thought that he was asleep and she was not sure if she was relieved or upset by that. Then he opened his eyes and looked at her in the light of the bed lamp. She was so nervous that she dropped her robe as she was taking it off. Somehow, she forced herself to face him as the robe slid off, exposing her all but naked breasts. Bobby could not help an intake of breath, and even through his medication, his humor made an appearance. "Darn! I thought I was getting better. Oh well, at least I ended up in heaven!" She was naturally high-strung, and at heart she was very shy. From the very first, Bobby's spontaneous humor had relaxed her and had drawn her to him. His little joke now almost melted her on the spot, and the strain on her face was replaced by a smile that truly was angelic. His joke gave her the strength to walk to the bed and slide in beside him. She reached up to turn off the light, which was on her side. "Huh uh!" he told her. "I've been waiting all my life for this sight. Don't put me in the dark just yet." "Oh, Bobby!" she giggled, but she did not pull up the covers to hide the objects of his adoration. "I knew they would be beautiful, but Wow!" he exclaimed. As she lay there facing him, smiling and giving him that deadly blush of hers, he decided it was worth every pain and then some. ------- About the time that Rebecca was thrilling to Bobby's first gaze on her naked breasts, Martin was deciding that nothing else he could think of doing that evening held nearly the appeal of Elaine's implied invitation. She was sitting in the recliner in their master suite, reading a book when he came in. "How about a hot tub, Hon?" he asked. "Great idea!" she replied. Standing up languidly, she took off her housecoat to reveal that it was all she had on. "Get undressed. I'll fix us some drinks." Saying that, she headed for the bedroom door, naked. "Wh... what about the kids?" Martin asked in a minor panic. "You aren't afraid to let Cheryl see it, are you? Bet she'd love to compare you and Cal," Elaine teased. "But... but!" She had mercy on him and walked back to give him a writhing full-body hug and a toe-curling kiss. "It's all taken care of," she assured him. "We won't have any watchers. Now, get undressed and hurry out." To speed him along, she quickly and efficiently unbuckled his shorts and shoved them and his underwear down his thighs. She stroked him until she felt him just start to swell. "Make sure he's leading the way when you come out. No cheating - no clothes or towels, you hear?" The sight of her gorgeous ass cheeks dancing as she giggled and skipped from the room made sure that he would indeed be leading with his cock. When Martin stepped into the tub and sat down, Elaine seemed intent on establishing a new level of closeness. "Wow! You're really keyed up tonight!" he told her. "Aren't you?" she countered. "How can you not be? Just think of Bobby getting his first look at those delicious little boobies of your daughter's." "Honey, you shouldn't talk about Rebecca like that. I don't think about her like..." "Bullshit!" she dramatically put one hand on his neck as if to take his pulse and the other around his cock. "You're still alive and your cock works just fine. No way you don't think about Rebecca like that. She's like a clone of me at seventeen, and you know it!" He groaned and wracked his brain for some kind of retort. With a flash of inspiration, he stared at one of the upstairs windows. "I thought I saw someone moving in that window," he said in mock alarm. "You don't think Cal would..." Elaine was not about to lose that little titillation contest. "Oooooh! I hope so," she said in her breathiest voice. She raised herself up out of the water a bit and thrust her tits toward the indicated window. Then she broke up in giggles as his gasp signaled her victory. Victory in their little verbal match was not enough to satisfy Elaine, though. With her surprising strength, she maneuvered him onto one of the seats where his rampant cock was out of the water. With no foreplay, she squatted over him and impaled herself down onto him. "Now let's sit on the bottom," she gasped out. With just their heads above water and her legs tightly wrapped around his waist, she locked her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. "You're really OK with Rebecca and Bobby, aren't you?" "I'm a father of a beautiful daughter. I'll never be OK, I'm afraid. But I'll get used to it, and I'll be happy for her." That earned him another toe-curling kiss and some wiggles of her bottom that surpassed any handjob. When the kiss ended, he asked "What's with Cal and Cheryl, anyway? I think they've been sleeping together for a year. That was while she was still with Greg." "Cal was her therapy, I guess," she answered. "Now, maybe they'll end up a couple. I don't know." "OK. But then what about Tessa? Has he been sleeping with both of them?" "Tessa's still a virgin, but yes, he has been sleeping with both of them." "Hmmmph! What does my youngest son know that I never learned?" Martin lamented dramatically. The response to that was predictable, but her punches were barely love-taps under water. The effort of trying to punch him did have an effect on him, though. The way his cock got massaged from her motions left him little choice but to begin flexing his hips and legs to stroke into her. Even the minimal viscosity of chlorinated water could not override the flow of lubricant that Elaine had started producing way back when Rebecca left the house. Actually, the extra friction from the dilution of her secretions increased the stimulation to both partners. Within a few seconds, husband and wife were throwing their pelvises at each other in an erratic but energetic dance. She had her arms locked securely around his neck so his hands were free. With an almost painful twist of his right hand, he was able to work it between them and get the middle finger on her clit. With his left hand, he reached behind and under her and pressed his long finger firmly along her crack, over her rosebud, to where he entered her. She jerked at the first contact with her back door, then wriggled her bottom against his touch. With both hands in place, Martin started stroking her clit and rubbing over her anus and perineum in rhythm with his increasingly rapid thrusts. For several minutes they pounded at each other. When he heard her starting to gasp and felt her rhythm start to break up, he began talking, interspersed with long pauses. "Do her boobies really look like yours at seventeen? Oooooh! Wonder if they taste as good. Is her little ass as smooth and tight as yours was? Does she have that same really soft pussy fur that you had? Does her clitty poke out through the fur like yours did? Does her little patch glisten with dew like yours when she gets excited? I wonder if her nectar tastes as good as..." "BAAAAASSSTTTAAAARRRRDDDD!!!" Elaine screamed as every muscle in her body clenched before the ripples of orgasm started rushing through her in wave after wave. For many long seconds, speech was impossible for Elaine. When the massive convulsions gave way to small jerks and shivers, she laid her head on his shoulder and mouthed "You dirty, incestuous pervert" with no intensity at all. He had experienced his own release when the spasming of her vagina wrung it out of him, but he was able to retort "Hey, who started it anyway?" "Mmmmmm" was her only sound for quite a while, then "Did you really see someone in the window?" "The way you screamed, they must have had to check to see if you were OK?" he teased. That made her shiver delightfully around his shrinking cock. A few minutes of tender silence followed. "Martin," she said softly, her head still on his shoulder, "I sure am proud of our kids." "Yeah," he replied reverently, "we really are blessed." There was another long silence. "Martin," she said again in the same voice as before. "Hmmm?" he answered contentedly. Still in her small voice, she told him "Next time, let's compare you at seventeen with Pete." When his head jerked back in shock, she let go of his neck with one hand and used it to splash water right in his face. The tender, torrid loving had instantly turned into horseplay. She pulled off of his still mildly inflated cock, and a lot of water was thrown around. When he dove to grab her, she jumped out of the tub and stood at the edge, daring him to come out after her. He, of course, had no choice but to pursue. There was a lot of playful lunging and faking on the deck. Finally, she made a nifty move and got behind him as he happened to be facing toward the house. She reached around with both hands and pumped his partial erection for several strokes. By the time he realized his exposure, he was at nearly full erection. He tried to turn away, and she held him in place. "Stand still, Stud. Cheryl needs a good look at my toy." With a groan, he spun in her grasp and wrapped her in a firm hug. Then he turned her backside toward the house and said "And Cal needs a good look at the world's best ass." She did not try to escape or turn away. Instead, she leaned back in his grasp and asked plaintively "Do you wish I was still seventeen?" Martin could detect a booby trap question better than most men. But this was play time, and he was not ready to give it up for any heavy emotional stuff. "Of course, not, Darling," he assured her. "I love you just as you are now." He punctuated that with an intense kiss. "Mmmmmmm!" was her contented reply. "You're sooooo much hornier now than you were back then!" With that, he disengaged and sprinted to the patio door, his cock flapping almost painfully as he ran. He briefly wondered if in fact Cheryl WAS up there watching, but Elaine's shrieks of mock rage as she gave chase did not leave him time for further consideration. "I'll be damned! I'll be damned! I'll be damned!" Cheryl mouthed quietly as she and Cal huddled in Rebecca's room just back from the window. "Do they do stuff like that a lot?" "First time I've seen Mom naked," Cal replied, his own shock obvious. "Too bad there's not more light, huh?" she teased, then "I always thought your parents were great, but WOW!" "I guess you're not turned off, then," he said. "Not hardly! I can dream that when I have teenagers, me and my lover can still horse around like that." Cheryl was silent for a while, then with a snort she said "'Course I don't think I'd want to watch MY parents." When Cal, either wisely or from confusion, said nothing, Cheryl blurted out "Get undressed! Now! It's our turn down there!" "But... but the tub is right by their room. What if they watch?" "Don't you think your mom knew we would watch?" Cheryl giggled at his stricken look. "It's only fair!" ------- Jan did not usually have to make bathroom trips in the middle of the night, but that night she woke up in the wee hours. Their roomy but unpretentious house had a master bath, so there was no reason for her to be in the upstairs hall checking on her son. But he was injured, after all. Rebecca was cuddled close to Bobby's side, facing him but not touching him. Jan had initially been angry that her boy had been injured protecting the girl. But she got over that quickly. Rebecca was worthy of her son, and she was happy for both of them. ------- Bobby woke Rebecca up while it was still dark. He had to go, and it was more than time for another pain pill. Rebecca was able to take care of his needs before going herself, although it was a struggle. She hurried to the bathroom with the urinal, but sat and relieved herself before she dumped it and cleaned it. Just before leaving the bathroom, she glanced in the mirror and was chagrined to see that she had not put on her robe. At home she felt comfortable anywhere in the house in her Tee and panties. If Jan saw her baby doll... It was not long before Bobby had to use the bedpan. He apologized several times and Rebecca insisted that it was no problem for her. When it was time for her to clean him up, the embarrassment was almost more than he could stand. He just had to keep telling himself that it was not as bad as with his mother. Rebecca felt awkward and it really was pretty unpleasant. But the minute she started to think that, she recalled the feeling of Greg's blows transmitted through Bobby's body as he clung desperately to her. She remembered the sheer panic she had felt for him and the disbelief at what he was enduring for her. Before long she was finished, and it really was such a small thing that she had to do. "Bobby, I think your mom and I should both do your bath. It will be easier on you." "Oh. I thought you were going to take over." "I know. But it will be hard for me to move you around by myself. Besides, she loves you a lot, and I think she feels a little bad that I, uh, pushed her out. She would be thrilled if we did it together." "I just hate to have her see me, though." "Hey, I'll bet she's busting with pride to see what a stud she raised." That, of course, did not make him feel any better. Rebecca was right. Jan could not hide the happiness when Rebecca asked if the two of them could bathe Bobby and change his sheets before she left for school. Rebecca had borrowed a T-shirt from Bobby before finding Jan. She did not want to get the sleeves of her robe wet but she did not want Jan to see the baby doll, either. It really was easier with the two women rolling Bobby around and washing him. At first, Jan tried hard to keep Bobby covered except where they were actually washing. It was Rebecca who just ripped off the covers and left him lying there totally exposed. As shy as she was of her own body, she had no problem telling him not to worry about his mother seeing him. Jan did what she could not to stare at Bobby's crotch, and every time Bobby seemed to feel some embarrassment, Rebecca gentled him. Jan let Rebecca do the washing of his privates, and she left the room at that point. The changing of the sheet under him would have been tough for either of them alone. As soon as he was all fresh and put back together, Jan pulled Rebecca down the hall, and gave her a teary hug. "You knew it meant a lot to me to care for him, didn't you?" Rebecca nodded. "You were pretty bold uncovering him like that, though." "I'll bet you really wanted to see him, though, didn't you? I would." The two women finished their hug with a giggle. ------- Greg's surgery had been put off until Wednesday to allow some initial swelling to go down. Actually, it was just the first of at least three surgeries to try to put his knee back in working order. The first one was just to remove loose tissue that aggravated the swelling and delayed the reconstruction. Besides worrying about the lawsuits, the Overlands had scrambled to find the most noted sports surgeon in the country and make it worth his while to fly out and do the surgery. Finding the surgeon and bringing him out also contributed to the delay. Spending a good deal of Tuesday examining Greg, the surgeon gave a much more optimistic appraisal of Greg's long-term chances than he and the family had expected from the early diagnoses. The way the surgeon explained it, the extent of Greg's recovery was largely dependent on his devotion to physical therapy and conditioning. The doctor was not willing to say, though, that Greg would be able to play college-level football. Saturday, Greg had spent countless hours being interviewed by the police and by the Overlands' lawyers. Sunday it was more lawyers and lots of time with his family, especially his mother. Of course, there was that shattering disclosure by his grandmother, followed by the news of his STD. On Monday, Greg had still tried to call Cheryl, even after what Genevieve had told him. He had refused to believe that Cheryl had been paid to be with him. Somehow, it had not gotten through to him that the rape attempt alone would end the relationship. When Cheryl's mother told Greg that Cheryl had gone to the Banners' house to stay, he almost made the surgery unnecessary by stroking out. All of the rages and tantrums he had been through before were eclipsed by the one that followed that news. As enraged as Greg was, he could not bring himself to call Cheryl at the Banners'. Instead, he just laid in his bed and nursed his anger at Cal. Seemingly without the capacity to be honest about his own actions, his crippled state was completely Cal's fault. Too much idle time meant little to do but plan his revenge. ------- The next night, Rebecca reverted to her usual sleeping attire and Bobby was not at all disappointed. When it was time for him to pee before going to sleep, she took it upon herself to get a washrag and towel and wash his genitals afterward. Nor was it just a quick wash and done. After drying him with the towel, Rebecca got on her knees beside him and began feeling, caressing, and fondling his penis and testicles. Previously, he had not hardened, assumedly because of his pain medication. That meant that she could inspect it in its flaccid state, a state that in the future would be very transitory when she was touching him. No pain medication was strong enough to negate the feel of her agile fingers expressing the love and the wonder that she felt. When it started to grow in her hand she gave a little hum, wriggled her bottom against the bed, and squeezed her thighs as tightly together as they would go. "Is this what they call a handjob," she asked dreamily. He had no words and he began twitching and squirming. "Do you think this could hurt you?" She asked, suddenly more aware. "Don't care! Don't stop! Need to come!" There were no more words as she brought him first to full extension and then to a massive ejaculation that belied his damaged, drugged condition. With globs of come on her hands as she continued to hold him, she looked into his eyes. His were barely open, but what he saw in hers he could only read as pride of ownership. She carefully cleaned him up and helped him brush his teeth. When she came back from her own preparations, she carried another small towel. Stopping beside the bed, she took off her panties and placed them and the towel under her pillow. She could feel his eyes staring at her pussy as she reached over and she found the poise to stand for a moment to give him a good look. Before climbing into bed, she threw back the covers and laid his arm out from his body at a shallow angle with his palm turned upward. Then, she carefully placed her body on the bed with her pussy resting on his hand. "My turn," she declared as she squirmed against his hand. His arm was long enough so that she could not quite reach up to kiss him. On an impulse, she managed to wriggle out of her Tee and put it under the pillow. Naked with him for the first time, she looked up and gave him that blush. At that point he was sure that he would come again just from touching and looking at her. His position was awkward and he could not move as he would like to to enjoy her. But he would make the best of it and give her what she needed. Love and determination to please overcame total inexperience. Rebecca knew what did it for her, and she was really in control, given his limited mobility. When she came, she could not help raising her bottom, and he lost contact. Her orgasm did not last very long and he realized it. "Can you come again?" he almost pled with her. She put her own hand under her and got him in the right place. The second one took quite a bit longer, but it could have taken all night as far as Bobby was concerned. He certainly had nothing he would rather be doing. ------- When Jan checked on Bobby again in the middle of the night, she could not help crying silently at what she saw. The light had never been turned off, and Rebecca had not gotten around to putting anything on before she collapsed in sleep. She was curled up facing Bobby and Jan could see one tender breast pressed against Bobby's arm that Rebecca was hugging. For Bobby's part, there was a very respectable tent over his midsection as he lay on his back. Jan thought that an erection was a good sign as far as healing was concerned. Healing was not what made her stand and stare for so long, though. Rebecca looked so utterly sweet as she slept that Jan could not help a surge of joy for her son. Jan herself had worked hard to be the best wife and mother that she could be. In Rebecca, she saw the same kind of devotion that Jan felt for Mel. Bobby had chosen well, and that part of Jan's mothering was a resounding success. Only for a moment did Jan question the propriety of her next move as she headed back to the bedroom and roused the soundly sleeping Mel. Mysteriously instructing him to pee and brush his teeth, she led him toward Bobby's room with stern admonitions of silence. She knew he would do it, but it still warmed he heart when Mel pulled back from the door of Bobby's room at the sight of the naked girl. But Jan was having none of that, and she took ahold of his rapidly expanding penis and pulled him back for a good long look. The fact that she stroked him with all of the intensity she possessed kept him riveted in place. The soft sniffling noises from his wife assured Mel that there was nothing dirty about what they were doing. It was instead the observance of an important passage in their family's life. Their son, in whom they had always had so much pride, was standing proudly on the threshold of manhood. Bobby had demonstrated the kind of courage and strength of character that parents can only pray for. He had found a life-mate to share a relationship as strong as their own. Men sometimes fail to understand how easy it is for women to move from feelings of tenderness to arousal. When she dashed back to fetch her husband, Jan had shed her sodden panties, so Mel could smell her emotional state quite easily. Tearing his eyes reluctantly from the beautiful tableau on his son's bed, he looked inquisitively at his wife. His gaze was met by pure, unadulterated fire. Not that Jan was the only one aroused. Bobby had inherited his slender build from Jan, and the sight of Rebecca's slim, naked torso evoked strong feelings from Mel's youthful infatuation with Jan - an infatuation that had never died. Jan had never let go of his penis, which was now fully erect. When she tugged gently down the hall, he showed no reluctance whatsoever. Jan had never forgotten how to turn on her man, and even now when it was totally unnecessary, she dug into her bag of tricks. Her nightie was all she wore, and dropping his member, she threw it off over her head without breaking stride. Mel had a brief concern that the pounding of her feet as she sprinted away from him might rouse the kids. Jan apparently had no worries except for how long it would take to fill the aching void between her legs. The sight of his wife naked from behind, running, could bring Mel from slumber to full arousal in nothing flat. In his already highly excited state, it almost drove him crazy. When Jan arrived at their bed and bent over it with her ass offered to him, it was with a near collision that he sank into her. It had been a long time since the last middle-of-the-night interlude for the Armstrongs, but neither had any concern about weariness or the impact on the next day's activities. It took a very few minutes for both of them to reach completion on their initial joining. After that, Jan pulled Mel into the bed and painted herself to his front, squirming and writhing in a throwback to the encounters of their youth. In his own throwback reaction, Mel hardened again in mere minutes after his strong come. Their second union was face to face, but hardly less energetic than the first. It did take longer, though, and when it ended, the tenderness of contented life-long lovers took over and they slept cuddled together, much as the teens they had so lovingly observed. ------- Thursday was an interesting day all around. For the first three days of the week, the football team had seemed to sleepwalk through practice. The loss of their two offensive stars seemed to leave all of the players shell-shocked. After about a half hour, Vick cut loose with a piercing whistle and called everyone over to the water station. He had checked with no one before making the move and two of the assistants went toward him as if to restrain him. The head coach, however, sprinted after his staff and pulled them back away from the players. Part of the reason all of the players came together at Vick's bidding was because he was the defensive captain and the team's overall best player. The other reason was from shock and surprise. Vick was the epitome of the strong, silent type. Not shy, but definitely reserved, he let his tackling speak for him. Until then, that is. "It looks like all of you guys believe the fuckin' newspapers. Last week, they said we were the favorites in the conference. Now, they say we don't have a chance. Well, hell! Why don't we all just go home, then? What's the use?" "You think I'm joking? Most of you guys are playing like there's no chance and you don't care. Look! What did we lose? We lost a first-class jerk of a running back whose head was way bigger than his stats." That brought a ripple of nervous laughter. "Oh, and a pretty boy quarterback who thought every good play was his doing. How many of you offensive lineman ever got congratulations from either of those two? That's what I figured. How much fun was it celebrating after a win with Greg and Chad? Well, I once thought it was a privilege and Rickert stil thinks so, but really?" "The way you guys block up front, even Clinch could get a hundred a game. Who needs Greg?" That brought a huge laugh. Clinch was Vick's companion at defensive tackle. Vick was tall, fast, and agile, and would probably play defensive end in college. Clinch was a tree; squat, wide, and unmovable, and it was doubtful he could run an eight second forty. Clinch was also a riot and well liked by all of his teammates. He found a dozen guys to high-five after Vick's comment. "Guess what, guys? We lost two people. But Jason is great quarterback, and Jeron is going to run in college some day. And we're looking for a left outside linebacker because I'm gonna beat the shit out of Rickert for his attitude. He won't be able to play." There were no snickers after that very believable threat. "And any of you idiots who are still mad at Cal, what the hell is wrong with you? Is there one of you who wouldn't have done that or worse if it had been your sister or your girlfriend instead of Rebecca? If there's anyone who thinks Cal shouldn't have done that, then get the hell off the field. You aren't man enough to play this game." Vick's voice softened a little as he continued. "We've got a lot of talent on this team, but one thing we didn't have before was great team spirit. I think a lot of that was because of the two assholes who are gone and because some of us were stupid enough to suck up to them." "From now on, I want to see everyone supporting everyone else, all the time. I'm gonna cruise the lunch room every day. If I see a table that's all offense or all defense, I'll haul you away by your ears." That was met by laughter, but there was a nervous edge to it. "Tomorrow night!" Vick said, and waited for everyone's attention, "offense, you just need to get Cal close enough for one field goal because THEY WILL NOT SCORE! THEY WILL NOT SCORE! THEY WILL NOT SCORE!... By the third repetition, most of the defense was chanting with Vick, and by the fifth, they were all shouting in unison. Rickert stayed silent and motionless. Vick first stared at Rickert, then pointed dramatically at him. Soon, much of the defensive squad had turned to look at the disgruntled linebacker, and they were pointing and shouting. Deciding that he had done enough, Vick started pulling guys from the cluster and pushing them off toward their practice areas. After practice, there was no volleyball for Cal to watch since the girls' first game was that evening. Showering quickly, he waited outside for Vick to exit. "Hey, Vick. Some guy that looked just like you gave a helluva pep talk today." "Yeah, well, I've screwed up enough lately. Time to make something good happen," Vick said. "Hey, wanna see the volley ball game? I've been..." and Cal described what he had in mind. ------- A little after seven o'clock that Thursday evening, the line-ups were being announced for the opening volleyball game of the season. When the speaker intoned "Cheryl Carson," Cheryl's head snapped around as a loud cheer filled with 'Yeah, Cheryl' and 'Go, Cheryl' erupted. Cal, Vick, Tessa, Teri, Rick, Martin, Elaine, and even Rebecca had hovered just out of sight and snuck into their seats just as the teams were introduced. Cheryl's eyes filled with tears, but they did not last long. She proceeded to show the rest of her new cheering section just why Cal had so much enjoyed watching her play. The team was strong, and breezed through the warm-up opponent. After the final handshake between the teams, Cheryl dashed into the stands and grabbed Tessa and Rebecca. Then she made sure to thank each of the others for coming out. Back home later, Cheryl came into Cal's room as he was studying, turned his chair away from his desk, and sat on his lap facing him. "You're going to be useless for the game tomorrow night!" she declared. "I... am... going... to... wring... you... dry!" She kissed him briefly but soundly between each pair of words. An hour later, she did her skillful best to make good on her threat/promise. ------- At the opening football game Friday night, the 'new' Vick was very much in evidence. The supposedly reserved giant did his best to make the cheerleaders redundant. While on the field, he rushed to congratulate any teammate who made a good play or encourage one who had made a mistake. When the offense was on the field, he waved his helmet or a towel for every good play, and he was the first to congratulate the offense as they came off the field. Vick's power at tackle had been expected to be the strength of the team's defense, and he did not disappoint. Double-teaming hardly slowed him down, and he spent a lot of time in the opponents' backfield, messing up their option scheme. The coach had kept him at tackle rather than end because he had enough speed to slide to the outside on a play when needed. The tremendous pressure he exerted up the middle meant there was essentially no pocket for the opposing quarterback and any attempted pass up the middle was likely to be swatted down. It was a non-conference game and the opponent was not exceptionally strong. Vick's determination to hold the other team scoreless did not quite come true, but they scored just one offensive and one defensive touchdown. Cal's team's own offense showed the effect of two new, younger key players, and in the end, it was a field goal by Cal that was the difference. It was not the kind of win anyone had expected, but it was still a 'W'. With what had happened to the team that week, the coach was satisfied. Martin had reserved a back room at a popular local pizza place for all of Cal's cheering section after the game. While they were all waiting for Cal to come out, Elaine noticed Emily Smaak standing by herself. "Emily, do you remember me?" Elaine asked as she approached the nervous woman. When Emily just nodded, Elaine asked her "Would you and Vick like to join all of us for pizza?" "You... you'd want us? After... ?" "Emily, we know that if Vick hadn't been drunk he would have stopped the whole thing. He still tried to help. We're not angry at him." The relief almost buckled Emily's legs. The shame of Vick's involvement in the near-tragedy had weighed heavily on her. She was proud of the way her son had turned around since the attack on Bobby and Rebecca, but she was a woman who had seen few positives in her life. When she earlier thought that she had lost her son because of his involvement with Greg's crowd, it had taken a terrible toll on her. "I... we'd love to," Emily managed to say. Elaine saw Emily automatically look at her purse, and sensed that the cost of the meal might be a problem. "Oh, it's our treat, by the way," Elaine assured Emily. Ken and Amelia had come for the game, and Ken was the first to greet and congratulate Vick when he joined the group. At the restaurant, Emily was quiet, but she did enter in when spoken to. Vick seemed to have stayed in his 'new' persona and he was quite talkative. Tessa happened to sit across from Vick, and the two got into some light-hearted bantering that seemed to signal Vick's full acceptance into the group. The big guy made major points with the girls in the group when he put his arm around his mother as they were walking back to their car afterward. ------- Rebecca had not wanted to leave Bobby to go to either the volleyball or football games. He, however, would not hear of her missing either one. Having heard about the after-game pizza plans, he also insisted that she go there with her family. Thus, it was pushing midnight when she got to the Armstrongs'. She did her preparations and was trying to crawl into bed unnoticed when he spoke. "Oh good, you're here. Thought I was gonna burst." "Your mom would have helped you. She does it while I'm not here." "Yeah, but I'd rather have you do it." "'Cause you want me to play with it afterwards, huh?" she teased. "That's no secret. Better enjoy it, Baby. The frame comes off tomorrow," he warned, teasing her back. "Does that mean I can't play with it any more?" "Only for the rest of our lives." That earned him a sizzling kiss. "Uh, I wasn't kidding about having to go." ------- In the morning, Rebecca helped Bobby pee because he could not wait. He was determined, though, that he would not use the bedpan even one more time since his restricting frame was to come off that day. The frame was a rather complex contraption, and Rebecca had no chance of getting it off of him by herself. Almost fearfully, Rebecca rapped on the master bedroom door. When a sleepy-eyed Jan came out, Rebecca explained the situation. Seriously lacking in mechanical aptitude, Jan automatically roused Mel and told him it was his job to liberate their son. As much as she wanted one last chance to nurse her son, Jan stayed out of Bobby's room and let Mel and Rebecca handle it. It was a jolt to Mel to have the girl there with his son exposed, but Jan had done a thorough job on him, and he took it gracefully. It actually was a two-person job getting the frame off without hurting Bobby. Being his first time bending at the waist, Bobby was in a lot of pain as Rebecca and Mel first got him seated on the side of the bed, then standing with heavy support from Mel. Rebecca found a robe in the closet and got him covered as he stood. Bobby needed help from his father to get to the bathroom and Rebecca hung back as Mel helped Bobby onto the toilet. As Mel came out of the bathroom, Rebecca rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. Being sensitive to Bobby's feelings, Rebecca waited a few minutes, then asked if she could come in. He was still sitting on the toilet, finished with his business but too stiff and in too much pain to get up. "God, what I wouldn't give for a shower!" me muttered. "Until those bandages come off of your ribs, I'm afraid that's not going to happen," she said sympathetically. "Tell you what. How about if I put some water in the tub and we're really careful to only get your lower half wet. Would that feel good? We'll figure out how to wash your hair later." He just grunted and nodded in response. They needed Mel's help to get Bobby into the tub, and again a little later to get him out. After nothing but bed baths for a week, even the partial soak felt very, very good. Bobby was too worn out and in too much pain to even consider breakfast until after a long nap. ------- Fortunately, a very good, very sympathetic prosecutor was assigned to Rebecca's and Bobby's cases. He openly expressed outrage at the two attackers' fabricated story and vowed to overwhelm it with testimony on the character and credibility of the two sides. He carefully advised Rebecca that she would be subjected to unconscionable personal attacks on the stand, but she never flinched. She commented once "I'm smarter than any slimeball lawyer, I'm telling the truth, and I'm still a virgin. How are they gonna smear me?" The DA deliberated for a long time on whether to consolidate the charges into a single case, and whether to try the boys together or separately. After many discussions with the Banners and their family lawyer and the Armstrongs, it was decided to consolidate everything. All along, the DA insisted that the key was to turn Chad. The most serious thing that he had done was to hold Rebecca down, even though he had falsely claimed a part in the beating. Because of his adherence to the concocted story, he was charged with assault as an equal with Greg. The DA insisted on holding to the attempted rape charge for Chad, even though accessory would have been more realistic. Of course, both Chad and Vick were guilty of choosing the wrong friend. Chad came from a wealthy family that was close with the Overlands. His was a case of being pushed by unreasonably high expectations. There had been very few failures in his life - they just weren't tolerated by his parents. A criminal record, even juvenile, and the reputation damage would be the biggest family disaster ever. The loss of football for all or most of his senior year was already a terrible thing. Chad had always been the friendly, gregarious type. A decent student, he had been popular with his teachers until he started hanging out with Greg. If both were in class together, Chad became as cynical, disrespectful, and disruptive as his leader. By admitting to, and in fact almost bragging about beating up Bobby, the boys made a terrible tactical error. Greg must have told Chad what to say about the whole affair just after he had beaten Bobby. In his naivete and his slavish devotion to his leader, Chad truly thought that half-killing Bobby for hitting Rebecca (in their version) would be considered heroic, manly, and justifiable. It would be good for him to seem a part of it, even if he had just watched, laughed, and cheered drunkenly. In the early days, the DA assured the Banners over and over that Chad could not possibly stick with the contrived story when it came to trial. The important thing was not to waver in their determination to prosecute to the fullest. He wanted agreement to reject any plea bargain offers until Chad had recanted, then he wanted all charges against Chad dropped. The Banners were at first reluctant to give Chad a pass. After all, he did aid in the rape attempt. They reminded themselves constantly that the objective was to get the lawsuit dropped. ------- By the time Bobby returned in the third week of school, Greg's contrived version had been pretty well laughed out of the folklore. Rather than being looked down on for getting brutalized, Bobby felt the adulation of most of the school's female population, and the awed respect of many of the guys, most of whom doubted that they could have found the same courage. Wherever Bobby went, he had an escort of Tessa and Cheryl, along with his four longtime male buddies. Whenever possible, Vick joined Bobby's entourage, as well. Of course, Rebecca made herself seem like a part of Bobby. Relatively few people knew about Cal's martial arts training, but almost everyone knew that he was the expected starting safety and point guard that year. The mayhem that he had wrought was obvious to the many bystanders who had made it back to the clearing, and it was a major shock and surprise to most students. No one, of course, knew that he had previously killed three men while protecting Ismi. All in all, most students did not know how to treat Cal. Much of the female population regarded him as an unlikely hero, particular those who knew Rebecca. Wins in the first two football games and Vick's unwavering support of Cal had quenched the initial anger at Cal for ruining the season. When Bobby returned, Rebecca flaunted her all-out respect and admiration for him. She grossly violated the school's PDA policy on a regular basis, but somehow, no official ever challenged her on it. Greg never reappeared at school. He had only attended the public school for the greater athletic exposure. With his sports career most likely finished, he sought refuge elsewhere. His parents hired tutors and he took proficiency exams to gain entry to college courses. ------- In the week plus since Bobby got rid of the restrictive frame, Rebecca had spent every possible minute with him. For the first few days, she could justify staying overnight because of his weakness and his pain. By Tuesday, though, he was becoming more self-sufficient. "Baby," Bobby said before she left for school, "it's been great having you live here,..." "But it's time for me to move back home, isn't it?" she finished for him. "It's not that I don't want you here," he assured her. "Oh, I know that. Our folks have been great about this. We don't want to make them sorry," she explained. After his hug of appreciation, she added "but I got dibs on the first shower when those bandages come off." As Bobby's health improved, his humor was rapidly returning to full force. Lifting his shirt, he grinned at her and said "Start unwrapping!" "Seriously, Bobby, do we really have to wait until you're better?" "Baby, I want to do more than just lie there for our first time," he explained for perhaps the fiftieth time. "Oh, I know, but I just have this horrible feeling that something else is going to happen," she said soberly. Then she made her self lighten up and added her own bit of humor. "Besides, this part," and she gently clasped his penis, "won't just lie there!" ------- Volleyball games, because they did not have the stature of football, did not enjoy a fixed, predictable schedule. Some of the scheduled schools even held the matches right after school was dismissed. It was the fourth week of school, Bobby's second back from his injury. By pulling some strings, Cheryl was able to get Rebecca, Bobby, and Tessa on the bus carrying the team to one such early match. By plan, Vick and Cal would drive over in the van as soon as football practice ended. Vick had become an enthusiastic fan of volleyball, and all three of the girls seemed comfortable around him. In fact, he and Tessa had sat together several times and seemed to get along very well. Bobby had gotten over his initial reluctance and had accepted Vick's many apologies for not being able to prevent more harm than he actually had. The girls' team was extended to three games and the guys got there for most of the third. They team was victorious, keeping what early on looked like an awesome season from being marred by a loss. The other five had no problem chatting and joking around as they waited for Cheryl afterward. None of the adults had been able to make that game, but that did not derail the plan for pizza afterward, and they all piled into the van for a Pizza Hut that they had found nearby. As so easily happened with the group, time flew by at a surprising rate and dusk was imminent as they all walked to the back of the parking lot. When they had arrived, the place had been full, and they could not park any closer. They were only a few yards from the van when the doors of a nearby car flew open and four guys in ski masks jumped out. The girls began screaming and it became worse when the apparent leader pulled out a pistol. "Everyone just shut the fuck up!" the armed man ordered. When the screams died down, the man continued "I've got a score to settle with Banner, here. The rest of you just stay still and no one else will get hurt." ------- Chapter 22 The sudden appearance of the attackers had shocked Cal, just as it had the others. The sight of the gun brought back unavoidable images of Fasil in the back yard on THE DAY. It was fortunate for Cal that the gun-wielder wanted to talk as it gave Cal time to collect himself and remember his disciplines. First, the threat assessment. The gun was the only visible weapon, and a quick glance did not show any of the others with body positions indicating a weapon at hand. Cal would have bet, though, that there was at least one knife among them. Because of the masks, age was hard to assess, but the speaker came across as forty-ish. He was not particularly large, and he stood about ten feet from his companions, who were bunched together. The other three all looked muscular and Cal instinctively sensed that fighting was a familiar activity for them. He could get no immediate sense of their ages. The leader was the closest to Cal's group and he was roughly fifteen feet from Cal. The next step was to plan an attack that would turn Cal's tenuous defensive position into an offense of some kind. Cal came up blank on that. Any aggressive action on his part would bring all of the attackers on him at once, or worse, it would leave his friends exposed. If there was no way to mount an offense, the next alternative was to create as much confusion as possible and buy time to do more planning. "Vick, don't worry about the gun. It's just for show. Greg didn't pay him enough to risk a murder rap." "Shut the fuck up, asshole!" the leader screamed, "or I'll..." "Or you'll what?" Cal taunted the leader. "Greg wants me crippled, not dead, so whatcha gonna do if I just walk up and take your toy and use it on the four of you?" Cal did not feel that brave at all, but he had been taught over and over that his words and his attitudes were as powerful as any weapons he had. "Vick, get everybody back away from here and out of the line of fire. If any of these bastards get past me, you crunch 'em up, OK? Pretend they're quarterbacks." Cal had no idea if any of the attackers were football fans and might recognize who Vick was, but it was worth a shot. Anything to cause a delay and create a little confusion and uncertainty. "I heard you were cocky," the leader spat out. "You don't know what you're messin' with here!" "Oh, really? I see four low-lifes that were so desperate they hired out to a failed rapist." "What the fuck you talkin' about?" the leader spat out, some surprise showing in his voice. "Didn't Greg tell you? He tried to rape my sister, and I busted up his knee instead of killing him. He hired you to get even. At least it shows that he believes what I can do." "Huh?" "He knows I can kill any of you just like that," Cal proclaimed. Somehow he was able to control his nerves enough to make a convincing snap of his fingers. He did not like boasting like that. Cheryl did not know about THE DAY, and he would have preferred to keep that from her. Secrecy was not the most important thing right then, though, and his big talk was an important psychological weapon. In his peripheral vision, Cal had seen Vick herding the others back behind the van. Deciding to push the war of words even farther to buy a little more time and perhaps sow a little more uncertainty, Cal said "When I kill one of you guys, the other three will be charged with murder. That's the law. You know that, don't you?" With a snarl, the leader called out "OK, guys, I've had enough of this shit! Bust 'm up!" Cal wondered if the guy listened to action movies to get the right lines. Cal had wanted more time to try to defuse the situation or to come up with some brilliant strategem. That was not to be. The three thugs posed a real threat to him personally, but the gun was a threat to all of them. They were his to protect, just as surely as Ismi had been on THE DAY. The gun had to be neutralized. Pretending to stare at the gun, Cal saw the other three advancing on him with one a step in front of the others. Apparently the other two had been shaken up a bit by his boasting. He could not have ordered it up more perfectly, and he mentally put himself in one of the multi-attacker drills he had repeated so many times. Without taking his gaze from the gun, he slid sideways away from the attack path just enough to make the thugs lose a bit of momentum. The lead attacker approached like a tough but untrained street brawler, a hint of caution showing in his body position. Cal purposely kept his eyes on the gun, seeing the approaching thug only in his peripheral vision. When he sensed the man winding up for a punch, still advancing forward, Cal suddenly turned to face the attack. Dodging the roundhouse, even though it was fast, was no great challenge for Cal. The trick was to use the man's momentum and make him an object to throw at the shooter. The attacker would become Cal's shield that would allow him to get safely to the gunman and disarm him. Because of Ken's military background and because of Cal's fixation on defending loved ones, Ken had spent a good deal of time drilling Cal on the operation of various common firearms. Cal had never actually shot them, but he could neutralize them quickly. He wondered briefly if he would have to shoot anyone to save his friends. Since the other two toughs were right on the heels of the first one, Cal needed to get away from them. He did not just shove the one who had swung toward the shooter. He got behind and pushed the man, using the bulky body as a shield from the gun. He had to shrug off the grasp of one of the other attackers and stomp on the man's instep. Vick had done as Cal had ordered, and Bobby and the girls were now back behind the front of the van. Vick however, found his initial fear replaced by an overpowering fury. Cal had mentioned Greg, and Vick knew without a doubt that his former idol had sent these men. Greg, who had almost screwed up everything that was important to Vick! These kids and their families had accepted Vick and his mother when they had every right to hate him. It was time to step up and right the wrongs he had allowed before because of his stupidity. Once the rest of the group was in relative safety, Vick moved back toward Cal but kept himself in a line between the gunman and the girls. He had never really fought, but he knew that he was strong and fast, and he would do what he could. There was a momentary flash of fear as he thought about the gun, but Cal had said it was just for show. Vick forced himself to believe that as he stepped silently closer to what he thought would be the fight scene. He had seen what Cal could do, but Vick would not let his new friend face all three alone. As Vick approached to within ten feet of the oncoming attackers and saw a flurry of motion around Cal, there was a loud report. Vick knew it was a gunshot and he feared for Cal. Somehow, though, he found the discipline to keep his attention on the attacking thugs, as there were now only two. Attackers two and three were pursuing Cal who had pushed the first man almost into the gunman when the shot rang out. At the sound of the gunshot, the other two would-be attackers froze and actually recoiled a little. Vick had always joked with his defensive teammates about catching the runner and his blocker at the same time and slamming their heads together. He did exactly that with the two shocked toughs from behind. They had not noticed his approach and they were standing motionless, looking toward the gunshot when their lights went out in a blast of pain. Cal was as shocked as the rest at the sudden report of the pistol. He felt the man in front of him lurch and heard him grunt, and he knew that the shot had hit the man. Having no idea how badly his shield was hurt, Cal stepped out and around the collapsing tough and closed on the leader. Stunned at having accidentally shot his companion, the gunman was frozen for a critical moment. Reaching the shooter, Cal delivered a vicious downward chop to the man's wrist. The gun discharged again, sending a bullet careening off of the pavement with a whine that died off a long distance away. His hand already useless from the blow to his wrist, the shooter let the gun fall to the ground. Cal used his foot to slide it several yards away. From the corner of his eye as he spun around the gunshot victim, Cal had seen the third and fourth attackers falling to the ground with Vick hovering over them. That left the shooter as the last potential threat. Knowing at least a dozen ways to render an enemy unconscious, Cal used one that would keep the man out for a few minutes. Just as in the first attempt on Ismi, it was all over in five seconds or so from the first aggressive movement. With all immediate threats neutralized, Cal looked toward Bobby and the girls and called out "Everyone OK?" Only Bobby was able to answer, and his shaky "Yeah!" was all that Cal needed. Vick was standing over his two fallen victims, tensed and ready to render further mayhem. The shooting victim was twitching erratically, as was one of Vick's conquests. Cal reasoned that the head injury Vick had inflicted could cause non-fatal convulsions. The one who was shot, though, had spilled huge amounts of blood directly from his chest. The strong spurts stopped even as Cal watched. The twitching continued on, but Cal was certain that the man was dead. "Vick! Pull their pants around their shins to hobble them. Use their belts to tie their hands! Quickly!" Cal told Vick, who was just a few feet away. Just then, the first people started to come out of the restaurant. Cal hurriedly bound the shooter. Walking toward the approaching people, Cal hollered. "Someone call the police! Three injuries, maybe one dead! Stay way back. Please! Vick, get over here and keep everyone away!" As soon as Vick came up beside him, Cal patted the big guy on the back and dashed back to where the others were still huddled. Rebecca was shaking violently in Bobby's arms. Tessa was standing motionless, staring openmouthed at the carnage. Cheryl hugged Cal fiercely. "Shouldn't we help those guys?" Marveling that she could care even about the scum that had threatened them, Cal told Cheryl. "I'm afraid it's too late for that one," he said, indicating the gunshot victim. "Not much we can do for the ones VIck bashed until the ambulance arrives." The shooter came around within about three minutes. When he saw what had happened to his partners, he moaned, then went silent. Unable to resist, Cal walked up to the man, yanked off his mask, and said "This makes it a murder rap for all three of you. Your only chance of ever getting out of prison is to give up Greg." Vick's towering presence had succeeded in keeping the onlookers at bay until first one, then two more patrols arrived code three. The first officer on the scene verified that the shooting victim was dead. Cal and Vick were instructed to keep their hands in the air and they were frisked. Cal, having learned quite a bit about police procedure, expected it, but Vick was obviously shaken. "It's OK, Vick. They're just doing what they're supposed to," Cal said when he saw Vick's consternation. To the officer patting him down, Cal said "The gun has only his prints," and he motioned with his head toward the shooter. "Safety is off. There's a ricochet mark from the second shot right over there." Again he motioned with his head. When the police were satisfied that Vick and Cal were not threats, they were moved away from the attackers, but not close to their four companions. Two officers stayed with them and began taking statements as the first ambulance arrived. The next hour and a half was filled with the predictable mayhem, made much worse by the death of one attacker and the probable fractured skull of one other. Being sure to ask permission, Cheryl called all of the parents and gave them a quick rundown on the situation. Somewhere in the endless tellings and retellings, Cal happened to look closely at Tessa. He saw her staring at Vick with a totally un-Tessa-like gaze. It was a combination of awe, admiration, and something that Cal could only interpret as surrender. In all of the intimate, loving moments that Cal had shared with Tessa, he had never seen a look anything like what she was laying on Vick right then. The realization was as clear and as certain as anything Cal would ever understand about women. Tessa had found her man! With everything going on around him, Cal did not have time to ponder Tessa's fall and what it meant to him personally. There would be time for that later. ------- As soon as she got the call, Elaine called Teri, Jan Armstrong, and Emily Smaak and offered them all a ride to the Pizza Hut, which was over an hour away. All seven parents were rolling in the Banners' Suburban within a very few minutes. There was very little conversation. Every ten or fifteen minutes, Teri used her cell phone to call Cheryl for an update. Cal's phone was still in the van, and he had been too busy with the police to retrieve it. At first, the parents' arrival was thwarted by the police, but a call to Cheryl got the big SUV admitted to a far corner of the lot. As the adults all piled out to check on their offspring, Cal and Vick, as the only combatants, were still tied up with questioning. Tessa made a bee-line for Emily. "He's fine, Mrs. Smaak. You should have seen! He... he wiped out two of them, just like that!" Emily's eyes and her perceptions were at least as good as Cal's. She wished that she had paid more attention to Tessa in the few times they had been together recently. Then Emily realized that there would probably be plenty of time to find out all that she needed to know about the girl. Martin and Elaine were experiencing a strange sense of deja vu. Without discussing it, they both wondered if their youngest was somehow destined to move from one crisis to another in his young life. They also wondered if he was cursed by having death follow him so closely. Elaine's thoughts were interrupted when Rebecca pulled her away a few feet. "Mom, will you get us a hotel room?" There was no confusion in Elaine's mind about what her daughter's question meant. Nor was there any inclination to question the girl. There was a look of panic in Rebecca's eyes, and Elaine knew the reason from several earlier conversations. Rebecca was deathly afraid of being robbed of her first time with Bobby by some calamity. In her mind, it had almost happened twice, and she could not risk it again. "Honey, why not just use your room?" "But Cal and Cheryl are up there." "Not tonight. They can sleep in the rec room on the foldout. Just give them a few minutes to get their stuff from their rooms, and I promise: the upstairs is all yours and Bobby's. Won't that be better than a hotel?" A hug was Rebecca's only response. Jan had seen the conversation between Elaine and Rebecca and had to smile to herself when Rebecca left her mother and headed straight for Jan. Before Rebecca could open her mouth, Jan said "I took a couple of minutes to pack a little bag for Bobby. It's in the Suburban." When the police were finally done with Cal and Vick, Cal pulled Vick aside before they went to their parents. "Do you like Tessa?" Cal asked. Vick's eyes answered before he could speak, so Cal went on "Well, she's all yours if you want her." "But you two..." Vick protested. "Best friends forever," Cal said, "but we know we're not right for the long haul. She is one helluva woman, my friend." Cal could not avoid a catch in his voice, and Vick sensed it but would not think of commenting on it. No sooner had Vick hugged his mother than Emily told him "I think Tessa could use some attention from you. She's pretty shook up over all of this." Vick looked over at Tessa, and uncharacteristically, she was by herself, a bit away from even her mother. Their eyes happened to meet. Vick could not be sure what he saw in hers, but he had a sudden, overpowering urge to find out. ------- It was well after midnight by the time everyone had returned to the Banner house. Cal wished that he could have a video of his sister. Her patented blush never left her face. But it was not strong enough to mask the underlying anticipation and lust. She had a hard time looking anyone but Bobby in the eye, something highly unusual for her. Bobby, still just over a month from a serious beating, was obviously tired and some pain wrinkles showed on his face. With all of that, his mouth was fixed in a permanent grin and his hand never left Rebecca's. In typical Bobby fashion, he never dodged anyone's gaze. Elaine had said nothing about it at the time, but she had arranged an even bigger surprise for her daughter's entry into womanhood. "The rest of us are staying at Teri's tonight," she announced to everyone else's surprise. "Dad and I will leave for work from there. Cal and Cheryl, make sure you have everything you need for school. Honey," she said to Rebecca, "I think you and Bobby should skip school tomorrow, don't you?" "Does... does everyone know?" Rebecca asked. "Only people who really love you and care about you," Elaine assured her. Mother and daughter shared a long hug, then Rebecca gave Martin a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. ------- Like most of the houses in the area, the Walts had plenty of sleeping space. Cheryl and Cal chose the hide-a-bed in the rec room, just as they would have at home. Cheryl was extremely keyed up and ready to wipe Cal out. They had just gotten into bed and started kissing when Tessa slipped in on the other side of Cal. It was just a queen bed, so the fit was very cozy. Cheryl felt a flash of irritation over Tessa's intrusion, but only a flash. This was her friend who had accepted her in spite of her deal with Genevieve. Tessa had said nothing as she slipped into bed, meaning that something was really bothering her. Whispering "Sorry" as softly as she could in Cal's ear, Cheryl crawled on top of Cal and reached her arm around Tessa. Pulling Tessa even tighter against Cal, Cheryl kissed her friend on the side of the face and began stroking her hair. Cheryl and Cal were both naked, and with her lying right on top of him, the reaction that had started with their kissing came to full flower. Both of them knew that the time was not right, but Cheryl loved the feel of his hardness against her. As secretly as possible, she got him upright between her legs and closed her thighs on him. Cal had seen Tessa's tears before. Years ago, it had been because of her parents' divorce. Recently, it had only happened during one of her spats with Cal. Now, the plug was pulled and Tessa let loose the torrent of emotions generated by the traumatic evening. Cal managed to get an arm around her and pull her close. It was a tight pile of bodies as Cheryl and Cal did their best to comfort their distraught friend. It was very late, and school loomed for all of them in the morning. On top of that, Cal had a football game the next evening. Falling asleep in their intimate cuddle would have been the best for all of them. Cal, though, was pretty sure that the attack was not all that was troubling his dear friend. When Tessa's sobs had finally subsided, Cal kissed her on the cheek and she asked him "Do you remember the last time I cried in front of you, Cal? "Uh... oh, in the hospital." "Yeah. Remember, I said I couldn't understand how you could kill someone?" "Kill? What are you talking about?" Cheryl almost shouted. Both Tessa and Cal looked stunned, realizing that Cheryl had never heard the story. "Uh, maybe I should go in the other room," Cheryl said, starting to pull herself up. "No way!" Tessa said, grabbing Cheryl's arm. "I'll tell you the whole story later," Cal assured Cheryl. It took a while for everyone to get settled down. "Anyway," Tessa resumed, "after tonight I think I understand. Oh, I don't understand how you could do it, but I understand why you had to." "And how about Vick?" Cal asked on impulse. "He was ready to take a bullet if that guy had shot your way." Tessa's eyes got large and her nostrils flared, but she said nothing. Cal decided to push it even farther. "Tessa, I hope you never have to really understand. But if someday one of your children - yours and Vick's - is threatened by..." "Vick's!?" Tessa shouted when she realized what he had said "I saw." Was all Cal said, and Tessa did not respond except to duck her head down closer to Cal. "Don't say anything for a minute, Tessa. I'm guessing that you're already worried about how you're going to tell me. I think this will have to be a farewell cuddle, don't you? At least in bed it had better be." "You're not upset?" Tessa finally asked. "Well, sure I am," Cal said with a purposeful laugh. She still sucked in her breath. "Any guy lucky enough to enjoy a woman like you is going to be upset when he can't any more." "Oh, Cal! I'm sorry!" "No, no! Let me finish. Long before I enjoyed your body, I enjoyed this - tapping her forehead - and this - tapping over her heart. I don't think I'll lose those, will I?" That was not a good way to prevent tears, and a lot more of them came. It was Tessa herself who decided to change the emotional tenor. On a hunch, she raised up and ran her hand down over Cheryl's bottom until she encountered the tip of Cal's cock sticking up between Cheryl's legs. She gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm going to miss this guy," Tessa proclaimed in her more normal impish voice. "You won't miss him at all," Cal assured her. "Vick is big aaaalllll over!" "CAL!!" Tessa shrieked, and she and Cheryl broke into giggles. "But we haven't even been on a date, yet." "Doesn't matter. I've seen the look: Mom and Dad; your mom and dad; Rebecca and Bobby. I saw it in your eyes tonight when you looked at Vick." "But what if he doesn't feel the same?" Tessa lamented. "Be serious!" Cal told her with a chuckle. "Vick's a bright guy. He knows a smart, sexy babe when he sees one. You know damn well you can have him eating out of your hand in no time at all." That prompted an attempted tickle fight until Tessa ruefully remembered that Cal was not very ticklish. Instead, she just laid very still for several minutes before she rose up on her elbow. She gave Cal one of her patented blowtorch kisses. "Cal Banner, I will love you forever. Cheryl, I'm going up to my bed, now. Fuck his brains out for me, will you?" "Only after I take my own turn," Cheryl proclaimed. She grabbed Tessa around the neck and delivered a kiss almost as intense as what Tessa had laid on Cal. When Tessa had left the room, Cheryl told Cal "Guess I forgot to mention: no lovin' until you tell me about this killing business." "The story in the tabloids was amazingly accurate," Cal told her. "Can I give you the details tomorrow?" With that, he rolled them over and breached her entry before she knew what was happening. "Oh... OK." She gasped, then emitted a long moan as he pushed forcefully into her. Maybe he could nap after school, before the game. ------- The incredible day had taken its toll on Bobby. Even after almost five weeks, he was sore in more places than he could count. Just a day at school was rough on him, but he had really wanted to join the group for the volleyball game. At the pizza place, he had been too worn out to even joke in his usual fashion. Still, he was there with Rebecca, and that made it bearable. The unbelievable events in the parking lot had left him barely able to stand, and Rebecca had insisted that tonight was the night. The parents had come down on her side, what with a bag all packed for him and the Banners bailing out of their house to give him and Rebecca privacy. Much as Bobby wanted to be strong and make their first time the best possible for Rebecca, he did not know if he could even get it up. Just from looking at her eyes, though, he knew that it had to be tonight or she would be frantic. Helping nurse Bobby back to health had taught Rebecca a lot of things, and an important one was how to read her lover. The adrenalin of the evening had left her horny with a capital 'H'. In addition, the lingering fear of Bobby not being the one to get her cherry had been revived by the attack. Every time she had helped Bobby and every time she had slept beside him, Rebecca had replayed in her mind how Bobby had expressed his love for her by giving up his body. No young lover ever had a better lesson in putting their partner first, and she had learned it well. Once they were in the house by themselves, Rebecca pulled Bobby up to the bathroom and waited while he went. Leading him to her bed, she threw back the covers and pushed him down, ignoring his protests. When she started taking off his clothes, he continued to protest, but with no real energy. "Honey, you can't even hold your arms up," Rebecca told him with a soft kiss, "to say nothing of this." She patted his crotch, where his penis was already asleep. "You just sleep, now." "But they gave us the house to ourselves, and..." "And we have all day tomorrow, too," she reminded him. "Cheryl said it was neat having her first time in the daylight." He was asleep before he could protest again. She undressed and got in beside him, but she never told him that she had to get herself off twice before sleep was even a remote possibility. The anticipation never really eased for Rebecca, even though she did manage to sleep for four or five hours. It was daylight but still early when she awoke. As she got up to visit the bathroom, she instinctively went for her robe, but as she was putting it on, she stopped and actually shivered with the thought. As she had cared for him, she had seen Bobby naked many times. It was not that she felt that she had to even things up, but in the last several days, she had tried to give him looks at her body. His reaction had always aroused her. Rebecca had never thought of herself as beautiful or sexy, despite Cal's constant assurances that she was. Whether she believed it or not, it was perfectly clear that Bobby believed it. What she saw in his eyes when he looked at her absolutely thrilled her - she could not get enough of it. With another shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature in the house, she hung her robe back on the hook and went into the bathroom. When she came back out after doing her necessaries, Rebecca had to fight the urge to put something on. She had spent very little time naked and it was difficult for her. But this was for Bobby: he loved it; he deserved it; she would grow up and do it for him. Thus it was that Bobby was called grudgingly from a deep, deep sleep, only to snap joyfully awake at the feel of a sweet nipple brushing his lips. When his eyes swept from Rebecca's megawatt smile down over the smooth lustrous skin that was all exposed to him, he reflexively reached out to pull her close. "Huh uh, Lover! Use the bathroom and come on down. We're having breakfast in the hot tub. Oh, and no clothes." "But the neighbors..." he tried to object. "Someone with binoculars on the course might see a flash of skin, but that's all. Don't worry. I'm at least as shy as you are." When he again tried to reach for her, she danced away with a giggle. It had been tough enough for Bobby to deflate sufficiently to do his toilet business. When he set off down the stairs, just the shock of being naked sent the blood rushing to his almost-limp member. Rebecca was not in the kitchen, so he headed for the patio door. If walking down the stairs and through the house had been tough, his first step outside fully exposed almost buckled Bobby's knees. One look toward the hot tub and Bobby no longer cared about exposure, embarrassment, pain, or anything else. Rebecca sat naked on the edge of the tub looking more alluring and seductive than his best pubescent fantasy. He must have walked across the deck because he was suddenly kissing her. He did not remember a single step. Rebecca reluctantly slid down into the water away from the hands that were turning her nipples into arrowheads. "Eggs'll get cold," she murmured between kisses. In a pattern that the loquacious Bobby had become more and more fond of, they ate wordlessly, with her mostly feeding him. When he objected by trying to take the fork, she just swatted his hand away. When the food was gone, she snuggled as close as she could get and grasped his already stiff cock in her hand. He was the one to break the silence. "Sorry about last night." "I'm not. Let's go make up for it right now!" After a quick shower to rinse off the chlorine, they were soon kissing on the bed. Bobby's beating was a terrible thing, but Rebecca's time nursing him had removed most of her natural body-shyness and modesty. Most of the mystery was gone and her fear with it. That left only anticipation. Bobby began kissing his way down from her lips, but she was not willing to wait that long. "I've been ready since last night, Honey. Please!" That matched Bobby's own urgency. Rebecca opened her legs and took hold of his cock as he raised himself up. As if she had never had a shy or nervous moment in her life, she spread herself open with one hand and pulled him in. With a shrug of her hips, she got his glans past her opening. Many times afterwards, Rebecca would think back to their first union and wonder why she felt so relaxed and fearless. She and Bobby were far more intimately bonded than most couples having sex for the first time. Their courtship had been long and slow paced. They had built their friendship and trust without a great deal of physical intimacy. Then, the incredible experience of the attack and the tender care that followed had forced physical intimacy without actual intercourse. Their first joining was not a beginning of anything. It was just the final step in a relationship that was already stronger than most marriages would ever be. There was no need to exhort him to be gentle. There was no need to apologize to her for the stab of pain. It was another time when the couple who had spent countless hours talking about everything and anything used no words at all. At times of maximum intimacy, they seemed to have developed a whole different form of communication, one far superior to just talking. Through his encounter with her barrier; through the regretted thrust that broke it; through his fight for control while she recovered from the pain; through her sacrificial encouragement of his stroking against her still-tender tissues; through her tears of joy as he poured his essence into her; through the attempts to hug their bodies into a single being in the aftermath; through it all they were linked in a mystical union that surpassed their physical joining. Later that day, Rebecca and Bobby were able to join the rest of the crew for dinner and the football game with no hint of embarrassment. Their looks and their touches might have been even more loving than before, but they did not flaunt their togetherness in any way. Both of them thanked all of the parents for the special consideration they had been shown. ------- When the detective was shown into the Overland home and he asked to speak to Greg, Wilbert scurried off in a panic. On the way, he encountered Penelope and told her. Penelope adopted her most regal walk and expression and approached the detective. "If you wish to speak to my son, you will have to work through our lawyer. I will give you his card." Showing Penelope his ID from the city where the attack and shooting had occurred, the detective said "Ma'am, I have a warrant for you son's arrest." "A... arrest?" "You can have his lawyer meet him there." "What is this about, anyway?" Penelope asked with the best show of ignorance and innocence that she could put up. "How old is your son?" "He's seventeen. Why?" "Then I can tell you, Ma'am. There has been a death involving some men that we believe your son hired to attack Cal Banner. This is now a murder and conspiracy investigation." Wilbert had been standing just behind Penelope and the detective was quick. Together they caught the fainting woman and managed to get her onto a couch in the nearby parlor. The ensuing pandemonium at the Overland mansion was just a foretaste of what was soon to befall the family. It was Saturday when the detective called, and Greg's second surgery, to repair his MCL, was scheduled for Tuesday. He was on crutches, but not very mobile. By the time Penelope had recovered from her shock, Genevieve had arrived on the scene. "Detective, my grandson is on crutches from a serious injury and surgery. Cannot something be arranged at a local police station?" "I'm sorry, Ma'am. That won't be possible. The crime occurred in our city and we have jurisdiction." "At least us get our lawyer here." "Your lawyer can meet us at the station." "Why does it have to be right now?" The detective lived far enough away so he was not very impressed by the Overland name. It had already been a long drive for him and his patience was thin. "Ma'am, if you don't produce Mr. Overland right away, he will have to ride all the way in handcuffs. I guarantee that will be very uncomfortable." Genevieve had the presence of mind not to push any harder. "All right, Detective. Would it be possible for our driver to take him there? It would be much easier on his injured knee?" That idea was not at all according to regulations. However, a long ride with a suspect was one of the least favorite activities for most officers, and the detective had done a little background work on Greg. It sounded like a very good idea to him. "Just be aware, Ma'am, that I cannot guarantee when he will be able to return." ------- Political correctness weighed heavily against the idea of a purely evil person. Perhaps 'purely evil' was too strong a description of Greg, but any redemptive qualities had been hidden for a long time. The attempted rape, the injury, his arrest, the STDs, the surgeries: nothing had managed to pierce the armor of his self-importance. The idea that he could possibly be at fault for anything just did not register. Skilled interrogators love an arrogant suspect, and Greg was as arrogant as they come. The shooter and the least injured of Vick's two victims had testified that Greg had paid them $10,000 to cripple Cal. One of Vick's conquests had a skull fracture, and his prognosis was very much in question. Even with his attorney at his side trying to keep him under control, Greg was trapped into an admission in less than two hours. Worse yet, he slipped up and hinted that he had been short of money. The detective was good, and very shortly, the money was traced back to Penelope. By state law, any death that occurred during the commission of a crime was treated as murder, even if it was the death of one of the perpetrators. All of the perpetrators were held equally guilty. From there backwards, things became murkier. Did the conspiracy to commit assault become conspiracy to commit murder? Did that extend back to Penelope, who just gave her son the money? All of the Overland money and influence could not keep the story quiet. Greg went unnamed because of his age, but because Penelope was identified in the warrant, it did not take much guesswork for anyone to put it all together. After the attack on Rebecca and Bobby, the press had had a field day, both the sports and the regular sections. It paled in comparison to the frenzy over the new incident. By the time Greg had confessed and been booked, it was Saturday evening. He was taken to jail over the vehement protests of his attorney, who was told there was no judge available for arraignment and a bail hearing. Murder was not common in the town, and the authorities were not kindly disposed toward the spoiled big-city rich kid who had brought it their way. The judge would be become available, but only after Greg had been held for every legal minute. The exceedingly uncomfortable night in jail did nothing to dent Greg's self-importance. Like everything else bad that had happened to him, it only increased his anger at the world that refused to let him have his way. Even Penelope found it hard to be around him when he was bailed out and driven home in the limo. ------- The attack by Greg's hired thugs was too much for the Clarks, and as soon as the news was out, Chad recanted. The Banners and the Armstrongs had already agreed to dropping the charges against Chad in exchange for his testimony, although the boy had not been informed of that. The legal battle now settled into a test of wills against the Overlands. The Armstrongs were reluctant to use jail time for Greg as a bargaining chip. They were sympathetic to the financial risk to Cal's parents, but their son had been through a lot of pain. It was a very touchy subject between two couples who wanted to maintain a good relationship. Cal tackled the problem head on. After conferring with Ken Yokata, Cal set up a meeting at the dojo with both families. It was on a Sunday after his game, so Pete flew home just for the day. "This is not an easy thing for me to talk about," Ken began. "Cal has been a prized student of mine for five years. Our disciplines stress defense and the use of minimum force to protect ourselves and those in our charge." "Cal has admitted to me," Ken continued, "that he would not have had to destroy Greg Overland's knee to protect Rebecca. He knew of the wealth and influence of Greg's family and instinctively understood that Greg would somehow escape punishment. Cal's family knows of his strong sense of fairness. In the heat of the moment, he delivered a punishment that he thought was fair to the attacker and previous tormenter of his sister." "Cal is not proud of his action. I, as his teacher, am sad that he strayed from our teachings. Nevertheless, in my own violent past, I have meted out my own concept of justice at times. I will tell that I have not lost sleep over any of those actions. What is done is done, and in a way, it is appropriate. Every time Greg sees a football game for the rest of his life, he will be reminded of what he did to two innocent young people that day." "Young Mr. Armstrong, in your act of incredible bravery, you received many serious injuries. For those injuries, Greg deserves to be in jail. However, at some point he would leave jail, and because of money and influence, it would be over. The punishment that Cal has given him may never be over. "And remember, Greg is still facing jail on a potentially more serious charge. The Overland way is to buy their way out of legal trouble. My advice to you, Mr. & Mrs. Armstrong, is to take the money. It will benefit your son long after Greg would have left jail." Bobby spoke up at that point. "Mom, Dad, we need to end this. Maybe we're still young, but I believe Rebecca and I will be together for life. I don't want a financial tragedy spoiling the relationship between you and the Banners. I especially don't want a black mark on Cal's record. Please, let them negotiate." "If Greg is obviously guilty, why should it cost the Banners any money?" Mel asked. It was Cal who answered. "The rules in a civil suit are different. Even if the Overlands lose the case, it will cost a lot in legal fees. I'm sure that was their strategy to start with." All of the risks and possibilities were hammered out over the next hour, and agreement was reached very cordially. Whatever Cal's opinion of public servants had been, their DA did a lot to change them. He had obtained depositions and agreements to testify from over twenty students and staff who had information on either Rebecca or Greg. Probably the keys were Vick, Chad, and Cheryl. It was Cheryl who played what may have been the final bargaining chip. It took her four tries, but she finally reached Genevieve Overland. "You have some nerve calling here after the trouble you have caused this family!" Genevieve spat out as soon as she picked up the phone. "Genevieve, I won't pretend to like you, but I had thought you were one Overland with a touch of realism. Now you're just like Greg's mother, not believing that he could possibly be at fault." "Miss Carson, I no longer have the energy to do verbal battle with you. Why did you call?" "The DA has told me that I will have to testify." "That is no surprise." "He will ask why I had been going out with Greg," Cheryl explained. "Miss Carson, my grandson and possibility my daughter-in-law are charged with conspiracy. What more harm can public knowledge of our arrangement do?" "Ah, but those charges are not against you. So far, you can claim to be above the lawlessness of your offspring. Word of our arrangement would - how do they say it - put you in the same boat as Greg. As your family crumbles, wouldn't you like to keep your own self-respect intact? I don't think Greg will tell anyone, will he?" There was a long silence, but Cheryl refused to inquire if Genevieve was still on the line. "There is no point in my refusing to admit my error, Cheryl." The use of Cheryl's name was a monumental breakthrough. "I should have accepted your analysis of Greg's character from the first." Cheryl almost said 'Thank you', but she could not bring herself to do it. Instead she offered a platitude. "Usually, it is admirable for a parent to defend their offspring." "Admirable, but sometimes foolish," Genevieve said quietly. "Goodbye, Miss Carson." Cheryl did not even have to say that she would not lie in her testimony. Genevieve had feared that her arrangement with Cheryl would get out somehow. The threat to tell Cheryl's parents had been a shot from the hip out of anger and frustration. Genevieve regretted it the moment she said it, but no way could she back down to Cheryl. Then the girl had told them herself. That meant at least half a dozen people who knew - too many. Genevieve had seen the pile of evidence and her own hired criminal lawyers had told her that Greg could not win against either the assault or attempted rape charges. Now, the conspiracy charge was looming even larger. They needed to clear the table and concentrate on fighting that one. A trial of either Greg or Penelope would be disastrous to the family's image, and it looked like that could not be avoided. But Cheryl had been right. Except for disclosure of the arrangement, Genevieve's own image stood above all of the shenanigans. In fact, Genevieve could come across as a rather sympathetic matriarch, stunned by the transgressions of her family. ------- Genevieve summoned Brandon and Penelope to her apartment shortly after the call from Cheryl. Typically, her opening statement was succinct: "Settle the assault and rape cases right now!" "But that boy ruined Greg's future!" Penelope wailed. "He has to be punished!" "And that kind of thinking could have you looking at jail time yourself, Penelope," Genevieve said sternly. "Do you still not believe that Greg was trying to rape that girl?" "He couldn't do that." "He most certainly could, and he did. The evidence is overwhelming. Haven't you talked to the lawyers?" Brandon jumped in. "We can outspend them. We'll win it." "You can't outspend a jury," Genevieve countered. "He will be found guilty and he will go to jail. The problem is that the conspiracy charge is even more serious because of the death." "But that was not supposed to happen!" Penelope wailed. "He was just supposed to cripple the Banner boy." "And don't you ever say that again, to anyone!" Genevieve actually shouted. "Do you hear? Those words would guarantee you prison! The only reason you were not arrested and did not spend the night in jail with Greg was because they have no definite proof that you knew what the money was for. Let's keep it that way!" "So we just give up?" Brandon asked dejectedly. "No! Don't you understand? We get rid of the assault and rape charges and concentrate on the conspiracy charge. We can negotiate and buy our way out of the first two, I am sure of it. The conspiracy one will be tougher, especially since it's in a county where we don't have any influence. "Get it through your heads, you two! We have a serious problem. It is almost certain that Greg will go to jail. Our only hope is to keep you out, Penelope. Although, right now I have a mind to just let you go. Maybe it would give you some sense!" "But he's my son!" Penelope wailed. "I had to fight for him." "Yes, I know," Genevieve said much more kindly. "And loyalty is a wonderful thing. You just can't mix it with stupidity and arrogance." "It all started when he got involved with that Cheryl girl, didn't it?" Penelope asked. "That Cheryl girl, as you call her," Genevieve said sharply, "has kept Greg out of the hospital, or suspension, or jail more times than I can count." "How... how do you know that? She's just... she's just..." "She just has more character and drive than all of my grandchildren put together, unfortunately," Genevieve lamented. "But... but you told Greg to stay away from her after... after New Years," Penelope objected. "That was to ensure that he stayed with her." The vacant expression told Genevieve that it was useless to explain any further. She did not want them to learn of the contract. ------- In the end, instead of getting money from the Banners, the Overlands set up a charitable remainder trust to provide generous funds for Bobby's education. It would cover all the way through a doctorate, if he chose one. A court-endorsed agreement forbidding any future civil action resulting from the attack was signed, happily by the Banners and Armstrongs, grudgingly by the Overlands. The bad new for the Overlands did not stop there, however. Martin obtained payment for all of the medical and legal costs for Rebecca and Bobby, all of which he had covered. In a move that the Overlands fought bitterly but the judge finally endorsed, Greg and Penelope were permanently enjoined from any direct contact with the Banners or the Armstrongs, and some hard negotiations got Vick and Cheryl covered as well. The injunction further prohibited any personal or second-party attempt to injure any of the parties physically, financially, or by reputation. Injunctions against Genevieve and Brandon were denied because there was no direct link between them and any criminal act. It was actually a close call getting Penelope enjoined. There was no proof or testimony that she knew what the money was to be used for. The judge granted the petition nevertheless. It was Martin who courageously held out for the injunctions, even when it looked as if the negotiations would devolve into a trial. Actually, it was Rebecca who insisted that she would be just fine in a trial, even though everyone knew that she would be the one under the most severe attack. The Overlands fought the injunctions mostly because of the implications of their guilt that the actions represented. For the same reason, Martin became more insistent as the negotiations progressed. If Cal's interest in criminal justice had been piqued by the Ismi kidnapping attempt, it exploded after the attack on Rebecca and the Pizza Hut incident. Until then, he had kept his fascination and his research away from his parents. Now that they were aware of the depth of his interest and his knowledge, they once again assumed that it meant that he was headed for law school. ------- Chapter 23 The romance between Tessa and Vick took off like a rocket. Tessa was never one to dither when she wanted something, and she wanted Vick in the worst way. He, of course, did not have a chance. Not that he felt tricked or coerced in any way. Like a lot of the guys at school, Vick had been fascinated by Tessa, but because of her brains and her apparent relationship with Cal, he did not waste any time wishing for her. Finding out that she wanted him was just too good to be true. Just two weeks after the Pizza Hut attack, there was another away volleyball game, and the six friends were together in the lunch room, trying to organize rides. In completely predictable fashion, Tessa was busily sorting out whose cars were going and who was riding with whom, cheerfully giving out instructions. When Tessa turned to tell Vick something, she stopped dead when she saw him standing with his arms crossed, grinning down at her. "What?" she demanded. "Damn, you're cute when you get bossy!" he said good-naturedly. That was the moment when it hit Cal full force that Tessa would never be his. He had braced himself to watch Tessa light into Vick, but it did not happen. Instead, Tessa blushed and looked down, her expression embarrassed and contrite. Unbelievable! Vick reacted quickly, enfolding Tessa in his mighty grasp. He had to bend over just to kiss the top of her head, but Cal heard Vick say "Hey, hey! You can organize my life all you want." It was a quick little hug, given the severity of the school's anti-PDA rules, but it was touching and it was telling in its impact. Cal had known intellectually that he and Tessa were not destined for the long haul. That moment, though, is when it hit him emotionally. By the next week, Tessa had acquired a whole new closet full of shoes, or so it seemed. With nearly a foot of height difference between her and Vick, she set out to reduce it any way she could. The fact that some kind of raised heel did wonders for her posture and her walk was not lost on her, either. The very next night after the football game, Teri caught Cal looking at Tessa rather wistfully and pulled him aside. "Us Walts women have kicked your heart around pretty good, haven't we?" "Wouldn't trade a minute of it," Cal assured her. Teri held his face in both hands and just stared into his eyes for many seconds. Then, not even bothering to check on Rick, she laid a KISS on Cal, one reminiscent of their days together. "Can I tell you something I learned from the counselor?" Teri asked. At Cal's confused nod, she went on. "The reason Tessa fell for Vick, at least one of the reasons, is that Vick needs her. He's a great guy and I feel good about her being with him. There's a lot about him for Tessa to respect and admire, too. But it's kinda like me and Rick. I supply something that he is missing. Tessa does that for Vick, and she needs to feel that she is essential that way." "So you're saying my problem is that I don't need Tessa?" "Uh huh. Cal, you're one of the most independent, self-sufficient people I know, of any age. I'm sure Tessa loves you, and I know I do. But I complete Rick and Tessa completes Vick. You must see how Bobby completes Rebecca, don't you?" "So your counselor told you this stuff, huh?" "Yup. Fortunately, I don't think Vick will let Tessa run over him like Rick did with me", Teri explained. "Besides, she learned a lot from our battles last year, and she is going to the counselor, too. I don't think they will run into the problems Rick and I did." "So you think they're already a done deal?" "What do you think, Cal? You called it right with Rebecca." And he knew he had called it right with Tessa, too, right from that first look in the Pizza Hut lot. When Cal had helped to reunite Teri and Rick, there had been a sense of loss. Teri was Cal's first, after all. But just knowing that the relationship could not be permanent dulled the pain of loss significantly. Throw in concern over the impact of discovery and there were lots of reasons why Cal was not thrown into depression when Teri and Rick were reunited. With Tessa it was different. Oh, Cal knew from many, many conversations that he and Tessa were not destined for the long haul. Knowing it intellectually, though, and seeing it made certain by her new love affair were two different things. No matter what Cal and Tessa had said to each other, she had always been there, and somehow, the future had always contained her. Cal was not a depressive personality. His training and his experiences had given him a great deal of control over his emotions. The loss of Tessa would not destroy him or impair any of his activities, but it definitely hurt. It hurt in ways that surprised him. Working out in the early mornings, Cal often thought about when Tessa told him that she had not fallen in love like Rebecca, or like Teri. At the time, Cal had wondered if it would ever happen to him. He had to admit to himself that what he felt for Tessa certainly went farther toward what he considered true love than anything else in his life. That brought his thoughts to Cheryl. She was a treasure, for sure, but by her own declaration, that relationship was on a definite timetable, too. After what she had gone through with Greg, just to ensure her chance at an M.D., Cal did not even think about her changing her mind and making their relationship more permanent. He could not feel angry at Cheryl for that. He could only admire her steadfastness and determination. Truth be told, he was not sure his own feelings for Cheryl met the criteria for permanence, anyway. Perhaps he was using his self-control to curtail his own feelings in the face of her imminent departure. It was only October of Cal's junior year, but Tessa's falling for Vick brought one fact to the front of Cal's thinking. His world, at least his emotional world, was largely built around the three girls, and within a year, they would all be scattered. Where would that leave him? The same disciplines that helped Cal ride herd on his emotions gave him the ability to focus on the things within his control, and he had to call on those disciplines quite often that fall. In a strange way, the Pizza Hut incident was harder for him to deal with than THE DAY. The battles for Ismi had been so clear-cut and he had been purely the good guy. The problem with the Pizza Hut attack was Cal's lingering uneasiness over how severely he had injured Greg. Ken had told the group that night at the dojo that he had not lost any sleep over the times when he had meted out his own version of justice. Well, Cal was losing some sleep over wrecking Greg's knee, and the thought of the possible consequences to his friends was sobering. As always in Cal's life, there were worthwhile things to concentrate on, and that is what he did. ------- A psychology Ph.D. candidate could have done a thesis on the football team that season. It had been a good team the year before, and the prospects for this year had been very good. However, Vick had been right: there was little team spirit and unity while Greg and Chad ruled. With their departure and Vick's ascendance as the acknowledged team leader, that changed dramatically. It is hard to say that emotion can make up for pure talent and experience, but that seemed to be what was happening. Because they knew that their teammates would not get down on them for honest mistakes, the younger players became more bold: they did what they were capable of doing, not just what they felt safe doing. The coach had to change his style to accommodate the new spirit, but he seemed to understand the need. From the tightly controlled style he had always taught, he introduced a lot more risky plays, both on offense and on defense. On offense, the risk-taking was based on the discovery that Jason, Chad's replacement, was much more of a pure passer and not as good as an option quarterback. Furthermore, he could throw long and very accurately. The team became a passing team almost overnight, learning a pro-style offense very rapidly. The new offense yielded some big plays and some big mistakes, but it generated much enthusiasm from the whole team. Jeron taking over for Greg was no less of an upheaval. Instead of the big blaster that Greg was, the running attack now depended on the much smaller Jeron's blinding speed. Risk-taking on defense was not really very risky with a presence like Vick in the middle. Understanding that he was the leader and no longer Greg's follower brought out personality strengths that surprised even Emily and delighted Tessa. It was as if by sheer force of will he could prevent the other team from advancing. All of his defensive teammates picked up the same spirit from Vick. The previous year, in his backup role, Cal had been put in on a lot of blitz plays. This year, the coach made the blitz almost the standard defense. With the way Vick could tie up two blockers, there was almost always a pathway for a linebacker or defensive back to charge into the opposing backfield. With Cal's excellent sense of positioning and movement, he was responsible for several sacks and tipped passes and forced two fumbles in the early games. One thing that kept the defensive team's spirit from being what it could be was Rickert. He had not recovered from the loss of Greg. Rickert was a good linebacker and he did not pout or play beneath his ability. But neither did he enter into the encouragement, the congratulations, and the ribbing with the others. Even Cal had loosened up considerably, seeing how it affected the team's play. The sixth game of the year was special because Pete would be there. His team had an away game in a city with easy connections home. He was given permission to leave after the team's run through on Friday afternoon. The rest of the family would fly back with him late that night and watch him play on Saturday. Because of the incentive value of having a successful graduate around his players, Coach invited Pete to the sideline when he heard that he would be at the game. The opponent that night had also abandoned the option play that most teams in the area used. They had gone to the primarily short passing game that came to be known as the 'West Coast Offense'. During the first half, the opponents were quite effective and Cal's team trailed 10-3 at half-time. Only some frantic red-zone defense had kept the score from being worse. As he watched play, Pete was almost jumping up and down with impatience, and he finally cornered the defensive coach while the offense had the ball. "Coach, we see that offense a lot. Here's what you need to change..." The defensive coach talked to Coach and Pete was invited to talk to the defense at half-time. "What you have to do is make them throw long," Pete told the attentive high schoolers. "Anyone within ten yards of scrimmage, you have to be inside their jersey. And remember, within five yards, you can murder them before the ball is thrown." "But won't that leave us open to the long ball?" one cornerback asked. "That's the trade-off. But this offense is built on the safe, short, quick passes. Until he proves otherwise, assume the QB can't throw long. Jam everything up close." "And don't stop the blitzes. Everything depends on timing, so disrupt, disrupt, disrupt. He'll throw before you can sack him, but if you're in his face, he'll make a mistake." On the first possession of the third quarter, Cal was again on a blitz through Vick's 'hole'. The quarterback saw Cal charging through and threw to his tight end curling into the middle. Vick was between the quarterback and that receiver and he tipped the pass up into the air. The deflected pass crossed the scrimmage line so neither Vick nor Cal could reach it, but Rickert was right there. He flattened the intended receiver, legally since the ball had been tipped, and made a nice catch of the fluttering ball. It was time for the defense to turn into the offense. Rickert was six or seven yards deep when he caught the ball, behind and just outside of Vick's tackle position. He wasted no time before heading upfield, probably assuming that he would get only a few yards before being tackled. Vick had other ideas. Looking almost like some cartoon superhero, Vick turned and made a mighty lunge toward the sideline. In the process, he flattened both the opposing guard and tackle. Rickert saw the huge hole and sprinted nicely through it. When Vick had tipped the ball, the automatic call of 'Ball! Ball!' went up, and Cal had seen Rickert's catch and Vick's plowing job. Once Rickert got past the scrimmage line, only the blocking back and the quarterback were for sure between Rickert and the goal line. Some other offensive players might be able to turn around and pursue, but that was unlikely. Moments before, the blocking back had been poised to keep Cal off of the quarterback, but their roles were now reversed. Cal made the adjustment faster and was able to deliver a 'brush block' that was enough to allow Rickert to veer toward the sideline and avoid the grasp of the would-be tackler. That left only the quarterback, who had the angle and a bit of a lead. Cal did not have much momentum, so Rickert was a little ahead of Cal. Forgetting that it was Rickert, or maybe because it was, Cal wanted that touchdown very, very badly. The scrimmage line had been almost at mid-field, so there was quite a bit of room for the play to develop. Sprints were not Cal's big thing, and he had already expended a lot of energy on the play. In one of those weird flashbacks, he remembered Pete's touchdown after Cal had forced the fumble on a kickoff. Pete had already run a field length and he should have fallen in exhaustion. Somehow, though, he had found the extra energy to carry tacklers into the end zone. Just that memory gave Cal some speed that he never knew he had. It looked like the quarterback would intersect Rickert between the ten and the fifteen, and Cal desperately hoped he could catch up by that point and provide the key block. As they pounded across the twenty-five, Cal used some of his scarce breath to shout out "Matt!" That was Rickert's first name, and all Cal had the breath to say. Whatever else Cal had thought of Rickert, he had to admire the linebacker's next move. Rickert did just enough of a hitch in his stride to let Cal catch up, then he slid behind Cal and resumed full speed. The quarterback, who had been intent on knocking Rickert out of bounds, had to try to reverse back to the inside. That left him momentarily facing right at Cal, and that's when Cal put the quarterback on his backside as Rickert went in to tie the score. Cal had gone down on top of the quarterback, and just as he was about to get up, he was jerked to his feet by massive arms that could only have been Vick's. "Great blocking!" Vick yelled, and together they hurried to join the celebration that was building in the end zone. Rickert had made it a point to stay as far away from Cal as possible since the attack, but when the offense took the field again, Rickert came and sat right next to Cal on the bench. "Thanks!" was all he said as he stared at the action on the field. After a bit, he asked "How come?" Cal was tempted to make Rickert say more, even though he understood exactly what the question meant. Instead, he just said "For the team." Both boys watched the action silently for another few plays, then Rickert spoke up again. "Lacey's been really chewin' on my ass." Lacey was his freshman sister. "She can't understand why I'm pissed at you. Says if it had been her, I'd better have killed Greg. Got Ma on her side, too." There was no more said on the subject. There were no apologies or pledges of friendship, and Cal did not expect to be eating lunch with Rickert. Cal was sure, however, that it marked the end of Rickert's surly, standoffish attitude toward his teammates. The third quarter of the game went back and forth with neither team able to score. Pete came up to Cal at the quarter break. "I think they're going to try going long. Watch Nineteen. He'll be the one and he is really fast." Cal was getting ready for another blitz when the senses that had been sharpened from years of drills told him that something was different with Nineteen. He could not have described the difference, but it could mean only one thing - a long pass. The cornerback was already lined up to run with Nineteen, and Cal could go ahead and blitz, hoping to disrupt the play enough to spoil the bomb attempt. For the whole game, though, the cornerback had been defending against short hooks, curls, and outs, following Pete's advice. The cornerback had done a good job, staying very close and defending several passes. The sudden post pattern might very well catch him off-guard. Making a sudden decision, Cal started running in place and edging toward the scrimmage line, something he never did on a real blitz. With more than a little luck, he turned and started sprinting back downfield just one count before the snap. He knew that he could not run with Nineteen, and he needed a good head start. By now, he was convinced of the long pass attempt. Not even looking back for about twenty yards, Cal heard the clashing sounds of the snap and the charge, then the cornerback frantically calling Cal's name. He looked back to see the cornerback badly faked out of the play and Nineteen sprinting up the sideline at frightening speed. For the entire game, neither Cal nor his companion safety had moved even thirty yards downfield, and the quarterback just did not look for any deep defense. It looked to him like all he had to do was deliver the ball to his open receiver and he let it fly. Cal had given himself a six or seven yard head start and he had a good angle on the play. Even so, he was not at all sure he could reach the receiver before the ball did. The receiver was that fast. It only took a little over two seconds before the receiver, the ball, and Cal converged along the sideline. Cal's head start and his frantic sprint allowed him to get in front of Nineteen, forcing him to slow down slightly to keep from running over Cal. Cal was now where Nineteen should have been and the pass was perfectly thrown. Cal had his first interception, and being shoved out of bounds immediately was not such a bad thing. He had completely exhausted himself on his desperation sprint and he could not have returned it even ten yards. There was total jubilation on the sideline and Coach just waited for it to subside. The he said to Cal "Nice Blitz." They both laughed at that. "How did you know." "Not sure. Pete warned me to watch him, and he just seemed... different that time." Cal had gone out of bounds at the fifteen and they now faced a long field. They absolutely had to have a couple of first downs to avoid giving up field position. Unfortunately, a penalty and three ineffective plays found Cal ready to punt from his end zone on fourth and twelve. The bad luck did not stop there. The opponents timed the snap perfectly, moving one man to overload the charge from Cal's left. There were not enough blockers, and by the time Cal was taking the first step into his kick, he knew that either of two opponents would certainly block his punt. Running out the back of the end zone for a safety was the preferred option for that unfortunate situation, and that was Cal's first impulse. He started turning in the direction of the two would-be kick blockers. Rickert was the teammate on that side. He had taken out his man, but could not take on three. Cal saw Rickert putting his man down for the second time, leaving the left side surprisingly open. Coach had a reputation for playing all of the percentages by the book, and Cal should have continued his turn and run out for the safety. Given how tight the game was, though, he had little confidence that his team could make up the two points. "Matt!" Cal yelled for the second time in that game. He started out at an angle toward the left sideline. The momentum of the two charging opponents allowed Cal to slip past them. From his original snap position, Cal needed over twenty-five yards for the first down. It was a desperate gamble. Rickert heard Cal's yell and knew immediately what had happened. He had seen the extra defenders charging past him untouched, after all. At the scrimmage line, there were two linemen just starting to move laterally to head off Cal. Rickert got there first and was able to hold a screening block long enough to allow Cal to pass. Then, it was a reverse of the earlier play, with Rickert trying to catch up with Cal to throw another block. This time, there was only another ten yards that had to be made, and Cal had no illusions about taking it all the way. The immediate worry was two defenders who were stationed along the sideline short of the first down mark. "Cal!" Rickert barked and Cal instantly broke his stride. As Rickert passed Cal, Cal veered to the inside and Rickert blocked the nearest defender. It was almost a replay of their earlier cooperation, only with roles reversed. The play ended up at the thirty-five, well past the needed first down. Two first downs later, Cal centered a medium-length field goal that was the last score of the game. It was a special thrill to make the most impact he ever had in one of only three high school football games that Pete would be able to see Cal play. Somehow, the team was now 6-0! And in a season when Cal was supposed to have ruined their chances by crippling the two offensive stars. Admittedly, it had mostly happened because of defense, but no matter what, they were unbeaten. Team spirit, with Vick acting as star player and main cheerleader, had never been higher. ------- With the Banners having to hurry to the airport to get Pete back and to watch his game, the usual pizza stop did not happen. Tessa waited for Vick and told him she was taking him home, meaning her house. Vick saw no reason at all to object to that. It had been a very emotional few weeks for Tessa. She knew, both intellectually and emotionally, that she had fallen hard for Vick. All of the things that she saw in her mother and in Rebecca, she now felt in herself. This was the kind of love that she had lamented to Cal that she had not felt for him. Cal! He was the cause of most of Tessa's current emotional turmoil. Even though she had never felt the 'forever' kind of love for Cal, she had loved him as long as she could remember. In fact, she had willed herself to feel that love for him, but in her heart she had known it just wasn't there. Now, almost overnight, she had 'dumped' him for Vick. Just a few months ago, Cal's affair with her mother had ended just as abruptly. Tessa felt bad for her friend Cal. Very bad. On several occasions, the two had talked and Cal consistently assured Tessa that he was OK and that he was happy for her. She believed him, and she saw how happy he and Cheryl were together. All the intellectual belief in the world could not stop the hurt and the guilt she felt for him, though. When they got to her house, Vick and Tessa had headed right for the rec room. He was barely seated when she curled up in his lap. It was such a wonderful feeling to feel so small and so secure, engulfed in his massive arms. "Still worried about Cal, Baby?" Vick asked, startling her from her reverie. It had taken them only days to get to the affectionate name stage. As usual, Tessa was not one to dawdle once her mind and heart were made up. "How do you get inside my head so easily?" she complained good-naturedly. Then, seriously, she told him "It's just that... I owe him a lot." "You're not the only one, you know," Vick pointed out. "If it hadn't been for that attack, who knows where I'd be right now. For sure not sitting here with this awesome babe on my lap." That earned him a kiss. "I know, Honey. And please don't be angry with me. I can't help how I feel. Honest! It doesn't change how I feel about you," she assured him. "I understand, believe me," Vick told her. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to look at Rebecca or Bobby without feeling shame at what I let happen to them. And Mom! Sometimes, it's hard to talk to her, knowing what I put her through. At least you never did anything stupid and awful to Cal." A number of her battles with Cal instantly played through Tessa's mind, making her wince a little. But then, she was able to agree that she had never done anything bad to him. She had always been honest about her feelings for him. She should not feel guilty. Now if only her heart... About then, Tessa felt a different pressure against her bottom, and she flashed back to that last night with Cal and Cheryl, when Cal had told her that Vick was big 'aaalllll over'. She had pretended to be upset with Cal when he said it, but the question of 'how big was it' had hardly left her mind since then. She was ready to find out right then, but her common sense overrode her impetuous nature. "Vick," she said in almost a little girl voice, a far cry from her usual confident, in-charge demeanor. When he hummed an acknowledgment, she asked "Could we, uh, talk about some, uh, personal stuff?" She hurried to add "I know we've only been together a few weeks, but it seems like..." "... like we've been together for years, you mean?" he interrupted. It was her turn to hum in assent, and he went on. "Hope I didn't embarrass you there. What did you want to ask?" "I don't remember seeing you with any girls. Did I just miss it?" Tessa asked. "No, you didn't miss anything. I never really had a girlfriend before." He accentuated the 'before' with a squeeze." "That's hard to believe." "Nah. Don't you remember me a few years ago? The year before I was a freshman, I shot up like a foot, without gaining a pound. I know Bobby was pretty skinny once, but compared to me, he should have been on Weight Watchers." "For some reason, Coach thought maybe I would fill out, 'cause he came and talked to Mom. He asked all kinds of questions about my father and his family, and about her dad and her brothers." "He decided to put me on the team, and that was pretty funny. That first year, I couldn't even make it between classes without stumbling or banging into something." "Well, his faith in you sure paid off!" Tessa interjected. "Yeah. I owe him a lot." "So, you've never had a girl friend. But you've been on dates, haven't you?" "Some. Not very many. Remember, last year was the first year I had filled out. I was still pretty shy from my gawky years. Can I ask you a question?" "About me and Cal, I bet, huh?" Tessa asked. When he nodded, she plunged right in. "Cal and I know each other very, very well. But I'm still a virgin, OK?" "Wish I was," he said sadly. She looked up at him quizzically, and he went on. "When I started hanging around with Greg, they figured out that I was a virgin, and they had to fix that. I did it with a couple of girls Greg found for me. And the worst was..." At that, his voice caught and he couldn't go on. "You don't have to tell me." "Yes, I think I do," he managed to get out. He waited quite a while to get control of his voice, then he told her. "When Greg got back from football camp this summer, there was a really wild party. One girl was pulling a train and I joined in. The guys just kept raggin' on me until I finally gave in. I didn't let 'em shame me out of a condom, though." "After I did it, I felt just rotten. I went in the can and threw up. The guys were all over me after that, and I think that's why Greg was going to dump me." "He was?" "Yup. I knew it. That's why I tried so hard to stay with him at the lake. I didn't want to lose out. Hah!" "So you said you wished you were still a virgin," Tessa said to change the subject. "How come?" "The times I did it just left me feeling... I don't know... dirty... and empty. It wasn't what I had imagined, at all. I wish I would have saved it for when someone like you came along." "Awww! That's sweet!" Tessa was able to gush out before she tried to curl his toes with a kiss. The kiss was a long one, but when she pulled away, she did not look him in the eye, but ducked her head. "Vick, Honey, I, uh..." "Oh, I didn't mean I was expecting you to have sex, Baby. We'll just take our time, OK? You know, the next few years could be rough for us. Who knows where I might get a scholarship." "Wherever it is, I'm sure they'll have a school of journalism. I'll go wherever you go," Tessa assured him. "But you know," he cautioned. "I might not even finish. If I get real lucky and the NFL is a possibility, I'm going, whether I graduate or not. Mom's busted her butt for me for a lotta years, and I can't wait to pay some of it back." "You think she would be happy with you not getting a degree?" He paused for a moment, then moaned out "Shit! You two have already gotten together, haven't you?" "No, we've never talked about that. It's just, you know, great minds and all that. Do you really think there's a chance for the NFL?" "I don't know. Maybe I'd have to play in Canada first. Or Europe. Who knows. Point is, having a football player for a boyfriend might not be as good a deal as you thought." "I wasn't thinking about having a football player. I was thinking about having YOU!" Tessa proclaimed. That proclamation was punctuated with one of her blowtorch kisses. The kiss started out frantic and intense, and it did not end. Instead, it softened and was joined by vocalizations and spontaneous body motions from both of them. Tessa ended the kiss indirectly. She took one of Vick's massive paws and placed it over her breast for the first such intimate contact between them. The need to mouth a reverent "Oh, Gaawwwd!" caused Vick to pull his mouth back from hers. As Vick started to fondle and caress her with his shaking hand, Tessa brought both of her very steady hands to his belt and began loosening his pants. Cal's '... big aaaallll over' quip had Tessa dying of curiosity ever since, and she could wait no longer. Nor did she expect any resistance from Vick. Actually, Vick was quite nervous, as well as aroused. He knew that Tessa was much more experienced sexually than he was, and he did not want to disappoint her. Screwing up his courage, he put his mouth right by her ear and whispered. "Don't be afraid to tell me what you want me to do." "Never had a shy day in my life," she whispered back with a nibble on his earlobe. Pulling back to look him in the eye, she told him "Right now, I want you to lift your butt so I can get your pants down." She punctuated that with a kiss. Inexperienced and nervous Vick may have been, but he was in no way timid. Having her hands on his cock sounded like a perfectly wonderful idea, but he wanted full access to those incredible feeling breasts she had presented to him, also. As gently as he could, he grasped the bottom of the sweater she was wearing and began pulling it off of her. He was surprised when he felt her flinch, and he stopped with her sweater only halfway up. Looking at her face, he saw a blush, something that also surprised him. He did not say anything, but looked her in the face and raised an eyebrow in obvious query. The blush deepened and she looked down. "Fat rolls," she said so softly he could hardly hear her. But he did hear and it stopped him cold. Tessa was about the sexiest thing he could imagine. She seemed like the epitome of self-confidence, but she was worried about fat rolls? Tessa's attack of body-shyness was short-lived, though, as she quickly pulled her sweater off by herself and just as quickly shed her bra. Then to Vick's astonishment and delight, she stood up and shed the rest of her clothes. Pausing a moment in front of him, she told him "Topless is not my best look." He was almost in too much of a trance to help as she got his shoes off and then his pants. His shirt was the last to go. By this time, Tessa was in her element, overcome by love and lust. She knelt between his legs and laid her panties on his thigh before beginning to stroke his rigid pole. "Hope these will catch everything," she said with a giggle. After taking the pressure off for Vick - twice! - Tessa was once again curled up in his lap. "Does it bother you that I've done things with Cal?" she asked with a little fear. "You wouldn't believe me if I said I wasn't jealous at all," he answered. "But I believe what you say about how you feel about me. That's what matters now. I guess it's good that one of us knows something." "Will you promise me one thing, Honey?" At his agreement, she went on "Don't believe me if I tell you I'm ready to go all the way in the middle of making out. I, uh, get so excited..." "That's a tall order, but, yeah, I promise. I want it to be just right when it happens." Nothing he could have said could have made his promise more necessary right then. ------- The Banners did not go to the main airport after the game. Martin had shelled out for a charter flight, and they only had to go to a small airport nearby. It was a ten-passenger turbo-prop plane rather than a jet, but the short flight still took little more than forty minutes. Because they landed at another small airport, their total time from stadium to hotel was much less than if they had gone commercial. The mood among the family members was festive for the whole flight. Rebecca missed Bobby, of course, but she was the one who insisted it should be just family for the weekend. When she wondered how many more such opportunities they would ever have, Elaine had struggled to keep from tears. They had a very nice suite at the hotel. The main bedroom had its own bathroom. A second, very nice bathroom served the second bedroom and the sitting room/kitchenette. Pete had to rejoin the team, so he could not spend Friday night with the family. Again with special permission, he could stay Saturday night and fly back to school on Sunday. Cal, Rebecca, and their parents stayed up until well after midnight just basking in the aftermath of the thrilling game and their unique occasion for togetherness. When the parents finally retired, Cal watched a little of a news program while Rebecca went into the bathroom for a shower. Twenty-some minutes later, Rebecca managed to pull off her all-time shocker on her little brother. She walked out of the bathroom drying her hair, but with nothing on. Even if silence had not become Cal's standard reaction to female surprises, there was nothing else he could have done on that occasion. After the first few seconds, he did manage to examine his sister's lovely body very thoroughly. He knew instinctively that that was exactly what she wanted him to do. When she stopped drying her hair, which Cal knew was a way for her to hide her nervousness, she dropped the towel in her hand to her side, and Cal gave her a questioning look. "Just had to prove to you that I was finally grown up," she said softly. "Sis, I've know that for years. How long have I been telling you how beautiful you are?" "Oh, I don't mean just physically grown up. You could see that at the pool. I mean show you that I'm not a silly prude any more." That made Cal get up and walk up to her. He took her face in his hands and gave her a gentle kiss. "You don't have to prove anything to me. Nothing could change the way I feel about you." "Yeah, I knew that," she said as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I guess I'm mostly doing it for me. You ready to get in bed? Let's talk there." "You mean..." "Uh huh, I'm sleeping with you tonight." With part of his mind wondering who this woman was, Cal turned off the TV and the lights and followed her into the bed room. Having showered after the game, he stripped to his briefs and was ready to get in bed when she stopped him. "Nope. Clothing's not optional. It's forbidden," she said with a giggle. When they were in bed with the lights out, she snuggled up to Cal's side and started talking. "We both know we're not going to have sex, so there's nothing to worry about, right? Cal, we have something between us that's unique. Even what I have with Bobby is different, as wonderful as it is." "I couldn't agree more," Cal assured her. "As close as we have been," Rebecca went on, "I've always had this reserve, this shyness that wouldn't let me be as close and as open with you as I wanted to be." "It never concerned me," Cal insisted. "I understood." "Well, it concerned me," Rebecca declared. "I knew you would have died protecting me, and I couldn't let loose and have the closeness that I really wanted. After the attack, I slept with you, and I took strength from you, but I couldn't even talk to you. I felt bad about it but..." "I understood that, too." "You always understood, dammit! That just made me feel worse about my own shyness." There was silence for a while after that statement. "Aren't you concerned about what Bobby would think?" "Not at all. It's because of Bobby that I can finally be this close. With him, the... the reserve, or whatever, is finally gone. I can give myself completely to him with nothing held back. It's so wonderful! And this is wonderful! I don't have to hold back anything from you any more." From the next hour or hour and a half, they talked. Rebecca talked the most, but Cal fought off his own weariness and entered in eagerly. They talked about everyone and everything that was close to them. A lot of time was spent on Tessa, and how Cal was affected by her falling for Vick. They talked a lot about Greg, but it was almost clinical, with no real anger expressed. Cal had to agree with her. It was wonderful! Eventually, she literally fell asleep between sentences. Both his mind and his body told Cal that he should be asleep, but it did not happen for quite a while after Rebecca checked out. She was again right up against his side with his arm around her. His hand trailed down over her back, just reaching the firm, smooth swell of her bottom. One breast was pressed firmly against his ribs. After she fell asleep, the leg that was over his pulled up to press lightly against his genitals. He could feel the heat and the soft fur of her crotch against his thigh. All of those delightful sensations were not what kept Cal awake, though. This was one more event that emphasized how his world was changing. He did not want to think of it as Rebecca's farewell, but it was not that many months before she headed for college with Bobby. He could not imagine that they would make it through college before marrying. His sister, one of the pillars of his life, was closer to him than she had ever been, but soon, she would be much farther away. Tessa, a constant since childhood, had found her soulmate, and she would soon be away at college, too. He tried not to dwell on Cheryl's similar departure, but it was a fact that was never far from his thinking. ------- Cheryl's separation from her parents had been hard on her, and being apart from her brother and sister had been even harder. Her brother Matt was an eighth-grader and her sister Shelley was in sixth, and they both adored Cheryl. With constant practices and games after school, Cheryl could not get much time at her home before her dad arrived. Her mother let her come in and see the kids, and the way her mother hovered around, Cheryl could tell that she was missed. She began stopping by almost every day, even if it was just for fifteen or twenty minutes. One thing that really ate at Cheryl was that none of her family had been to a single one of the hundred or so games she had played in during her high school career. Her last volleyball season was winding down, and it was her best sport. Cal took it upon himself to help Cheryl out. He came along on one of her brief visits and pulled Mrs. Carson aside. "Will you allow us to take the kids to Cheryl's next volleyball game?" "Oh, I couldn't do that without my husband's approval," she insisted. Deciding to try and force things, Cal told the woman "The game is tomorrow night at seven. We'll pick them up at six fifteen." With that, he walked out to the van to wait for Cheryl. Cal made good on his promise. The kids were ready, and Cal did not try to find out how that had happened. Matthew was a lot like Bobby, not much interested in sports. He was, however, very interested in his big sister. Shelley was like a younger version of Cheryl, and she was bug-eyed through the entire match. Shelley was very athletic, just like her big sister. Cheryl had tried mightily to get her into basketball and softball. She had even tried for T-ball and Little League, and that was probably a big mistake. The reaction from the parents was predictable. Fortunately, Cheryl had discovered an anomaly in her parents' opposition to females in sports - gymnastics. When Shelley was eight, Cheryl managed to get permission for Shelley to join a program that ran on Saturday mornings and on Tuesday evenings after school. Shelley absolutely loved it. She still wished she could play the other sports, but since gymnastics was the only outlet permitted her, she threw herself into it wholeheartedly. Cheryl did not know they were going to be at the volleyball match, and when she heard them holler her name, her knees almost buckled. After the match, Cal just called the Carson house and told Darlene Carson that the kids were going to pizza with the others. He hung up before there could be any discussion. He knew he was being impolite and disrespectful, but more and more, he considered respect something that had to be earned. It almost made Cal cry to see the way the kids interacted with Cheryl, especially Shelly. He began to get the idea that Cheryl had been the true source of any warmth and tenderness in that household. Except for his uncle Will, Cal had never encountered attitudes like the Carsons' before, and it puzzled, saddened, and angered him. He decided that he would do whatever would help Cheryl the most, as far as her siblings were concerned. Unless and until the parents changed their ways, he would just steamroll them. It was Cal's enhanced sense of fairness that drove him to treat Cheryl's family that way. He could see Shelley having to fight the same battles as Cheryl had. What if the younger girl did not have her sister's drive and determination? She would be beaten down and forced into the 'expected' role. That was not fair in Cal's mind. "How did you do that?" Cheryl demanded as they walked into the pizza parlor. "Do what?" Cal teased. "Get the kids here, of course," Cheryl said with honest irritation but gratitude shining in her eyes. "I just told your mother we were picking them and didn't give her a chance to talk back." Cheryl just stared at him open-mouthed, as if he had two heads. He could see some kind of an idea percolating in her head, but she did not say anything about it. Saturday in the early afternoon, Cheryl called her mother. "Mom, we're picking up the kids at three fifteen. We're taking them to a late matinee, then to Chuck E. Cheese's." Without saying any more, Cheryl hung up the phone and grinned at the watching Cal. Sure enough, the kids were ready and waiting and came piling out to the car as if it was Christmas. Matthew was at the age where he probably should have been blase about the whole thing, but he could not pull it off. From then on, the kids were picked up for every volleyball and football game, and were usually taken somewhere on Saturday afternoon. On Saturdays when Cal was at Pete's games, Tessa and Vick or Rebecca and Bobby went with Cheryl. By the second week, the kids asked if they could bring a friend, and the group enlarged. Cheryl still stopped by the Carson home most days after practice, but since she was seeing more of the kids, she began forcing conversation with her mother. Cal had done a lot of thinking about Cheryl's family and the strange dynamics that were in place. For the next to last scheduled home volleyball game, he called Mrs. Carson between classes. "Mrs. Carson, this is Cal. You be ready to be picked up with the kids. You're coming to Cheryl's game with us." Cal had not told Cheryl about that move, just in case it did not work. It worked. Darlene Carson did not cheer, and in fact hardly said a word. Both of the kids sat beside her, and her eyes rarely left Cheryl. It is doubtful that she could appreciate how skillful Cheryl was. What she could see was how Cheryl's teammates were constantly congratulating her for play after outstanding play. Cheryl was so focused on the match that she never noticed her mother in the stands. When mother and daughter came face to face outside the locker room, Cheryl lost it completely. Cal wanted to kick Darlene in the ass because she did not try to initiate any contact with Cheryl. He decided that a major step had occurred and he should just be thankful for that. ------- Some resolution of Cheryl's home situation came about in an unexpected, nearly tragic way. Hal Carson, Cheryl's father, was a site foreman for a commercial construction firm. One day, as he was giving instructions at a site, a runaway vehicle hit him and the two men he was talking to, pinning them against a wall. The luckiest of the three, Hal still ended up with two badly broken hands. When Cheryl got the message at school, she somehow managed to get Cal pulled from class, as well. After briefly recounting what had happened, she told Cal "After practice, can you help me move back home?" "Do you think that will work? Do your parents agree?" "Doesn't matter. I've been doing a lot of reading. My family is dysfunctional," she told him. "You had to read to figure that out?" he asked with more sarcasm than he probably should have used. "Cal! My mom is what's called a submissive - very submissive. Except for things that she has learned how to do, she is almost helpless without direction from someone." "Ah," he exclaimed. "That's why when I just told her that the kids were coming to the game, she went along. Wow! She really is submissive." "Yup. That's what got me reading. If you'd have ordered her to strip when you walked in the door, I think she would have." "Well, that's only part of the problem," Cheryl continued. "Dad is not able to supply the direction that Mom needs. He is stubborn, set in his ways, and I think he really does love her. But he does not realize how much direction and control she needs, and he is not a good dominant - that's one who controls a submissive. That means she is sort of left hanging - confused and unsure what to do. I have a feeling that he may even be submissive himself. He hides it by being so doctrinaire and unbending." "And now she is going to have to take care of him," Cal mused. "I think that part will be OK, since it's just natural mothering. My big worry is that he will run her into the ground waiting on him. But anyway, I'm taking control of my home. Mom could never raise a real objection, and what can Dad do about it if he gets angry?" "I couldn't argue after what happened with the kids. I'll do whatever I can to help." "I never doubted it," Cheryl said along with a PDA violation. "I'm heading to the hospital to tell Mom what's going to happen. Then I'll arrange for a neighbor to keep an eye on the kids. I'll stop at their schools and let them know. Mom did not call them. See you after practice." ------- Chapter 24 At the hospital, Cheryl could see it in her mother's eyes. Darlene Carson had no idea what to do or what was going to happen, and it scared her to death. Armed with her new understanding, Cheryl laid everything out in simple, specific terms, seeing her mother's tension ease with every sentence. It was nice for Cheryl to see her analysis verified, but it was also disturbing to find this out about her mother. Cheryl could not help thinking how much better her home life might have been if she had known these things years ago. Oh, well! Hopefully, she could at least ease the path for Matthew and Shelly. Hal was kept at the hospital for three nights to allow the swelling to decrease enough for surgery. He was in a great deal of pain and heavily sedated. The fourth morning, two surgeons worked simultaneously on his hands. Both required the insertion of some metal and plastic pieces as substitutes for small bones that were shattered beyond repair. After nearly four hours of surgery, Hal's hands were strapped securely to aluminum frames and plaster casts wrapped around everything. For several weeks, he would be totally unable to use his fingers. Everything would have to be done for him. Cal had helped Cheryl move back the afternoon of the accident, much to the glee of Matthew and Shelley. Darlene had stayed all night at the hospital the first night and as long as she was allowed the other nights. Cheryl was just as glad not to have her underfoot. When they were home together, Cheryl tested the limits of her mother's submissiveness. Cheryl was already thinking of herself as the 'boss' of the place, constantly reminding herself that it was the only way to make it work. Hal was kept one more night after surgery before being sent home. During his hospital stay, his mood had definitely not improved. He was a very independent, self-reliant person with strong, narrow views of how things should be. Total dependence on others was extremely hard for him to accept. Dependence on his own family just made it worse. It was a school day when Hal came home, and Cheryl got herself excused from classes and practice so she could help bring him home. She had planned out what she would have to do, and she knew that it would be bloody. Cheryl had not visited her father in the hospital, having calculated that it was best to defer all confrontations until he was home. On the drive home, Hal refused to look at Cheryl and said nothing to her. Once he was in the house and seated in his favorite chair, Cheryl launched her attack. "So you decided not to hire a nurse, Dad?" "Insurance doesn't cover it." Hal seemed to want to say the fewest words that he could get by with. Saying more might have acknowledged Cheryl's presence. He did manage to look right at her when he demanded "When are you leaving?" "I'm not. I've moved back in." "I didn't say you could come back!" "Doesn't matter. I'm here and there's not a damned thing you can do about it." "After what you've done, how can you..." he started to shout. Cheryl got right up and hovered over him as she shouted him down. "Dad, just shut up! I'm not letting Mom handle you all by herself. I'm here! I'm staying! And I'm in charge! Now, do you want to do anything to try to change that?" Cheryl had worked that exchange over and over in her mind. If her father was indeed submissive, or if he was even just a typical bully, he should fold. He did, dropping into his sullen, unresponsive mode. Sitting back down, Cheryl softened her voice and went on. Things were going just about the way she and Cal had scripted them. "Now, Dad, I want you to think about your decision on the nurse again. I'm not sure you realize the situation you are in." "Huh! Of course I do. I can't do a damned thing for myself!" "Right," she agreed. Then she let him have it with words she had actually written out beforehand. "You can't feed yourself; you can't brush your teeth; you can't comb or wash your hair; you can't operate the TV remote; you can't dress yourself; you can't bathe yourself; you can't pee by yourself; you can't take a shit by yourself; you can't wipe yourself afterwards." Darlene had gasped at the last crudely phrased items, just as Cheryl had planned. Hal's face had reddened. Such things were not spoken of openly in their home. He did not respond to Cheryl, but his expression was angry and sullen. "Wanna reconsider that nurse?" Cheryl asked. "No. Your mother can take care of me." "No! No! No!" Cheryl shouted, on her feet once again. "Mother cannot be your nurse all day everyday. That's too much. The rest of us are going to have to help. And that means help with everything." In all of her years, Cheryl had used mostly soft words, evasion, and accommodation against her father's demands, except during the epic confrontations. Even, then, she had taken drastic actions, rather than struggling verbally. Now she was openly defiant, acting as if she was in charge. Struggling mightily without using his hands, Hal got to his feet to confront his arrogant, belligerent daughter. The next move had led to a heated argument between Cheryl and Cal before he finally acknowledged the need for what she was about to do. With her father standing red-faced in front of her, she quickly undid his trousers and pushed them and his underwear down past his knees. Darlene shrieked. Hal was frozen. Cheryl quickly got beside him and held his arm to prevent him from tripping and falling. Coming out of his initial shock, Hal bellowed "Darlene! Do something! Get her off me! Get my pants back up!" "Mother!" Cheryl shouted, "you stay out of it. This is for your own good!" "But... but... you can't look... you shouldn't see..." Darlene started to move toward them, and Cheryl had to really turn up the heat. "Mother! Don't you dare come any closer! I'm in charge here and you know it! Now you sit in that chair! Now!" Highly distraught and totally confused, Darlene stood motionless, her mouth moving but nothing coming out. Hal had never ordered her so forcefully, and she instinctively felt the need to comply. Yet, he was her husband. She was supposed to obey him. Sensing a crucial moment as her mother stood undecided, Cheryl let go of Hal's arm, walked over to her mother, and gently but firmly sat Darlene in the chair. Hal had to look over his shoulder to see what was happening. His shock at the way his daughter was dominating his wife left him speechless. His mind, already fuzzy from pain medication, could not process the unprecedented situation. And here he stood with his penis uncovered in front of his wife and his daughter! He had never been so embarrassed in his life! His stay in the hospital had been his first ever. The first few times nurses had helped him go to the bathroom, he had been so sedated and in so much pain that nothing really mattered. As he became more and more aware, it was already happening and did not seem as terrifying as it should have. The thought of coming home and having Darlene do everything for him had made him very uncomfortable. They were just not that open and intimate with each other. But a nurse cost a lot of money, and Darlene would just have to do. Though he would never have admitted it to anyone, Cheryl's departure from home had troubled him deeply, even though he knew she had to go. For years the girl had refused to be what a daughter was supposed to be. She had fought them fiercely and unfairly, winning unbelievable concessions. And then the ultimate: becoming a whore for the sake of her medical school fantasy. What troubled Hal the most was the breaking of the natural order of things, the proper places of all of his family members. Cheryl had destroyed that in the most shocking way. Now, the ungrateful girl was telling him what his own wife could and could not do. Worse yet, Cheryl was ordering Darlene around and Darlene was obeying. All while he stood helplessly bare-assed in his own living room! The situation was absolutely intolerable, but Hal had no idea how to get out of it. Somehow, his control over his wife had been usurped, and he was already aware that control over his body was gone. He was ashamed, he hurt, he felt light-headed and disoriented, but he had no clue what he could do about it. Hal Carson ineffectually jammed his clubbed hands in front of his manhood and barely avoided crying. As soon as Darlene was seated and seemed unlikely to get up and interfere, Cheryl again took Hal's arm to steady him. "OK. Is everyone settled down, now? Good." "Look, Dad... Mom. Relax. It's a penis. It's not the first one I have seen. I'm going to be a doctor and I will see lots of them. And that's an ass. Nice and muscular and not even too hairy." Cheryl had hoped to ease the tension with a little levity, but the attempt bombed. "Dad, right now, you're a patient. You're a helpless person that has to eat, pee, and shit. Over and over. Every day for seven weeks or so. "If Mom tries to take care of all of that alone, plus all of the other things you will demand from her, she will be in the hospital herself in two weeks. Then where will you be? You need lots of people to help you. If Mom's not here and you have to pee, I'll have to help you. If neither Mom or I are here, Matthew or Shelley will have to help you?" That had the desired effect, as Hal groaned loudly and Darlene gasped once again. "Now, do you want to reconsider that nurse? I will try to work it out so one of us is always here, but you know how busy I am?" "You mean you're still going to play your games?" Hal demanded, able to work up some anger for the first time since being exposed. Then his demeanor softened and he pleaded "Please. Pull up my pants." "No. No pants yet. I don't think I've gotten through to you yet. Of course I'm going to play my games. I'll be here as much as I can, but that's why you need more than one person helping." "Why can't your mother just do it?" he whined. "Because you would run her ragged with your demands. She already waits on you hand and foot, and you're gone all day. That is not negotiable. I will order Mom out of the house for her health and sanity's sake." "What makes you think you can order her? Or me?" Cheryl really hated to say the next bit, but he had forced her into it. "Because she's sitting over there in a useless heap not knowing what to do and you're standing her with your dick hanging out and you can't even put it away yourself. That's why?" Hal could not work up any more bluster and just stood looking forlorn, his clubbed hands shielding his privates as much as possible. Again shifting to a gentle tone, Cheryl pushed for a decision. "OK? Do I hold it for you the next time you have to pee, or do we get a nurse? Those are your choices." Unable to make such a choice, Hal just stood, looking more unhappy and less angry all the time. "There's one other thing that may help," Cheryl told him. "Your new lawyer will be here in half an hour?" "Lawyer? I don't want a lawyer?" Hal protested. Seeing that he was getting more unsteady on his feet, Cheryl pulled up and fastened his pants and guided him back to his chair before responding. "You need a lawyer. You've been hurt badly and it's the only way to make sure you get proper compensation." "But the company will take care of me!" he protested again. "If I get a lawyer, it might cost me my job! Two of them came to see me in the hospital and I sent them away." That statement made Cheryl's blood run cold. She should have thought about the ambulance chasers and protected against them. For once, she was thankful for her father's rigidity and stubbornness. "Dad, you won't be dealing with your company. You'll be dealing with an insurance company. They are ruthless and they have armies of lawyers. If you don't have a good one, you'll get screwed." "But... who..." "Her name is Marty Granville and she's the best there is..." "She?!" Cheryl knew that would be his reaction, but she was in control now and she was not about to relinquish her hold. "Yes, she. There are as many female lawyers as there are female doctors, you know. When she gets here, you will sign with her. Agreed?" "No. You can't make me do that!" "OK. When Marty gets here, and when the kids get home from school, you will be sitting here bare-assed. Is that what you want?" She got up and walked over to his chair. As she reached for his belt, he used his clubbed hands to try and push her away. The sudden stab of pain convinced him that was a very bad idea. Looking up at the daughter he suddenly hardly knew, it finally hit him just how helpless he was. He looked toward his wife and saw that she was of no help whatsoever. "Wh... why are you doing this?" he whined. That tone of voice told Cheryl that she had won. It proved that the bully theory had been closest to the truth. "Because you're too damned pig-headed to do the right things for yourself and for Mom and the kids. I'm going to get you through with as little discomfort and embarrassment as possible and with Mom in one piece when your casts come off. You're not going to lose a penny because of the accident. Now, what about the nurse?" "Probably a woman, huh?" he asked in a very beaten tone. "Ninety-eight percent chance," Cheryl answered. With a massive sigh, Hal's shoulders sagged and he said "No. You do it." "Just to make sure you know what you agreed to," Cheryl said sternly, "that means I'm going to see you naked, and I'll have to touch you. We can probably work it out so only Mom wipes your ass. Understood?" He nodded miserably. "OK," she said, standing up and holding out her hand to him. "I've got to make sure you really understand. Time for you to pee." The best description of Hal's reaction was a squawk. "No! I don't have to..." "Now! Before Marty gets here. Otherwise, you go bottomless!" Cheryl stood with her hand around his upper arm, waiting for him to accede by leaning forward. Almost crying, he finally gave in. He might as well have been heading to the gallows the way he looked as he walked down the hall. Just before leading him into the bathroom, Cheryl called out "Mom. Come on and watch." When Darlene did not respond, Cheryl took a stronger tone and her mother complied. There was the predictable embarrassment and fumbling. As Cheryl stood there holding it for him, nothing happened for a long while. She was afraid that he might start swelling, so she let go. "Dad, tell me when it feels like it's going to start. We don't want it all over the toilet." Darlene kept up a constant sniffling in the background. Eventually, Cheryl could tell he was ready, even though he did not say anything. She was grateful for the playful times she had aimed Cal as he went. When he was done and she stroked and pulled it to strip the last drops so she could shake them off, she felt him start to inflate. The curious daughter part of her was momentarily tempted to let it happen. The adult part, though, hurriedly tucked him away and washed her hands. Afterwards, they all sat back in the living room and Cheryl became very conciliatory. "Dad, please believe me. I'm not out to embarrass you. You have to realize that modesty is not an option in your situation. But listen, you can still keep your dignity." "Dignity!?" Hal spat out. "That's funny!" "No it's not. You can't help that some of us will have to see and touch your body. But you can help how you react to it. That's dignity. Treat it like something unavoidable. Take it like a man, and you will keep your dignity." "Hmph!" was his only response, but he was obviously thinking about her words, probably stung by her exhortation to 'take it like a man'. "I hope I won't have to do that very often," Cheryl went on after a short silence, "but I needed to get the shock out of the way. Whenever possible, Mom will help you go. For other things like getting undressed or getting in the tub, Matthew can help Mom when she needs it. Or Cal." Cal's name was added on purpose. "Cal?" both parents asked almost at once. "Yup. Cal is going to be spending some nights here with me. I expect you to treat him courteously." "You can't just flaunt our rules and our values," Hal objected. Very evenly, Cheryl told him "Dad. I think we have been through this already. While you are disabled, I am taking charge of this house. When your casts come off, we'll re-negotiate. Let's not go through this again." The lack of response told her that she had won the battle. "But the kids..." "I'll have a good talk with them. Don't worry about that." "This is wrong!" Hal sputtered. Unable to maintain the admirable control she had exercised until then, Cheryl lot loose. "What's wrong is you kicking me out of the house! What's wrong is you trying to force me to be just what you wanted for a daughter. What's wrong is me having to prostitute myself to get what you tried to deny me! I had to find love and comfort somewhere else, and Cal is it. I'm not giving him up!" As she spoke, Cheryl had jumped to her feet. She was shouting at the top of her voice and gesticulating dramatically in a way that Hal and Darlene had never seen and could not relate to. Just about then, Marty rang the doorbell. ------- Marty was not alone. She had a male associate with her, perhaps as a consideration to the attitudes Cheryl had described to her. Even so, she very quickly took charge. "Mr. Carson, I understand that you really do not want representation. I also understand that because of my work for Cheryl that you disapprove of, I might be a bad choice as your lawyer. Let Robert here, my associate, describe what we see as your situation, then you can decide. If you choose not to sign with us, there will be no charge." Marty did not mention that Cheryl was paying their hourly. "Mr. Carson," Robert started out in a very confident manner, "there are several points you need to be aware of. First of all, you cannot just assume that you will return to full use of your hands. I am not trying to frighten you, but injuries like yours frequently result in some long-term loss of flexibility or strength." "But the doctors said..." Hal tried to object. "And I sincerely hope they are correct. But what if they are not? And how long will it be until you know for certain? The point I want to make is that you should not accept a final settlement until you are certain of your recovery potential." "Now this is what will happen," Robert went on. "It happens in every case, without exception. The insurance company will offer you a quick settlement of an amount that sounds reasonable. Combined with workers' comp and your health insurance, it will seem like you will be well taken care of." "The problem is, no one ever anticipates all of the long-term expenses. For instance, I understand you have chosen not to have a nurse. That means that your family is having to undergo even more stress because of something that is not your fault. As I mentioned earlier, if you should suffer serious long-term loss of function in your hands, your occupation could be jeopardized. In that tragic case, you would already have signed off on a settlement, and there would be no more compensation." "Now, in your case, there is an added complication. It was your company's project and job site, but the vehicle belonged to a sub-contractor with a different insurer. Insurance companies are masters at delaying by claiming the liability belongs to the other party." "What if that happens? What if you are delayed getting any money as they squabble over whose money it will be? What they hope will happen is that you will run out of money, panic, and sign for a lower amount than you are entitled to." Hal was clearly impressed and clearly distressed by what he heard. "I can't believe my company would let that happen to me." "Casualty claims are what companies fear the most," Robert explained. "As hard as you have worked, as well as you have served them, and as much as they seem to be your friends, they cannot become involved in your settlement. It is an unfortunate business reality." Robert stopped talking after that and let Hal absorb what had been said. "What... what would you do?" he finally asked. Here, Marty spoke up. "We would file suit on your behalf against the two companies jointly for between two and four million dollars." "Million! It won't cost that much!" Hal exclaimed. "If I sue them, they will fire me!" "That can't happen," Robert assured him. "If they tried that, you would win enough so you never had to work again. We would not necessarily expect to win that much money. It is a starting point for negotiations. Actually, you have a good chance of winning millions. The other two men were badly injured and will be permanently disabled. Your suit will seem small in comparison, and they may decide to just give in and concentrate on the other two." "Are you the lawyer for the other two?" Hal asked. "For one of them. We talked to him after Cheryl called us," Marty explained. Marty and Robert both decided that enough had been said. They had decided beforehand not to even ask if he wanted them to represent him. Significantly, Hal looked at neither Darlene or Cheryl as he deliberated. "I, uh, can't sign anything," Hal said, holding up his hands. "How do you handle that?" ------- Cal was more than a little nervous about spending the night at Cheryl's. He had been harsh with her parents and he doubted that he would be welcome. He had to keep reminding himself that Cheryl was the only one whose welcome he was concerned about - actually, her brother and sister, too. He had made some hurried phone calls and a quick trip downtown after practice. He hoped his little gift would soften the hostility just a bit. The Carsons were eating a late supper when Cal arrived, and he had to stand and watch for a minute. Shelley was feeding her father with Cheryl coaching her carefully. Darlene just watched wordlessly. The look on young Shelley's face was priceless. How Hal managed to keep his grumpy visage when his daughter was so thrilled to be able to express her love was beyond Cal. Cheryl's diagnosis of dysfunctional was true in more ways than one. When Cheryl saw Cal, she quickly finished her last few bites, then almost dragged him up to her room. There, she plastered herself to him and broke into tears. "I don't want to be mean! I don't want force them to do things! I'm so tired of being a parent for Greg, and now I have to run their screwed-up lives. I can't ever just be a high school kid. It's not fair, Cal!" Even if Cal could have thought of some appropriate words, he knew that some gentle hugging and comforting was a far better response. It took about twenty minutes, but Cheryl's tremendous natural strength re-emerged. In a scene that almost made Cal cry, both Matt and Shelley hurried to Cheryl's room and joined in a long group hug. Following some instinct that he could not have identified, Cal sat on the bed and held out his arms to Shelley. She literally jumped into his lap, verifying how starved she was for physical affection. Shelley had only been around Cal at the several volleyball games and Saturday outings they had been on. But in that time, her keen eyes had seen the interaction between Cal and her sister. Her pubescent emotions and her sharp mind both screamed out her need for someone to treat her like that. She and Matt, out of shared need and deprivation, had become very close and much more physically demonstrative with each other than their parents would ever have tolerated. Still, Cal was much more of an adult figure, and his impromptu invitation to cuddle lit a fuse in the girl. While Matt unashamedly stayed enfolded in Cheryl's arms, Shelley disintegrated into sobs. Cheryl seemed to understand what was happening and gave Cal a watery, grateful smile. She was finally able to mouth "See why I bother to do this shit?" ------- At bedtime, Cheryl told Hal that he needed to take a bath, but Cal interrupted. "I think a shower would be better," he said to everyone's surprise. "Here, I picked up these." He handed Cheryl two large, long, waterproof sleeves that fit over Hal's casts. Velcro fasteners lined with sponge rubber tightened over his upper arms, leaving his casts very well protected. "I think it will be best if you keep your arms high while you shower. Water could still run in." Cheryl was delighted. "Oh, this is much better. You can get your hair washed, too. Can you handle it alone, Mom, or do you need some help?" "Well... I... how will I wash him?" Darlene stammered. "Mom! You just undress and get in there with him. What's the big deal? Oh, do you need a shower cap for your hair?" Darlene stood looking bug-eyed and frightened. It took Cal whispering in Cheryl's ear for her to realize the problem. Her eyes got wide, but she managed not to say anything. Her parents had never showered together! Asking Cal to wait with her parents, Cheryl fetched robes, then led them into the master bathroom with a roll of her eyes at Cal. It was pretty pathetic. Cheryl had to coach Darlene into getting Hal's shirt off and getting the protective sleeves on. They got Hal down to his slacks and underwear, and Cheryl decided to protect his modesty all she could. "Mom, you get undressed now and I'll leave. Can you handle that?" At that point, Darlene froze up and stood trembling and teary-eyed. "Mom, come on! I don't want to get in there with him." That did not help at all. Putting herself between her parents, with her back to her mother, Cheryl said softly to her father. "Unless you start taking charge of her, I WILL come in there with you. Do you want that?" Hal felt so beaten down from the whole traumatic day that he was hardly thinking by then. "Listen, Dad. Mom will do anything you tell her to do. You just have to be firm about it. Now, I'm coming back in here in five minutes. Both of you had better be in the shower with the door closed by then. Otherwise, I will have to come in and wash you. Got it?" As she left the bathroom, Cheryl could hear Hal's unsteady voice telling his wife to get undressed. Sticking her head back in, Cheryl said "Oh, Dad. Have her help you with the toilet before you get in the shower." As Cheryl walked out of the master bathroom after giving her father the stern instructions, Hal Carson once again felt the helplessness of his situation. Never in their married life had he and Darlene showered together. He had never watched her undress completely. Only rarely had either seen the other completely naked. It was not that Hal had no desire to look at his wife's body. Early on, especially, he had very much wanted to see her. His upbringing, however, made it clear that nudity was just not right, even between husband and wife. Darlene was even more strongly imprinted with a modesty almost worthy of Islam. That modesty, in fact, was one strong factor in their battles with Cheryl over sports. Somehow, Shelley had been allowed into gymnastics despite the highly immodest attire that the competitors wore. When she was still a little girl, the costumes could almost be overlooked. As she started to develop, battles reminiscent of those with Cheryl became common. Shelley did not have Cheryl's rock-like will and she was not a fighter. The only reason she was still in gymnastics was Cheryl's intervention. Now, Hal had been ordered - yes ordered - by his daughter make his wife strip herself, then finish undressing him. The order had come with the threat that if he could not get his wife in the shower to wash him, Cheryl herself would do it. That was a terrible threat to Hal: both because he had absolutely no doubt that she would carry it out, and because of the perverted images it produced in his mind. Puritanical upbringing or not, Hal could not always suppress thoughts of his daughter's sexy body. To her credit, she had done nothing to flaunt herself in front of her father, but just in everyday living, she was always there, and she seemed to draw his gaze like a magnet. Since he had driven her out, Hal had felt both relief and sadness that she was no longer there to entice or torment him. After Cheryl walked out of the bathroom, which was open to the master bedroom, she pulled Cal into the bedroom where they could listen to what was happening without being seen. She clung tightly to Cal, literally shaking with the tension of what she was trying to do. All he could do was hug her and stroke her. "Darlene, you'd better undress like she says," Hal started in a pleading tone. "Please. She'll do what she says. I couldn't stand it if she came in the shower with me." "Sh... she wouldn't! She c... couldn't! Oh, Hal! I... I... this is so... Oh, why is this happening?" That was all Cheryl could take. Releasing Cal with a quick kiss, she squared her shoulders and strode into the bathroom. Cal could not help but admire the sudden and complete change in her demeanor. "Mother, this is happening because Dad got hurt. Badly. None of us wanted it to happen, but we can't undo it. Now, what the hell is wrong here? You are his wife. Your body belongs to him. You should be thrilled for him to look at it. Start undressing right this instant, or I will do it for you. Shoes off! Now!" Cheryl's voice cracked like a drill sergeant's. Darlene reluctantly followed Cheryl's barked orders until she got down to her bra and panties, whereupon she froze. "C... can't I do it like th... this?" she begged. "Or w... wear a s... suit?" Cheryl probably should have compromised at that point, and gone along with her mother's plea. More than just getting her father clean, though, she felt obliged to jar both of them from their ultra-prudish rut. It had screwed up her life, and threatened to do the same for her beloved siblings. Her momentary anger overcame the disgust she felt. Shaking her head in disbelief, Cheryl stepped in. "For God's sakes! You're married. Think of it as having a little shower fun. Stand still, then!" she snapped out. Quickly, with no warning and no ceremony, Cheryl stepped behind Darlene and unhooked her bra. It was off and tossed aside before the woman could react. When Darlene did react and closed both arms over her breasts, Cheryl just as quickly pulled down her mother's panties. That made Darlene drop one hand over her crotch, hunch over, and start to whimper. Cheryl's honest reaction was to want to cry, both in sympathy and in frustration. She knew, though, that the commanding, dominant attitude was the only thing that would work. Standing up and putting her hands on her hips, she looked Darlene in the eyes, being careful not to look down at her body. "Mother," she almost shouted, "I won't look at you IF you do as I say. As soon as I leave, you stand up, drop your hands, and let Dad look at you. Then, you finish undressing him. I am coming back in exactly three minutes. If you are not standing here holding a towel around Dad with all of his clothes on the floor, I will have to take over. Do you want me to wash Dad's asshole and his hard cock? Do you?" Darlene gasped and shook her head, wearing the post pitiable expression imaginable. Cheryl walked over and picked up all of her mother's clothes, which she deposited on the bed when she walked out of the bathroom. "Three minutes!" she called over her shoulder. For those long three minutes, Cheryl again clung to Cal, struggling to keep her breath steady. When the time was up, she called out "I'm coming in. You can turn your back to me so I don't see you, Mother." When Cheryl looked around the corner, both parents were facing away from her. In the mirror, however, she could see that her mother's nipples were distended and there was a respectable bulge in the towel held around Hal's waist. Relief washed through Cheryl as she read these signs of arousal as hopeful for the survival of her parents through the disability. This shower scene or something similar would have to be repeated fifty or sixty times before Hal's casts came off. "Do I have to watch to see if you do it right, Mother, or can I trust you? Mother? Answer me!" "I... I'll do it," Darlene answered in just over a whisper. "You wouldn't really get in the shower with him, would you?" Cal asked as they left the master bedroom and went into Cheryl's room. "Damn right I would! If I can make myself fuck Greg all those times, I can do anything. This is the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. No wonder I was so frightened that first time with you." "Yeah. Makes me wonder how you took those pictures that night," Cal mused. Cheryl did not respond to that. "Hey, I'm going back into their bedroom and watch what happens without them seeing me. You'd, uh, better stay here." "You turning into a voyeur?" he teased. "Not much stimulation there, I'm afraid," she retorted. "Just hope I can keep from crying." Cal was in the other shower when Cheryl joined him. "Don't know whether to laugh or cry," she lamented. "How 'bout we fuck, then I'll decide?" They actually had a quiet, gentle session in bed, conscious of the others in the house. "You watch everything?" He asked. "Yeah. The master bath is open to the bedroom, and the shower has a glass door. Cal, it looked like she had never touched his dick before!" "That couldn't be." "Well, she acted like it. And yes, he was hard the whole time. Actually, I was a little surprised at how good Mom looked naked." "Well, she had you. And Shelley. No ugly Mom could have done that." "Hey, you got the hots for my baby sister?" she teased. "If you think my tits are small... eeek!" Any further comment ceased as Cal clamped his teeth onto a nipple and bit hard enough to stop her denigration of her body. When things settled down again, Cheryl got serious. "Cal, I think Shelley has a crush on you." "Oh, no. I don't need that." "Well, Shelley does," Cheryl insisted. "Huh?" "She is totally starved for adult male attention and affection, and you're it." "Doesn't your dad show her any?" "Hah! You saw supper tonight? Well, that's typical. It's like he thinks any physical contact is sinful. Actually, Mom's not much better." Cheryl sniffed a little after saying that. "Guess you missed that, too." Cal stated. "Yeah, and I didn't even have a big brother like Shelley does." "So you've tried to be a substitute mom for Matt?" Cal asked. "Pretty sharp, there! Besides, I love the kid to death! Both of them. Think you could go out of your way to spend time with Shelley, make her feel special." "She's so much like you, that's easy." That earned him an emotional kiss that led to another tender round. ------- The next night, Cal did not sleep over. Once again, Cheryl had to ramrod her father's shower, and once again she watched, unseen. It truly was not voyeurism, but a sincere desire to help her family through the crisis. Nothing was much different than the first night, except that Cheryl did not have to take any of her mother's clothes off. On the third night, Darlene was in her robe when Cheryl came to get them going to the shower. Hal was strangely quiet. Still heavily dosed with pain pills, it could have been a combination of those and general weariness. He napped at least twice during the day, but he still tired very easily. "You don't have to check," Darlene assured her daughter as she led her husband to the bathroom. Hal had begun wearing just sweatpants and a large shirt with the sleeves removed around the house. Besides slippers, that left only two garments to be removed. Watching in her usual place, Cheryl almost cheered when Darlene first dropped the robe to bare herself. Next she pulled the sweatpants down over Hal's already horizontal cock. The shirt was left until last. Darlene no longer looked frightened. She looked like she was holding herself back. The shower was necessarily rather quick because it was hard for Hal to hold his arms up too long. His cock was always the last thing washed, and she no longer looked hesitant when touching it. On the fifth night, Cal was again staying over, and Cheryl pulled him into the bedroom to watch from her vantage point. Cal honestly tried to resist, but she was insistent. Everything was as she had described it to him, but Darlene seemed very tense. "She's been like that the last couple of days," Cheryl whispered to Cal. Not knowing why he was so sure, Cal whispered back "She's horny. Really horny." Pulling Cheryl back to her room before the shower was finished, he told her "You need to talk to her. Find out if they're having sex, or if she is getting any relief. She looks like she's about to explode. I noticed it after supper, too. I imagine your dad really needs it, too." "I can't do that? She would never talk about sex with me." "Who's in charge here, anyway? This is another one of those things that's important for your family's survival. Remember how submissive she is. Just dominate her." To Cal's surprise, Cheryl started to cry softly. "I hate having to do this stuff! I don't want to boss anyone! Or dominate them!" With a gentle hug, Cal reminded her "But you're all that's keeping things together, here. I can't do it for you, or I would." "Oh, that would go over really well!" she said, managing a chuckle. "What will you do while I talk to Mom?" "How about I go make out with your sister?" "Pervert!" But it was punctuated with a kiss and a grin. Cheryl thought pulling her father's pants down and undressing her mother in the bathroom had been strange, but what happened next made the other stuff seem downright mundane. Hal had been going to bed right after his shower, and Darlene had been coming back down to the kitchen or the family room. Cheryl intercepted her mother coming out of the master bedroom and rather firmly led her to Cheryl's room. As Cheryl sat her mother on the bed, she noticed that the tension and the jumpiness was even worse. "Mom, have you and Dad been able to have sex since he got hurt?" "What! Cheryl! How can you ask that?" Darlene's nearly panicked reaction reminded Cheryl that she had to get into the controlling mode or she would get nowhere. "Mother, just answer the question! I am responsible for you, and you have not been yourself lately. Something is wrong. Have you?" Darlene cowered for a moment, almost shaking with her internal struggle. Looking at Cheryl's stern visage, she gave up and answered. "We... we can't. He can't hold himself up." Stunned, Cheryl tried to keep it from showing on her face. "Why don't you just get on top, then?" she asked. "Oh, we couldn't do THAT. That's not... not normal... I mean..." "Mother, that is a perfectly good position. What do you mean not normal?" When Darlene just stared at her wordlessly, Cheryl had to struggle to keep from bolting from the room in despair and disgust. Was she going to have to be her mother's sexual tutor? She believed that Cal was correct. It was pent of sexual tension that her mother suffered from, and it was nearly incapacitating her. "Well, have you at least gotten yourself off?" Cheryl asked. That triggered an unbelievable argument. When Cheryl explained what she meant, Darlene was horrified and declared that she could never do that - it was dirty. Cheryl tried reasoning with her, then arguing with her for several minutes before remembering her reluctant role. "Mother, stand up!" Cheryl ordered in her controlling voice, taking Darlene's hand and pulling her upright. While the woman was still confused, Cheryl pulled off her robe, and had the nightgown almost off before there was any resistance. The resistance was ineffective, and with the nightgown quickly off, Cheryl was amazed to see both panties and a bra. Now, she was fully into the dominance mode, and she got the bra off easily, deciding to leave the panties on. Within a few more seconds, Darlene was under the covers of her daughter's bed. Still in her most dominant voice, Cheryl proclaimed "If you don't have an orgasm right away, Mother, I fear for your sanity. Your are going to have one, right now!" "Noooooo! I... Noooo!... It's wrong... It's wrong!... I..." "SHUT UP!" Cheryl found the determination to snap out. "You have two choices. Either I coach you through doing yourself, or..." Once again, wails and protests interrupted. This time Cheryl took her mother's face in one hand and squeezed as one would a child when trying to get their attention. "The other choice is that I will give you one." The horror of that possibility almost made Darlene faint. "Which will it be?" Darlene said nothing, just stared with wide, terrified eyes. Cheryl said nothing for nearly a minute, then declared "All right! I guess I'll have to do it. Would you rather have Cal or Shelley and Matt hold your arms while I do it?" That produced minutes of shrieking sobs. The sound was so pathetic that it took every ounce of Cheryl's determination to remain stern. By this point, though, she was certain that she had to follow through. When the crying eased a bit, Cheryl gave a dramatic sigh and said "I guess Cal would be better. The kids are pretty young." "No! No! No! I... wh... what?... H... how?" Cheryl jumped on the opening. It took nearly half an hour, and what seemed like gallons of tears, but eventually, Darlene crashed into a climax. Because of the days of built-up tension and the elevated emotional level, when it came, it was gigantic. ------- "What's going on in Cheryl's room?" Shelley asked Cal as they sat in the family room in front of the TV. Matt was in his own room, reading. Cal asked himself why he should expect an easy start to the conversation. He had to decide quickly how bold and forthright to be with the girl. He looked her in the eyes for a moment. He saw intelligence, curiosity, and yes, the infatuation that Cheryl had mentioned. Somehow, he could not bring himself to play games with this delightful young clone of Cheryl. "You masturbate, don't you Shelley?" If his intent had been to shock the girl, he succeeded. She stared at him, her face flushed through several shades of red and white, her mouth hung open, and she did not breathe. When she finally drew a gasping breath, he went on. "Oh, come on, Shelley. There's nothing wrong with it. Everybody does it. Well, everybody but your Mom, I guess. And that's the problem Cheryl's trying to deal with." "Cal! How can you talk about... ?" "Shelley, I'm not going to treat you like a little kid, OK? You know that there are some things very wrong in your family, don't you?" Head down, Shelley nodded. "Well, Cheryl and I believe that some of them have to do with sex." "You mean... you mean Mom and Dad don't do it?" "I mean we don't think your mother ever has orgasms. Right now, having to shower with your dad, we think she is really frustrated and wound up sexually." Again, nothing but an open-mouthed stare. "Shelley, you know how you get so keyed up you can't stand it?" "How... how do you know?" "It happens to all of us. Just think how you would feel if you never got to come." "So... so is Cheryl gonna?... I mean she wouldn't... would she?" Taking a chance, Cal put pulled the girl onto his lap and held her close. "Have you noticed how different your sister has been acting around your parents? How she bosses them around? Well, she's not doing it to be mean. There's a good reason. Tell you what. Matt should hear this, too. Why don't you get him." Cal did not know whether it was right or wrong to bare all of their parents' weaknesses to the kids. He did know that Cheryl had suffered much, and maybe knowing the score could ease things for the other two when Cheryl left. He spent the time Cheryl was with Darlene telling Matt and Shelley what he had learned about their mother and father. He went back over the masturbation issue, causing both kids to blush dangerously. ------- Cheryl was surprised to see both of her siblings sitting beside Cal when she came downstairs. Darlene was still in Cheryl's bed, nearly comatose. Desperately needing to be held, Cheryl chose the only available spot and plopped into his lap. Cheryl almost bolted straight upright when Cal asked "Did she finally have an orgasm?" "Cal!" "I've been telling them everything. They know what was going on. Did she do herself, or did you have to?" Cheryl did not know whether to be shocked, angry, or dismayed, and she cycled through all of those. When she looked at her brother's and sister's faces, though, what she saw told her that Cal had done the right thing. Holding out an arm to each of them, she was rewarded with two more hugs, accompanied by some sniffles. "I didn't have to," Cheryl assured them. "It was close, though. Are... are you guys OK with what Cal said. Does it upset you?" "Sis, lots of stuff upsets us," Matt answered. "At least now we understand a little more." "Since this is tell-all time," Cheryl said after thinking for a moment, "I'm worried about Dad, too. The medicine may decrease his need for sex, but he'll have to have release sooner or later. Not to shock you, but just so you understand a little more how bad the problems are..." She went on to tell about their mother's reluctance to try a new position that accommodated Hal's useless hands. It was not appropriate information for teens so young, but their lives were not appropriate in many ways. Cheryl had a sudden revelation that the best defense she could leave with Matt and Shelley was a sense of superiority over their parents. Was that disrespectful? Of course. But she would be leaving in less than a year, and the fear for their welfare was growing as that time approached. ------- As usual, Laura joined the crowd at the next football game, but she was rather distant to Cal afterwards. The two of them happened to be where no one else was in earshot a little later at pizza, and what she said to him was totally unlike Laura. Only his training allowed Cal to take it without much reaction. "How could you lose Tessa to that big oaf? Is Greg's reject all the better you can do now?" She turned away, leaving Cal utterly flabbergasted. This was his aunt! His lifelong buddy! One of his biggest fans! What was going on? Fortunately for Cal, everyone was heading for home about then and no one noticed his complete befuddlement. ------- The volleyball team won their conference with an undefeated season and made the playoffs, something unprecedented for the school. Once again, Cal decided to use strong arm tactics for Cheryl's benefit. Cheryl would not be going home that day, since the team would be eating together and traveling to another school for their match. Cal got to the Carson house plenty early. "Mr. Carson, you are going with the rest of us to Cheryl's playoff game tonight. I see you have eaten. Make sure you have gone to the bathroom because it may be difficult at the school." "No! I don't want to go out like this. Darlene and I will just stay here." "You have never seen your daughter play a single match or game. This could be her last high school volleyball game. Some people would consider that child abuse. I consider in unconscionable. I am sorry you are hurt and will be uncomfortable, but you are going. You can call the police if you think that is necessary, but I will get you into that van. Now, are you going to go to the bathroom or would you rather risk pissing in your pants or having Matthew help you in the school men's room?" Cal was not sure what to expect and he really was ready to use force. Cheryl had been right, though. Hal caved when enough aggression was used. It could not have been comfortable for him at all, but Cal was determined to have him see his daughter play volleyball at least once. ------- Chapter 25 Strong actions are often required of strong people, and Cheryl was a very strong person. Her contract to manage Greg was immoral. But there was no question it required incredible strength. When a crisis hit her family, Cheryl stepped in and used her strength to keep her family from disintegrating into a dysfunctional mess. She was driven by a deep love for her brother and her sister, and an innate respect for the family as a vital institution. In many discussions with Cal and the girls, often tearful discussions, she confessed to having lost her love for her parents. She felt guilty for not feeling for them what she believed she was supposed to feel. That made her even more determined to take control during her father's disability. Cheryl's discovery of the submissive nature of both of her parents left her bewildered and sometimes angry. Often wondering how she herself could be so decisive, she found herself taking on the brunt of the decision-making for the household. With Marty's help, funds for eight-hour-a-day nursing coverage were secured. That was not necessarily easy on Hal, since all of the available help was female. Once nursing help was secured, Cheryl was determined that she not have to further embarrass her father by helping him pee. Cal became a wonderful ally in Cheryl's attempts at preserving Hal's modesty. Cal found a medical specialty shop that carried all kinds of prosthetic aids. Being careful to let Cheryl take the lead, he had her outfit Hal's casts with a combination of devices that allowed him to do some grasping, pulling, and poking. Within just a few days, Hal was able to pee by himself, as long as he wore just sweatpants. Cheryl had known he was very body-shy, but the boost to his spirits surprised her. Seemingly a little thing, being able to use the TV remote turned into another major boost. From the first day, Hal had been convinced that Cheryl wanted nothing more than to take control of the household and humiliate him. Her protests to the contrary fell on deaf ears. With the little modifications to his casts and the fact that she never again aided him in the bathroom, he began to at least believe that she had no desire to humiliate him. Cheryl gave Hal plenty of reason to believe that she intended to take over the household, which, in fact, she felt she had to do. As soon as the nursing coverage was secured, Cheryl used some of her money to purchase a three month health club membership for her mother. It was another of those uncomfortable meetings between Cheryl and her parents, this time on a Sunday afternoon. "Dad, Mother will be spending Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at a health club from now on. You will be fine here alone with your nurse." This stunned both parents, since Cheryl had not told her mother about it. "Mother, help Dad pee and grab your purse. The mall stores are open for two more hours, and I know you don't have any workout clothes." The explosion of resistance was predictable and vigorous, and the debate raged for half an hour. Hal was sullen when the women left, but Cheryl had anticipated that. The one quick view of her parents in the shower that first night had convinced her that Darlene's neglect of her rather nice body was a crime - a crime she could do something to remedy. Knowing that she had lost her love for her parents, Cheryl asked herself why she even cared enough to try to improve their lives. Part of it was to try to give her siblings some chance at normalcy, but it went deeper than that. It was Cal who figured it out one night in one of their intimate discussions. "Look, I'm not trying to brag, but you spent two months living with us, and I've got a pretty awesome family." "You got that right." "And so does Tessa, now that they're back together." "Even before," Cheryl corrected. "I still almost cry every time I see Tessa and her mom together." "Cheryl, you're a fixer - you want to see things made right. Whatever else you feel about them, they're your family. If they're screwed up, you kinda feel it's your failure. Now that you realize what's wrong, you can't help wanting to fix it." "Yeah, but how much can I really do?" "Well, I worry about that," he told her. "You can't make them into the Banners, or the Walts, or the Armstrongs. I just hope you can live with that: do what you can and feel good about that. It's not a problem you created." "Maybe you should be the one going to med school, becoming a shrink." "Not a chance," Cal proclaimed. "Your family sure could use one, though." Cheryl was strangely quiet after that comment from Cal. "Really, Cal. What are you going to take in college? You've got the grades for pre-med. Or anything you want." Now it was Cal's turn to pause before responding. College was a subject he knew would have to be addressed in the next few months, but one he would rather not think about for a while. "You know, I haven't said this to anyone else, but I just can't see myself in college." "You're kidding! Don't you like school?" "Oh, It's not that I don't like it. Somehow it just doesn't seem... I don't know... significant?" "I'm stunned, Cal. You know, your parents think you're going to law school." "Not a chance." "Really? Well, don't you want to play football? Or basketball?" "I'm too small. All I could do is kick, and I'm not willing to put in all that time just to be a kicker." "So what will you do? Build the photography business?" "Right now, I don't have any idea." "Well, maybe we should take your mind off of it for a while." After a half hour of very little thought but a whole lot of feelings, they were nearly asleep when Cheryl asked "Didn't you say you went to a shrink after Ismi's brother was killed?" "Yeah. She was something. Dr. Waxman," Cal finished with a yawn. ------- Two days after her conversation with Cal in her bed, Cheryl sat in Dr. Julia Waxman's office. "Dr. Waxman, I want to tell you what I did. Then I want to see if we can come up with a way to get my parents to meet with you." "So you think your parents are the ones who really need it?" Julia prodded after they had talked for quite a while. "Yes I do. Oh, I know I'm affected by what has happened, but I've had someone to talk to all along - three someones, actually. Also, if I tell my parents that I had to get help to get over what I did, it might help to get them in here." "Who did you have to talk to?" "Two really close girlfriends and my boyfriend. Cal Banner says hi, by the way." When Julia did not react, Cheryl thought she may not have remembered Cal, but then it hit her. "Oh, you can't acknowledge that he was a patient, can you? Well, I'm sure you would be proud of him. Here." She handed Julia a letter from Cal that authorized full disclosure of their interaction. "Cal was very young when I saw him, but he was a unique patient," Julia said after reading the letter. "Are you in love with him?" "Oof! You don't start with easy stuff, do you? We love each other a lot. But because of my career plans, I can't let myself be committed to anyone." "But you still didn't answer my question." "I... I thought we were going to talk about getting help for my parents." "Cheryl, you have been describing to me a dysfunctional family. Like it or not, you are part of that family. You cannot escape without scars. I sense in you a very strong desire to try to 'fix' your family. For that to work, you must be in the best possible shape yourself. "Now, I'm not sure how much money you planned to commit to this, but I would strongly encourage you to schedule several sessions for yourself. If you were still seeing me, would it not be even easier to get your parents in here?" "Dr. Waxman, I know it will cost a lot of money, and I earned mine for med school. But if I go away knowing what could happen to my brother and sister, I don't think I could concentrate on school. The money I whored myself to earn would be wasted." "I see. What are you afraid will happen?" "Well, Dad, the ultimate male chauvinist macho man, was blessed with two athletic daughters and one totally non-athletic son. I know what they tried to do to me. I don't know if Shelley can take it. And what about Matt, and Dad's expectations of him. Poor kid has already been forced through five years of baseball where he was totally inept." "Don't you think you have changed their opinions already?" "I really don't think so. They think I'm just wayward. The stuff with Greg was just more proof, as far as they were concerned." "So, they think you did it all to strike back at them, not just so you could be a doctor?" "I think so. Yes. Being a doctor is not something any normal girl would want, after all." Cheryl's voice was heavy with sarcasm. "Cheryl, I greatly admire what you want to do for your parents. But if you are going to spend that kind of money, I urge you to take care of yourself, too. Your own wounds are deeper than you realize. Why take a chance on those wounds hindering your quest for that M.D.?" The rest of the hour was taken up with questions and answers about the Carson family. At the end, Julia summarized. "So, dealing with your arrangement with Greg and with your father's injury will be the 'hooks' that will convince your parents to come and talk to me, is that what your plan is?" "That's right. Do you think you can keep them coming, as long as I pay?" "I certainly hope so. Of course, not having met them, I'm not sure what I may be up against, but I will use the first couple of sessions to find triggers that will keep them interested. Usually, there are some. "One more thing to be aware of, Cheryl; even if you are paying, I cannot reveal what goes on with your parents, unless they give me permission." "Oh. Well, you have my permission to tell them anything about me that would help, OK?" ------- Cheryl worked out a little subterfuge with Marty. Marty positioned the initial visits with Julia as part of the medical compensation for Hal's injury. In the process of that discussion, they had to strategize how to get enough funds from the trust to cover the expected cost of twenty to thirty total sessions. To Cheryl's surprise and delight, Hal accepted the appointments with Julia easily. Cheryl stayed out of it and let Marty set things up. Putting on her own therapist's hat, Cheryl believed that Marty had managed to establish herself in a dominant position in Hal's mind. Since she was a woman, that was quite remarkable, and it bode well for Julia's success in treating them. ------- As it turned out, the volleyball team went through three single matches to qualify for the regionals, which were double elimination. There, they lost an early match and worked their way up the loser's side. Unfortunately, they lost the match that would have sent them to state. Hal was ready to go for every match after the first, without complaint. ------- The volleyball team was not the only undefeated conference champion that fall. On the strength of a defense that was virtually bulletproof by the end of the season, the football team accomplished what had been hoped for before the loss of Greg and Chad. In later years, the coach would talk of it as the most satisfying season of his career. The incredible team spirit, centered on Vick's personality, which had become as dominant as his play, carried the team to several dramatic upset wins. His will to win infused everyone on both sides of the ball. With Rickert's whole-hearted entry into the defensive scheme, the defense was able to more than offset the offense's inexperience and occasional yielding of points. In the last five games, the defense had outscored the opponents' aggregate offense. Because of the first playoff game, Cal continued with football practice, even though basketball practice had officially started. On Tuesday morning of that week, he was summoned from class to the office of Coach Hall, the new basketball coach. "Banner, why weren't you out for basketball yesterday?" "Football, Coach. We have a playoff game Friday." "But football season is over. I have to implement a whole new system, and I need every player for every day possible." Cal probably should have said nothing, but he could not help himself. "You mean you're really going to throw out the system that has been so successful here? The system that is taught all the way up through elementary and middle schools?" "I was brought here to bring order to a program that has been dependent on helter-skelter playground basketball. It may take a few years, but before long, my system will be taught in the elementary and middle schools. It WILL be implemented here at the high school, starting now. Can I expect you at practice tonight?" Cal could not help laughing out loud. "Do you expect me to skip football practice?" "Look, Banner. I'll be frank with you. My other possibility at point guard transferred out, so I really need you." "Even if you changed practice times, I could not do both and do either one well. I will not be able to practice basketball until football is finished." Hall was in a bind, the first of several he would face with Cal. He needed to have control over his players, and that meant having them in practice. He should tell Banner to just forget it, he would not be on the team. However, Hall had watched the films, and the kid was perfect for his system. He was disciplined, composed, and a deadly outside shooter. Leaving the situation unresolved, Hall just motioned Cal out of his office as he pretended to concentrate on some paper work. ------- The football team won the first playoff game 10-7 on the strength of Cal's last-second field goal. The opponents' touchdown had come on an interception. The second playoff game was another nail-biter. Jeron broke a long run for an early touchdown and Cal hit a field goal early in the third quarter. The opposition got two field goals and a late fourth quarter touchdown. Vick went sky-high to block the extra point, and with two minutes left, Cal's team was down 12-10 and could win with a field goal. The desperation drive started optimistically, getting down to the opponents' forty. Unfortunately, the drive stalled there. With time for only one play and facing fourth and eight, the coach decided to let Cal try a fifty-five yarder for the win. There was a moderate but gusting quartering wind from behind Cal. Distance would not be the problem, but it could be blown off course. Everything felt perfect to Cal and the ball rocketed off of his foot. Later, experts estimated that his kick would have reached from seventy yards. On its way, the ball visibly jigged back and forth a couple of times. It ended up passing over the left upright. The winning team was strictly up to the referee's decision. He paused an agonizing two or three seconds, looking up along the upright. Then, he signaled 'no good'. There is no good way for a dream season to end, except in a championship. Unfortunately, that was not to be for Cal's team. Every last player, coach, and fan was certain the kick was good, but there was no recourse. The ref crew left the field with more speed than any of the players had shown during the game. There was no good film to provide a 'moral victory' later. With Vick and the coach leading the way and Cal right behind, the team gave very subdued congratulations to the opponent and walked silently to their locker room. The pizza party went on as scheduled, and Vick and Cal tried to participate, but their hearts definitely were not in it. The feeling that the victory had been taken from them was hard to shake. Coach did something unprecedented the Sunday after the loss. With his own money, he hired a banquet room at a hotel and invited all of the players and their families for a buffet supper. In response to Vick's plea, Tessa and Cheryl were included. It turned out that several families chipped in to cover the cost, including the Banners. "I could retire from coaching tonight, completely satisfied with my career," the coach said after everyone had eaten. "This is by far the most exceptional team I have ever had. It has been a privilege and an inspiration to work with you." "What happened before the first game should have ruined the season. Everyone predicted that it would. But you guys, on your own, decided that was not going to happen. By sheer force of will and the strongest team spirit I have ever seen, you made fools of all of the experts. I was never more proud of any of my teams, even the state champs of several years ago." "And I was never more proud than after that awful final loss. Parents, your sons showed what the true spirit of sportsmanship is all about, and you can be proud. Believe me, our opponents, the press, and everyone else saw it, too." "Vick Smaak, would you please come up here? You all know that he was named all-conference. Well, maybe because they felt badly about the way we lost, because I have been given some information before it was released to the press. First, Vick, here is your trophy for being named All-State defensive tackle." The whole room was instantly on its feet, and the cameras of the press who were present were flashing away. "That's not all, though. I don't have another trophy or anything, but I got a very nice phone call yesterday. Vick, you have been selected to the second team of the High School All-American squad." After the ensuing pandemonium subsided, Coach went on to give out several other awards before the party disbanded in a mood of general good feeling. Nothing could wipe out the sting of that loss, but the edge of the pain was definitely dulled. ------- Cal had been thinking about Monday ever since the loss on Friday. The way Coach Hall had left things in their meeting, it seemed that unless Cal had come to basketball practice as soon as it started, he would not be welcome on the squad. On the other hand, Hall had mentioned how much he needed Cal. Given that there was room for misunderstanding, Cal decided to force Hall to come to him by not going to practice. If Hall did not seek him out, Cal would not be destroyed. With the unappealing new system and what he had heard from friends about the coach's style, he was not very excited about the upcoming season. Bottom line, it was his friends - his teammates - that were the biggest reason for Cal to play that year. That, and his natural aversion to quitting. Tuesday morning, Cal was again summoned from class to Hall's office. "Banner, where were you last night?" "I was under the impression that if I didn't come to the first practice, I was not welcome on the team." "I never told you that!" Hall declared indignantly. "Do you mean you were ready to just give up the season because of what you thought I said?" Here, Cal had to decide how honest to be. What made the decision for him was his instinctive dislike for Hall. Cal liked to think he was tolerant and accepting of people, but the new coach just irritated him. He just told his feelings straight out. "I have not been looking forward to the season very much, so if I sit out, it will not be a big disappointment." "Not looking forward to it!?" Hall almost shouted. "I've seen the films and watched you play football. You're a competitor. How can you not be looking forward to playing?" "Because your system takes the fun out of the game. We have speed, size, and talent on the team: enough to get to State again. Your system will waste it all." "Listen, you... !" Hall started out before catching himself. This kid was impudent and arrogant. The problem was, Hall needed him badly. Without him, Hall would have to depend on the black kids, and that was something he would try very hard to avoid. He should straighten the kid out right away, but he had the distinct feeling the kid really would just walk away. "... you should just come out tonight. You'll have some catching up to do." Now it was decision time for Cal. "OK." was all he said as he left to return to class. ------- From Cal's first practice, things looked bad. The coach had a number of seemingly senseless rules that he expected to be followed. For instance, if anyone shot before three different players touched the ball, they got yelled at and were usually made to sit down. Except on a fast break, they were forbidden to shoot until fifteen seconds had elapsed. Fast breaks were almost forbidden. The coach insisted that all players maintain defensive and rebounding position until possession was guaranteed. An up-court pass was only allowed if no opposing player was across the ten-second line. Treatment of the players was another major difference. The previous coach had instructed, corrected, and encouraged. Hall criticized and punished. Cal could see team morale deteriorating before his eyes. Actually, Cal's skills fit the new system very well. His court awareness helped him to make the best passes and to signal his teammates where to move. A key goal of the system was to free someone for an open outside shot. With his elusiveness and deadly accuracy, Cal knew that he could BE the offense if he allowed himself to be. One incident occurred during the first major intra-squad scrimmage when Cal brought the ball up. As he reached the three-point line, Dante did one of his patented moves to get a small step on his defender, arcing toward the basket. As he had done many times the previous year, Cal hit Dante with a perfectly timed pass that the big center took on the way up for the dunk. The ball was not even in the basket before the whistle was shrilling. Coach Hall yelled out "Banner! Do you need to go back to kindergarten and learn counting to three? I suppose fifteen is way beyond you!" Knowing he probably should have said nothing, Cal asked "Coach, are we really supposed to pass up easy baskets because of the rule?" "We are going to stick with the system!" the coach bellowed. "One opportunity is insignificant. Over the course of a game, the system will wear down the opposition." Mahmoud made a big mistake and muttered a little too loudly "If it doesn't wear us down first." That produced a ten-minute tirade where Coach Hall loudly elaborated on the true ranking of coaches and players in the basketball universe. After that practice, the coach called Cal into his office. "Banner," he started out in his usual pompous fashion, "You are our floor leader and a hell of a shooter. I need you completely on board for us to be successful. Can I count on you?" Cal thought he was looking at outtakes from a bad sports movie. "I will follow the rules and run the offense the way you want," Cal replied, making sure his lack of enthusiasm was clear. "But I need you on board. You need to believe in the system," the coach insisted. "Coach, I'm sorry. I'm a team player and you're the coach. I will do what you tell me to do. But I can't buy into your system. It's all wrong. You are wasting talent that could take us to state again." "I will not be reduced to playground basketball!!" Hall shouted. "It was not playground basketball that got us to state," Cal shouted back, dropping any pretense of being respectful. "Every fast break pattern, every inlet pass, every pick, every kickout was drilled over and over so it was all as natural as breathing." "That's just rationalizing race horse nonsense that depends on fancy moves to score." "What you call fancy moves is called athleticism. We've got a lot of it on this team," Cal corrected, working hard to hold his temper. "But too little discipline. We will do it my way and play controlled basketball," Hall insisted. "Your system was designed by Pete Carill to allow a shorter, slower team to have a chance against bigger, more talented teams. We are tall and fast. We don't need to play chess in sneakers. We can win with talent and skill." "Are you saying you can't go along with my system," Hall demanded. "I've already told you I will do what I'm told. You already know I don't do anything half-way. I don't believe it's right, but I will do it. If that's not good enough for you, then cut me right now." "You would be willing to give up basketball rather than tell me I'm right?" Hall demanded. "Right now," Cal said carefully, "I am playing because of my teammates. You've taken the fun out of the game." Having said that, he decided to stop being careful and got on his soapbox. Part of him hoped he would be kicked off of the team for speaking out. "You must never have played the game," Cal said boldly. Seeing Hall about to protest, he went on loudly. "If you had ever felt the joy of a free-flowing, high-speed game you would never make us do this plodding nonsense. If you had ever played under a coach, you would never treat your players like shit the way you do." Hall was faced with a nasty dilemma. He had been called out. The kid had just dared his coach to kick him off of the team. According to Hall's philosophy, Banner should be gone. However, this was his move to a big-time school and he could not afford to blow it. Another chance might never come along. He was smart enough to know that lack of buy-in by a key player could be destructive to the whole team. On the other hand, his system lived or died by good outside shooting, and Banner was among the best he had ever seen. He absolutely had to have a decent winning percentage in his first year. After all, the team had a six-year history of conference championships, including three state tournament trips. There was a definite limit to how much he could lose and still be back the next year. If he could last three years, his system would be firmly entrenched and successful. If he kicked out Banner, he would have to rely on the black kids to ensure wins, and he hated to do that. The way they played was a mockery of the military style gentleman's game that basketball was meant to be. The Banner kid had promised to play by his rules. He seemed to be one who kept his word. It looked like he would have to swallow his pride to protect his ambition. "Just don't go against me in front of the team." That weak admonition was all the coach could come up with. Throughout the pre-season practices, the talented trio of black players was mostly relegated to the second unit. That meant that the supposed first string usually lost in scrimmages, often badly. That just led to more rants about lack of commitment and not following the system. ------- The first game of the year was a tune-up against a much weaker team. It was a win, but not by the expected margin, and the talented trio played very little. Cal was hoping that was just because the coach was evaluating his other players in an easy game. Cal played most of the game. He scored twenty-five and had seven steals. In his frustration at the offensive system, he had been concentrating on his already-strong defense. He even pulled down five rebounds, not usually his strong point. The next thing on the schedule was a four-team mini-tournament with three quality teams from other conferences. In the opening game, the black trio got minimal floor time and the team fell way behind in the first half. Coach Hall was beside himself and took it out on the refs. Shortly after a scathing half-time locker room tirade, Hall got himself ejected. Cal had been 'elected' captain. That fact itself was an affront to Dante Powers, who was a senior, the best player, and a natural leader. Cal approached the assistant who was now in charge. "Coach, will you let us play basketball, now? We still remember how." The assistant was a carryover from the previous year and he had had enough of the new regime. "Shit!" he answered. "The little extra pay I get for this isn't worth this nonsense. Go out there and run their asses off! Get us a win!" With the talented trio on the floor and Hall's rules abandoned the team reverted to their previous winning style. From the very first possession, it became like a different sport. Every missed shot by the opponent turned into a fast break. If the defense managed to get back in time, a high-speed 'weave' started with the kick-out pass. Before long, a pick either broke someone free for a layup, or Cal was found alone in the corner. A seventeen point deficit was erased, and the team won going away. Of course, the locker room was absolute mayhem afterwards, mostly from the coach's tantrum. He cornered Cal and got right in his face. "Banner, you said you would do what you were told!" "I followed the coach's orders. He told us to run their asses off and win the game. We did." It would have made a good story if Coach Hall had seen the light and dropped his system, but it did not happen. The assistant was dismissed, and in the next game, the system was back in force. The previous game had reminded Cal of the pure thrill that drew him to the sport. As this game started, he felt like he was playing with a heavy weight on his back. Coming up the floor early in the game he happened to look at Dante, who was on the bench. The big guy's look of utter despair cut Cal to the heart. Dante was a good student, but probably not good enough for an academic scholarship. His family was upright and hardworking, but could not afford college tuition. Basketball was his ticket, and he was easily good enough for college ball. The coach was taking away his chance at a future by keeping him on the bench. It struck Cal that the man was a simple racist. A pathological aversion to unfairness was one of Cal's strongest personality traits, and this was monstrously unfair, in his opinion. The feeling of depression that bore him down at the start of the game was suddenly displaced by a fierce anger: the kind of anger that even his exceptional self-control could not suppress. The anger was so distracting for a few moments that he made a rare careless turnover. It was the coach's angry bellowing at him from the bench that broke through his distraction. The anger focused on the pompous idiot who would toy with his friend's very future; the stuffed shirt that was trying to make the glorious sport joyless and mechanical. The anger morphed into a driving urge to hurt the coach. At that point, Cal knew in his heart that it was his last game. He wanted to make sure that Hall knew just what he had driven away. The coach would probably never know the real reason why he would quit, and that almost made Cal happy. Let him try to figure it out. If Cal quit, Hall would have to use Dante or lose his job. That would give the big guy at least a chance at his scholarship. The stodgy offense would not really let Dante show his best, but it would be a chance. Cal channeled his anger into the game and he played with manic intensity and total abandon. He blanketed the floor on defense and scored thirty-six of the team's winning fifty-one points. After the one point victory, there was no jubilation from anyone but Coach Hall. He never seemed to notice that he was the only one celebrating. Cornering Cal again, he chortled "See, Banner, my system works. We're three and oh and we beat a couple of good teams. We'll make it to state my way. Keep up the good work." They were in the middle of the locker room with teammates all around, so Cal spoke quietly. "No, I won't keep it up. I quit!" As Cal stared fixedly into his eyes, the coach's face registered shock, then disbelief, then confusion, and finally anger. Cal expected to be hauled into the office at the very least, but it didn't happen. Hall just turned and stalked away. ------- The decision to quit had been made in the heat of the game. Cal had fully expected to think it through and talk with his folks before he actually made such a move - that was his way. But there was just something about the coach that made Cal want to lash out and cause hurt. He was almost ashamed of the satisfaction that he felt for having scored a major hurt. Now, he had a lot of people to talk to and a lot of explaining to do. First he talked to Dante and asked if he and his brother and his parents would be home later. Dante glumly told him that he did not feel like doing anything but going home, and Cal said he would be over in an hour. After riding home with his family, who were all puzzled by his lack of enthusiasm over his great game, he asked them all to gather in the living room. Pete, of course, was away at school. Laura was there, having never missed a basketball game. Things had definitely been cool between Cal and Laura since her nasty comment about Tessa and Cheryl. Laura seemed to pretend there was nothing wrong, but Cal could not. Everyone was very familiar with Cal's sense of fairness, so they understood his reasoning. That did not mean they were happy about it. Laura screamed out her disbelief and stomped out of the house. His parents and Rebecca did not like that he was just quitting. However, none of them could suggest another way to accommodate his scruples. The most touching part was when Elaine and Rebecca both cried because they would not be able to watch him play any more. ------- As he sat with Dante, Terrell, and their parents, he just blurted it out: "I quit the team after the game." "QUIT!?" Dante exploded. "Man, you're our offense. Without you, we're in deep shit. I didn't figure you for a quitter." "I guess that's what people are going to think of me," Cal answered somberly. "But Dante, you should be our offense." "Yeah, but the bastard just won't put me in." "And that's why I'm quitting," Cal explained. "If I keep playing, it will be like giving my approval to the way he's screwing you, Dante. As long as I'm in there making his stupid system work, he'll think he doesn't need to play you. I can't be part of that. It's unfair to you. I think he's a racist." "And you'd quit because I was being screwed?" Dante asked incredulously. When Cal nodded, Dante hung his head and said "Damn, I'm sorry I called you a quitter." "No apology needed." "Hey, he still might not play me," Dante pointed out. "Oh, I think he'll have to," Cal answered. "If he keeps you and Terrel and Mahmoud on the bench, you will lose most of the games. He will lose his job, and he can't take that chance." "You know," Dante said, "I've been about ready to quit because of the stupid system and the way he treats me. I can't though. If there's any little chance of getting noticed, I have to take it. I think you've made my chance a lot better." "He called me into his office once," Cal related. "He is really against what he calls 'playground ball'. I think what he means is 'black ball'. If you can make yourself play 'white', it's your best chance of getting a lot of playing time. You'll still get good stats, and the scouts should remember last year." "My family are the only other ones I'm telling the real reason," Cal added. "It's probably best if you don't spread what I've said all over the place. I didn't even give the coach a reason." Very little was said as they parted, but hugs were exchanged all around. ------- Cal found as many of the other players as he could early on Monday and let them know that he was quitting. He did not elaborate on any reasons. By lunch time the entire school seemed to know. In a highly unusual move, the principal called him in during the class after lunch. She was no dummy and probed hard for the real reason. As gently as possible, he told her "My real reason involves an accusation. I have no proof. I believe it, but it is just my opinion. I don't think it would be right to tell you." "I will accept it as opinion," she assured him. "Obviously, you believe it strongly enough to take this drastic step. Because of the way it affects the school, I think I am entitled to know." Cal just stared at her for a long time before he sighed and asked her "Will you promise that no one will know that I told you this?" "If I relay your opinions to anyone, I will portray them as my own supposition. Fair enough?" "Coach is screwing Dante out of a scholarship by keeping him on the bench. He is one of the best players in the state but he has had almost no playing time. Because Terrel and Mahmoud have also been kept on the bench, I believe Hall is a racist. "The system he coaches was originally developed to help short, slow white teams have a better chance against tall, fast black teams. He can claim they're not disciplined enough to fit in his system. Dante has followed all the rules in practice, but he still won't play him." "But the team is three and oh!" the principal objected, obviously upset by his comments. "One game was a pushover. One game, the coach got ejected and we were able to play like last year with the same guys. The last one, I had the game of my life. I can't do that any more. It makes it seem like I approve of what he is doing to Dante. I don't." "I've only talked to you once before, John, but I sense that you can't be talked out of this." "No. Even if the coach is fired, I couldn't come back. It would look like I was trying to get rid of him. That's not my reason. I think it was a horrible decision to hire him, but that's a separate issue." He noticed a strange stiffening of the woman's expression when he said that and decided to elaborate. "Coach Meinert didn't just fall into the right players to have six great years, you know." Meinert was the previous coach. "He spent a lot of years building up a feeder system, all the way from the fifth grade. Kids in elementary and junior high have all learned the fast-paced, high-scoring system. Now Hall comes along and turns everything around. Everything Meinert built is being thrown away." Cal was just about to ask the principal why she had hired Hall, but he saw the sadness and guilt in her eyes and he decided he had to find out some things. One thing Cal had not considered was the notoriety he would get from quitting. Local newspapers and TV sports shows were merciless as they spent three or four days trying to analyze the reasons. After crippling Greg and Chad, Cal had been excoriated by most of the press for ruining the football team's chances. When the team made the second round of playoffs, Vick was given most of the credit, but several reports did speculate on what might have been with the two expected stars. Now, they were portraying Cal as the bad guy again. There had been a lot of press criticism of the new coach for not playing Dante. Several reports actually opined that at least now Dante would probably get more playing time. Not a one, though, connected Cal's quitting to Dante's banishment to the bench. After a conference with Cal's parents, they supported his decision to stonewall the press. Martin typed up a three sentence statement that Cal gave to the principal as the only word the press would get. Stonewalling might have been the worst possible move because it was like waving a red flag in front of reporters. Just about everything about Cal appeared in print, much to his dismay. Somehow, neither his parents, the Powers brothers, nor the principal leaked the true reason. ------- On Monday evening after Cal quit, a pleasant-looking woman came to the Banners' door and introduced herself as Mrs. Beth Hall. In a manner that was as polite and as considerate as her husband was blunt and arrogant, Mrs. Hall asked if she could talk with Cal. Not wanting to play the same power game that he had for Genevieve's visit almost a year earlier, Cal showed her into the small but exquisitely furnished parlor of the home. Mrs. Hall started right in. "I'll be honest with you, Mr. Banner." As far as Cal could recall, that was the first he had been addressed that formally. "I am here to do anything I can to persuade you to reconsider leaving the basketball team." Cal could not help but bristle at the idea that Hall had sent his wife to do the dirty work. She was very perceptive and noticed Cal's reaction. "Oh, no! Roy did not send me. He never would. In fact, he would be very angry with me if he knew I was here." "Mrs. Hall, I don't see that there is anything that you could say or do that would change my mind. Several people whose opinions I value have tried - unsuccessfully." Mrs. Hall's shoulders sagged visibly, and she looked down so that Cal could not tell that her eyes were moist. "We, our family, have moved several times as Roy changed coaching jobs. This is my home town, where my family lives. I was thrilled when he got the job here, but your leaving the team could mean it will only last one year. What is so important that you would be willing to cost him his job? Cost me my ideal home?" "I'm sorry, Mrs. Hall, but only a few people know the reason. I do not think it would be good for the team or the school if my reason was made public. It would not be good for you, either." "I don't understand," Mrs. Hall almost wailed. "I know Roy is very stubborn and set in his ways. I know he is harsh with his players. I am constantly trying to get him to treat them more kindly. He... he doesn't want to listen. But you are a strong person. After the things you went through this fall... and I've heard all the stories about the kidnapping attempt... "Has he done something so awful that you cannot even play for him? Awful enough to desert your teammates? Awful enough to make my children and me lose the best home we have ever had? Why can't you tell me? You are critical to having a good year. The boy who was supposed to be the point guard transferred out of the school, although you are better. Your quitting leaves the team without a real floor leader. What could he have done to you?" That statement by Mrs. Hall stunned Cal. He hoped he had concealed his reaction better this time. The only potential players who had transferred out were Greg and Chad. Had Hall planned on making Chad the starting point guard? Hall himself had made a related comment at their first meeting. Cal was too off-balance to measure his words properly, and he said "Oh, it wasn't anything he did to me. I could take anything he could dish out." He shut up as soon as he realized what he had said, hoping that he had not given too much away. Mrs. Hall, though, was sharp. Her eyes widened at what Cal had said, and he knew she had figured it out. "If... if he changed what he was doing, would you rejoin the team?" "Mrs. Hall, I could not do that. It would look like I was trying to run things my way. That would not be good for the team. Honestly, I mean no harm to you and your children. I am truly sorry if it causes you trouble. It is just something that I believe in strongly." "It's the Powers boy, isn't it?" Mrs. Hall asked. "I know a lot about basketball. I have told Roy over and over that the Powers boy is his best player. He just yells at me about 'playground basketball', and 'showboating', and lack of discipline. But how will your quitting help your friend?" "Mrs. Hall..." "Beth, please." "Mrs. Hall, I am not telling you that your guess is correct." "Please, Mr. Banner! The last thing I would do would be to tell anyone." Thinking about it for a few more seconds, Cal decided he believed her. The woman showed a lot of courage coming to see him, and he had to admire that. He did wonder how she ended up with Hall. "Your husband's racist views were costing Dante a chance at the scholarship he deserved. Anything else I could have put up with, but not that. He can't afford to go to college any other way." Beth Hall struggled getting to her feet to leave, and Cal was afraid he would have to help her. She made no attempt to hide the tears running down her cheeks as she hurried to her car and drove away. ------- Beth did not drive right home, but went to her parents', where her two children were staying. There, she unburdened herself on her mother, receiving promises of all the support they could give her, no matter what happened. At home, Beth put her seven and nine-year olds to bed, then confronted her husband in front of the TV. "Roy, I am not moving away from here, no matter what happens." "And what is that supposed to mean?" "It means that when you get fired at the end of the year, you will be leaving for your next school alone. That's what it means. If you decide you want to stay married, you will find another job here. If it's not teaching and coaching, tough!" "What brought this on?" Roy asked in disbelief. "Your stupid prejudices cost you a key player, and as sure as anything, they will cost you this job. This was perfect! You walked into a winning program with great players. But could you bend and adapt for the sake of your family and your career? Nooooo! Not the great Roy Hall: he who knows exactly how God ordained basketball to be played and who should be allowed to play it! "Well, you can throw away your big chance, but you're not taking me away from my family one more time. I've had enough of ratty old houses in podunk towns. Even living with my folks will be better than going back to that." "What on earth are you talking about?" Roy demanded. "I'm not going to lose my job just because one spoiled rich kid got his feelings hurt and quit." "Do your really mean to tell me you don't know why he quit?" Beth asked in amazement. "He's no spoiled rich kid. He's a man with convictions. He quit because you were screwing his friend, your best player. You were robbing Dante Powers of his chance at an education. Cal quit because his play helped you get away with what you were doing." "How did you come up with that crazy idea?" "I figured it out. If I did, everyone else will, too. This is a big city area. Charges of racism here will ruin you instantly and you'll never coach again. You think it's important to prove you can win without black players? Well, you're on your own." Never in their ten years of marriage had Roy heard anything like that from his wife. She never made threats of any kind, and that made it frightening. But was she right? Would the kid really give up his star status to keep a friend from being mistreated? Would a rich white kid do that for a black? In Roy's view of the universe, such things just did not happen. What if other people started thinking like Beth? What if Banner started telling people that? Roy knew it would bring instant destruction in that city - Beth was right. Although no one but the Overlands knew about it, not even Principal Jameson, Roy Hall had been hired only upon his promise that Greg Overland and Chad Clark would be starters, and that Clark would be the point guard. Now, both of those players were gone. Roy was no fool. He understood that the Clark and Overland families must have forced his hiring just to get their sons on the team. Although he hated to admit it, he was convinced that he was also hired for his particular style, knowing that the less skilled Clark and Overland would be the least disadvantaged in his system. The complete reversal of the local basketball tradition was obvious. Since both Clark and Overland were seniors, Roy knew that any support he had would only have been for the first year. After that, his system would have to prove itself, but he believed in it - it would work. Now, he could be accused of racism, just for protecting the purity of the game. Could he compromise what he believed for the sake of his career? For the sake of his marriage? ------- Chapter 26 The night of Beth Hall's visit, Cal slept no better than his former basketball coach. The remarks of both Coach Hall and his wife obviously referred to Chad Clark. But why would Chad be Hall's presumed starting point guard? Everyone had known that Cal was destined for that spot. Chad was not even a capable reserve. As Cal lay awake for an unprecedented hour, random memories from the last eight months cycled through his mind. Every once in a while, one of them stood out. Principal Jameson's pained look when Cal had mentioned how strange the hiring of Hall was. Coach Meinert's stressed look the first several days of practice the previous year. One particular memory leaped to the fore. Soon after the announcement of Coach Meinert's college job the previous spring, Cal had visited his old coach in his office. "It was a little strange, Cal," Meinert had said. "They said they were only interested in me. Didn't know my fame had spread so far across the country. It's a private school, so their hiring policies don't require the things a public university does." Suddenly, Cal was sitting straight up in bed, wide awake. Hurrying down to the computer in the lower level, he began writing furiously. When he finished after a half hour, he was able to fall asleep instantly. During his early morning workout, Cal pondered what to do with the theory he had worked up. It did not take long to decide that someone other than him would have to release it. He also realized that it would take a lot of research to validate it, research that Cal was not equipped to do. A reporter was the logical person to take the story, but that left Cal with a couple of problems. First, there was no one reporter that he really trusted. Some had been more even-handed than others in their treatment of him, but there were none that he cared to hand a story of this magnitude. A second concern was how and when the story would be released. He had no desire to harm the team, and if it was released during the season, it would cause mayhem. If a reporter got it, they would want to run it full speed. Cal needed to talk to someone, but he could not decide who that should be. During one of his form drills, the obvious answer came to him. His parents. They had stood by him steadfastly through so much grief. How could he think of anyone else with something this potentially explosive. ------- It was easy to get his mother and dad alone after supper, as Rebecca was studying at Bobby's that night. When he asked to talk to them, they both looked a little puzzled until he handed them copies of his write-up from the night before. After reading through it, Martin just whistled, and Elaine swore. "What should I do with this?" Cal asked "How confident are you that it's true?" Martin asked. "It has to be true," Elaine answered immediately. "It has Overland written all over it." "Yeah, that's what I thought," Cal told them. "This should be handled by the press, but I can't think of anyone I want to give it to." The three sat quietly for a while, thinking. "Cal, Honey," Elaine spoke up. "You're not mad at Tessa, or anything, are you?" "Of course not. I'm happy for her. Why?" "Welllll... she wants to be a journalist. Wouldn't this be a blockbuster for the school paper?" "Elaine, I think this will take a professional to do all of the research," Martin cautioned. "Besides, I'm sure it would get censored out of the Fanfare." There was another thoughtful silence, then Cal spoke again. "You know what, Dad? Mom's right. Actually, I'm not sure if I even want this published. Principal Jameson has done a good job, and it would probably get her fired. But still... Let's see if Tessa can do anything with it. If she can, then that will make the decision." "Teri and Rick have to know, though," Elaine insisted. Within an hour, Elaine, Martin, and Cal were at the Walts' home meeting with Tessa and her parents. The shock was obvious on all of their faces after Cal told them the plan and let them read his theory. "This is true, I just know it!" Tessa blurted out. "But how can I prove it." "Unfortunately, you can't get help from an experienced journalist," Rick said, "because they could never keep it quiet." "Could you help with some travel money, Dad?" Tessa asked. "Sure! I'd love to. Not sure I want you traveling alone, though." "I can think of a pretty big bodyguard for her," Cal blurted out, causing them all to laugh. "Seriously, she can't get help from a journalist, but she could from an investigator. They are paid to be confidential. Dex has a friend who runs a PI company. Of course that would cost money, too." "I'll pay out of my money," Elaine insisted immediately. "If there's any chance of nailing those damned Overlands, it will be worth every penny." "I'll split with you," Rick said enthusiastically. "Maybe this is thinking way ahead," Martin said, "but we need to think about copyrighting." "So you're convinced it's true, too, Dad?" Cal asked. "Well, I felt pretty positive. But I'm even more positive about your mother's intuition." The look he got from Elaine bode well for a pleasant bedtime. Teri got her concern on the table, laced with a bit of humor. "You're not going to get all distracted and let Rebecca beat you out for valedictorian, are you, Tessa?" When the others finished laughing, Tessa joked "No problem. Bobby's already distracted her and beaten her out." Cal wondered if it was wise for him, but he just plunged ahead. "Good thing you don't have any similar distractions, Tessa." She blushed and threw a decorative pillow at him, but took it in a good spirit. Teri could not hide a brief expression of sadness. Recovering, Teri took the floor. "That brings up another subject we might as well all discuss. With Cal having more time on his hands, there is a lot of photo business that I have had to turn down. Now, maybe he can handle some of it." "Yeah, I've thought about that," Cal replied. "The problem is, you need an assistant," Teri went on. "I can handle some, but not very much. Tessa is pretty busy with school, and Vick, and now this story." "It would probably be more comfortable for you if you didn't have to help any more, wouldn't it?" Cal asked Tessa. She nodded, the incipient tears obvious to everyone. "Hey! Hey! It's nothing to get upset about. I'll just have to find someone else." Tessa quickly composed herself and spoke up. "I've got a suggestion for you. You know Jean del Prado?" Jean was the girl Cal had done the free portrait for early on. She was in a few of his classes and they were quite friendly with each other. "Well, it turns out Jean is a good photographer. They're really poor and she can't afford a good camera, but she has submitted some very nice shots for the paper. I think she would jump at the chance for a job." Cal looked at his parents. "Would you mind having an outsider coming in to work in the lab?" "Oh, of course not," Elaine answered. "I'm sure she's a nice girl. Uh, how will Cheryl react?" "Geez! Everything gets complicated, doesn't it?" Cal complained. "She's too busy to do it herself. We'll just talk about it and it will be OK. I'll have to talk to Jean's mother about the kind of pictures we sometimes take. Don't want any problem there." ------- Not only was the press rough on Cal, the students were positively venomous, with many of his teammates among the worst. Monday, the story was just getting around, but by Tuesday, everyone knew. At lunch Tuesday, Dante came and sat by Cal as he often did. Mahmound Salaam walked by and seemed about to drop his tray. "Shit, Dante, man! How can you eat with that quitter?" "Hey, 'Moud!" Dante retorted. "Sit down here!" Mahmoud was very reluctant, but it was hard to say 'no' to Dante. Dante looked at Cal for permission to tell his friend, but Cal shook his head slightly. Dante looked upset for a moment, then turned to Mahmoud. "Look, Man. I can't tell you much, but get this. Go easy on Cal. He has a very good reason. Later, when you find out, you'll feel bad for raggin' on him." "But to just walk away!" "I'm tellin' ya! It's a righteous reason. Will you take my word for it? Besides, if we hang with Cal, it'll piss off Hall somethin' mighty. How about that?" Salaam did not look convinced, but showing respect for Dante, he stayed and finished lunch. Apparently, Dante or Terrell talked to Mahmoud more after school, because from then on, the lunch patterns continued as they had been all year. Cal was quite sure that Mahmoud had been told the real story. After thinking about it, he decided he could not be angry with Dante because of it. ------- During a class they had together, Cal asked Jean del Prado if he could talk with her and her mother that evening about a job for Jean. Later, at their very modest home, he laid it out. "Mrs. Walts and I have built a successful little photography business by going to people's homes to take the pictures. I need an assistant to do a good job, and Tessa can't do it any more." Cal saw from Jean's little grin that she fully understood the real reason. "I understand that Jean has a real interest in photography, and this could be good for both of us." Cal went on to lay out the pay and the estimated time requirements. Both Jean and her mother responded very positively. "There is something that neither of you know that could change your minds. I am trusting you not to spread this around. We take all kinds of pictures that the customers ask for, except for pornographic ones. That means that some customers want nude pictures, and we do them." Both women were stunned for a moment, then Mrs. del Prado said "Oh, my! I don't think Jean should get involved with that. It's against everything we have been taught." Cal could see Jean trapped between her desire for the job and her desire to be respectful to her mother, and his opinion of her rose even higher. "Mrs. del Prado, I can understand your concern. Let me say a few things." Cal was now about to promise things that he had not thought through, but he had decided that Jean was the perfect choice. "First of all, I have not seen any of Jean's work, but Tessa tells me she has talent, and Tessa should know. After next year, I will probably no longer be in town. The business will either have to shut down, or someone else will have to do the photography. This is not a promise, but I will give Jean every chance to take over as the photographer if she is interested." Jean's gasp told Cal that he had done a good thing. "Now, I would be willing to sign both of you up as employees, just so you, Mrs. del Prado, could come to the lab and see the pictures that we take. I know they may be shocking to you, but you would see that they are not dirty pictures. If you have any interest, you could even learn to do developing and printing so perhaps you could help Jean in the business if she takes it over." "Do... do you really think I could do that?" Jean asked, her disbelief obvious. "Jean, I am just thinking out loud here, but I do think it is possible. Of course, I haven't seen your first picture yet." With that, Jean jumped up and ran from the room, returning shortly with a large loose-leaf binder full of pictures that she laid in Cal's lap. "I have been upset with her many times for spending money we do not have on her pictures," Mrs. del Prado said. "Maybe something good will come of it. But nude pictures! I don't know." "Momma, listen to me. You know we can't afford college. My grades will never get me a scholarship. I'm not good at very many things, but I can take pictures. This is one chance in a million. Please! Please! Let me try. Come and see the pictures." "Can you show me some of the nude pictures you have taken," Mrs. del Prado asked reluctantly. Once again Cal was touched. Now, the mother was balancing her scruples against her desire to give her daughter a chance at a better life. "No, I can't. I return all pictures and all negatives to the customer as soon as possible. It is part of our promise that we do not keep anything." "Oh, that is probably best," Mrs. del Prado responded. "Jeannie, I will have to say lots of rosaries because of this, but I can't deny you this chance." Jean flew into her mother's arms for a tearful hug, then looked at Cal in some embarrassment. He was busy going through her folder of pictures. The next night, the del Prados had supper at the Banner house, and Cal gave them a detailed tour of the lab. The following Saturday was the next shoot, and by then, Jean had gone through setting up the equipment several times and handled it all very well. ------- Without the time pressure of practice, Cal had more time to attend Cheryl's basketball games, and even to watch some of her practices. At first, the girls' coach was not at all happy about Cal hanging around, given the fact that he had quit. Among the athletic staff, he was considered the bad guy. None of the other coaches liked Hall, but just quitting was not acceptable. Cheryl's basketball team was probably destined to be middle of the pack, but as Cal watched the first few games and several practices, he thought they should be better than that. Talking with Cheryl after one game, he asked if the three girls who played the most at guard would be willing to talk with him. Two of them had the same lunch period, and it was arranged for the next day. The girls were very reluctant to even be seen with Cal, but Cheryl was persuasive. On the first day, he just shared two things that he had discovered or learned from Dex Madison. In basketball, subtle things that might only affect a few possessions can still change a game. Cal's first two tips just dealt with a guard's court position in key situations. It took a couple of weeks of practice, but eventually, the girls were eager for their sessions with Cal. When he talked Dex into driving out for one lunch period when Dex did not have class, the girls skipped the next period to talk with the two guys. The girls' team did not have championship potential, but they began winning more than they lost. After he had left the team, Cal faced a decision: should he attend the games. Actually, it was not a hard decision. He had nothing against his former teammates and he wanted them to succeed, particularly Dante. No one would view his presence as supporting Hall, so he decided to be a faithful fan. He made it a point to greet the players before they headed to the locker room. Dante and Terrell, in particular, made sure to wait for him. Probably due to Hall's desperation over possible charges of racism, the talented black trio started the next game and every game thereafter. Hall did not abandon his system, though, and he put severe restrictions on the kind of moves that he would allow. Nor did he moderate his harsh treatment of his players. It was obvious to any keen observer that the gulf between coach and players was exceptionally wide. Although he had been the most uncomfortable with Hall's system, Mahmoud Salaam ended up as the point guard. Even though he was 6'4", he was an excellent dribbler and passer. He was also a pragmatist who understood that it was his best chance to play. Cal further reduced Mahmoud's antipathy by taking him to an Addison game and then to dinner at Dex's house. There, they discussed things that Dex had learned playing against some teams that used a controlled style similar to Hall's. Mahmoud felt that he had picked up a few tips about the point guard position that could really help him. He hated the way they had to play, but the competitor in him wanted to do the best he could. Everyone close to Cal kept asking him if he missed basketball, but the answer was never simple. He definitely missed it as it was played under Coach Meinert. And regardless of how the game was coached, Cal missed the competition. ------- Christmas break from school was extremely busy for Cal. Teri had scheduled a lot of shoots; so many, in fact, that he was begrudging the time away from Cheryl. A big decision was a large family gathering on Christmas day that the customer wanted a detailed photo record of. Martin and Elaine were not at all happy about the prospect of Cal working that day, but when the proposed add-on charge was agreed to without question, Cal could not refuse. Part of his reason for accepting the job was Jean. Having never had a spare dollar to spend, the new job was like a dream come true for her. Cal found her to be very conscientious and systematic, which fit his own style perfectly. She also caught on to the lab work very quickly. The biggest bonus from hiring Jean was her skill with the camera. She really did have the eye for it. In particular, she had a knack for children's pictures. Cal had taken a lot of them himself, and they were up to his usual quality. He had to admit, though, that Jean got something out of the kids that he just could not duplicate. To her absolute delight, he had her working the camera when there were children involved by their fourth date. They traded off, but she was still thrilled. For the Christmas day shoot, there were kids of all ages all over the large house. The level of excitement made static posing an impossibility, so Cal gave Jean one camera while he took another, and they shot many rolls of impromptu shots. Cal just watched Jean for a while and was impressed with the way she treated the camera. It was top-of-the-line, but to Cal, it was just a tool. Jean, however, treated it as a sacred object that she was privileged to touch. Part of Cal's satisfaction with his new assistant was the sense that he was doing something good for people who deserved it. Mrs. del Prado had come to the house several times to review photos, even though no nude sessions had been scheduled. Jean was like a little kid displaying the shots that Cal had let her take. Once again, Cal could see that unique bond between mother and daughter, the bond that Cheryl felt so deprived of. It was two days after Christmas that the first nude session was scheduled. Cal talked to Jean all the way to the house, making sure that she was ready. As much as she claimed she was OK, it was still a shock to her. The husband had apparently seen a lot of erotic Christmas-themed pictures on the Net and wanted some of his wife. First of all, Cal made sure that the wife was a willing participant, and she was actually giddily enthusiastic. Next, he had to refuse some poses that were too borderline porno for the standards they had developed. Cal had instituted a policy of giving the pictures that Jean took to the customer, but not charging for them, and Jean did not seem at all insulted. The policy did not have to be maintained for long, as it turned out. For her first nude shots, she could hardly keep her hands from shaking, but she got through it. The husband was not in any of the pictures. Mrs. del Prado reviewed the shots, and she was obviously unhappy. However, she congratulated Jean on her work, and did not try to prohibit her involvement. ------- As Christmas approached, there was little holiday spirit at the Overland house. The three surgeries on Greg's knee had taken until well into October, and rehab had started soon afterward. Rehab was pure hell, and predictably, Greg was not handling it well. Of course, all necessary equipment had been set up at the Overland estate, and a therapist had been hired. Actually, Greg was on his third therapist as December ticked away. One had made it six weeks, but the second had all she could take after one week. Although the therapist never gave a reason, Genevieve was quite sure that Greg had made unwanted advances at the attractive but very professional young woman. Since the attack, Greg had been celibate - a very long time for him. The day of the picnic, he was already feeling the effects of his diseases, though not enough to stop him from attacking Rebecca. Afterward, the pain in his penis became all scrambled up with his other pains and smothered by the pain pills that were to be his steady diet for many months to come. The legal battle over Greg's conspiracy charge was turning into a delaying action, trying to gain enough time for his knee to recover. The crime had occurred in a county away from the Overlands' home. It was a county that was very proud of its low crime rate and consistently elected very conservative judges and DAs. The prominence of Greg's family was actually a negative in the situation, offering the DA a chance for a high profile 'score'. By a stroke of luck for the Overlands, when Greg revealed that he had gotten the money from his mother, he did not admit to having told her what it was for. The lawyers managed to keep everyone quiet on that point, and the DA decided there was not enough evidence against Penelope to proceed to a grand jury. The fact that gifts to Greg of that size or greater were not uncommon was a key point. Not that Penelope felt huge relief at not being charged. She was so upset at the certainty of Greg's incarceration that she could hardly feel anything. Thrice-weekly therapy sessions kept her minimally functional, but the lawyers lived in fear of what she might say if questioned again. Naturally, plea bargains had been offered, but so far, the proposed prison terms were only marginally less than might have been imposed after a trial. Greg's legal team had been reduced to attacking the DA's budget. They hoped that by employing every delaying tactic imaginable, the DA would try to reduce the expense hit by offering a much more attractive plea bargain. So far, it was a standoff, but political pressure on the DA was building. Even though he had been told repeatedly, Greg appeared not to believe that he would have to go to prison. His doctors' and therapists' urgency for him to make progress in his rehab had not stimulated him at all. He seemed genuinely insulted that they could not just fix him without his having to endure the work and the pain. For many supremely arrogant, self-centered people, some traumatic event will bring them to understanding and acceptance of their true significance in the universe. Or, it will at least attenuate their delusions of omnipotence. Greg had certainly had his traumatic event - or sequence of events, but his opinion of himself seemed completely unaffected. Definitions of psychosis sometimes refer to 'loss of contact with reality'. As Cheryl could attest, that applied to Greg. Too often, he had no contact with the realities of behavior norms, rules, or laws that applied to him. Being intelligent, social, and competitive, he was able to fit in and act in a fairly normal fashion. But it was always with the conviction that he should not have to live by those restrictions. Alcohol and various other drugs are known to reduce inhibitions. Reduced inhibitions means one acts more according to their true feelings and urges. In his heart, Greg believed there was no legitimate reason why he could not have sex with any girl he chose. With his inhibitions beaten down by his heavy drinking the day of the party at the lake, he tried to exert his natural right to have sex with Rebecca. After the fact and sober, his psychosis would not allow him acknowledge that he was in the wrong. Months after the attempted rape and the contract assault, Greg viewed himself as the victim and had never thought otherwise. The injuries by Rebecca and Cal, the surgeries, the rehab, the treatment for STDs, the arrests, the arraignments, the endless questionings, the betrayal and abandonment by Cheryl and Cecily: all were injustices done unto him. Not a single one was deserved in any way. Penelope was so besotted with her son that she was unable to see anything negative about him. Brandon was totally clueless about anything psychological. Genevieve, however, still had a reasonable grip on reality, and she had been watching her grandson very closely. In addition, she had the consistent input from Cheryl and the 'peep show' of Greg with Cecily to go on. It started as an idea that Greg might benefit from psychiatric help. It quickly blossomed into a tactic to get Greg committed rather than imprisoned. Failing that, it would at least delay resolution, allowing further healing and recovery and putting more budget pressure on the DA. Thus it was that Greg was to spend what should have been the Christmas vacation of his senior year undergoing an extensive battery of psychological tests from a team of psychiatrists. The sole objective was to present sufficient documentation to force a court-ordered psyche evaluation. ------- The whole holiday season had one discordant note for Cal - his aunt Laura. She spent her usual time at the Banner home, and her relationship with Elaine seemed as strong as ever. Sometimes, she even acted normally toward Cal. Often, though, she went out of her way to make biting comments. Given her love for basketball, he could almost forgive her constant harping on his quitting. What he really had trouble with were the increasingly frequent gibes about his love life. Cal's reaction to Laura was a combination of anger, dismay, and puzzlement. He was angry at the things she said. For instance, one time she asked him "Has Cheryl shrunk down enough from Greg so she can feel you in her? You do get in her, don't you?" How was he supposed to react to that? On another occasion Laura taunted him with "Why didn't you let me help you choose a new assistant? I sure could have done better than that scrawny little skank." Jean was barely five feet and a hundred pounds. "She can't be any fun at all in the lab. Oh, maybe no one else wanted the job after the tryout, huh?" Those comments and others about Jean really got under Cal's skin. He had no romantic feelings for Jean, but his admiration for her as a person and as a photographer grew with each week. He was totally confused about Laura's attitude, particularly when there were times when she seemed normal toward him. He did not know how she could do it, because he could not keep up the pretense. The only person Cal could talk to about Laura was Cheryl, and he gave her a blow-by-blow, even the cracks about Cheryl herself. By Christmas, Cheryl had had several sessions with Julia Waxman, and was enthused about the effect on her and, hopefully, on her family. Cheryl was fascinated by the whole idea and approach of psychiatry. "Cal, there must be something very serious going on in Laura's life to cause this. I hope you don't mind, but I talked about it with Julia, and she agreed. The fact that Laura sometimes acts normal with you is a real warning sign. Whatever is affecting her, she is trying to deny or hide it. She also is suppressing the bad things that are happening." "Well, it has to be something with Will, then," Cal opined. "He's a first-class jerk - probably what Greg will turn into if he survives." "Oh, God! Poor Laura," Cheryl sympathized. "How did she end up with him?" "You've met him. Just like Greg, he has everything going for him." "I'll bet he's no better in bed than Greg, either," Cheryl said. "Say! Most of her nasty remarks to you are about sex, aren't they? I'll bet she senses that you're giving me a lot better than she's getting. To try and deny that, she has to tear you down." "Uh, you still planning on being a GP or an OB/Gyn? Thinking of psychiatry, now?" Cal teased. ------- Cal's lack of romantic interest in Jean was not because she was unattractive. Although small and slim, she was graceful and vivacious, and had a sunny disposition. Cal just always had Tessa and then Cheryl. Cheryl, Vick and Jean were new invitees to the Banners' second New Year's Eve party, along with three or four additional friends. This year, both Cal and Jean set up to take pictures. Keying on the previous year, parents of attendees were invited to stop in early in the evening to have pictures taken. Cal felt it was a good PR move, and he wanted to give Jean as much practice as possible. Rebecca had spent quite a bit of time with Jean when Jean was working with Cal in the lab, and they got along nicely. Together, Rebecca and Bobby had decided on an ideal pairing of Jean with one of Bobby's long-time friends. Jared was short, extremely bright, and terminally shy. Jared lived with his father, a postman. His mother had been diagnosed with cancer when Jared was still an infant, and had died within a year and a half. His father had never remarried. Together, father and son shared a love of anything mechanical. Over the years, they had turned their modest home into quite a showpiece, and they were constantly into some project or other. Thus, when Cal asked Jared to come early to the party to help with lighting, he responded enthusiastically. When told that he would be Jean's assistant for the night, he reacted with fear, but stuck it out. By the end of the evening, Jean and Jared were actually talking. Jean may have pushed things a little by asking Jared to dance, but he held together for one very awkward attempt, and did not go away angry. Cal had always liked Vick, but he gained even higher regard for the big guy at the party. It was just as 'uncool' as the previous year, but Vick entered right in with all of the activities and gave every appearance of enjoying himself. As a jock among nerds, some friction might have been expected, but there was none. From earlier tolerance, the relationship between Bobby and Vick was developing into mutual respect and genuine friendship. By now, Cal believed that he should no longer feel stabs of regret when he saw Tessa with Vick. After all, Cal was with Cheryl and very happy with her. It was just one of those times when all of Cal's discipline and his rational approach could not completely control his feelings. ------- All through the New Year's Eve party, Cal had noticed that Cheryl was working hard to seem in a party mood - too hard. She was staying with Cal that night and after everything was cleaned up, he willingly followed her to his room. He wanted to find out what was wrong. Cal and Cheryl had enjoyed all flavors of sex, although the gentler, conversation-laced variety was their favorite. It is said that you cannot rape the willing, but Cheryl made it a borderline rape that night as they walked into the bedroom. Without ceremony or words, she pushed Cal back onto his bed, loosened his belt, then pulled off his shoes and pants. He did not resist, object, or comment simply because of the almost manic look in her eyes. With him suitably exposed, she slipped off her shoes, panties, and jeans and leaped atop him. Still wearing the same manic expression, she began rubbing her crotch vigorously over his penis, which started turning into a full-fledged cock before very long. Judging his rigidity to be adequate for the task, she inserted him into herself, where lubrication was abundant. What followed was an abbreviated version of the sexual 'fit' she had experienced after the attack on Rebecca. Somewhere in the process of their thrashing and plunging, the rest of their clothes came off. When the awesome reservoir of tension she had built up was finally drained, they were naked, ripe-smelling, and feeling the effects of evaporation on their skin. Since coming upstairs, not a single word had been spoken by either of them, and Cal was determined not to be the first to speak. Rolling her off of himself, he fetched robes and towels, helped her up, and led her downstairs and out to the hot tub. They had been sitting submerged with her leaning back against him for several minutes when she finally spoke. "Some Happy New Year present!" she spat out sarcastically. "Julia couldn't decide if she was even able to tell me, but since I get the bills... Dad said they were done with counseling yesterday. His casts came off three days ago. Guess his balls grew back then." "I suppose the last month of your mother's health club will be wasted, too, huh?" Shifting from the tragic to the trivial jarred Cheryl from her anger enough to chuckle. "Nope! He must like what he sees. Or maybe he's getting more now. I don't know, but that hasn't come up. Shit! You were just trying to get me off balance, weren't you? Well, you're forgiven." "Didn't ask to be." That additional attempt at comic relief fell flat, and Cal resorted to just hugging her and nuzzling her ear. After a couple of silent minutes, he asked "You gonna keep going?" With a sigh, Cheryl answered "It's probably the only way to keep from being sucked in." "Will you stay at home?" "Cal, I have to, and that's the hard part. Where I want to be is right here. But Matt and Shelley..." that sentence ended in tears. "You won't let that affect your college plans, will you?" "Have you been talking to Julia? No, I won't. I'm afraid she'd come after me if I did," Cheryl answered. "Besides, I've fought too many battles. I can't give up, now." Cal endorsed her declaration with some more cuddling and nuzzling. "Do you think things will be better?" "Julia couldn't say much, of course, but I just got the impression that she was quite upset with how things ended." About that time, the sliding door to the master suite opened, and Elaine came out in a robe. When she got closer, she asked "You guys decent?" Not sure where the quip came from, Cal answered "Of course. We're just naked." "Oh!" And Elaine started to turn around. "Mom, join us. Please," Cal said quickly. Elaine came around behind them and they heard her robe drop. She slipped in next to Cal, as naked as they were. "This OK?" she asked him. "Why'd you ask if we were decent?" he asked her with a grin. She shrugged dramatically and said "Guess it's customary." That made all three of them laugh. "We've been talking about some pretty heavy stuff," Cal told his mom, then gave a brief recap of what had happened. Elaine just reached out and gently stroked back the damp hair over Cheryl's ear. She had not finished one stroke when Cheryl spun around onto Elaine's lap, threw her arms around the woman's neck, and broke into sobs. Elaine looked over at Cal for a moment, received a kiss on the cheek, then they both turned their attention to the distraught girl. Cheryl could barely remember the last time her mother had held her in a comforting way. This was shockingly intimate, but that did not even register. Elaine was a woman she cared for and respected; in many ways what she wished her own mother could be. Despite Cal's loving, some mothering was what she needed right then. It was nearly an hour later when they left the hot tub, much longer than is recommended. The occasion, however, required more than a twenty minute limit. Cal had sensed early on that they would be a while, and he had turned down the temperature. As they left the tub, Cal pointedly turned away. Elaine could not decide if she was grateful for his consideration or disappointed at his lack of curiosity. ------- Acting out of necessity, in the case of her parents showering together, and out of a desire to improve her mother's life and health, in the case of the health club membership, Cheryl had unwittingly cracked the lid on Pandora's box. Darlene Carson's world had been sheltered and tightly controlled for her entire life. Her views on many things were clearly out of step with the modern environment. It would seem that just watching TV, which she did quite a bit of, would influence her and bring about change. Strangely enough, what she viewed seemed to have little or no effect on her beliefs or her actions. Two major reasons Darlene's views did not evolve were Hal and her submissiveness. Hal's beliefs were at least as straight-laced as hers, and she simply did not have the strength of character to exert her own will against his expectations. He was the one who chastised her any time she strayed beyond the bounds of what was usual and proper in their relationship. It took very little to make her retreat back behind the understood and comfortable limits. The Carsons had had no real fights during their marriage and few substantial arguments. She was just too compliant to his will to raise more than minor objections. Most of the loud talking and stress in the household was Hal upbraiding Darlene or one of the children. A physically strong woman with a completely normal libido, she was a testament to self-control. Except for a few guilt and danger-ridden occasions in her teens, she never masturbated. There were times, especially during her pregnancies, when she felt like she would go crazy with pent-up sexual frustration. Nevertheless, her deep-seated beliefs about what was proper and what was sinful prevented her from acting to relieve the frustration. Coming from a very undemonstrative family, as did Hal, Darlene fought her frustration by avoiding anything that might further stimulate her. Having infrequently been hugged or cuddled as a child, she found it difficult to show affection to her own children. Since Hal did not seem to expect it or welcome it, she did not show him much affection, either. Hal had been taught that regular sexual release was a necessity for a man and was a husband's privilege. Darlene had been taught that sex was a distasteful duty that she must perform for the good of her husband. It's only redeeming quality was the few instances when it would leave her pregnant. Since Hal was quite virile, the Carsons engaged in intercourse every three or four days, and that frequency had held through their entire marriage. It was just another example of Hal's rigidity. Although she would have been loathe to admit it, Darlene looked forward to their interludes more now as she entered her peak years of sexual response. For one thing, Hal did not finish nearly as quickly as he had a decade ago, and that meant there was more time for her to enjoy the stimulation. There was no chance that she would ever reach orgasm through intercourse, but it still felt good. The day that Hal came home from the hospital after his hands were repaired was the most traumatic day that Darlene could remember. Observing her life with Hal, an outsider could legitimately question whether she truly loved him. Yet, there was no question that he was the center and the controlling influence of her life. That he was hurting and needy affected her deeply. That he might not be able to direct her in his usual manner left her confused, uncertain, and frightened. His will and his certitude seemed dimmed by the pain and the medication, and she felt at a loss. Into Darlene's scary emotional void stepped a new version of her eldest daughter. Cheryl was ordering her mother in ways that Hal had never done. It confused Darlene greatly because to her husband was where her obedience rightly belonged. At the same time, Cheryl's strength and certainty gave Darlene an almost sexual thrill. Hal was not a truly strong person. What passed for strength was really just habit, stubbornness, and good deal of bully mentality. Darlene did not know it, but she could easily have withstood Hal at almost any time, had she had any resistive ability at all. From the time they entered the house on the way home from the hospital, Darlene could not help focusing on Cheryl and her newfound leadership. Hal seemed to have shrunken to the role of a child in comparison to Cheryl's force. To Darlene's needy psyche, there was a new sheriff in town, and her obedience shifted very quickly. Not only was Cheryl stronger, she had forced Darlene into something that gave her new, forbidden sensations. In her growing up years, Darlene had been involved in the usual family illness and minor injury situations, and as a mother, they were not frightening to her. For nearly twenty years of marriage, Hal had been her source of certainty and her paragon of independence and self-reliance. He unconsciously supplied that which she badly needed. Although Darlene had no way of knowing it, Hal's seeming certitude and dominance was entirely counterfeit. He only did things that he was used to doing - comfortable doing. That made him seem assured, while in truth, he fearfully avoided the unaccustomed or unfamiliar. When the big crisis of his disabling injury came, Hal was lost, as was Darlene's anchor. If Cal had not forcibly taken the children to Cheryl's games, then done the same with Darlene, the psychological makeup of the Carsons might not have been discovered. If Cheryl had not taken over the way she did, perhaps Darlene would have discovered unsuspected reserves of resourcefulness. Crises do cause people to grow and change. Nevertheless, Cheryl's discoveries could not have come at a better time. Her willingness to become the 'bad guy' kept a bad situation from deteriorating even further. Back in the early days of Hal's injury, Cheryl had interfered as little as possible. After forcing her mother to masturbate the first time, she followed up twice more, then left Darlene to her own devices. Along with the masturbation, Cheryl browbeat her mother until Darlene agreed to try the female superior position with Hal. Apparently, that allowed them to resume a normal sexual schedule. The only way Cheryl won that contest was by again using threats. When Darlene tearfully refused to try the new position, Cheryl drove her into even deeper tears. She told her mother that she would have to relieve Hal with her hands. When that was just as abhorrent as the changing positions, Cheryl declared that if Darlene had not gotten her husband off one way or another by the next night, Cheryl would do it herself. Darlene believed her. Cheryl's biggest intervention was indirect - getting her parents to visit Dr. Julia Waxman. When Hal became upset with what he considered the level of snooping into his private life and quit the sessions, Cheryl was crushed. She had harbored hope that some significant changes in her parents' lives could occur. Hal had gone along with the sessions because the two stated reasons were valid: dealing with his injury, and understanding Cheryl's contract with Genevieve. All along, the fact that Julia was female bothered him, but he was at the most passive time in his life after Cheryl's dominance. Marty being female was easier to deal with because she was performing a valuable service. In Hal's mind, Julia was just meddling. His natural aversion to both therapy and to women in authority merged to turn him against the sessions. Julia's sessions with Darlene and Hal had been planned as part of the extended series that Cheryl was willing to pay for. Thus, the first few dealt with self-discovery questions. Even though Julia never got to follow up on her preliminary groundwork, the sessions made a significant impression on Darlene. The intelligence of the Carson children was no genetic accident, nor did it all come from Hal. For the first time in her life, Darlene began to consider some things about herself, and it was a revelation to her. ------- The almost two months of having to shower together were enough stimulation alone to awaken Darlene's libido from its hibernation. Add to the that the forced introduction to masturbation and a new sexual position, and her years of tight control over her sexuality were embattled. Darlene's life had been purposely lacking in sensual stimulation. When Cheryl sent her off to the health club, that began to change rather quickly. Cheryl and Shelley inherited their bodies from their mother. Had she ever been given the chance, Darlene could have been a good athlete. Even though she resented being ordered by her daughter to work out at the club, Darlene did it. With Cheryl's new dominance, even her husband's objections could not help. From the first time she felt the tight, hot sensation in her muscles, she wanted more. Darlene's body, which for her whole life she had ignored, now became an object of interest to her. Showering with Hal every night had gotten her used to nudity. A few weeks of exercise made her aware of her muscles. A few times masturbating made her aware of all of the sexually reactive parts. Well before Christmas, she would slip on a robe after the shower, get Hal into bed, then go into the hall bathroom where she could examine her body in private. Like a newly-hatched butterfly, Darlene was ready for new experiences and new sensations, and that was where the problem came in. Hal was unalterably dedicated to the 'same-old, same-old'. Even as submissive as she was, her excitement and anticipation was enough to make her suggest some things to Hal. Every suggestion was shot down. When Hal's casts came off, Darlene suggested they continue showering together and he could wash her. That was met with a stony-faced shake of the head. With the casts gone, it was a couple of weeks before Hal could stand to support himself above her for the missionary position. After he could, he adamantly refused to let her be on top again. While he was still in casts, one night Darlene came to bed naked, prepared to mount him. That episode was crushing for Darlene. He became angry and called her names for her brazenness. Another time, while he was still in casts, she reached down to work her clit as she rode him. Lost in his own excitement, Hal did not notice for quite a while. When he did, his objection was loud and mean, and it ended the session without him finishing. It was over a week before he sought intercourse again. Here was a couple whose sensual and sexual expectations had been well matched for the almost twenty years of the marriage. Because of an accident, her sensual horizons were greatly expanded, but he would not respond in kind. Suddenly, there was a key area of major stress in their relationship - a relationship that in reality that not have a lot besides habit, custom, and stilted expectations to hold it together. ------- Chapter 27 In the first week of the new year, two psychiatrists, speaking for the panel that had been employed to evaluate Greg, came to the Overland mansion to give their report. Brandon, Penelope, Genevieve, and Greg's lead lawyer were in the meeting. After the introductions, the lead doctor took the floor. "We have put Greg through the entire battery of tests and examinations that we described to you beforehand. We can go into as much detail as you would like, but let me summarize. He is definitely suffering from a pronounced psychosis. However, we do not believe his mental condition would justify an insanity defense under the rules employed by court-appointed psychiatrists. "Members of the team have at times worked for the court, so we are familiar with the standards. Your son's psychological profile correlates closely with a large percentage of the inmates of our prisons." He had to pause a moment for Penelope's gasp. "Thus, it is highly unlikely that the plea would be accepted. It has failed too many other times for defendants with similar profiles." Penelope had become increasingly agitated as the doctor spoke, and she finally could not hold back. "Must you talk about Greg as if he is a criminal?" The doctor looked to Genevieve, obviously the family's leader, and received a slight nod. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Overland, but your son IS a criminal. He badly beat a young man and tried to rape a young girl, and..." "He couldn't have done those things!" Penelope insisted. "Mrs. Overland, we have techniques for determining truthfulness that are as good as any polygraph. The team is unanimous in their belief that Greg is indeed guilty of all of the things he was accused of." Penelope's face cycled through a rainbow of emotions before settling on a sickly pallor that looked like she was about to be ill. The second doctor was watching her closely, helped her to her feet, and ushered her from the room. The group recessed until Penelope returned about twenty minutes later. She was composed, but still looked strained and pale. Making no reference to Penelope's absence or her condition, the lead doctor continued his summary. "It is highly unfortunate that Greg cannot be admitted to a treatment center instead of prison." There was pause for another gasp from Penelope. "Without some intensive psychiatric treatment, he will never be able to merge into a normal social environment. Were it not for his current charges, it would only be a matter of time before he ran afoul of the law in some other way." Another hour was spent in questions and explanations. Genevieve asked most of the questions and Brandon made a few inquiries. Penelope just sat and listened, looking more stressed as time passed. A key question from Brandon was why Greg would not enter into his rehabilitation. "We believe that is all part of the disconnect from reality that is typical of psychosis. To Greg, what is happening to him is not possible. It does not fit his reality - his distorted view of the world and his position in it. Since it cannot be true, he refuses to participate in anything that is going on. That, of course, is a highly paraphrased picture of a highly complex situation." "Is there anything we can do to get him to start rehab?" Brandon followed up. "That has been a topic of a great deal of discussion among the team members. We are not sure how to accomplish it, but the consensus is that a challenge to his manhood that he cannot just ignore would be one possibility. He is able to turn away and shrug off most things with a great show of disinterest. "That show of disinterest is not an act. He really does not care about most things around him. The one thing he retains is an exalted view of his own virility - his manhood. As I said, we are not sure how that view could be manipulated to get him off of dead center. "One thing we are quite certain about. No amount of positive stroking of his manhood will have any effect. It will have to be insulting, derisive, even humiliating before it will break through his shell." ------- The vehicle carrying the two doctors was not yet out of the driveway when Genevieve dialed her account rep at the PI firm. "Find me a physical therapist: female; as attractive as possible; able to defend herself from attack if necessary; preferably with a reason to hate men; willing to do anything for a great deal of money. Three days later, Genevieve was having painful flashbacks to her first meeting with Cheryl as she sat face to face with the therapist candidate. Robin was thirtyish, slender, athletic, and sexy. In fact, she evoked images of Cheryl the moment Genevieve saw her. "Have you been briefed on Greg?" Genevieve started off. "First my check," Robin insisted, holding out her hand. Genevieve had guaranteed her several hundred dollars just for coming out for an interview. "Didn't have to be briefed," Robin said as she put the check in her purse. "Us rape victims tend to keep track of the slime balls." Genevieve was ready to berate Robin for her characterization of Greg when she looked in the young woman's eyes. She saw a naked challenge, but she also saw real hatred. Robin hated Greg without ever having met him. Genevieve remembered the doctor's comments about how to pierce through Greg's shell. Perhaps honest, undisguised hatred was a way to get to him. Thinking of the other characterizations, Genevieve reasoned that Greg would not think such hatred possible. Instead of ignoring it, he might just try to eradicate it. Nothing else had worked. What was there to lose? Money was not an issue, as usual. "Will you take the case?" Genevieve asked. "No." "No? Then why are you here? You would take that check under false pretenses?" "What have I said from the very first?" Robin demanded. "I never gave you any hope that I would take it, did I?" "Then why did you bother to come?" "You're a fool to offer me that much money just to come out here. I'm no fool. I'll take the money." "And it doesn't bother your conscience?" "Greg is a rapist. You are trying to keep a rapist from justice. You deserve anything that is done to you," Robin said boldly. "You have no right to ask me about conscience!" Genevieve hoped that her wince was not noticed. That comment struck her very hard. In her dealings with Cheryl, she had often sensed the contempt, and it was difficult for her to understand. How could the 'have nots' harbor contempt for the 'haves'? That was backwards. The world did not work that way. Yet this young woman triggered feelings of guilt that had been growing in Genevieve for some time. Robin had been raped and she had not received justice. She had worked hard for everything she had accomplished. Genevieve was indeed guilty of subverting justice on behalf of her family. That had always gone against the way she was raised. But still, family came first. Now, it appeared certain that Greg would receive what Genevieve grudgingly admitted was justice. All she was doing now was giving him a chance to go into prison in better physical shape. For that, she could ignore the stirrings of her conscience. Genevieve had cycled through these thoughts in a momentary pause after Robin's last verbal blast. "The reason I brought you here and paid you that money is to offer you enough more money to do what you swear you will never do. Is that clear enough?" She was back in Genevieve mode, scruples set aside for the task at hand. "There isn't enough money to make me help him." "Robin, do not insult my intelligence or your own. There is always a price." Genevieve had sensed that the only way to deal with Robin was to be just as pugnacious and combative as she was. Of course, there was a price, a price that made Cheryl look like a volunteer. Genevieve had to work hard not to admire Robin's ethics, though. It was Robin who insisted that she be paid only when specified milestones were achieved. When the agreement had been reached, Robin had one parting shot. "This has been fun, actually, and I'm glad I was paid for it. But we both know this is the last you will see of me. The way I intend to treat your grandson, only the most twisted son-of-a-bitch alive would have anything to do with me." Genevieve shivered visibly at that comment, afraid that Robin had characterized Greg perfectly. ------- Greg was reminded of Cheryl the moment he saw Robin. Robin's demeanor was not at all like Cheryl's, however. At first introduction, she did not extend her hand in greeting. In fact, she just stood with hands on hips staring at him, not saying a word. "What the hell are you staring at?" Greg demanded after the staring contest went on for about two minutes. Penelope was standing there the whole time, having brought Robin into Greg's suite. "A foiled rapist who has just given up," Robin spat back in a scornful tone. "Young lady!" Penelope shouted, "you have no call to speak to him that way! This was a mistake! I'll show you out." "No you won't! She stays!" Genevieve had followed behind the two women and now walked in to take charge. "But... but she thinks he was guilty!" Penelope objected. "He IS guilty!" Genevieve stated firmly. "You are the only person in the world who won't acknowledge that." "But she can't talk to him that way!" Penelope seemed on the verge of tears. "Fine!" Robin interjected. "If I can't do things my way, I'll be happy to leave. This is supposed to be my vacation, anyway." "No!" Genevieve shouted. "Penelope, just leave!" Then softening her voice, she added "Please!" "Listen," Robin said, "I'm not putting up with any interference if I decide to stay. If he's not making any progress, then fire me. Otherwise, I don't want to see anyone except on payday. Agreed?" By this time, Genevieve was leading a sniffling Penelope from the suite. As soon as the women were gone, Greg started a slow, derisive clapping. "Don't get too cheerful," Robin told him. "I doubt if I'll even be here past lunchtime." "Then why did you bother?" Greg demanded. "Curiosity," Robin replied. "I've only met a rapist once before. And I've only met a few orthopedic patients who've given up. I guess anyone who can do what you did isn't really man enough for rehab anyway." "Fuckin' bitch! What the hell do you know about anything?" Greg shouted at her. "Well, I was raped once, so I know what kind of a scumbag it takes to do something like that. Your victim was lucky. She had help. I wasn't so lucky." "So why would you want to work with me, then, if you think I'm a rapist." "Fortunately, you're an incompetent rapist. Why would I want to? Money, pure and simple. The bonus is huge. Did you know your parents pay a graduated bonus the longer I stay on the job? And if you meet certain goals, well, I can go back to school." "Fat chance! Why would I want you around, anyway? Get the hell out of here!" "Yeah, that's probably for the best. Working with a loser like you isn't worth the money," Robin said with a dramatic sigh. She walked to the door of the suite, but instead of leaving, she paused, locked the door, turned to face him, and stared at him for nearly a minute. Then, she quickly shed all of her clothes. Greg was stunned, but recovered quickly and with a derisive laugh, asked "So you're gonna try and use sex as an incentive?" "No way! I wouldn't let that little infected weenie near me on a bet." "Whadya mean? I was clean a month ago." "Huh uh. Two months more until you're final on AIDS." "How the hell did you find that out?" "It's not exactly a secret, you know," she said with a laugh. "Well, that's," and he waved at her body, "not much incentive anyway." "Oh, really? I thought I looked a lot like Cheryl." "That bitch!" "You know, I've found out quite a bit about Cheryl. Can't figure out why she went out with a loser like you. It's almost as if someone was paying her." "Shit! Did my damned Grandma tell you that fairy tale?" "Nope. She never said a thing about Cheryl," Robin chortled, "but you even told me who paid her." "Fuck! So what the hell are you wavin' your dinky tits at me for, then?" "Well, I thought as long as I took the trouble to come out here, I'd make sure you knew what a pathetic loser you turned into. You haven't had any since August, now. Part of that time, you couldn't even do yourself 'cause it was too sore. Now, here I am with the door locked, standing here naked. You're so pathetic you couldn't catch me if your life depended on it." "Hey, I've got a wrecked knee, in case you haven't heard. Fuckin' ninja kicker!" "No, you don't have a wrecked knee. You've got a skillfully repaired knee. The best that money can buy. By now, you should be walking unaided with only a limp. Instead, you can hardly get out of that chair to go and pee. That's pathetic." "Fuck you! It hurts!" "Awwwwwww! Greggy got a bad owie? Hey, I've worked with athletes - real men. They had worse pain than you've ever seen. And you know what? They sucked it up. Stood the pain and got better. A lot of them played again." "Yeah, but the doc said that probably wouldn't happen." "He probably said that because he knew you were a pussy who couldn't handle the pain." Greg could not come up with a response to that and sat sullenly. "And you know what else is pathetic?" "I'm sure you're gonna tell me," he spat out. "Damn right. What else is pathetic is what's going to happen to you in prison." "Prison! Will everyone just quit yappin' about prison! I'm not going to prison." "Sure you are. You don't have the balls to kill yourself, and that's the only way out of it. You know it. Everybody knows it. "When you get there, big black Rufus is going to want to shove his fat, infected, foot-long cock up your virgin ass and give you AIDS for real. You won't have a chance of getting away, 'cause you still won't be able to walk. "And you sure won't be able to fight him off with that flab that used to be muscles. Of course, maybe that gut you're growing will turn him off so much he won't want you. Are they just letting you eat whatever you want? God! I heard you used to be a football stud. Hard to believe." Robin dramatically shook her head. "Why the hell would you want to work with me, anyway?" "I don't want to. I'd rather castrate you - probably only need a nail clipper to do it. I told you before, it's strictly money. Lots and lots of money!" "Are you done?!" Greg demanded angrily. "Yep. I'm leaving." With that, Robin quickly dressed. "Oh, I told your Grandma I'd stay until after lunch to give you a chance to reconsider. Not that I think there's any chance of that. "Beside, I've got a more satisfying offer. Twelve-year-old girl, gymnast, tore up her knee worse than yours. But she swears she'll be ready for Olympic trials next year. I believe her - know why? 'Cause she's got something you don't - she's got balls. "In the unlikely event you find some manhood by lunchtime, I'll be waiting down in the gym from one until one-ten, no later." With that, Robin walked out of the suite with a swish of her hips. ------- No one ever figured out what had drawn Greg so strongly to Cheryl. Likewise, no one ever figured out why Robin was the one who finally got him rehabbing with some seriousness. She never let up on the ridicule, the derision, and the heartfelt hatred she freely showed for him. Never once did she break down and say a tender, encouraging, or sympathetic word, convinced that if she did, the progress would stop. Besides that, her hatred for him never softened. She forbad anyone from watching Greg's sessions, although only Penelope showed any interest. When Greg had reached a milestone, Robin insisted on his doctor coming out to verify the progress for payment purposes. Besides the knee rehab, she immediately had him working on weights, and she ordered in a rowing machine for some aerobic intensity. It was a risk doing strenuous rowing with only one leg, but other than swimming, it was the only cardiovascular workout she could think of. Unbeknownst to Greg, Robin was like Cheryl in another way. Robin was waiting for Greg to make a move that would allow her to quit. After her rape, she had taken self-defense classes, and had even become an instructor. She had no fear of Greg, physically, but one pass and she would no longer be able to stand him, even for the money. Greg was way behind in recovering his strength and mobility, but there was no physical reason his knee should not be as good as any weekend athlete's. Of course, weekend athletes did not play NCAA or NFL football. Only with a psyche as distorted as Greg's would Robin's approach have worked, but it did. ------- Just after New Year's, Cal arranged for Tessa to talk to Dex, and Dex got her in contact with Carl Plonske, who had a growing investigation and security business. Since it was just advice and direction, it was a new kind of assignment for Carl, but he found it a pleasant break. They spent a few hours discussing what kinds of proof Tessa would need and how she could acquire it. At his insistence and to Tessa's delight, Vick was with Tessa constantly during the discussions, and he was soon entering in fully. He had a cynical, suspicious streak that offset Tessa's naturally upbeat, positive way of thinking. Several times, she looked at him in wonder when he asked questions or posed possibilities that she had not considered. It was decided that research should follow the time sequence of events. The first event was the removal of Coach Meinert from the high school job. To Carl's agreement, it was Vick who immediately said "Money! The Overlands must have given the college a donation to get them to hire Meinert." That led to a discussion of how that donation could be uncovered. All non-profit organizations are required to report all donations, but that data is not necessarily public. "This is the kind of information that usually has to be bought," Carl told them. "Do you have money for some bribes?" Told that both the Banners and the Walts had agreed to contribute, Carl suggested "Why don't you let me work through an agency in that town. I have contacts who can tell me who is good, and any competent investigator should be able to get that info." "It doesn't really seem like I'm doing much, though, does it," Tessa lamented. "Someday, when you have more experience and a newspaper or TV station budget behind you, you will be able to buy the info yourself. Actually, though, I have done a number of similar things for news organizations who want to keep some distance from the grubby details." "Well, as soon as we get proof of donations," Tessa stated, "We want to interview Coach Meinert. Cal said he thought he could set it up. After all, Coach Meinert didn't do anything wrong." "No, he didn't," Vick interjected, "but he might be reluctant because it could cause him trouble at the college if the story got out." ------- Proof of a sizable donation to the college's athletic capital fund took less than two weeks and just a few thousand dollars to acquire. The investigator was able to determine that the donation came from Penelope Overland's personal fund and was accompanied by a smaller donation from the Clark family. Neither family had any previous connection of any kind with the college. Confirmation of the donations erased any lingering doubt among the Banners and Walts about Cal's theory. Now, Tessa had to move forward along the time line and find other supporting data. She was unlikely to find anything more as concrete as the donations. Instead, she would have to look for suspicious circumstances and hope for revealing answers from people that she questioned. Cal spent an hour on the phone with Coach Meinert one evening, and got his agreement to talk with Tessa and Vick. "Cal, this all fits. I'm doing fine with the team, but from the first day, I've sensed resentment among the administration that just won't go away. Besides that, my wife is terribly unhappy here. If those bastards really did use me in their scheme, I want to get them, even if it costs me this job." After some more discussion, Meinert told Cal "You know, the Clarks and Overlands tried to blackmail Jameson to force me to put their boys on the team last year? They gave me all kinds of grief, too, but they had nothing to pressure me with." "I thought you were pretty stressed-out that first week," Cal replied. "Can I tell Tessa that?" "At this point, anything she can find out will be fine. I am really pissed about this whole thing. I'm absolutely certain that your theory is right." ------- When Cal told Tessa about his conversation with Meinert, she instinctively set herself to leap on him and kiss him. She barely caught herself and could not keep the tears from clouding her eyes. Cal again had to take the reassuring, comforting role. He vowed at that point that any future such conversations with Tessa would only take place with Vick and/or Cheryl present. It was just too hard on both of the old friends. "It has to be a lover," Vick said immediately when Tessa mentioned the blackmail attempt on Principal Jameson. "And it must have been a woman." "Huh? Why do you say that?" Tessa demanded. "Who would care if she had been living with a man? Can you get more money for Plonske?" Later, in Carl's office, Carl explained "The usual way to find out living arrangements is to check utility records or sometimes real estate title transfers or leases. Most lease and credit applications require listing of past addresses." "Is any of that stuff public?" Vick asked. "It will usually take more bribe money," Carl answered. "Besides, you don't know if they were living together, do you?" That sobered both teens for a while. "Let us start on this part," Tessa declared. "We can at least dig out her past jobs from the news reports of her hiring. We don't know how far back we have to go, do we? I'd like to feel like I did something by myself." "I think the school board minutes are public, and they would have some of her background," Vick added. "Hey!" she told Vick. "If she had something going on, kids at her school would know, wouldn't they?" "Yeah, but she's been here four years, now. Those kids will all have graduated." "Yearbook. Parents' homes. College numbers," Tessa explained excitedly. "Could take an awful lot of calls," Vick pointed out. "So what? I want to feel like I'm doing something." "You know what?" Vick thought out loud, "If there was anything at all scandalous, the parents would know, too." ------- While Tessa and Vick were spending their spare time and some of the Banner and Walts money on their investigation, Cal's life was also very full. He continued to watch and consult with both basketball teams. The girls' coach had dropped her initial antipathy and talked with Cal freely when he came to practice. She was especially grateful when Cal got Dex to visit with the girls on two occasions. Mahmoud openly picked Cal's brain at lunch, and his improvement at guard was steady and impressive. The photo business was booming. Being able to schedule more shoots meant more referrals, and things just seemed to snowball. That led to another problem. A main reason for Teri forming the company was out of her love for Cal. After Teri was reunited with Rick, Tessa was involved, and Teri wanted to encourage that. Now, there was not much incentive for Teri to continue with the business. She still had her job at the bank, and they did not even need that with what Rick's business generated. Teri's problem was how to bring up her concern to Cal. As it turned out, Cal was the one who brought it up when he stopped over one night. "Teri, I don't want to offend you by asking, but do you still want to take the calls for the business?" Deciding to hide her delight and relief, Teri inquired "Why do you ask?" "Well, Jean's mom has been a receptionist for many years, so she is good on the phone and can do scheduling. She is very nervous about some of the shoots we do. I thought if she was more involved, it might ease some of her concerns." "Well, guess what?" Teri asked with a grin. "I have been worrying about how to ask if I could get out of doing it. Better than just giving up the scheduling and money management, how about if I turn management over to you totally?" "But wouldn't you want me to buy you out?" "Oh, Cal! You have given me more than I could ever pay you for." Teri's eyes teared up as she said that. "All of the equipment has been sold to the company already. Remember, I have taken out payment as we went along, and that's all I want. How much of the work do you think Mrs. del Prado can handle?" "I don't really know. Would you be willing to meet with us to talk about it?" "Of course I would. Set it up." ------- Although nervous about some of the bookkeeping and payroll work that she had not done before, Rosalia del Prado was convinced to give it a try. Since the company would still be her account at the bank, Teri offered to give any further assistance that they needed. While happy for the additional, much-needed income the del Prados could earn, and more than satisfied with Jean's contributions, Cal felt another stab of sadness over the change. Except for the friendship that he hoped would never end, the last of his connections with the marvelous mother and daughter had been dissolved. Because both girls had steady boyfriends, Tessa and Rebecca did not spend as much time together as they had in the past. When they were together, it was more often at the Walts', probably because Tessa did not want to aggravate the emotional wounds that both she and Cal suffered. Cal stayed after one of his sessions at the dojo and shared some of the disorientation he was living through with Ken. "When you think about what you have been through the last two years or so," Ken told him, "it is encouraging that you are just feeling disoriented. Without the mental disciplines of your training, you might be depressed and non-functional, if in fact you had survived. "The teen years are a time of drastic change for every person. Just look how many get lost to drugs, drink, gangs, or just dissolution. And most of them never experience the life-threatening events you have been through. Do not think that the disciplines should prevent you from feeling loss and sadness. "What your training should do is allow you to view the flow of your life as a gift, even the more painful parts. It should allow you to come through the upheavals with your personality, your spirit, and your optimism intact. The phrase 'what does not kill you makes you stronger' has become rather trivialized, but it is still very true. "You knew from your first encounter that you and Teri would not be together long-term. Tessa is harder. I sense that your feelings for each other are deep and complex. Nevertheless, she has chosen another, and that is not something you can change. I believe your happiness for her is genuine, but it does not erase the feelings of loss and regret. "As you have told me, you have another major loss facing you later this fall. Unless she has changed her mind, you and Cheryl will no longer be a couple when she leaves for college. One more thing that must make you stronger. "When you think about it, it MUST make you stronger. The alternative is unthinkable. Cal, you have become a unique person in your world. You are mature way beyond your years, largely due to experiences forced upon you. A sign of maturity is a desire for stability and permanence. Those things are not available to most teenagers. Your desires are out of time for your age." Since THE DAY, Ken had spoken to Cal as an equal when they were alone together. Now, he had reverted to teacher mode. He realized that and gave Cal an embarrassed grin. "How hard will separation from Cheryl hit you?" he asked in a more conversational tone. "Hmmmph! That's one of those things I can't predict. It will leave a gigantic hole, that's for sure." "Do you have thoughts about Cheryl being your life partner? Did you have those thoughts about Tessa?" "I'm not sure I thought about them exactly that way. It's just that I never thought about them not being in my life. I could see myself being very happy with either one of them." "But do you feel an ache, and emptiness at the thought that they won't be there?" "Is that how you tell when you've found the one?" Cal asked honestly. "It's only since I found Amelia that I can answer that question. I hope you don't go through as much of your life not knowing that answer." As Cal had often found, just talking with someone he trusted about the things that concerned him lessened the burden significantly. ------- It took almost three weeks to procure yearbooks from the high schools where Jameson had worked for the last eight years. Then started the grueling task of trying to find someone who could give them the information they needed. It was Vick who had the idea of disguising their location so caller ID would not give them away. As they talked about that and arranged with Carl for an unidentified line, he also suggested coming up with a fake cover story for why they were calling. "Gee. What story could we use?" Tessa asked. "Let's say we're recruiters putting together a list of candidates for a high school job." "Wouldn't they be able to tell from our voices that we're high school kids?" Tessa worried. "Not if we practice," Vick insisted. "Actually, we should work up a script. And when one of us is on the phone, the other should be listening in, making suggestions. That way, we won't miss anything important if it is said." "Don't you think someone would have found out this stuff when they hired her here?" Tessa asked. "Well, they hired her. And if the theory is right, the Overlands' spies found out," Vick explained. "I think you're right and we should see what we can dig up by ourselves." All of their planning and scripting was done at Tessa's house, and they shared freely what they were doing with Teri and Rick. It was Teri who came up with the idea that eventually saved them weeks of time and hundreds of phone calls. "Why don't you start with ministers' wives?" Teri suggested. "If there was anything unsavory or scandalous going on, they would know, wouldn't they? Say, I know you guys are eager to do this yourselves, but why don't you let me try some calls to start with? I spend a lot of my work day asking questions on the phone. You can both listen in." Thus, the search that had started with the idea of finding out the dirt from students evolved into a fake background check for recruiting purposes. Instead of using the yearbooks they had waited for, they used phone books and denominational directories to find churches. Teri spent three hours the first evening making over twenty calls. Only three of the calls lasted more than about a minute, but one of the three produced another potential contact. The usual response was that the called party knew very little about Patricia Jameson, particularly if they had not had children in the school where she worked. Tessa and Vick had been listening in on Teri's calls, and after the first session they felt confident that they could carry on. They settled in for a long, dull job. Before long, they were both much more sympathetic to the folks who earned a living as telephone solicitors or researchers. ------- Darlene Carson's world continued to be bombarded by sensations that she was hardly equipped to deal with. Cheryl had innocently tried to do something good for her mother, and it definitely was good. Having been into sports and exercise all of her life, Cheryl had no idea what effect working out would have on the unbelievably sheltered woman. To start with, just the revealing attire, both female and male, at the club took some getting used to. Cheryl had wisely helped her mother purchase a layered ensemble in which she could cover herself complete until she became more comfortable with the exposure. The final layer was much like a one-piece swimsuit, only thinner and less shaping. It took almost the whole three months of the contract, but one day, Darlene left off the pants portion of her outer suit. That still left her legs covered by the leg portion of the snug, shiny body stocking that she wore under everything else. Even so, Darlene could hardly walk out of the locker room, and the first weights seemed twice as heavy as before. The remarkable thing was that Darlene made the change in attire on her own. Well, not completely on her own. Among the very knowledgeable, very congenial training staff of the club was Jeremy, who took it upon himself to look out especially for Darlene. He had suggested several times that she would be more comfortable and her workouts would be better if she was not so restricted and so overheated. Darlene had noticed how sweaty she got as the intensity of her workouts increased, and under Jeremy's constant urging, she made the move. In his early to mid thirties, Jeremy had a build that was a perfect ad for the club and a face to match. His smile and comments of approval when Darlene emerged with her legs so much more visible had an impact on her that she was not accustomed to. By her third time in her, to her, more daring outfit, Darlene's nerves had disappeared. It was nearing the end of the membership that Cheryl had purchased for Darlene, and Jeremy to the opportunity to talk to her about an extension. "Darlene, we have a holiday special that we have extended. If you sign up for a whole year, you get a much better monthly rate. In addition, we will give you coupons for a number of special services. See, here is a bundle for free drinks from our snack bar. Here are eight sessions in our tanning booth. I think this is the big one, though: twenty-five fifteen minute massages! That's an outstanding value!" "Massages? Oh, I... I... my daughter bought me this membership, and it's just temporary. This is one of my last times here." "That would be a shame, Darlene. Do you realize how much your strength has improved. I don't know what your legs looked like when you started, but just look at them now! Tight and trim! I'll bet the rest of you looks better, too, doesn't it?" Darlene had never had anyone talk about her body that way, and she was beyond flustered. Her torrid blush was very visible to Jeremy, and he had to fight himself not to chuckle. "Th... thank you. I think it has h... helped. But I don't have that kind of money, and my husband... well... I just won't be able to rejoin." Darlene could not believe how sad it made her to say that. The club had become an important part of the new, sensual world that she had stepped gingerly into. She would hate to lose it. ------- After the next girls' basketball game, Cal and Cheryl took Matt and Shelley home, then went out for some ice cream by themselves. Cheryl had mentioned that the only time they were together alone any more was in bed. Cal somehow figured out that she meant something by that. He was taking the first step toward a solution. "I'm still bummed about them quitting with Julia," Cheryl said with a mouthful of some ice cream concoction. "But one interesting thing happened. Some guy called from the health club and wanted me to buy another year for Mom. Had a special deal and all sorts of coupons. Say, can you imagine her using a massage coupon?" Cal had to duck some flying drops of confection as Cheryl's laughter overtook her before she was ready. Making a dramatic show of wiping his face, Cal asked "Did you do it?" First, she threw a napkin at him to hide her blush, then she answered "Yeah. I asked her if she wanted it, and she seemed eager. Didn't take many Julia visits to buy a year at the club. He asked if she had a swimsuit. I told him 'no' because I've seen the one she has and it should not exist. Wanna help me buy her a wearable one?" "Me? What use would I be?" "You could hug me after I pretend that I'm a bitch. That's what it will take to get her something that doesn't have a skirt and reveals that there is actually a valley between her boobs." Cal was torn between laughing at her swimsuit specifications and moving around the table to hug her. She had often lamented how she hated playing the domineering role with her parents. Through many long discussions, and with Julia's concurrence after Darlene and Hal were no longer patients, Cheryl concluded that she had no choice. It seemed like every time Cheryl talked about how she was dealing with her parents, Greg somehow came up. Cal was ready for it this time. "Aren't they ever gonna put that bastard in jail?" she groused. "It's strange that I haven't heard anything," Cal mused. "It's almost like I'm not connected with the case. It's me he paid them to bust up, but once that guy died, it's like I became a footnote or something. Would I even know if he was already behind bars?" "I get upset when I get this feeling that he's gonna get off. Cal, I'm sure glad he can't get off of that wrecked knee." "Well, I'm less and less glad about that all the time," Cal said. "Your conscience? Your perfectionist streak? Why?" she demanded. "He deserved it." "But it wasn't my decision to make," he insisted. "Did you even make a decision? Did you actually think about how hard to kick him. There are four women who think you gave him exactly what he deserved, and less. Bobby's mom will never forgive you for not killing Greg. Don't you understand that, now?" "I understand it. Just like I understand..." Cal stopped himself, hardly believing what he had almost let himself say. "... why you and Tessa aren't for the long term," Cheryl finished for him. There was no hurt or jealousy in her comment. "You know, for as good as you are at hiding most things, you're not fooling anyone about Tessa." "You know it doesn't affect how I feel about you, don't you?" he asked. "I know." She put her hand tenderly on the side of his face and ran her thumb over his lower lip. Going back to the original topic, she said, "I really hate to see you waste any emotions on Greg. He really isn't worth it. Look, I sold my soul to watch out for him. He doesn't invade my sleep at all any more. You shouldn't let him steal anything from you, either. He isn't worth one minute of worry." Cal wondered if Cheryl could really control her feelings that well. It did not seem like it when it came to her parents. Trying for a sudden change of topic and tone, he joked, "So, you gonna try and get your mom into a bikini?" This time, she used a spoon to propel a small glob of ice cream right at his face. ------- Laura Whitman, Cal's aunt, was experiencing anything but a loving conversation. She was still sitting in the jacuzzi tub, which she had been in and out of three times since Will stormed out for another weekend away. Between soaks, she had spread cortisone cream on her rectum, trying to ease the burning and the stabbing pain that made it feel like Will was still abusing her. For the last several months, Will seemed to have forgotten that she had a pussy. On the increasingly rare occasions when he wanted any sexual activity with her, it seemed that all he could think of was anal. Laura had never liked it, but she had tried her best to accommodate him. Tonight, he had been leaving right after supper for a weekend away. This time, he did not even give her a story about where he was flying and what business he would be doing. She had stopped believing the stories, anyway. He wanted sex as a sendoff, and of course he wanted anal. Laura had had the temerity to say something about her neglected pussy, and he had gone off. He had rammed into her without lubrication, seeming to suffer no ill effects himself, judging from how long he kept on pounding. Just to make sure that she understood his displeasure, he had grabbed her hair so hard she thought she would lose some of it. Reluctant as she was to admit it, sex with Will had never been loving. Early on, it had been vigorous, thrilling, and sometimes satisfying, Will was not often brutal, but it had been a long time since the sex had been anything but boring, disgusting, or frightening. As much as her abused bottom hurt, Laura's mental anguish was worse. It had become harder and harder to suppress one damning fact: she had suspected from the beginning what kind of 'lover' she was marrying, but she had done it anyway. How could she make such a life-long decision based on what - jealousy? Her older sister Elaine had found the perfect man. Oh, he wasn't rich, but he had everything else, and poor Laura was as badly smitten as her sister upon first meeting Martin. That monstrous crush on her brother-in-law-to-be and been the dominant force in her college life. An excellent athlete, Laura instinctively competed at everything she did, and the dating game was no exception. When she met Will Whitman, she saw a way to upstage her big sis and soften the pain of Martin's unavailability. Will had it all: piles and heaps of money, looks, brains, breeding. Of course, Laura knew at the wedding the Will was also an asshole of the first order, but the appearance of the storybook union overcame all of those concerns. There was also the universal female assumption that she could change her mate into what she wanted him to be. For years, the wealth and the glamor had carried Laura past the increasingly obvious negatives. Puberty for their only child, Jolie, was the turning point. Jolie's emerging arrogance and rebelliousness in comparison to Elaine's three near-perfect offspring was too much to overlook. At about the same time, Will's always-questionable business jaunts began increasing. Wincing as she climbed from the jacuzzi in preparation for going to bed, Laura was amazingly resolute. The image of her fairy-tale marriage to the wealthy Prince Charming had to be preserved. She just could not let it be known that things were less than perfect. In particular, she could never acknowledge the gut-wrenching jealousy she felt when she saw her niece Rebecca with her nerd boyfriend. And she had to make sure no one saw how she wished that she could take Cheryl's place in her nephew Cal's bed. ------- Chapter 28 Cal was not used to uncertainty, especially about his own actions. What had happened to the self-confidence that had stood up to deadly kidnappers and hired thugs? that had allowed him to come onto the football team cold and win a spot as a freshman? that had motivated him to intervene with Cheryl's family for their own good? that helped him build a nice business taking pictures of all kinds in people's homes? He certainly had not turned wishy-washy or anything and he still had more self-confidence than most people, but he was spending more time second-guessing himself than he ever had or than he thought he should. Despite all of the assurances from those he cared about, his destruction of Greg's knee stole far too much of his thinking. Quitting basketball was his only possible move, given his sense of fairness, yet he spent far too many hours asking himself if that was really the only way to help Dante. He had begun to view those two actions as failures where he had given in to impulse. Another aspect of quitting that bothered him was how much he had been motivated by his dislike for Coach Hall. He had always considered himself tolerant of people, and that was part of the disciplines he had been taught. Seek to understand what motivates people and how they act, but do not judge them. Had he let the coach get under his skin? Was he so anxious to strike a blow at Hall that he had quit when there might have been other ways to help Dante? Talking to Ken had helped, but it had also raised one disturbing question about himself: was he too set in his ways for a guy his age? Since he started martial arts just after the Khalid tragedy, Cal had been remarkably disciplined and regimented for a teenager - maybe for any person. Did the discipline and structure in his life make him too rigid, less able to 'roll with the punches?' In his times of introspection, usually during his morning workouts, he admitted to himself that Tessa pairing with Vick had started his troubles. On the one hand, he would chastise himself for being so arrogant as to think he had any claim on Tessa when he was going with Cheryl. On the other hand, he had to admit that Tessa owned a piece of his heart and probably always would. Why could he not just get over it? Outwardly, even Cheryl had few clues about Cal's current mental struggles. The discipline of his training stood him in good stead socially. And he was in no way hampered in his studies, his photo business, or in other normal activities. But there was a little something missing. The supremely capable in any activity carry a justifiable arrogance that they have earned. While always a reserved and even self-effacing person, Cal carried that arrogance. Now, it was slipping a little. What Cal could not get out of his mind recently was his campaign to expose the 'Coach Hall Scandal'. The whole situation was rife with injustice and unfairness, and that should have been enough to justify public exposure. And the Overland's were behind it, at least Penelope. He certainly shared his mother's desire to 'get' them. Beth Hall's visit had been the first fissure in Cal's certitude, and as he thought about Principal Jameson, he began to collect more doubts. Those two women would most likely be hurt if the story went public, perhaps badly hurt. Despite what Cal had said to Beth Hall when she dropped in, he did feel sympathy for her probable loss of her best home. His belief that Coach Hall had to go had not wavered, but would it not be kinder to Beth if it was behind the scenes. In his two interactions with Principal Jameson, he found that he respected her. From other students, he also sensed respect for Jameson, and he knew from Pete that the school had not always been so fortunate. As he worked it over in his mind, Cal identified the impact on the basketball team and the program as the most important argument to him personally. Even though he had quit, he felt loyalty to the program. His friendship with Dex Madison and his respect for Coach Meinert were big reasons for that loyalty, as well as his friendship with his former teammates. He did not want to see Coach Meinert's legacy ruined even more by a scandal. Now, the problem was that he had sicced Tessa on the story, and she seemed to be going after it full force. He wondered if he could even stop what he had started at this stage. ------- Teri looked a little surprised to see Cal at her front door that late January evening. For a moment, her mind flashed back to the time when Cal did not have to knock. She hoped that the slight blush she felt was not visible. "Hi, Teri. Are Tessa and Vick here?" Tessa could tell from the way Cal plopped down in the chair that he had to say something he thought she would not like. After greeting both she and Vick, he just blurted it out. "I don't think we should release the story." Cal then replayed for his friends the thoughts and uncertainties that had bedeviled him recently. The devious side that Vick had exhibited more and more recently quickly showed itself. "I think you're right, Cal. We've talked about it several times. Hall has to go, though, don't you agree?" Cal nodded without hesitation. "If we have a ready-to-publish article, won't that be the best leverage to force him out?" "How would we use it?" Cal asked. "Show it to Jameson and to Genevieve Overland. Jameson will fire Hall to save her reputation and to save the school a scandal. Genevieve will pay Hall off if she has to to protect her family from further scandal." "Damn!" Cal mouthed, "And I was glad I didn't have to face you across the scrimmage line!" All three broke up at that. "So, Tessa, you're not angry about all of this work with no publication?" "Not really. You can't believe how much I'm learning from Carl and from this sneaky lunk, here. I figure that I could submit it confidentially as a sample of my work to some professor or some admissions committee." "Yeah, I guess that could help you, couldn't it. Do you think you will be ready about a week before the last game of the season?" "We're still missing the name of Jameson's lesbian lover, if that's what it was. It's hard to estimate when we will find her, but I plan to start writing the article as if we had the name, then fill it in when we find it." "If we're not going to publish," Tessa went on, "I'll include the quotes about Chad from Hall and his wife. I'll name you as the one who heard the quotes. I know you didn't want your name associated with this in the paper. It would be all right as a, um, a negotiating tool, wouldn't it?" "You were about to say 'blackmail', weren't you?" Cal asked with a grin. "Yeah, that will be fine. Thanks, Tessa! I really appreciate your willingness." "Hey, I don't won't to mess up the basketball program and hurt some good people any more than you do." The two sets of parents expressed disappointment that the Overlands were not going to get hit. A mother's fury over anyone who threatens her child is not something to be underestimated, and they all had to let Elaine fume for a while. In the end, Elaine complimented the teens on the mature way they approached the issue. She opined that Greg was already in deep, and she believed Penelope would have a rough time with Genevieve. Not a single person showed any concern for Coach Hall. They had met at the Walts' again. Martin was not at all disturbed when Cal and Elaine walked home with their arms tightly around each other. ------- It was getting late in February, and Cal was becoming concerned about Tessa and Vick finding Principal Jameson's suspected partner. There had to be some basis for blackmail, and that was the only thing that made sense. Finally, one day in school, Cal and Tessa were passing in the hall as they did every day at that time. Tessa gave him a huge smile and a 'thumbs up', and he had no doubt what she meant. Just as he caught himself making a reflexive move toward her, he saw her jerk back a bit and blush. "I'll call you tonight and we'll set up some meetings," Cal said across the busy few feet separating them. It was quickly decided that Cal, Tessa, and Vick would be together in all of the meetings. The next debate was who to talk to first. Cal held out successfully for Beth Hall, followed by the principal, and finally Genevieve. Talking to Coach Hall was not discussed. No one thought that would be necessary. ------- Beth was confused about why three students needed to speak to her, but hearing Cal's name, she had an idea of the subject. She arranged to meet with them at her parents' home the next evening. "And... and this will never go public? You're sure?" Beth asked, shaken by what she had read. "No, it won't," Cal assured her. "I really am sorry that this will cause you so much trouble. I hope you understand that your husband just has to go." "I g... guess so," Beth said, barely audibly. "Ever since I talked to you, I've been steeling myself. Since the team was doing all right, I thought maybe... I'm ashamed that Roy was involved in this. It's hard to have any more respect for him. Thank you for not publishing it." There was no reason for any more of a meeting. Tessa and Vick had said nothing beyond 'Hello'. ------- At the meeting in Principal Jameson's office, Cal let Tessa carry the ball. She started off by saying "We have decided not to let this go public," and laying the article down in front of her. All three teens watched the principal's face closely. They knew the article so well that they could tell by her expression just what part she was reading. Looking up after finishing the article, the principal cleared her throat twice and asked "Why did you decide not to go public?" "The important objective is to get Coach Hall out of here," Tessa answered. "We do not think you deserve to lose your job. You are a victim of the Overlands, just like some others have been. It would be a loss to the students and the school if you left." "Thank you for that," the principal said quietly. "That means I will have to fire Hall, doesn't it?" "Maybe," Tessa told the woman. "We are going to meet with Genevieve Overland. We hope she can persuade Hall to resign." "How would she accomplish that?" "Hall was the beneficiary of the Overland schemes. Let him be the victim," Tessa said with a chill in her voice. ------- "I can't imagine what we have to talk about any more," Genevieve said haughtily when Cal was finally put through to her. "Mrs. Overland. You must know that meeting with you again is not something I would do without a very good reason. I will tell you that this has nothing to do with Cheryl, and only indirectly with Greg. It involves something that Penelope has done. If made public, it would not be good for your family." "So you've sunk to blackmail, now?" Genevieve spat out. "It will take very little of your time for us to explain, and I believe that you will be grateful. Please!" Although she would never admit it, Genevieve had developed a high regard for Cal, and she believed him. Within an hour, the introductions were being made in the library of the mansion. This time, Cal took the lead again. "For some very good reasons, this will not be made public," he said, handing her the article. That the matriarch was shocked and angered by what she read could not be hidden from her face. Tessa mused that she would not want to be Penelope when they left, no matter how much money she had. Genevieve certainly was not going to acknowledge her reactions to the article, and she tersely asked "And you expect me to do what?" "If you could persuade Hall to resign after the last game of the season, it would do the least damage to all involved," Cal said. Genevieve looked slowly and searchingly at all three of the teens in turn, then nodded her head. "You are absolutely correct. He will resign. May I keep this?" ------- Genevieve's meeting with the teens occurred mid-evening. As they were still driving out of the driveway of the mansion, she stomped off to find her daughter-in-law, stopping well before she reached Penelope and Brandon's quarters. She regained enough control of herself to decide to put off the confrontation until time for the late evening local news, which the couple nearly always watched together. She planned to interrupt that plebeian little domestic ritual tonight in a big way. A little time to cool off beforehand would be a good thing. Precisely as the news started, Genevieve walked in and dramatically turned off the TV with the remote, which was sitting right in front of Brandon. "Mother!" he exclaimed. Penelope looked up with a combination of irritation and a little worry. That particular look on the matriarch's face never foretold a pleasant encounter. "You were damned near on the evening news yourself, Penelope! Listen to this." "Headline: 'Money Really Can Buy Anything'. It goes on: "What does a star high school football player do when he can't make the varsity basketball team because that just isn't his sport? Well, if his name is Greg Overland, he has MaMa buy him a spot on the team. "Now, it may not be as straightforward as you think. In Greg's junior year, his family and that of Chad Clark tried pressuring the coach to get them on the team. That failing, they tried blackmailing the principal to force the coach. "When that did not work, Greg's mother, Mrs. Penelope Overland, made sure Greg would have a spot for his senior year. She made significant donations to a college to 'buy' a college job for the uncooperative high school coach Rod Meinert. It was a college with which..." Genevieve's reading was cut off by a strangled scream from her daughter-in-law. "They... they can't print that! It's... it's libel! Or slander! Or..." "Not with the proof they have," Genevieve spat out fiercely. Then, she lost it. "Penelope, are you purposely trying to ruin this family!?" The older woman's voice was so fierce that Penelope recoiled a bit in her chair. "You, with plenty of help from my useless son, have turned Greg into the criminal he is by coddling and sheltering him from any responsibility for his actions! He never had to earn or work for anything! If it didn't come easily for him, as most things did, you did whatever it took to get it for him!" Genevieve was on her feet, stomping back and forth and waving her arms. "Your infatuation with that boy is beyond just embarrassing. It is shocking and unhealthy. You..." "Mother!" Brandon objected loudly. "Ohhhh, chivalry, Brandon? How touching! Too bad you couldn't have paid some attention to the way your son was turning out. Maybe, just maybe he would not have turned out to be the disgrace of the Overlands. Maybe he would be heading for college football instead of prison, maybe..." "But that boy ruined his knee... !" Penelope cried out with manic intensity. "PENELOPE!" Genevieve's voice cracked like a bullwhip. "Once and for all! Greg tried to rape that girl and he beat her boyfriend! He did it! Not a single doubt about it! I do not want to hear any more objections from you. He is a criminal, and he is going to prison! "And YOU!" Genevieve said while stabbing her finger at Penelope, "made matters worse by paying for his disastrous revenge attempt. Your unholy infatuation with your own son very nearly took YOU to prison, as well!" Genevieve made a visible effort to control herself, and made a show of reading more of the article silently. In an absent-minded voice, she said "My, but this girl can write!" "Wh... what girl?" Penelope asked, desperate for anything to change the subject even a little bit. "Oh. Tessa Walts. She is very close to Cheryl and the Banner boy." Penelope actually jumped to her feet as she made a surprising show of standing up to her mother-in-law. "That Cheryl girl is in the middle of everything bad that happens to Greg!" "She had nothing to do with this article. I was just trying to explain who wrote this." "Surely no one will publish it, will they?" Brandon asked. "No, because this girl and her friends have tact and maturity that makes me cry when I compare them to Greg." The bitterness dripped from Genevieves's voice. "Once again, I'm buying the family out of one of Greg's messes. It looks like I will being making that despicable Coach Hall much more comfortable than he deserves." "Listen to this", Genevieve continued. "Mrs. Overland assured Coach Hall that if he promised Chad Clark and her son Greg starting spots on the team, she would guarantee his hiring. "In order to make certain that Coach Hall was the choice from the three well-qualified candidates, Mrs. Overland threatened to expose a potentially embarrassing incident from Principal Jameson's past. "Everything in Mrs. Overland's plan worked perfectly until her son and Clark got themselves severely injured in a rape attempt and had to change schools." ------- Cal asked if he could deliver the news to the principal. She could not completely hide the tears of relief. "This is not something an administrator should say to a student, Cal. Oh, notice that I finally learned the name you use. Anyway, I owe you." "Then may I ask a favor right now?" "Of course." "Call Coach Meinert and ask him if he is interested in returning to his old job," Cal said. "That's your favor?" Patricia Jameson asked, sounding incredulous. "That is the best possible thing that could happen for me right now. Of course I will call him. Do you have reason to believe that he would be interested?" "I think you know him fairly well, don't you?" Cal asked. "He was a pawn, and he does not like that at all." Cal repeated key parts of the conversation he had had with his old coach. "Here I was looking at career disaster," Patricia mused aloud. "Something I probably deserved. Now there's a chance to erase this whole year. In my opinion, I still owe you." Cal was not far down the hall when Patricia Jameson picked up the phone to call Rod Meinert and sound him out. ------- The day after the final game, Coach Roy Hall tendered his resignation. There was a lot of press coverage, and a lot of analysis of his whole brief tenure, but not a hint of scandal anywhere. Incredibly, within a week, a local boys' military prep academy offered Hall a job. The money was subsidized by an outside donor to bring it up to what he had made at the public high school. Genevieve Overland happened to be on the board of that elite academy. Cal, Tessa, and Vick talked about what they considered Hall's undeserved good fortune. Tessa and Vick had only met Beth Hall briefly, but they understood Cal's satisfaction that a good woman was at least given a chance to work out her marriage. He was willing to give up some revenge for that. ------- The day after the NCAA final game, the Roberts family showed up at the Banners' door shortly after dinner. Fortunately, everyone was home. As soon as the social niceties had been observed, Mrs. Roberts spoke as Dante, Terrell, and their father sat silently. "Mr. & Mrs. Banner, you have made us change some of our opinions about rich white folk. You surely have taught your son some fine values. Dante just got official notice of the scholarship he wanted most. If Cal hadn't had the guts to quit when he did, Dante might be flippin' burgers next year and trying to go night school. We surely are grateful to all of you." Elaine and Martin did not even have a chance to respond before Dante spoke up. "I'm being interviewed for tomorrow night's TV sports report. Cal, I'm going to tell them why you quit." "Dante, Man! I don't think you should do that," Cal objected. "We've tried to keep the whole mess with Hall quiet. There are too many people who might get hurt." "But he doesn't deserve to have it kept quiet!" Terrell jumped in. "I can't believe he got another job. He shouldn't be coaching anyone!" Cal ran his hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration and said "I really don't want any publicity." "But most of the press has made you out the bad guy since last fall," Dante insisted. "I don't care much what most people think," Cal insisted. "Look, Cal," Dante said, "it was unfair what Hall was doing to me. You objected to that and took a big step to make it right. Well, I don't like unfairness any more than you do. It's unfair what's been said about you, and I can fix it. I'm going to!" Cal had never seen the mild-manner giant looking so resolute before, at least not off of the court. Cal looked helplessly at his parents and saw immediately that they were with Dante on this one. "This could stir up a lot of racial feelings, Dante," Cal warned. "No. I won't say anything about that. I don't want that either. I'll just say that Hall didn't think I fit in his system, OK?" ------- 'Stay tuned for local sports as we talk to a Memorial star who will be playing big-time college basketball next year, ' was the trailer after the evening weather report on the TV news show. After congratulations and some questions about what school and what he thought his chances were, Dante broke in and said "I want to thank Cal Banner for getting me a chance at this scholarship. I might not have it if not for him." "Cal Banner? Isn't he the point guard who quit the team?" "Yes, he is. Let me tell you why he quit..." Apparently under dire threats from Dante, the editors left most of his explanation in, running the segment much longer than had been planned. Cal and his family were glued to the TV, and Elaine could not stop the tears. Within minutes, the phone started ringing. The first three callers were reporters, and Cal firmly refused any interviews. A few sincere well-wishers and teammates apologizing did get through. The calls from reporters caused Cal to think of Principal Jameson, and he realized that the press would probably be all over her the next day. He did not think that she would say anything inappropriate, but he hated to see her caught off guard. For very good reason, the school administrator's home number was tightly guarded, but Cal really felt the need to talk to her. After puzzling for a moment, he thought of Carl Plonske, whose cell number he did have. He asked Carl to find the principal's number, but instead of giving it to Cal, to call her himself and ask her to call Cal about an urgent matter. In a surprisingly short time, Patricia Jameson called, and less than thirty minutes later, she was at the Banner home. They all spent an hour discussing what she should say to the press, and she was grateful for the advance warning. The principal dropped a bit of a bombshell after they had talked for a while. "What do you think Hall will say?" Cal was on his feet in a flash, saying "I hope it's not too late already," as he dialed Beth Hall's parents' number first. Beth was not there, but they had the children and knew that the couple had gone out to dinner. Beth's mother mentioned that they were trying to patch things up. Fortunately, they knew which restaurant. The principal and Cal hurried off in her car. At the restaurant, the principal was about to go in by herself, but Cal mentioned that Beth was probably the key and that he had some connection with her. Beth was more than a little surprised and Roy Hall was obviously not pleased when Patricia Jameson and Cal sat down at the four-top table with them. Patricia had rehearsed in her mind what to say, and started right in. "Roy, this is not an attempt to harass you or cause any trouble. Are you aware of Dante Roberts' TV interview?" That led to a recap of what Dante had said and a warning that the press would be on Roy quickly. Patricia was about to give her former coach some warnings and suggestions, but Cal took her arm and pulled her up and away from the table. When they were out of earshot of the couple, she looked at Cal questioningly. "Mrs. Hall can take care of it much better than you can. Right now, she has a lot more leverage," he explained. "Leverage?" "Divorce." "Oh." Working hard to keep her voice down, Beth still made the intensity of her words very clear to her husband. "This is it, Roy. This is where you decide if we stay married. Either you decide to do what it takes to sound like a reasonable man who made some mistakes and is sorry, or I see a lawyer in the morning. It all depends on what you say to the press. You did a good job when you resigned. Don't blow it now!" "But... but what can I say? That kid made me sound like the bad guy in all of this." "And... ?" Beth said sarcastically. Roy seemed to be staring at his wife in disbelief a lot lately. Maybe it was moving back near her parents that made her so belligerent, he just did not know. After the Banner kid quit, she had really lit into him. He had played the black kids and the season had been OK. He thought he was on his way. Then the older Mrs. Overland had lowered the boom. He had never met her before, but it made him shiver to think of how she had made him feel like a child. Just when he thought he had made it to the big time, he was pushed aside to a small private school. At least the money was all right. It was almost as if Beth had taken lessons from the Overland bitch, and he felt just as helpless. Part of him wanted to just walk away, but over the past few weeks, he had painfully admitted to himself that he did not have the courage to go through that. With a sigh, he asked Beth what he should say to the press. ------- If Cal thought Dante's interview would be the end of the subject, he was badly mistaken. There was nowhere near the pressure from the press that there had been after the two Greg incidents, but they did not give up. Cal's friend Dex Madison did not play fair, either. He called and asked if Cal would let Judy Morrison interview him. Judy, a reporter for a local TV station, had helped Dex greatly in a controversy with an earlier principal, and had done an outstanding piece after Dex's breakthrough college basketball game. Cal did not know that Dex and Judy were lovers. Considering the favors that Dex had done for Cal and both the boys' and girls' teams, Cal saw no way he could refuse. At least if we was to break his long silence with the press, he had Dex's guarantee of a sympathetic and skillful interviewer. By the time Judy called him, Cal had thought of one condition that might get him out of the interview. "I want my friend Tessa Walts to be there," he insisted to Judy. "Girlfriend?" Judy asked. "No," Cal said a little too quickly. "Life-long friend. She's going into journalism. It would be great for her if she could watch. Dex has been helping us on a project." "I guess that would be alright." "We're not on the record yet, right?" Cal asked when Judy was seated with him in the parlor of the Banner home. "OK. Ground rules: I don't want to trash Coach Hall. It's not because of him, but because of his wife. So, if I don't tell the complete story, you'll just have to take what you can get. Is that acceptable?" After agreeing to Cal's limits, Judy signaled her cameraman and started the questions. "Within the space of a few months, you were accused of ruining the chances of both the football and the basketball teams. How did you handle that?" "Well, I stayed away from the TV a lot," Cal quipped, with a grin at the camera. "It's important what people think about you, but that's not what will keep you awake at night. How would I live with myself if I didn't defend my sister? How could I sleep if Dante lost out on a scholarship because I made Coach Hall think he could win without Dante?" "Didn't people's attitudes affect you when you were on the field or an the court?" "Judy, I don't think I would have competed any less if the stands were empty. I used to golf a lot, and I played just as hard when there were only four of us with no spectators. It's the competition, not the applause that matters." "There is a rumor that the former basketball coach will return next year. Will you rejoin the team?" That was the first time Cal had even thought of that issue, and he had to pause and think before answering. "It would not be good to let people think that I quit to get rid of the coach, then rejoined the team when I succeeded." "But now everyone knows the real reason." "Honestly, Judy, that's the first I've thought about it. I can't give you an answer right now." "What is your favorite sport? Football or basketball?" "If I'm playing pool with my Dad, that's my favorite sport at that moment." "So you're not going to rank them for me?" Judy asked with a chuckle. "Nope." "One person, a former teammate, has been responsible for a lot of trauma in your life this last year. How do you feel about him?" "I am always concerned that he may try to harm my sister or her boyfriend again. Other than that, I don't think about him." "So you're pretty sure you can take care of yourself?" "I've done everything I can to prepare for that." "Would you have done things differently in defending your sister, knowing what you know now?" "No disrespect, Judy, but that's a meaningless question. All of our training and our experience prepares us to make those instantaneous decisions and to make them according to a set of principles and guidelines. Since we never get any 'mulligans', like in golf, we have to try not to second-guess. It just keeps you awake and drives you crazy." "So, have you lost sleep over injuring your sister's attacker?" "Any time you cause harm to another person, it can cost you some sleep. It's something no one likes to have happen." Judy decided not to push the question any harder. "Defending those you care about is very important to you, isn't it?" Judy asked to change the subject. "Yes, it is. I think it's important to everyone. Some people do it physically, as I did. Other people have other ways of protecting." "Your attitude toward the press is quite well known. Why did you choose to talk to me?" That caught Cal by surprise. "I was asked to by someone who is important to me - someone to whom I owe a lot." "So, your protective instincts and your sense of loyalty and obligation determine how you interact with people?" "And don't forget love," Cal added. It was not at all what Cal had expected, since Judy did not ask much at all about his quitting and the reasons. After the interview, Judy sent the cameraman off, but seemed to want to hang around. "Cal, you mentioned a project Dex was helping you with. What is it?" Cal and Tessa exchanged looks for a moment, and Cal nodded toward Tessa, who asked "Miss Morrison, if I show you something, will you keep it off the record?" "Only if you call me Judy." Tessa gave Cal another questioning look, and Cal said "If Dex trusts Judy, that's good enough for me." Tessa handed Judy a copy of the never-published article about the Coach Hall scandal. Both teens watched Judy's eyes widen several times as she read. "Damn! Wish I hadn't promised so quickly. Tessa, who edited this for you?" "Oh, I did it all myself." "Seriously?" Judy said, obviously impressed. Tessa could hardly believe it when Judy asked "Do you have time to help edit a magazine article I'm working on?" When Cal watched Judy's interview of him, in a human interest slot, he felt embarrassed at how she portrayed him. His father and the various women were more than delighted, of course. ------- Robin, Greg's physical therapist, had worked a minor miracle in just over three months. Her approach was not really contrived - she honestly hated Greg and everything he stood for. She did find effective ways to shove her hatred and disdain in his face, but she faked nothing. Inevitably, there were a few times when Robin's humanity threatened to quench her hatred a bit. There was a lot of pain involved for Greg, and perhaps because of her goading and her ridicule, he tried hard to suppress his reaction. The first time a ray of sympathy began to intrude, she had made herself superimpose the face of her own rapist on Greg, and the sympathy died quickly. As the therapy progressed and Greg's mobility increased, the old superior smirk started to reappear. That served to stoke Robin's hatred as well as anything she could visualize. Since starting the Overland contract, Robin had worked fanatically on her self-defense techniques. Never had she been in better shape or had her fighting skills been sharper. Believing that she knew Greg, she was waiting, actually hoping, for him to make a pass at her. As March waned, Robin played a dangerous game, baiting Greg by standing close and assuming somewhat seductive stances. The outfits she wore were scandalous enough that she took pains to let no one else in the household see them. Any competent psychologist would have surmised that she had hopes of finally venting her rage on Greg as a stand-in for the asshole who had raped her. She never got the chance to go off on Greg. In the later weeks, it is doubtful that he was physically cowed by her, but he saw the interaction for what it was. He never made the slightest move toward her, and tried his hardest to avoid even looking at her. He believed that to do either would be a victory for her. Greg was probably more determined to deny Robin her victory than he had been for anything in a very long time. She regularly gloated over how helpless he would be to his prospective boyfriends in prison, just because he did not have the courage to improve himself. After Robin left each day, Greg began spending long hours on the weight machine, trying to recapture his football muscles. His parents, and even Genevieve, saw how hard he worked, and misread it as a long-hoped-for turnaround in his overall attitude. It was nothing of the sort. It was a personal battle with the bitch who had found all of his buttons and hammered them relentlessly. As soon as Greg became able to get around on his own, he had rejoined the party circuit and spent more time hanging out with his friends. As April arrived, only his constantly diminishing limp gave any clue to his troubles. Of course, everyone knew of the specter of prison, but none of his friends said a word. ------- Now, it was mid-April and Rebecca and Bobby were spending Saturday together, as they usually did. They had spent the morning making music in Bobby's basement, where he had acquired a collection of guitars and keyboards. Bobby had made it his mission to move Rebecca beyond her strictly classical piano and voice training. He himself was an instinctive, self-taught musician. While he proudly watched his love when she performed, he would admit to not really understanding the value of any music devoid of syncopation. As with most teens, Rebecca loved pop music. It was just that until Bobby, she had never connected it with her considerable keyboard and vocal skills. Bobby did not have a tough job changing her outlook, and she was more and more comfortable with the contemporary rhythms and harmonies with every session they had. At first, Rebecca had just stared in astonishment and fascination as Bobby played almost anything on any of several instruments after just hearing it. She had been certain that she could never do that. Little by little, though, she learned that he had an even better grasp of music theory than all of her years of lessons had given her. It was just one more way that the young couple were uniquely bonded together. After their Saturday morning jam session, they were at the food court of the nearby regional mall having lunch, prior to doing some shopping and taking in a movie. It was Bobby who saw it first and could not suppress a groan. Greg was walking down the main hall toward the food court with three friends. Rebecca heard Bobby and with their eery communication ability, she was looking at the oncoming Greg within a second. Greg was walking with a noticeable hitch in his step and an erratic sway, but he was moving quite briskly. Robin had done a remarkable job of getting him mobile, but she had gotten such a late start. The limp and the drunken wobble did not hide the old swagger that had been his trademark. The day at the mall was a farewell of sorts for Greg. As would be expected with him, the farewell had already involved considerable alcohol. The friends had, in fact, whispered among themselves about finding other transportation. Greg had picked them up in his Mustang, but the ride to the mall had been about all of his impaired driving that they could take. The last of the legal maneuvers had petered out, and Greg would have to choose between a trial and a plea bargain by the end of the next week. The final plea offer was eighteen months in prison and two years on probation. Conviction at trial would get him four to ten years. His lawyers were convinced that he was an extremely unsympathetic defendant and stood zero chance of acquittal at trial. On top of that, the judge was the toughest in the county. It seemed certain that within two weeks, Greg would be in prison. "Baby, maybe we had better just move out of here," Bobby said to Rebecca as Greg saw them and kept coming right toward them. "No. We have the restraining order, and I'm not leaving my lunch for him," Rebecca insisted. "That might not keep him from hurting you," Bobby warned, "and I can't take on four guys." Just then, he saw one of the ubiquitous busboys walking by and waved him over. "Get security, quickly," Bobby told the young man. "There's going to be trouble," and he waved at the oncoming four guys. The busboy nodded and hurried to a nearby phone that Bobby had not seen. By that time, Greg was almost upon them, and he was obviously coming right for them. Rebecca and Bobby concentrated on their food, ignoring Greg completely. "Hey, Nerd," Greg said loudly, "we need our table. Move!" A beating such as Bobby had undergone changes a person. What changed Bobby even more was the many nights tossing, thinking about what he could have or should have done to better protect Rebecca. The most rational part of his mind knew that right then, he should have taken Rebecca away from that table and let the law handle Greg. There were two problems with just getting out of Greg's way. First of all, Rebecca had made it clear that she would not run from the bully any more. Second, Bobby felt that he could not live with himself if he did not stand up to Greg. "Since the judge said you can't be here, Greg, we're going to pretend you're not. Just leave and there won't be any problem." Bobby surprised himself with how calmly he mouthed the words. Whatever physical recovery Greg had made, his attitudes had not changed at all. If there had been any rationality creeping in, the booze would have smothered it. Bobby's words triggered old hatreds in Greg that were barely submerged, and Greg became just like at the lake. Stepping right up to Bobby, Greg said "Listen, Nerd! You've caused me enough trouble. You don't tell me where to go! I tell you! Now take off! We want this table." Rational or not, Bobby reacted with anger to Greg's order. "Sorry, we haven't finished our lunch. There are plenty of places around. Now, just leave and we will forget you were here." "Hey, Greg," one of his buddies said, putting a hand on Greg's arm. "Just forget it. You could get in big trouble over this." Greg snapped. First, he angrily shook off his buddy's hand. Then, he grabbed Bobby roughly around the throat, hauled him to his feet in the aisle, and bent him backward over the end of the table. In those sleepless late night hours since his beating, Bobby had often visualized what he would do if Greg ever attacked him again. Bobby had not chosen to take up martial arts - that just was not for him. He had, however, worked diligently on the weights. He was even stronger and heavier than at the fateful party when Rebecca was attacked. From surfing the net and from casual conversations with Cal, Bobby knew the places where he could hurt an attacker enough to discourage him. Bobby's problem was that his air was being cut off by Greg's strong grip on his throat, and before long, he would be unable to do anything. In the scuffle, the plastic eating utensils had been scattered around. Bobby's hand fell on a fork, he grasped in and struck toward Greg's eye with it. Drunk and overcome by rage, Greg still had his athlete's reflexes. Bobby's desperation stab with the plastic fork was too fast for Greg to block with his arm, but he was able to shut his eye tightly and pull his head back just a bit. The fork hit hard, high on Greg's cheek and two of the tines broke off and stuck out of the skin, blood oozing out around them. Bobby had been sitting on the aisle, with Rebecca just inside of him. Greg had barely grabbed Bobby when Rebecca picked up Bobby's plastic chair. As Greg pushed Bobby over backwards, Rebecca let out a piercing yell. She lunged at Greg with all her might. The metal cross-bracing that gave the chair some rigidity hit Greg hard right on his repaired knee just as the plastic fork pierced his cheek. The force of Rebecca's charge was not enough to tear any more ligaments, but Greg could not have guessed that from the level of pain he felt. All thoughts of choking Bobby were forgotten as he jumped back, bent down, grabbed his knee with one hand, and clawed at his cheek with the other. Rebecca was instantly over Bobby, helping him to his feet as he coughed and clutched his bruised throat. Deciding that he was not crippled, Greg raised up and was about to swing at either Bobby or Rebecca when a security guard jumped between them with his nightstick at Greg's throat. "Back off! Sit in that chair right there and don't move!" the security guard shouted. Even as he did that, the guard was pulling the radio from his shoulder and calling for the police, who were always somewhere on the mall property. In less than thirty seconds, another security guard joined him. "She hit me with a chair," Greg yelled, trying to take the initiative and assuming his buddies would back him up, "and he stabbed me!" The security guard sent a questioning look at Rebecca and Bobby, noticing him still rubbing his throat. Not sure that he could speak, Bobby pointed up at the nearest security camera. "He's not supposed to come near us," Rebecca explained. "Court order." At about that time, a ray of awareness pierced through Greg's rage, pain, and alcohol haze, and he realized that he had made a big mistake. He stood up quickly and tried to move away, but the second security guard got ahold of his arm. In typical Greg fashion, he turned and slugged the much smaller guard, knocking him to the floor. Apparently having run out of bravery or specific training, the first security guard went to help his co-worker while Greg dashed away, the limp more pronounced as he tried to run. The first security guard did have the presence of mind to order Greg's friends not to move, warning them that they were on camera and would be tracked down. Greg's companions stood very uncomfortably for the three more minutes it took for a cop to arrive. Rebecca was totally focused on Bobby, who was having a great deal of trouble trying to talk. The first guard quickly told the cop what he knew. When the officer, a woman, turned toward the couple, Rebecca did the talking, some tears forming now that the adrenalin rush had drained away. "He has a court order to stay away from us," Rebecca explained. "We were just eating lunch, and they came right up to us. Greg told us to leave - he wanted our table and we tried to ignore him. Greg grabbed Bobby around the throat, Bobby stabbed him in the face with a fork, and I hit him with the chair." "Is that about what happened?" the cop asked Greg's cohorts. After some nervous shuffling around and glances at each other, one finally spoke up. "We tried to tell him to back off, but..." "Is he drunk?" the officer demanded. Two of the friends reluctantly nodded. "Would that be Greg Overland?" the woman asked. "And you're Rebecca and Bobby?" That got her more nods. "What is Overland driving?" After one of the companions mentioned the Mustang convertible, the officer got on her radio. One of the frustrations felt by all police officers is not being able to do more to protect the innocent. Orders of protection, injunctions, restraining orders, or whatever they are called, only allow the police to act quickly after the orders are violated. When an order is violated, though, the police know that punishment can be swift and arbitrary. Violating an order is considered contempt of court, and the offender can be jailed at the judge's discretion and held indefinitely. It is the only time such immediate justice can be meted out. Because of that, most police eagerly pursue such offenders. When Greg got to his car, he first reached for a bottle that was still a third full and took three large swallows of the fiery liquid. Beer had not been strong enough for that day's needs. His judgment already hugely impaired, his motor skills starting to suffer noticeably, and one eye becoming blurry from the stab wound, he gunned the big engine and squealed down the row of the parking lot and out an exit. On top of the impending imprisonment that he was finally having to acknowledge, Greg was intelligent enough to know that he had made things worse by attacking Bobby. His monstrous, twisted ego prevented him from thinking that the prison sentence or the restraining order were just, but he could no longer deny that things were going to happen to him. It never even turned into a controversial high speed chase. Barely a mile from the shopping center, a patrol car pulled behind Greg from a side street, flashed headlights and warning lights, and gave two siren chirps. Greg punched the gas pedal and the muscle car leaped forward, accelerating wildly down the block. The patrol car did not purse, but Greg was not even aware of that. There was a traffic light at the end of the short block that had turned red well before Greg reached it. His chemically-impaired brain decided that he could still beat traffic through the intersection, though, and he kept right on accelerating. The crossing traffic was slow enough reacting to the green light that the drivers were able to see Greg coming and hold back - all but the semi turning right into Greg's direction. It had legally started the right turn while the light was still red and there was apparently no crossing traffic. The driver was concentrating on navigating the turn properly with the long vehicle, having to swing the cab into the far lane in order for the trailer to clear the corner. Greg had been watching the rear-view mirror to see if the patrol car was pursuing. Thus, he was nearly at the cross-walk before he could react and hit the brake pedal. The problem was, he was already going at freeway speed and he had far less than the minimum stopping distance, even for his performance car. As the tires grabbed and started to scream and smoke, both Greg and the truck driver panicked. There was nothing Greg could do but hold on. The truck driver, though, stopped suddenly at the first sound of tires squealing. Greg had been driving in the leftmost of two lanes. The tractor now blocked that lane. The trailer was still angled across the right-hand lane. There was no escape route for Greg. There were four cars in the left turn lane facing him. In the first, a mini-van, the mother driving it was just starting to register terror on her face. There might have been salvation if Greg could have driven under the trailer. Unfortunately, the Mustang was no longer a controllable vehicle. It was a two-ton skidding missile, its final course permanently locked in. Probably by chance, the car had veered slightly to the left. At impact, the Mustang was centered on the left rear tandem wheel set of the tractor. From the panicked braking, it was in a sharply nose-down attitude. Its sloping, depressed snout hit below the center of the huge tires causing the rear of the car to lift violently upward. There was no room for the car to flip, since the angled trailer was right there. The result was the combination of forward and upward momentum smashing the open top of the car violently against the edge of the trailer. The trailer was not a rigid body, but it was fully loaded with heavy merchandise. Energy was absorbed and dissipated through the car, the trailer frame, and the load. Unfortunately, the amount of energy remaining was far beyond the protective ability of the airbag, and Greg was effectively right between the colliding massive bodies. Mercifully for Greg, his neck was broken instantly, and he died before he could sense the tearing and crushing of the rest of his body. ------- Chapter 29 Back at the mall, the officer took statements from the five teenagers and the two guards. Then, seeing that Bobby was unable to talk, was having much trouble swallowing, and had labored breathing, she called for an ambulance. With a puzzled look, she took a few steps away from the teens and exchanged several sentences with dispatch. Coming back to the group, she told Bobby "I'll drive you to the hospital. There's been an accident just down Perimeter, and two ambulances are on the way there. Would you like to ride along, Miss?" Rebecca tearfully nodded her head. Greg's friends were dismissed and the woman showed the couple to her patrol. The route to the hospital did not pass the accident site, and the trip was only four miles. Being brought in by the police was as good as arriving in an ambulance, and Bobby was able to get help quickly while Rebecca headed straight for the phone to call Jan and Mel. Jan and Mel arrived at the hospital not long after the injured truck driver from Greg's crash had been wheeled in. By a coincidence, one of the EMT's was at the park for the rape attempt. He and his partner were waiting by the ER door when the Armstrongs came in. It was Mel who overheard the snippet of conversation. "Who's the DOA?" "Would you believe it's Greg Overland, the football player?" "No shit? Didn't you wheel him after he tried to rape that girl last fall?" "Yeah. God, what a waste!" Jan had hurried a couple of steps ahead of Mel, so she did not hear the exchange. Catching up with his wife, Mel pulled her to a stop and told her quietly "I heard the ambulance guys talking. One said Greg is dead. Must have been a car crash." Jan's face registered shock, then a series of different emotions. Mel pulled her close and asked "You OK?" "Yeah. I'm sorry. For a minute there, I was glad. I forgot that his mother will be grieving, even if he was a terrible person." Just then, Rebecca, who had been chased from the treatment area, spotted the Armstrongs and hurried up to them. "It's not serious," she told Bobby's parents with obvious relief. Then, she lost it and started crying. "How many times do we have to go through this?" she wailed. "Won't it ever end?" Not sure if he should have said it or not without better proof, Mel wanted to comfort the distraught girl. "Rebecca, I overheard the ambulance guys talking. They said Greg is dead. If they're right, it's over for good." Rebecca just stared at Mel for a moment, mouth open. Then, her tears increased. "I feel awful," she moaned, "but I can't help it. I'm glad. Now Bobby will be safe." Bobby was soon released and hugged his parents, still not able to say much. Rebecca saw the police officer who had helped them and hurried over. "The ambulance guys were saying that Greg is dead. Is that true?" Reluctant to give out unverified information, the officer had been in contact with dispatch and had heard about the accident. "All I know for sure is there was one dead at the scene, in a red Mustang convertible. I shouldn't even have told you that." The officer should not have felt badly. Rebecca just had that ability to get people to do things for her. Without even thinking about it, Rebecca revealed her true nature. "If it's true," she told the officer, "can you just forget what happened at the mall?" "What? Why do say that?" "It won't make any difference if he's dead. Let it just be a drunk driving accident. That's bad enough for his family. I know who one of the other guys is. I'll call him." "But I haven't told you that he is dead," the officer objected. "But he is. I just know it," Rebecca answered as Bobby nodded in wonder at his lover. ------- "Could I speak to Mr. or Mrs. Overland, please?" the uniformed sergeant asked as Wilbert opened the door to him. "Wait just a moment, please," Wilbert responded with an annoyed look before leaving to find Brandon or Penelope. It was Penelope that he encountered first. "There's as a police officer asking for you or Mr. Overland, Ma'am," he informed her. "What more could they want from us now?" Penelope complained, not expecting an answer as she stomped off toward the entryway. "What do you want from us now?" she demanded angrily of the officer. He was only minimally familiar with the Overlands' legal odyssey, and was taken aback by her attitude, particular in light of the news he bore. He was there because it was departmental policy for a sergeant or lieutenant to deliver news of a fatality. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but there has been an accident." "A... accident? Greg?" "Yes, Ma'am. I'm terribly sorry, but he was fatally injured." "Greg?... fatally?..." what followed was a primal scream of agony and despair ending only when Penelope ran out of breath and consciousness and collapsed in a heap on the floor. ------- Rebecca and Bobby both insisted on waiting at the hospital until Greg's fate could be confirmed. The officer, touched by Rebecca's spontaneous consideration for Greg's family, decided to wait and help them find out. She remembered most of the story about the attack at the park and the one at the Pizza Hut. It took almost a half hour and three more calls to dispatch before Greg's death was confirmed. Leaving Bobby's car at the mall, Jan and Mel took the kids directly to the Banners' to give them the news. Martin and Elaine were as stunned and unsure of how to react as the others had been. Cal and Cheryl were on their usual Saturday outing with Cheryl's brother and sister. In spite of the booming photo business, Cal had insisted on maintaining the Saturday ritual. Rebecca wanted to be the one to inform Cal, and she called on his cell phone. She only told him that Greg was dead. The details could wait until later. Elaine was the one who saw the need for something 'official' for the teenagers - the parents, too, for that matter. She invited the Armstrongs to come back Sunday noon, and then got on the phone to Teri, Laura, and Emily Smaak. Then, she called caterer and ordered for fourteen. She talked briefly with Cheryl about inviting the Carson family, but both agreed that it would not be appropriate. Cal and Cheryl cut short their outing with her siblings. Cheryl told her parents what had happened and that she would be staying overnight with Cal. Just after the early evening news broadcast, which covered the horrendous crash, a call came to the Banner house for Cheryl. "Cheryl, you don't know me, but we have something in common. My name is Robin Beckwith. I have been working as Greg Overland's physical therapist since the first of the year. I apologize for disturbing you - I got this number from your mother. "Cheryl, I... I don't know how to say this... is there any chance we could get together somewhere this evening?" The tension, almost to the point of panic, was evident in the woman's voice. Cheryl herself was not in great shape emotionally since hearing the news, but the 'fixer' part of her felt instant sympathy for anyone who had worked with Greg. Cheryl knew instinctively that this woman had been through the same battles with Genevieve that she had. Unwilling to leave the support of Cal and his family, Cheryl told Robin to hold and found Elaine. After hearing Cheryl's brief explanation, Elaine took the phone to speak to Robin. "Hello, Robin. This is Elaine Banner. Do you know who my daughter Rebecca is?" "Of course, Mrs. Banner. I've... I've learned almost everything about Greg. I know about Bobby, and... and Cal." "Well, it sounds like you're going through some of the same things all of us are feeling. You're more than welcome to come here and visit with Cheryl." As Robin drove up the Banners' driveway, she felt nervous, but she also felt a bit antagonistic. After all of the time she had spent in the opulence of the Overland estate, she had begun to associate wealth with a lot of negative things. This house was not on the same scale, but she could not help wondering if she was walking into another nest of arrogant, manipulative people. When both Cheryl and Elaine met Robin at the door, Robin's fears were immediately allayed. She could see exactly the same mix of emotions on their faces that she was struggling with. In one of those inexplicable, spontaneous emotional outpourings that occasionally happen, Cheryl and Robin had barely said hello when they fell into a tearful hug. Elaine had planned to take Robin around and introduce her to Martin, Cal, Rebecca, and Bobby, but that was obviously not the first priority. Instead, she led them to the study where they could close the door and use the comfortable couch. "Cheryl, I know a lot about you, so why don't I tell you about my time with Greg, first. Besides, in three months, there hasn't been anyone that I could tell. I feel like I'm going to burst." "Elaine's a really good listener. Would you like her to sit in?" "N... no, please. Maybe later. You and I h... have something so unique. I didn't give up what you did, but... I am feeling terribly guilty about his death." "I don't understand why you should feel guilty," Cheryl said. Robin spent thirty minutes recounting her relationship with the Overlands, right from the beginning. "So you see, Cheryl, it's almost like I goaded him into killing himself. I kept hammering on him about going to prison. I kept telling him that the only way out was to kill himself and that he was too big a coward to do that." "But it was an accident - he was drunk." "I know, I know; but maybe I planted the idea so strongly that he - I don't know - maybe it was on his mind. Maybe he was halfway convinced. Maybe it made him reckless." "Look, Robin; I've had almost eight months to deal with this. I'll never be over it, but I've been seeing someone, and I've got a lot more peace." "Seeing someone? You mean Cal? Greg was always bitching about how you dumped him and started going with Cal." "Oh, yeah. I'd be a real mess without Cal. It's a long story, but I used some of my money for a psychiatrist. She's the one who helped Cal a long time ago." "What happened to Cal then?" Cheryl explained about Khalid. She was going to talk about the kidnapping attempt, but decided Cal should be the one to tell that, if anyone did. "Do you think she'd have time for me?" Robin asked. "I always thought I was a strong person. After the rape, I..." "Rape?" Cheryl exclaimed in surprise. Robin spent another twenty minutes telling about how she was attacked returning from an evening class in her junior year of college. "Robin, from my own experience, I can tell you that you should have seen someone ten years ago. It helps in ways you can't even imagine. But I think you really need it now." "I guess. When I saw that news report, I thought I was going to stroke out. It was almost like a physical blow. I honestly hated Greg, but still..." Right then, there was a tentative knock on the door of the study. When Cheryl opened it, Rebecca and Bobby were there, on their way to spend the night at Bobby's. Cheryl did brief introductions, and the couple left. "Come on, Robin. You need to meet Cal and Martin. Then, I think you and me and Elaine should get in the hot tub." "Oh, I should have brought a suit." "Well, we don't really need suits..." "But, the guys!" "Oh, they'd give us privacy. But there are lots of suits around, anyway. You know, you look like you could be a Banner - guess we both do. Either Elaine or Rebecca should have one to fit you, and there are some tank suits out by the pool." The three women spent a little time exchanging stories. When Robin heard about Elaine's athletic background and Cheryl's anticipation of a volleyball scholarship, her interest helped get her mind off of Greg's death for the first time. "If you want, Cheryl, I can help you add four inches to your vertical. I'll bet we could get another ten miles per hour on your spike, too." "Really?" From then on, it was jock talk until they had to leave the hot tub. Elaine could see that Cheryl and Robin were very quickly bonding in a unique way. As she watched them, she reasoned that Cheryl had never had anyone who really understood what she had gone through with Greg. She knew that Cal was as understanding and considerate as he could be, but there were limits to how much he could really feel. Robin, though, had a special commonality of experience that Cheryl might never find in anyone else. Watching the two, Elaine felt a flash of concern about more than just friendship developing between the two, and how that might impact Cal. That concern was brief, though. She had spent enough time with Cheryl to know how deeply the girl felt about her son. They had openly discussed the problems faced by a non-lesbian female athlete in college. From everything Elaine could pick up, Cheryl was completely straight. With Robin, sexual preference was much more of an open question. Elaine had read about rape victims becoming lesbian in the aftermath. Besides, Robin was also an athlete, and in a very physical occupation, where lesbianism was prevalent. After a short time of such speculation, Elaine chided herself. Robin was an attractive, talented, likable, very troubled woman whom they had just met. If she and Cheryl were good for each other, that's all that mattered right then. Especially since their tender interlude New Year's Eve, Elaine had considered Cheryl very much like an additional daughter. Cheryl's new friend would be more than welcome in their house, no matter what developed. ------- Elaine invited - more like forced - Robin to stay overnight, and included her in the gathering the next afternoon. Although Elaine had set things up, it was Martin who took the floor when everyone had assembled in the Banners' family room Sunday. "Greg Overland has been a factor in most of our lives for at least two years, now. All of us have reason to hate him, to fear him. But, I think I speak for everyone when I say that no one wished for this. "The reason Elaine called all of you here was to have some sort of 'ceremony'. For obvious reasons, it would not be appropriate for any of us to go to a reviewal or a funeral. I'm not sure that any of us would even want to. "I don't want to pretend that this is our own memorial service, or anything like that. What Elaine and I want is for all of us to understand that others have the same feelings about Greg. Maybe it's hatred. Maybe fear. Whatever it is, I'm sure someone else here feels the same way. "I'm certainly no psychologist, but I think we can all help each other by expressing exactly how we feel - no sugar coating; nothing held back. Let me start it off. "As a parent, I feel sorry for the Overlands because they lost a child. As the parent of one of Greg's victims, I wish that he could have suffered through prison. His death just seems too... easy. Maybe that's perverse, but we need to be honest here. "Daddy, much as I hate to admit it, I'm glad Greg is dead. I understand how you feel, but I just cannot believe that if he left prison, he would forget about us," Rebecca said quietly. "I know it's wrong to hate," Jan spoke up, "and I can honestly feel sorry for the Overlands. But I have to agree with Rebecca. A mother cannot ignore the sight of her child battered and beaten. And God help me, but I cannot forgive it, either. I agree with Rebecca, especially after what happened at the mall. I cannot believe that anything would have changed him. Bobby would never be safe if Greg was alive." "I know Cal and Vick have been with Greg at a lot of games, practices, and road trips," Cheryl said, "but I think Robin and I have had the most intensive contact with him. "I think Robin would agree that he was the most purely evil person we have known." Robin nodded vigorously at Cheryl's comment. "For different reasons, he has left scars on us that will never disappear. Am I glad he is dead? The most honest answer I can give is that I am glad that his is permanently out of my life. And out of Cal's, too." "I wanted him to suffer in prison," Vick said. "I wanted other prisoners to do to him what I was unable to do at the lake." "I did not want to see him dead," Cal said after a while. "I wanted to see him pay for what he did. And I have also seen too much death already." Robin looked at him in surprise after that admission. The discussion went on for an hour. In general, those most confident that they could defend themselves wished that he had lived to serve his sentence. The mothers, Rebecca, and Cheryl were glad to see his threat removed forever. When it was finished, everyone thanked Martin for bringing them together. Everyone believed that it helped them. ------- Greg's death hit Cal very hard. In some ways it was more difficult than THE DAY. He had never been able to shake the guilt over injuring Greg more severely than was necessary. Crippling Greg had clearly led to his downward slide, now culminating in his death. There was no question in Cal's mind that Greg had been a uniquely evil person. Cal did not have the benefit of the psychiatrists' expensive evaluations, but his instincts and experience told him enough. Part of Cal was convinced that Greg did not deserve to live in the same world with inherently good people like Rebecca and Bobby, nor with courageous people like Cheryl. But Cal knew that it was not his right to make such a decision about Greg. He could not shake the feeling that, indirectly, he had done just that. Greg dying was something that Cal had never even considered as an outcome. Though he was reluctant to admit it to himself, Greg languishing in prison was something Cal had looked forward to. Sunday's discussion with the whole group had not really made him feel better. He had noticed the division between those happy about Greg's demise and those disappointed that he missed punishment. After THE DAY and the Pizza Hut attack, Cal felt he had experienced a lifetime's worth of death, at least as a resolution to dangerous situations. Just as Ken had predicted, THE DAY had made Cal into a different person: mature far beyond his age and his peers; more introspective than most of the population; fanatically committed to fairness and opposed to injustice; less ego-driven than most men, yet fiercely competitive for the sheer joy of it. Unfortunately, his whole history with Greg had changed him in ways not so positive. While the slain Islamist kidnappers had never appeared in a single one of Cal's nightmares, the single kick at the lake and its aftermath had cost him many sleepless hours. As perhaps the one person closest to Greg, Cheryl was deeply affected by his death, as well. She honestly told Cal that the event hardly made her think of Greg, the person, at all. It was as if she had successfully wiped him from her memory banks. What she could not erase was the person she had become because of Greg and the things she had done during her contract with Genevieve. Without ever telling Cal about it, Cheryl sat down and composed a letter to Genevieve. In later years, she would regard it as one of the hardest tasks of her life, but she seemed driven to do it in a search for closure. Over and over in their sessions, Dr. Julia Waxman had told Cheryl how important closure was to keep events from scarring her later life. After several iterations, she ended up with the following. Dear Genevieve, I am writing this not as a former employee or as an antagonist in many verbal battles. I hope you will accept my sincere condolences on Greg's death as coming from a fellow human being. There were times during our relationship when I did not consider your human side. Your one act of consideration in warning me about the disease potential showed me that I had misjudged you. Regrettably, I feel no grief for Greg. However, I do feel sympathy for the grief you must be feeling. I saw how hard you worked on behalf of him and your family. Sincerely, Cheryl She put no return address on it and marked it 'personal'. On the way to the post office, she almost turned back twice, but the same compunction kept her going and the letter was posted a day after Greg's funeral. As the letter dropped into the slot, she felt as if an oppressive weight dropped from her shoulders along with it. Cal, his family, and his loved ones had been through a turbulent interaction with the Overlands, stretching back over three years. It was not something they sought, and in fact had tried to avoid - all but Cheryl, that is. With no Greg, Penelope headed for a treatment facility, by all accounts, and Genevieve never an overt threat, it appeared that turbulent chapter in their lives was finally over. Well, almost over. Unexpectedly, Cheryl received a call at home from Genevieve, who asked if Cheryl and Cal would meet with her. To say Cheryl was surprised was putting it mildly. "Why?" was all she could say. "I'm sure that your therapist talked about closure," Genevieve answered. "That's what I'm looking for." Hearing Cheryl's, silence, Genevieve realized the mistake she had made in scoring another verbal jab and did the totally unexpected. "Cheryl, I apologize. I am afraid that old habits die hard." "You're... you're still keeping track of me?" "I feel like I have a considerable investment in you," Genevieve stated, "but I should not have said that." The apology made more of an impression than anything else Genevieve could have done. "I would be willing to meet with you. I'm sure Cal will come with me. Where shall we meet?" ------- Genevieve arranged a private room for a Sunday brunch. She was waiting when the couple arrived, and stood as they entered. This was definitely a different woman than the one they had dealt with before. When they were seated, and before their orders were even taken, Genevieve stated "First of all, I have no doubt that you two gave an accurate account of the events at the park. Cal, would you answer one question for me?" "I guess nothing I say could cause any legal problems any longer, could it?" Cal thought out loud. "What is your question?" "Did you injure Greg more severely than you would have had to?" With hardly a second's pause, Cal responded "Yes." "Why?" "Mrs. Overland, I feel very strongly about unfairness and injustice, and..." "That is why you quit the basketball team, is it not?" Genevieve interrupted. "Yes. But back to the rape attempt," Cal said, watching for the woman's reaction to the word 'rape'. There was no reaction. "Rebecca was totally innocent. She had done absolutely nothing to Greg. She was completely devoted to Bobby, and giving her virginity to Bobby was one of her biggest goals. Greg was not just trying to violate her physically, but to steal one of her most cherished dreams. That was about as unjust as anything I could imagine." "So you decided to exact justice yourself?" "You have to remember that this all happened in a very compressed timeframe. There wasn't much time for conscious decisions. I remember thinking that since the rape was not successful, he would be sure to escape punishment." "Why did you think that?" Genevieve asked. "You could buy him out of any but the most serious felonies. Was I wrong?" Genevieve just stared at Cal for several long seconds. "No, you were not wrong. So you did decide to punish him?" "It was never a decision. Taking out an attacker's knee is a standard defense technique taught in my martial arts classes. It is the lowest risk to the defender and incapacitates the attacker very quickly. I used the move instinctively. I had only used it once before." "During the kidnap attempt?" Without answering the question, Cal went on. "The move, as I said, was instinctive. Did I kick harder because of anger at the injustice? Yes, I believe I did. Would I do it again? Not if I had any idea the end result would see Greg dead." "But you hated him, didn't you?" "Hate is not the correct word. I honestly believe my training kept me from hatred. I was reacting to what he had done to Rebecca and Bobby, not what I felt about him personally." Genevieve sat in thought until the waitress arrived to take their orders. "Do you believe I had nothing to do with the second attack?" she asked almost pleadingly. "I never associated you with that," Cal answered honestly. "It was just not your style." "And the Coach Hall manipulation? Do you think I was involved with those?" "No. I think you were hugely embarrassed by that." "Thank you for that. The opinions you two hold of me are important. I have one other question. Did not something more happen just before Greg's crash?" Cal and Cheryl looked a question at each other, Cheryl nodded, and Cal told the story. "Why was that not in any police report?" Genevieve asked. "Rebecca asked the police officer to destroy the report. She called one of the guys who were with Greg and warned them that I would come after them if any of Greg's family ever heard about it." Cal stared hard at the woman and saw her eyes cloud with moisture. "Your feelings for your sister are well-founded," Genevieve declared. "I do not blame you for being angry enough at Greg to do that damage. I am surprised you did not kill him." "Several people have said that. At least my training kept me from doing that." Cheryl had been the silent person in the meeting so far. Now, Genevieve turned to her. "Threatening to tell your parents was one of the cruelest, most ill-advised things I have done. There is no good way to apologize for it. Just know that it has troubled me greatly ever since. I understand that some good has come of it, though." "My family is as troubled as your own," Cheryl said softly, "Just in different ways." "My family has caused a lot of hurt, it appears," Genevieve said just as softly. "Is there anything I can do to try to make up for some of it?" Both teens were completely stunned by that question, but Cal did think of one thing. "Coach Meinert's family has been treated poorly through this whole thing. Is there anything you could do to smooth his return here?" Genevieve nodded her head, acknowledging that she understood the question. There was very little to talk about as they ate their meals. There was not even the usual basis for small talk. Genevieve had learned what she came for. Cheryl and Cal had come with no particular objectives in mind. When they rose to leave, Genevieve said "Thank you for helping me get some closure. I suspect that Greg's passing did that for you, but maybe this has helped a little. Despite what has gone on between us in the past, I consider you two of the most exceptional people I have known. Good day." ------- Closure. Cal found it an intriguing word, but something that seemed far out of his reach. The sense of unease that had been building in him did not consume him - his training and his personality prevented that. But it definitely intruded in many facets of his life. To his long standing guilt about Greg was added some disgruntlement. Irrational as he knew it was, he felt cheated that Greg had escaped punishment. For all of his years under Ken's tutelage, the futility and the negative effects of revenge had been drummed into him. Why did it trouble him so much that revenge had been taken from him? As had become their habit, he and Cheryl talked quite freely about what was bothering him. One school afternoon, she asked Cal to stay and watch softball practice. When she came out after changing, she ordered Cal into her car, and drove straight to Dr. Julia Waxman's office. "You wanna go first, or study while I take my turn?" she asked him. The male part of Cal started to object, but he made the mistake of looking in her eyes. All of the caring instincts that had motivated her to do such extraordinary things for her family were now focused on Cal. She was genuinely and deeply concerned about him, and he could not disrespect that. In Julia's office, it was an interesting reunion after more than five years. Cheryl had spoken freely to Julia about Cal and what was happening in his life. Since Cal had been in the news a few times, Julia had made it a point to find out what she could. Greg's death was well-know public news, so she had no trouble understanding Cal's current need. After some warm greetings, Julia asked "Cal, with all of your training, what do you think you need from me?" "Oh, I thought you knew that Cheryl brought me here with no warning." "No, I didn't know that. It sounds like something she would do, though. I guess I can tell you that she has become quite a fan of psychiatry. I probably don't have to tell you how she feels about you. "I have her permission to say this, Cal. For at least two years, you have been her rock. There is no telling where she would have been without you. It is hard for her to imagine you troubled or uncertain about anything. That's why she brought you here, I'm sure." "You mean she thinks I'm Superman, or something?" "No, nothing like that," Julia chuckled. "Look at it from her viewpoint. You are her rock. If you are not as solid as you have always been, where does that leave her?" "And she thinks that's what's happened, huh?" "Has it?" Cal took three or four deep breaths. "Can't fool her any more than I can fool you, I guess." That launched a seemingly casual discussion that both of them knew was far from casual. During the last ten minutes of the session, Julia told him "Cal, I'm going to ask you to do something difficult. I want you to pretend you're a junior in high school." After an unavoidable laugh from Cal, Julia went on. "Your experiences from way back when we first got together have conspired to separate you from your would-be peers in many ways. First it was Khalid. Then Ismi. Later Greg. Right now, those are all over and done with. "Maybe you are a twenty-five-year-old stuck in a high school junior's body. There is nothing we can do about that. And I'm afraid there is nothing magical I can do to ease the guilt you feel over Greg. What I want to try to do is restructure what you focus on - the things you are involved in. "First of all, I want you to continue and even increase the level of discipline and regimentation in your life. That should be easy, considering your training. "Next, I want you to treat all of the things you are good at as if they were significant. I understand what you mean when you talk about school seeming insignificant. How can your trig grade matter when Ismi's life or Rebecca's virginity was once your main concern? "I really wish you would work toward a few martial arts competitions. I want you to practice kicking and shooting baskets as if you were trying for a scholarship. And I want you to get back into golf. Go out for the team next spring." "You didn't say anything about the photo business," Cal pointed out. "In a way, I wouldn't mind seeing you work your way out of that. It's not a very 'high school' kind of activity. Right now, it's too much of your twenty-five-year-old side. However, it does represent a unique talent of yours, so stick with it. "Again, I have Cheryl's permission to say this. She laments that she has never really had a chance to be a normal high school girl. It bothers her much more than she lets on. You have another year to try and correct that same problem for yourself. "There is one more thing I want you to do. Get involved in some people's lives. I think it fits your natural 'fairness' and protective instincts. If there are no more attackers to protect people from, protect them from other things. "It goes without saying that I want to talk to you on a regular schedule. Will you do that for a while?" Between two strong women like Julia and Cheryl, Cal saw no percentage in even putting up a fight. Being honest with himself, he was happy for the chance to talk with Julia. ------- The next Saturday, when Cal stopped at the Carsons' to pick up Cheryl, Matt, and Shelley for their regular outing, he could tell immediately that Cheryl was troubled. They had developed a way of asking without saying anything, but when Cal tried that, she just shook her head. She did her best to act natural and help the kids have a good time, but Shelley, at least, appeared to catch on to her big sister's malaise. Contrary to their original plan, Cheryl insisted on staying with Cal that night. As soon as they got to his house, Cheryl pulled him up to his room, where she collapsed against him in tears. Before he had a chance to ask, she handed him a letter. It was a volleyball scholarship offer from a school that she had picked as one of her top three. The school's team was dominant in their conference, which was not one of the majors. She had decided that at her size, she could not depend on much playing time at one of the national powers. She was not willing to settle for a big school with a poor record just to get playing time, either. The school was six hundred miles away, but some of its opponents would be a short flight or an easy drive for Cal or her family. It had a good pre-med program with a better than average placement rate. "Cal, this letter makes it so real!" she got out between sobs. "I... I knew we would be apart, but I didn't really KNOW it. It was j... just some future threat. But n... now it's here! I don't know if I can do it!" Once again, Cal was about to say something significant without thinking it through. "Cheryl, Honey, you can do it. You have to do it. Look, let's think about one school year, OK? It will be tough, but we can do it. If we both agree, I'll make sure I get into your school after I graduate." "But... but you didn't think you were going to college," she protested. "That's because I didn't see a good enough reason. You would be that reason." Cal had noticed before how Cheryl could translate one emotion into another without losing a bit of intensity. With what he had just said, every scrap of her emotional energy instantly became arousal. Having experienced two of Cheryl's sexual 'fits' in the past, Cal could see the signs in her eyes almost immediately. Cal was by no means a passive lover. In his relationship with Cheryl, though, it was very much a meeting of equals. As he saw another violent sexual explosion building up in her, some instinct made him decide not to just absorb it as he had before. He recalled Julia's replay of what he had heard Cheryl complain about: that she had never been able to be a normal high school girl. One other thing Cheryl had never experienced was being 'taken' sexually be someone who truly cared for her. Julia had told him to get involved in people's lives. Who better to start with than the one he loved most? They had been standing and hugging up until that point. As her arousal level skyrocketed, she reached out to grab him around the neck and administer one of her blowtorch kisses. She grabbed nothing but air. Cal sank to his knees in front of her, and almost in one motion pulled her jeans and panties down to her ankles. Thus hobbled, she was defenseless as he picked her up over his shoulder to carry her the few feet to his bed. Rather than cooling her ardor, it seemed to make her even more frantic, and as he laid her on her back, she grabbed for him again. Cal's initial thought was to plunge into her forcefully and try to take the edge off for her with some energetic fucking. He remembered, though, the incredible endurance she had shown before collapsing during her previous 'fits'. He knew that the maximum of two consecutive ejaculations he could stay hard for would not do it for her, so avoiding her grasp, he managed to get one foot free of her shoes, jeans and panties. The couple had always been extremely fastidious about cleanliness before sex, but this was no time for a shower. Ignoring the less than fresh odors of the day, Cal got his face into her crotch while fending off her reaching hands. Her concern about her own hygiene penetrated her arousal momentarily, and she tried briefly to repel him. When he went directly for her clit, nearly biting it, she forgot about anything but the pain/pleasure he was inflicting and her frantic desire. When he lubed a finger with her already-flowing juices and almost rammed it into her anus, any worry about anything but release was banished from her senses. Cal wanted to give her the outlet for the massive sexual energy buildup that he recognized. He also felt the need to take control in an unprecedented way. Restraining her in any way was something he had never done. They had occasionally indulged in anal play, but only very gently. His instinctive strategy started out very successfully, though, as her first climax came in less than a minute. That gave him the chance to get her other leg free while she was recovering. He had to chuckle to himself as he recalled other times when her urgency had left no time for removing upper garments. In the midst of fumbling with her clothes, he had a thought: perhaps that was related to her dissatisfaction with the size of her breasts. Always in awe of the taper, the toning, the musculature, and the skin of her torso, he could not understand her discontent. What he did understand was that she WAS discontented, and he was not about to cater to that right then. With both of her legs clear, he began munching on her pussy again, but as he did it, he used both hands to push her shirt and bra up. Then he grasped both nipples firmly and begin rolling them. Dominance and pain were two things never included in their lovemaking. Cal had scrupulously avoided them for fear of evoking memories of Greg. With Greg gone forever and Cheryl in the most serious emotional distress he had seen for some time, a judicious introduction just seemed right. He knew that Cheryl felt that she did not really belong anywhere. Making it clear that she belonged to him could make the coming year of separation easier for her. He remembered Julia's comments about him being Cheryl's rock. It was a daunting responsibility, but his protective instinct made him want to provide what she needed. Through two more of Cheryl's orgasms via his mouth and another, huge one from intercourse, Cal maintained his controlling demeanor. As in the two previous 'fits', she ended up semi-conscious and completely compliant. During their exertions, Cal had shed his clothes. He fondly recalled the last episode, on New Year's Eve, when he had carried her right to the hot tub. It had been a tender interlude, and he wanted to repeat it, but there was a problem - tonight, his parents were home. It took just one look at his lover for Cal to decide that it did not matter who was home or who saw them. It was what they both needed right then, and he picked her up and got her to hang onto his neck as he carried her. He did not know whether she sensed the risk of being seen or just did not care, but she showed no sign of concern. As luck would have it, Martin and Elaine were both in the family room, which he had to cross to get to the patio door. His father impressed him by raising his magazine to block his view of Cheryl. Elaine got up as if to leave the room, but Cal asked her to open the patio door for them. As he passed through the door, Cal gave his mother a peck on the cheek, and asked "Could you bring out some big towels later?" Cheryl had not been completely out of it, and she roused once in the water. "Trying to make a streaker out of me?" she asked in a mock pout. "Heard a quote from the Bible somewhere," he said thoughtfully. "Something about not hiding your light under a bushel." "Don't you mean a barrel, like that guy at the football games?" "Not really. He SHOULD hide. Now, you..." Cal's leer was invisible, but she could hear it in his voice. For all of her athleticism, Cheryl still had that girlish slap down perfectly. "I couldn't believe your dad," she mouthed after their shared chuckle died down. "Almost made me cry." "Don't you think your dad would have done the same thing?" "Yeah, I guess. But only 'cause he freaked out. He'd be afraid to look." With no obvious good reply to that comment, Cal sat silently for another little while. She broke the silence. "You know, there's no way that's going to make it easier." Knowing that she meant his aggressive taking of her, Cal replied "No, and I'm not sure anything can." Trying for some humor that was only marginally successful, he quipped "It was really just self-protection." "Well, feel free to protect yourself like that any time," she answered, laying her head on his shoulder. "I've never..." she started, then stopped with a shudder. He knew instinctively that she was thinking about some episode with Greg. His initial reaction was to try to distract her from the thought, but he held back. She could not always dodge the past. Sometimes, she just had to get over it. "Thank you, Cal," she said softly. "He tried to... to... possess me, but it was just, I don't know... abrupt... and... and brutal." That was followed by some tears. "What you did... God! I'll shiver every time I think about it!" After about ten minutes, Elaine came out with robes and towels and slipped naked into the tub with them. This time, she sat on the other side of Cheryl, but she leaned across toward Cal, apparently unconcerned about how her breasts were presented. After a dramatic sniff she said "You smell a lot better, now. It was a perfect tension-reliever, and Cheryl made Elaine her substitute mother once again. Elaine's next comment reminded Cal to always assume that his mother saw and knew everything. "Was that an important letter I saw you almost crumpling in your hand when you came in?" she asked Cheryl. Cheryl just nodded her head against Elaine's shoulder, not able to speak. Elaine responded with a squeeze, and the other hand stroked Cheryl's forehead. That's something Martin and I never had to deal with," she said almost dreamily. "I don't envy you two... but in a way I do. I never had the kind of love you guys do until I found Martin in college. Once you decide what you really mean to each other for the long run, it can give you some stability... some confidence going into college." Elaine was tempted to keep talking, but did not. There were so many things she would like to say to them, but Cheryl just needed quiet comforting more than anything. Elaine felt that she should have been nervous, naked in a hot tub with her son and his girlfriend. But all she could feel was the satisfaction of quiet fellowship. It was the kind of moment she did not want to end. ------- Chapter 30 It only took a couple more discussions with Cal and one with her parents before Cheryl wrote her acceptance letter for the scholarship. It was Cal who rather forcefully convinced her to talk with Hal and Darlene, and it went better than Cal could have expected. Hal had netted nearly half a million dollars from the insurance settlement. Marty recruited only the best as her associates, and Robert did a masterful job. Predictably, the Carsons invested the money and did not spend extravagantly. Two newer vehicles, one of which was badly needed, and some new furniture were the only obvious evidence of his compensation. Obvious, that is, to those who did not know Hal well. To his family and to Cal, a number of changes had occurred since the injury. Previously, Hal's self-reliance had been almost frantic. Coupled with his extreme rigidity, it had made him seem irrational at times. Spending time completely dependent on the help of others had taken a little of the edge off of his need for control. Right after the injury, it had seemed as though Cheryl and Cal were trying to subjugate him. It did not take long, though, for their sincere efforts to make his life better to be noticed. Cheryl's bold exposure of him on his first day home had led him to fear her dominance. When, at least as far as he knew, she never again saw his privates, the fear eased quickly. More than anything else, the additional future security guaranteed by the expansion to their savings brought a calmness to Hal's whole demeanor. His overall attitudes did not change significantly, but his reactions to things he disagreed with became much more moderate. Hal's moderated personality was a boon to the whole family, and a great relief to Cheryl. One of the hardest parts of leaving for college was her fear for her siblings, and that fear abated considerably. For the first time, Cheryl had started paying some attention to her mother as more than just a household slave to her father. The stressful, embarrassing sexual lessons Cheryl had conducted made her view Darlene in a much more human way than ever before. In most respect's, Cheryl's mother was still a stranger, but there were many more emotional connections than ever before. The other thing about Darlene that was unmistakable was the physical change. Buried for forty years by family culture, her athlete's body and spirit were making a belated appearance. Her posture and her walk had changed enough that her siblings who had not seen her for many months expressed their surprise. Probably the biggest change for Darlene was acknowledging her awareness of the appearance of her own body and of the bodies of others. Her time at the health club had become almost religious for her. From the early days when she had felt a flash of guilt when she happened to see her reflection in the ever-present huge mirrors, she now watched herself closely as she worked out. It was a flash of long-delayed narcissism, but nothing serious. It was a faze that most women go through in their teens, but it had been denied her at that age. After a few months at the club, Darlene had even allowed herself to notice the bodies of other women, and compare them to her own. That had generated more guilt at first: guilt because she felt proud of how well she compared. Except for breast size, she found few things in other women that made her envious. The first swimsuit that Cheryl had nearly forced her mother to buy was still in use at every workout. It had cup construction that disguised her nipples, no matter what condition they were in, and the legs were not cut high. Other than that, it was revealing enough that Darlene had been barely able to drop her towel to get into the water the first time. She had felt like her bottom was totally bare because of the elasticized material. Back in the locker room after that first swim, she had happened to check out her back in the mirror, and her knees had nearly buckled. Her ass crack was as obvious as if she was just wearing panties! She could not go out like that again! At her next session, she was ready to shower and leave without the swim, but Jeremy interceded. Whether it was on purpose or just from luck, he caught her on her way to the locker room. "Darlene! It was great to see you swimming the other day. I'll wait here and give you some tips when you get in the pool today." "But, I... I was just going home today. I..." It was probably instinctive for Jeremy, and it worked. "No, Darlene. You're making great progress, here, and swimming will make it that much better. Go on. Get your suit on and I'll be at the pool in five minutes. Don't make me wait." His voice and posture had just the right mix of politeness and command, and Darlene was helpless to do anything but comply. She was shaking even worse than the first time when she dropped her towel, but Jeremy's presence left her no choice but to get in the pool. It took many laps and borderline exhaustion that day before Darlene stopped feeling a tingle of shame that her bottom was all but bare to Jeremy as she swam. When she climbed wearily from the pool, Jeremy was holding a towel for her and started in with 'body talk'. "Darlene, you don't know how much of a thrill it has been to watch your progress. I thought when I first saw you that you had a potentially great body, but I had no idea!" As he had expected, Darlene reacted in shock. "Oh, come on, Darlene! There's nothing to be shy about. We build bodies here. We're proud of the results, and you're one client we're very proud of." He was going to get more specific about her development, but he sensed that he had said enough at that point. The evening that Cheryl talked to her parents about the scholarship, Darlene had gone to the club, which she now did almost every day. It had been a breakthrough day. Jeremy had met her as she went to the locker to get ready to swim. He had handed her a tank suit. "You are swimming very well, Darlene, but I think your suit is hampering your movement. Wear this today." "Oh, no, I... it shows... no, I just couldn't!" "Look, Darlene, as strong as you are swimming, you must be chafing in your crotch, from the shoulder straps, and under your arms when you finish, aren't you?" He knew that saying the word 'crotch' would alarm her, but he had to make his point. Her wide-eyed nod told him that he had done it correctly. "This is the kind of suit that competitive swimmers wear. You've seen them on TV, haven't you?" Again, she nodded wordlessly. His authoritative tone and manner were triggering her submissiveness, just as he assumed they would. "Just put this on, please. No one is going to think badly of you. You have a great body! So what if someone sees more of it than you are used to?" By that point, Darlene had no choice, and in a few minutes, she once again emerged shaking so badly that she could hardly walk. Jeremy was bemused by Darlene's discomfiture. He had worked with a number of women who were very body-shy, but she set the standard in his experience. His feelings toward her were somewhat divided. He was a committed dominant and active in 'the life'. Initially, she had appeared to be an ideal target: older, naive, potentially very attractive. Somewhat to his own surprise, he was feeling some pity and more than a little affection for her. She just seemed to have that effect. Jeremy felt no sense of hurry with Darlene, and he knew that he could not rush her anyway. He had plenty of subs available to him, so if she took a year or more of 'prep', that was fine. Despite his unaccustomed ambivalence, he stuck with the plan he had devised when she first joined the club. When Darlene stepped from the pool for the first time in the tank suit, she did the classic cover-up with her hands. As he stepped up with the towel, he took the hand covering her breasts and pulled it away. "Darlene, every woman in this place has breasts with nipples. They're not secret and they're not sacred. Everyone knows that they are there. Yours happen to be very attractive. Forget the covering up. The suit is all the covering you need here." It was said in the tone that he had learned she could not resist. She did not relax, but her hand dropped to her side. "You have a couple of choices with your crotch," he said, and waited for her stunned reaction to subside. No one but Cheryl had every talked about her crotch to her. "As it is now, you have trimmed your pubic hair so that none sticks out the sides. That's good. What remains is quite thick, and makes a bit of a bulge in the suit." He waited a few more moments, hoping that the blood would return to her face, which it eventually did, abundantly. "If you shave off your pubic hair to reduce the bulge, though, the suit will show your labia more clearly, and you may not want that. What do you think?" What Darlene thought was that she was about to die of shock and embarrassment. He let her simmer for a while before going on. "Please don't be upset, Darlene. Remember how I said we work with bodies here? Well, that's all just part of your very nice body. Think of me almost like a doctor, OK? Why don't you take the suit home and see what you think?" That Darlene was rather distracted as Cheryl talked about her scholarship later that day was no surprise, given what had happened at the club. Cheryl and Cal just wrote it off to her typical non-involvement in matters of decision that she considered Hal's business. After the teens had left, it seemed to Darlene that Hal took forever to get to bed. Even after he was down, she was reluctant to use the master bath, which was open to the bedroom, so she used the hall bath. Jeremy had insisted that she take the tank suit with her, and she put it on and spent many minutes looking at herself in the mirror, wishing that it was full length. After much tugging and pulling on the crotch, she could not decide what to do, so she left her pubic hair as it was. Thinking back to her emergence from the pool that morning, she stepped into the shower with the suit on and got it thoroughly wet. Seeing how clearly her breasts and distended nipples were displayed through the wet fabric almost made her stumble as she came out of the tub shower. Her mind initially screamed that she could never wear such a suit again. That resolution died aborning, however, when she pictured Jeremy telling her to put it on and get in the pool. The unmistakable throbbing in her pussy reinforced Jeremy's expected demand. When she returned to the bedroom, Darlene was disappointed that Hal was already asleep. Even if he had been awake, she reminded herself, initiating sex was his prerogative, and she might not have gotten any relief, anyway. For the first time, she brought herself off in bed beside her sleeping husband - twice. What got her over the top was visualizing herself walking from the locker room to the pool with her pussy lips clearly displayed for Jeremy by the thin, snug suit. There was absolutely no question that she would be back at the club in the morning, and that she would wear the suit. ------- All teenaged girls seem to be incurable matchmakers, and the trio of Cheryl, Rebecca, and Tessa were certainly not exceptions. The three had gotten to know and like Jean del Prado, and they remembered the casual interaction between her and Jared Cociscue at the New Year's Eve party. They decided that Jared was going to take Jean to the prom. When Bobby first heard of their scheming, he got fully into the act, wanting the best for his close friend Jared. With all of that firepower brought to bear, Jared did not have a chance. Two weeks before the prom, he was terrified, but shopping for a tux. The four couples would share a limo, eat dinner together, and share a table at the prom. The Walts and the Banners had gotten together, and set up for prom night. The Banners would entertain all of the parents, and the teens would have the run of Teri's house afterwards, rather than having to rent a hotel room. As if the tux rental was not bad enough, Rebecca and Tessa dragged Jared home three different times for dancing lessons. He thought his embarrassment would be terminal when Tessa sat him down and lectured him about inevitable male reactions and females' response to them. He did manage to pick up enough basic dancing skill to avoid crippling poor Jean. For Rebecca and Bobby and Cheryl and Cal, there was no reason to go to a hotel, since they regularly slept together with their parents' full knowledge. Although Tessa and Vick had not fully consummated yet, a place to get together was never a problem for them, either. It was arranged that Laz (Lazlo) Cociscue, Jared's father, and Rosalia del Prado would work out a way to leave a car for Jared to get him and Jean home. A week before the prom, Tessa caught Cal at school and asked him to stop over that evening, giving him no clue as to the purpose. When he rang the bell after supper, Tessa met him at the door, took him by the hand, pulled him to the family room, sat him on the couch, and plopped right on his lap. Puzzled, stunned, concerned - all three fit Cal very well at that moment. While Cal was trying to resist hugging her, she pre-empted him by throwing her arms around his neck and laying her head on his shoulder. "Prom night," she said, with no further explanation. When Cal did not respond in any way for about thirty seconds, she added "Vick and I are going to make love Prom night." No less in the dark than when she had plopped in his lap, Cal instinctively responded "You didn't have to tell me that." "Yes, I did," Tessa insisted. "Look, Cal, we have been afraid of each other since I decided on Vick. I understand why, but I hate it! I want to get back some of the closeness we had before - I mean before I got in the shower with you that first time. If we could at least be like you and Rebecca, I would love that. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" "You mean, so a spontaneous urge to hug each other wouldn't scare us?" he asked. "I knew you'd understand!?" she exulted, threatening to choke off his air. "Maybe the sex play we did makes it harder, but I still wouldn't trade it for anything. You're still my closest male friend. Vick and I are getting there, but you and I have a lot of years of friendship. Can you do this, Cal? Please?" "I guess I've been concerned about Vick and Cheryl and what they would think," Cal explained. "I've spent a lot of time talking to both of them. Vick trusts you like no other man he knows. I've told him everything about what you and I did. He knows how our fear of each other hurts me. Cheryl knows how it hurts you. They trust us, Cal. "You know me well," she went on. "When I give it up on Prom night, to me that's like wedding vows. I will be faithful to Vick from then on. I want you to be my big brother again. I want to share my happiness with you, and you with me." "Big brother? But..." "Don't try to change the subject, Cal Banner!" she said with a play swat. "I want to be just as close to you as Rebecca is, OK?" "So, I'm the last to hear about this changed relationship, huh?" he teased. She pulled back and stared at him and said "You trying to talk me out of this?" Seeing that this was not the right time for levity, for the first time, he took the initiative and hugged her tightly. "I love you, Tessa. I always will. Thank you for getting us back to where we should be." That, of course, unleashed a flood from her, and he was not totally successful at keeping his eyes dry, either. ------- Getting the Carsons to accept the Banners' Prom night invitation was more difficult than even Cheryl expected. It finally took one more of her forays into dominant mode to get them to go, something she really hated to do. It turned out that it was just the believable threat that she would go dominant that got Hal's reluctant agreement. She did not actually order them to go, but she told them "There is a chance that someday Elaine and Martin could be my in-laws. I like and respect them both. There is no good reason for you to decline. It would be very discourteous and a slap in the face to them if you did." Hal could feel his daughter on the verge of ordering them to attend, and he knew he could not resist her. To him, that would be worse than the actual party, so he caved. Darlene, of course, had little say in the matter, though she found herself incredibly curious about Cal's parents. Cheryl timidly approached Elaine and Martin and warned them about what to expect. Elaine grabbed her in a hug and told her "Honey, we have a good idea what to expect. Your job is to forget everything else and have a blast at your last prom." "My only one, as far as I'm concerned," Cheryl murmured into Elaine's shoulder. "Well, Martin and I and Teri and Rick will guarantee that your parents leave here happy that they came." "That's a tall order with my dad," Cheryl cautioned. "We can handle it. Promise." By agreement, the parents all brought their offspring to the Banners', where a little photo studio was set up. Cal and Jean alternated taking the photos, with Teri subbing for the pictures of the whole group. As a goodwill gesture, with Cheryl's full agreement, Cal had arranged to take pictures of all comers at the prom itself. He had to agree to letting Jean do at least half of the photos. Rosalia and Laz packed up the necessary gear and took it to the school before returning to the party. They would also retrieve it afterward, leaving Cal and Jean free to ride the limo. It turned out that the teacher who sponsored the photography club volunteered his time and freed up the teens for more dancing. Cal insisted on taking a lot of the shots, though. Given the kinds of feelings against him that had occurred over the last year, he wanted to build some bridges to his fellow students. Even with Cal's picture taking, there was plenty of time for dancing, and the four couples exchanged partners several times. Cal and Tessa were able to dance enthusiastically on the fast songs and closely on the slow songs without any undue emotions. It was a significant breakthrough. Back at the parents' gathering, the delicious catered foods were a great ice-breaker, and Martin and Rick started a relaxed but continuous effort to engage Hal Carson. Because of his real estate development business, Martin was familiar with a number of projects that Hal had worked on. Being careful not to divulge anything confidential, he dropped some tidbits that Hal might never have heard otherwise. It was obvious that the information was much appreciated by Hal. Laz was a help with Hal, also. Being the semi-pro handyman that he was, Laz kept peppering Hal with questions about construction techniques and technology. Being put in the role of expert took away most of Hal's remaining concerns about the party. It was interesting watching the three single parents who were present, Rosalia del Prado, Emily Smaak, and Laz Cociscue. Unlike his son Jared, Laz was quite personable and gregarious. Although his son and Rosalia's daughter were prom dates, it was Emily who responded most strongly to him. Perhaps it was their shared Eastern European heritage, but by the end of the evening, Elaine wondered if the spark of a romance might have been ignited. With Vick headed for college, it would be good for Emily to have a distraction from her loneliness. Elaine had asked everyone to bring swimsuits, and while the five men were playing pool and relaxing downstairs, she told the other five women to join her in the hot tub. Emily and Rosalia agreed reluctantly, but Darlene had purposely not brought a suit. With Cheryl having told her all about Darlene, Elaine practically dragged her to the master suit where she almost forcibly dressed the blushing woman in a modest two-piece. Elaine had no idea that the suit showed more of Darlene than had ever been displayed outside of her house. In the hot tub, Elaine and Teri started immediately bringing Darlene into the conversation. The other women seemed to pick up that she was a project and they all helped. Even after all of her visits to the club, and even though they were all women, the level of intimacy still frightened Darlene. With five against one, however, she was holding her own in conversation before they all reluctantly left the tub after forty-five minutes. ------- While the teens were enjoying the prom and the parents were relaxing at the Banners', things were far less pleasant for Cal's Aunt Laura. Elaine had tried hard to get her sister to join them that night, but with her daughter Jolie not going to the prom, Laura just did not feel right about being there. She could not help crying as she wondered if she would ever get to take Jolie's picture as she was picked up for the prom. In just her freshman year, the girl had fallen in with a fast group of well-heeled kids that frightened Laura. The group thrived on taking chances, pushing the envelope, and challenging all norms and authority. If their generally indulgent parents were for it, the group was against it. The prom was, of course, far too traditional for them to even consider. Her husband, Will, was gone again. Reluctant as she was to admit it to herself, Laura was more relieved every time he left. Thinking about it, she felt a twinge in her left shoulder from being bounced off of a door frame by Will just two days ago. That was the closest she had come to running to her sister in tears. She just knew that Elaine and Martin would find a way to help her, but her pride still stood in the way. Always a strong person, Laura was feeling more and more like a trapped animal. She realized that she had lashed out at Cal a number of times, and after each one, she had ended up in tears when she thought about it later. She could not even understand why she did it. The cutting words just seemed to escape her unbidden. When she saw Martin and how he treated Elaine or Cal and how he treated Cheryl, it just made her want to lash out in anger. Elaine and Cheryl were getting the love and tenderness that she was dying for. She could never lash out at Martin - she was too deeply in love with him to ever do that. That left Cal as the target of her irrational outbursts, even though she loved her nephew almost as much. The double whammy of an increasingly abusive, probably philandering husband and a rebellious daughter was wearing her down, but she had no idea of what to do about it. Just like her sister, Laura was a gregarious, considerate person. She could not understand what she had done to bring these woes down upon herself. ------- Cal had noticed it when he danced with Tessa, and it was very evident as she played the hostess role at her house. There was a kind of serenity about her the whole evening. Here she was, on the verge of losing her virginity, and rather than being anxious, she seemed on top of the world. After the eight teens had made their first raid on the snack table that Teri and Elaine had set up, Cal felt the need to comment to Tessa about her obvious happiness. "You look like you're more than ready, Tessa." She knew exactly what he was talking about. "In a way, it's what I've been waiting for all my life," she replied. "Cal, you know I couldn't have done this until we were square with each other. Thank you for understanding." "Well, thank you for hitting me over the head about it. I needed it," he replied. "Um, Cal, could you, uh, maybe see if you can calm Vick down a little? He was more calm before the playoff games." That was not a task that Cal relished, but how could he say 'no'? "Sure. I'll see if I can lighten him up." "Hey, Big Guy," Cal addressed Vick when he managed to catch him in a fairly private spot. "That doesn't look like your game face." "I guess you know what's gonna happen, huh?" "Yeah, she told me the night we got over being afraid of each other. I'm sure she told you all about that," Cal said. "So, is it the commitment that's scaring you?" "Scaring me?" Vick protested. "God. Guess I am kinda scared. But's it's not the commitment. Hell, no! I know this means forever to her, and that's more than fine with me. I guess... I guess I'm always afraid I'm playing outa my league." "Huh?" "I mean, she's got brains, and money, and beauty. And I'm just this overgrown Latvian with OK grades, and no talent but my muscles." Cal was taken aback by Vick's statement. Never had the big guy shown any lack of self-confidence. Instead of saying something comforting, he decided to attack a bit. "So, why the hell is a babe like Tessa wanting to marry you, anyway?" Cal accomplished his purpose, as Vick visibly recoiled. It took a moment for him to recognize Cal's question as the challenge that it was. He took too long to respond, and Cal spoke up again in a much softer tone. "My Dad's done pretty well for himself, don't you think?" Cal asked. Vick snorted, "Pretty well? I'd sure like to do 'pretty well' like that." "Well, his parents didn't have any money. Without football, he could never have afforded college, and he had no chance for an academic scholarship. He will tell you that football opened a lot of doors for him. He will also tell you that he had an awesome woman as a partner all the way. Sound like someone you know?" Vick looked a little surprised, but still said nothing, so Cal kept at him. "So, you're worried that Tessa made a mistake and latched onto a loser, huh? Sounds like the kind of thing she would do, right?" Now, Vick was hanging his head and shaking it slowly. "Vick, you know my history with Tessa. I think the world of her. If you don't leave her absolutely boneless tonight, I'm coming after you. And you know all your muscles won't save you. "Dammit! Tessa's not some empty-headed bimbo. She's too smart to pick anyone but a real winner, and she picked you! You two can be an awesome team just like my mom and dad. But not if you go around frightened and unsure of yourself. When you take her to bed tonight, you'd better be the same Vick that I saw tearing up offenses. And the same Vick that almost killed two thugs by cracking their heads together. And the same Vick that figured out all the dirty secrets in the Coach Hall business. Got that?" Cal turned dramatically and stomped away. He saw Tessa watching from across the room and straining to stifle a giggle. She regained enough composure to mouth 'Thank you'. Vick was pissed at his friend Cal, and it took several minutes for him to realize that Cal had just used the same tactic that the coach had used on him so successfully. As the anger subsided, he thought about what Cal had said, especially about Martin and their similar situations. Then he thought about Tessa, and how unbelievably lucky he was to have her. Cal was right. Tessa would never hook up with a loser and Vick could not let her picking him be a mistake. She deserved the best, and it was up to him to get it for her. When the other three couples had left, it was a much more confident Vick who led Tessa to the master bedroom, which was theirs for the night. He was not really worried about the sexual aspects, since they had done everything but penetration many, many times. His attack of unease from earlier in the evening was gone, replaced by excitement at the new level of intimacy they would be sharing. Tessa's eagerness was written all over her face, and a little perverse streak in Vick decided to exert a little control and play on that eagerness. He himself was more than anxious to complete their union, but Cal's little speech had been eating at him the rest of the evening. Instinctively, he knew that despite her strength of character, Tessa liked for him to take charge. Of all nights, this was one where he needed to do just that. The couple undressed as if they were about to shower together, a pastime that had become one of their favorites. Finishing first, Vick slipped into the bathroom and managed to find two jumbo towels. Walking back into the bedroom, he handed them to his now-naked lover. She took them and barely had time to give him a questioning look before he scoop her up and headed for the door. Tessa gave the obligatory squeal, but there was no way she wanted him to put her down. The few times he had picked her up and carried her had been an unbelievable thrill for her. His massive size and strength were definitely a strong part of his physical appeal. With her generous curves, she had never been a lightweight, and the way he made her weight seem insignificant led to instant arousal. Besides, Cheryl had described in detail the times Cal had carried her naked to the hot tub, and Tessa just knew that was where they were headed now. Of course, a soak and some play in the hot tub meant a delay in the long-awaited assault on her hymen. Her irritation at that delay only lasted a moment, though, smothered by the sheer thrill of being carried naked through her house and out onto the relatively exposed deck. She suspected that she was leaving a vapor trail, judging by the moisture that was suddenly dripping from her crotch. Vick was no less affected by their short trip out to the hot tub. Just her reactions to being picked up - the little squeal and the almost worshipful way she clung to him - almost melted him down. Those little things were very arousing, but even more they ignited feelings of love and protectiveness that nearly brought tears. And he could never get enough of the feel of her body: the silky skin so smoothly fitted over all of those exciting curves. Shortly after it became clear that Tessa was set on Vick as her partner, Teri had sat her daughter down for a heart to heart. Teri emphasized that with Vick being an athlete, Tessa's non-physical lifestyle could become a barrier in the long term. In her usual manner, Teri did not preach, but Tessa took the message to heart. Tessa had seen the results of her mother's exercise campaign before her father's return, but there had been no incentive to get seriously into it herself. Teri's little warning gave her that incentive. Tessa had gone so far as to add jogging, something she knew that Vick did religiously. There was no way she could hope to run with him, but just having the shared experience had already proven important in their relationship. Somewhat to her surprise, Tessa discovered that she liked how the exercise made her look and feel, and it became important to her for her own sake, not just for how it affected her romance. It was a slightly lighter and noticeably firmer Tessa that Vick carried to the hot tub that night. For a pleasant while, he used the sensuous effect of the water to worship all of her enhanced and tightened curves, expressing his enjoyment with words and touches. Even though the arousal level for both partners rose steadily with their play, both understood without words that intercourse would wait until they were in bed, at least the first time. When he sensed that it was time, Vick lifted her right out of the tub, sending another sexual jolt through her already aroused body. He wrapped one towel around her, slung the other over his shoulder, picked her up again, and retraced their route to the bedroom. As soon as he set her down, Tessa threw back the covers on her parents' bed and spread her damp towel. Climbing onto the bed, she spread herself lewdly in unambiguous invitation. Vick started drying himself off, but she sat up, grabbed his hand, and frantically pulled him down toward herself. When he made as if to go down on her she loudly told him that was not what she needed right then. Tessa's hymen was not particularly tough, so her pain was short-lived and minimal. A noticeable amount of blood seeped out onto the towel, but that was a problem for later. Though not out-sized, Vick was noticeably larger than average, and first penetration was necessarily quite deliberate. It was also rather agonizing for him because in their play in the tub, he had somehow missed ejaculating. In his few previous sexual encounters, Vick's only concern had been getting off. Now, Tessa's comfort and satisfaction dominated his mind as he struggled against the almost overwhelming sensations of the moist, hot sheath surrounding his distended organ. He managed to hold off until he finally bottomed out. When their public bones touched, it stimulated her clit and she thrust strongly up at him. That was more than he could take and he unloaded into her. As sexual a person as she was, Tessa had always been thrilled by the feeling of her man coming. This time, inside her where he belonged, it was just that much more of a high. She did not climax, but the overwhelming feeling of fulfillment and completion was satisfying in its own way. She loved him, and bringing him satisfaction thrilled her in an unselfish way that only a woman in love could understand. Cheryl had told Tessa how Cal would stay inside of her after coming and gradually re-aquire his erection. She had told Tessa she knew that it hurt Cal, but that his doing it anyway just increased the thrill for her. When Vick made a move to back out of Tessa, she brought her heels to his ass and her arms around his back and made it clear that she did not want him anywhere but right where he was. Her next action was instinctive, as she began massaging his tender shaft with unsuspected muscles in her vagina. At first, it hurt him, but even if he could have pulled out, it was obvious that she would be displeased. Refusing to give in to the pain, he tried responding to her thrusts that accompanied the internal massage. Discovering that the pain receded as he firmed up, he was soon thrusting vigorously. For Tessa and Vick, it was a night without tears, but with lots and lots of sweat and sexual fluids, and uncountable kisses and murmurs of love. Just as had happened with Rebecca and Bobby, they were more than ready for this step and able to experience it to the fullest. Tessa's minimal discomfort made it that much better, and it was Vick who eventually signaled time for sleep when he could no longer produce any firmness, no matter what inducement she tried. Somehow finding the strength to take her to one more orgasm with his fingers, he collapsed for the count with her snuggled happily against him. ------- Cheryl and Cal had chosen to go back to her room, leaving the upstairs of the Banner house to Bobby and Rebecca. Though no one had expressed it in words, it just worked out the it was at the girl's home for all three of the couples. Even though her 'only' prom had been a significant occasion for Cheryl, she did not feel the need to cap it off with ultra-romantic surroundings. Not that her relationship with Cal was lacking in romance. It was just that their love was based more on the unquestioning acceptance and support of each other than on highly emotional events. On several occasions, Elaine had remarked to Martin that Cheryl and Cal acted more like long-married spouses than like love-struck teens. She also freely expressed the hope that it meant the teens would be together permanently. She found much to like about Cheryl as a potential daughter-in-law. Elaine's observation was quite correct, and in many respects, both Cheryl and Cal were far beyond most of their contemporaries emotionally. Cheryl's 'bargain with the devil' had cost her her youthful innocence. Cal's encounters with violence and death had done the same to him. As Cal was discovering more and more as separation from Cheryl grew closer, the lack of youthful romanticism in no way weakened their bond. The hole in his life to be left by Cheryl's departure loomed larger and larger all the time. After one of their typical sessions of lots of conversation mixed with multiple orgasms for each of them, Cal's thoughts kept him awake as she slept contentedly beside him. He was definitely being left behind by the friends most important to him. In a way, he envied Vick and Bobby. Tessa and Rebecca were brilliant, talented, strong, wonderful women, but they had chosen to follow their men. Cheryl was their equal in every way, but she was stepping toward her future a year ahead of him, and he was in the position of deciding whether to follow her. Even had she been willing, he had given her no vision of his own to follow. But was a woman who followed him really what Cal wanted? Would he love Cheryl as much if she showed any less focus or determination? Being completely honest with himself, it was her equality with him in motivation and discipline that made her more than just a girlfriend. She was a truly unique person, and that made the difference. Physically drained but mentally too active to sleep, Cal replayed his history with Cheryl. There were the early years when she was just one of his sister's closest friends. That changed dramatically the night he took pictures of the girls and she had done that naked pose. He knew that in his dotage, that one pose would be one of his indelible memories. From that moment on, Cheryl could not be just one of the girls to him. It was Teri who had engineered that achingly beautiful pose for Cheryl. A pose that Cal later learned was totally out of character for the modest, tomboyish girl. Teri loved him and understood him perhaps as well as his own mother. He knew that Teri always harbored hopes for Cal and Tessa as a couple. In spite of that, could she have sensed the potential for Cal and Cheryl together? Could she have engineered that pose as a way to put them in each other's minds? Since first mentioning to Cheryl that he might not go to college, he had been doing a lot of thinking about it. Then, he had told Cheryl that her being there was enough 'significance' to justify his going. He recalled the times that Cheryl had lamented never having been a 'normal' high school student. Neither had he, but it did not bother him as it apparently did her. He was putting himself in the same position as Tessa and Rebecca, following his love to school. Did that bother him? Did it make him less of a man? The final decision was still a year away, but he had blurted out what he considered a promise to Cheryl. Could he follow through on it? At the heart of his debate was his true feeling for Cheryl. Did he love her? Absolutely. Was he in love with her in a life partner sense? As much as he understood that emotion, he was more and more convinced that he was. Could that love survive the ten to twelve year journey that Cheryl had committed herself to? That was a stopper. The reason it was a stopper was because Cal felt guilty for not having a purpose as strong as Cheryl's. Didn't Cheryl deserve someone just as directed and motivated as herself? At that point, he laughed out loud, causing Cheryl to stir and whimper softly. Hadn't he just given the perfect speech to Vick earlier in the evening. Didn't it apply to him just as much? Cheryl would not pick a loser any more than Tessa would. For an indeterminate time, Cal cycled through questions, never quite finding answers that were fully satisfactory. Finally, he made himself approach things in the structured way that Ken had taught him. He mentally made a list of the obligations and expectations that he lived under, both his own and those of his loved ones. For himself, the only obligation he could come up with was the nebulous matter of 'significance'. For his parents, he generated quite a list of both obligations and expectations. The analysis really helped. Since he had no driving purpose of his own, was not fulfilling the expectations of those he cared about a valid purpose? His parents expected him to go to college, and with good reason. They deserved to see that expectation fulfilled. Even if it was not as important to him, he should do it for them. Cheryl had missed her 'normal' high school career. By being with her, he could help her have a 'normal' college career. Was there any reason he should not do that? Was he in any way hurting himself by putting the wishes of Cheryl and his parents first in his decision-making? It was the realization that absent his own driving purpose, focusing on the happiness of his important people was the right direction for him that allowed Cal to finally slip into dreamland. ------- "I'm going to take your advice," Cal told Julia to open his next session with her. "Which advice in particular?" "The part where you told me to pretend that I'm a high school junior. I'm going to do that. Then, I'll pretend I'm a high school senior. Then, I'll pretend I'm a college freshman, then..." "I get the picture, I get the picture!" Julia interrupted with a laugh. "Does that mean you won't want any more sessions with me?" "Are you kidding? Even a pretend high school junior wouldn't turn down an hour a week with a gorgeous redhead?" "John Calvin Banner! I work hard to keep these sessions professional! Besides, you already have a gorgeous girl who loves you to death." "Yeah, I know. And that's a big part of why I've decided." Cal went on to replay some of his internal debates and his ultimate decision process. Significantly, it was the first of his several sessions with Julia in which Greg's name was never mentioned. ------- Chapter 31 Author's Note: Sorry about the later submission, but hey - it's still Friday. Due to circumstances... yadda, yadda, yadda... if there are more typos than usual, sorry about that, too. Enjoy. ------- Suzanne Meinert felt a stab of jealousy as she and Rod walked up to the house with the real estate agent. She still could not understand why they were even bothering to look at this expensive one. Rod loved teaching and coaching, and they weren't poor. But there was never anything extra. This house was so perfect, it almost made her cry to think about it. But there was no way they could afford it. All through the tour, her depression increased. If only... ------- Rod Meinert had been too angry to be nervous as he walked into the office of the college's athletic director. He had been angry ever since he had heard the theory about Penelope Overland maneuvering him out of town by purchasing this job for him. He knew instinctively that it was true - everything fit. Rod had been ready to walk out right then, mid-season, he was so angry. Two things stopped him. The first he was proud of: he could not default on his team and leave them hanging. The recruiting he had done since hearing about it had been terribly hard, and he had pushed as much as he could onto one very personable, charismatic assistant who was a former player on the team. The second reason Rod was less proud of. He did not want to quit without having another job, particularly living in a city far from what he considered home. With three small children, he had a typical teacher's nest egg - almost zero. Even the larger college salary had not gotten them completely out of debt. He was now very thankful that they had passed on the house offered to them for purchase at an attractive price. Renting looked perfect in his current dilemna. By agreement, they considered the proceeds from the sale of their former home to be untouchable. There was one other aspect of this whole mess that Rod was not proud of. As certain as he was of the manipulation theory, he had initially said nothing to his wife. In their marriage, that was highly unusual. It was not surprising that she had noticed his edginess and unease after the discovery. Her life had been miserable since arriving at the college. Even the increase in income had not helped. The faculty wives were a very closed group, and they seemed particularly cool to her. Neighbors and new church friends were only marginally better. When the call from Patricia Jameson had come, offering him his old job, Rod accepted before she had finished asking. He had canceled practice that day and raced home to tell his wife the entire story. When he had entered the AD's office to tell his boss that he was leaving, he had felt confident in his position. Cal and Dex had arranged for several talks with Marty Granville, Dex's lawyer, and she had given him all of the legal bases he needed. Rod did not even sit as he stated "I will be leaving immediately after the season ends. I am letting my assistants do all of the rest of the recruiting. I do not want to recruit players and leave them right away." "But you have two more years on your contract!" the AD had objected. "Considering the unethical way in which I was brought here, I don't think you want to even mention a contract, do you, now?" That had stopped the AD, who just stared at Rod for several moments, then had apparently decided to pretend not to understand. "It's a good contract. You know that," the AD had pointed out. "The entire administration and athletic department have resented me since I arrived, and made certain to let me know it," Coach Meinert complained. "Now I understand why." "But the team is doing so well! No one resents you now! We want you to stay." "Then it's too bad you couldn't keep your mouths shut," Rad had said bitterly. "You all chose to tell your wives the whole story. After the hell they gave my wife, there is no way we could stay here." The AD sat silent, unable to look at Rod. Before accepting the badly needed cash from Penelope Overland, there had been some heated discussions with the school's lawyers. The AD knew exactly the extent of their legal liablility. "Oh, and I'm sure you will be happy to pay the balance of my first year's salary, our moving expenses back to where we came from, and the remaining months of our house lease here, won't you?" ------- Now they were back 'home', except that what had been their home now housed someone else, and they had to find a new place. Walking in a trance through the lovely home, Suzanne recalled Rod's telling of his parting conversation with his boss at the college. From then on, the AD had done everything in his power to make their departure easy. She was very glad to be back, but she wished they had never sold their former house. She was reminiscing, afraid to even think about how nice this house was, when she thought the agent said a number that could not be right. "I... I'm sorry," Suzanne said. "I missed what you just said." "This is a very unique situation," the agent said. "A corporation bought this house as temporary quarters for transient executives. Things have not gone well for them, and they need to liquidate quickly." "But that's... that's a hundred thousand less than it's worth!" Suzanne exclaimed. "The listing said..." "That's right," the agent interrupted. "And because of that, you can get a mortgage with very little down. I hate to sound like I am pressuring you, but this definitely will not last long. The corporation has already lined up financing, they are so anxious to get their money. You could be in within a week." There was a lot more than what the agent described that had gone on behind the scenes. The corporation that owned the house was one of several shells belonging to Genevieve Overland. The agent had been well compensated for first buying the house for Genevieve's corporation with cash, then re-listing it for a premium price. The ridiculously low 'clearance' price was for the Meinerts only. For Genevieve, it would be another deduction. Not only had the financing been all lined up, the Meinert's had been pre-approved. Literally, all that was needed was their signature and a modest down payment that was easily covered by the equity from their previous home. There was some risk assuming they would want this particular house, but with the investigative resources available to Genevieve, she had a good idea of Suzanne's preferences. Genevieve had always maintained a high level of philanthropic activity and donations. She considered it part of her 'noblesse oblige'. Somehow, though, her intervention for the Meinerts affected her as no other contribution had. Not only was it compensation for her daughter-in-law's misdeeds. It forced her to look closely at an average family, something that had happened to her a lot recently. First the Armstrongs, then the Carsons, and now the Meinerts. It brought to her attention how isolated her view of the world had become. Her change in perspective had started with Cheryl's obvious disdain for her. Robin's almost identical attitude convinced Genevieve that Cheryl was not an isolated case. After Greg's death, the response of the teens with the most reason to hate him had forced further reevaluation. Intervention for the Meinerts was the first personal good deed in far too long for Genevieve, and she marveled at the satisfaction it gave her. Suzanne Meinert knew nothing of Genevieve's efforts on her behalf. The pain of the year at the college would never be completely erased for Suzanne, but as she floated back to their car after signing the purchase offer for her dream home, she could not remember a single slight or caustic remark any longer. ------- Suzanne was still barely touching the ground two days after the purchase offer when she and Rod drove up to the Banner home for dinner. There had been some discussion of the appropriateness of accepting such an invitation from a player's family, but Rod had quickly quelled that concern. "Without Cal," he told his wife, "you would still be suffering from the bitches back at the college." When Suzanne finished greeting the Banners, she saw Dex Madison standing behind them and rushed to give him a hug. Dex's tragic arrival at the school had been the spark that had vaulted the team to the elite ranks in the state. More than just his skill as a player, Suzanne had developed a genuine love for the young man. As the group relaxed over coffee, Rod came out and asked the question that had been bothering him. "Cal, did you have anything to do with the unbelievable buy we got on the house?" "Where would I get that kind of money?" Cal asked with a show of shock that made Cheryl giggle. "Cheryl, why don't you tell them about our meeting with Genevieve." Both of the Meinerts showed their surprise as Cheryl recounted the 'closure' luncheon. "So, Mrs. Overland took the loss on the house?" Rod asked. "I assume so," Cal answered. "I suspect part of the reason was atonement for what Penelope did to you folks. I also think that she is changing her mind about a lot of things since Greg's death and because of her dealings with Cheryl and Robin." That led to questions that Cal and Cheryl deflected with fairly general answers. "Cal, can I assume that you will come out for the team next year?" Rod asked. Cal knew that question would be coming. "If you and Principal Jameson agree that it is OK, I will." That earned him a hug from Cheryl and bright smiles from his mother and sister. "There's one thing, though." "Oh, what's that?" Rod asked. "I think you should make Mahmoud the point guard. He's made great progress this year. He's good enough to play college ball, but his height is a problem. As a 6'4" guard, colleges would snap him up." "That's a good point," Rod mused, "but what about your college chances?" "Well, I'd like to talk about that later," was all Cal would say right then. When Martin, Rod, Dex, and Cal were together a bit later, Cal excused himself and fetched Cheryl. He took a deep breath for the momentous announcement he was about to make. "I'm going to join Cheryl at college." Martin showed some surprise but mostly pleasure. Cheryl could not hide the beginning of tears, as she had not heard him declare it so firmly before. "I'd like some opinions on what I should do for sports. I assume I'm too small and slow for basketball, but what do you think?" Dex answered first. "Even though it's a smaller school in a lesser conference, you're probably right. The quality of basketball at many smaller colleges is amazing - just look at Loyola, St. Joseph's, Cincinatti, and a lot of others. Of course, the way you can shoot, any team needs a gunner." "But I probably would have to settle for spot time, right?" Cal asked. Both Rod and Dex nodded. "Well, I've got golf to consider, and they have a team," Cal said. "What about football?" Martin asked. "Again, size is against me," Cal said. "Yeah, but everyone needs a kicker," Cheryl interjected. "I'm just not willing to spend all of that time just to be a kicker." Rod spoke up. "Dex is right about the small conferences having very competitive basketball programs. Football, though, is a different matter. Because it takes so many more players, the talent level is definitely below the major conferences. You're a good defensive back, and I think you could make it if you wanted to." Cheryl posed the key question. "But will they be willing to risk their kicker playing defense?" "I could just refuse to kick," Cal offered. "What sense does it make to ignore your most competitive skill?" Dex asked. "Tell you what," Rod said after a protracted silence. "Let's see how basketball goes next year, and I'll talk to the college coach. I'll get the football coach involved, too. For golf, you're on your own." That produced a chuckle from all of them. Cheryl was staying over with Cal that night. "You turd!" she said once they were alone, belying her pretend anger with the ferocity of her embrace. "What a way to tell me!" "Hey, I told you I'd follow you," he protested. "Yeah, but I thought that was just... when did you really decide?" She knew him far too well. "When I couldn't sleep prom night," he admitted. "After you wiped me out?" she asked in obvious disbelief. "Being with the other couples brought up a lot of questions that I had to deal with. That's what I decided." Cheryl certainly expressed no displeasure with his decision for the rest of the evening. Quite the opposite, in fact. ------- The very next evening, Chery told Cal "Congratulations, Honey. You're now the coach of Shelley's softball team." "Huh?" was Cal's brilliant rejoinder. "Yup. I signed you up today. There's a coaches' meeting with the league director tomorrow night..." "But... but I don't play softball!" "Oh, you've played lots of pickup, and you're a sports fan. You know everything you need to know. Besides, the girls will all fall in love with you, so they'll do anything you ask them to." "Cheryl!" "Julia said!" Cheryl explained with a little-girl pout. "You're supposed to get involved with people. My little sister needs involvement from her hero." "Her hero?" "Come on, Lover. You're not that clueless. Sometimes my sister hates me 'cause I got you first." "Oh, I forgot to mention," Cheryl went on. "You have an assistant who played college softball." "I'm not even going to try to guess," Cal moaned. "It's Robin, Silly! She needs this as much as you do." "I need this?" "Of course. Julia said!" The little-girl tone was back again. Cal spent several more minutes objecting, with the expected result. He finally got around to asking what should have been the obvious first question. "Why aren't you the coach, Cheryl?" Her face lost all of the playfulness with which she had told him about his new job. She looked down for a moment, and when she raised her head, her eyes were moist. "Honest, Cal, I just found out this morning. I may not be here for most of the girls' season." "Huh?" Cal was using that brilliant conversational gambit a lot. "I begged and pleaded and got an advisor assigned right away. I can enroll for some classes this summer. If I use the summers and pile on the credits, I can graduate in three years." "And that's good because? She could not miss the bitter edge to his voice, and it sent fear deep into her heart. They had planned on having most of the summer to themselves, at least until August when she had to report for pre-season volleyball camp. Robin and Ken had already started to work with her to improve her game before she reported, and she would miss six weeks of that if she left early. She knew how disappointed Cal would be. Not that she didn't feel the same way. For all of her strength, this was as hard as anything Cheryl had faced for a long time. Trying to look him in the face when she answered him, she failed, and she shook with a poorly stifled sob. Cal's flash of anger died instantly as he saw her distress. She had done so many things that were very difficult, and going to school early was another one. He had always been there to support her, and now he had hurt her with his reaction. She had not talked to him about this possibility, and that was a violation of the openness and the trust that characterized their relationship. From the current level of emotions, he could see why she had not been able to discuss it. He did not take a deep breath because he did not want her to see the effort it took to re-aquire his composure. Finally flushed of his brief angry flash, he said gently. "Honey, I'm sorry I reacted that way. You, uh, just caught me by surprise. If you can cut off a year, that would be great." "Really?" She was able to look at him, and searched his face carefully for any pretense or lingering anger. Apparently finding none, she explained "In med school and residency, there's nothing I can do to make it shorter. Undergrad is sort of just a warmup - just to get you in the door. Honest, Cal - if you say 'no', I'll just wait until August." "Oh, Cheryl, I wouldn't insist on six more weeks if it would cost you another semester or another year of school. Come here." He held out his arms and she almost knocked him over as she charged into the embrace. "I was wrong not to talk to you about it," she sniffled. "I knew how disappointed you would be. And I didn't know if I could leave early, either." "Baby, we've always tried to do things logically and sensibly. I don't think it's made us love each other any less, has it?" he asked. He could feel her shake her head against his shoulder. "Well, this is the right thing to do. I'm so proud of you for working it out!" ------- "The girl's all want to win," the league director was saying at the coaches' meeting, "but that's not the most important thing for us as the leadership. The biggest thing for a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl is self-esteem. If any of you are here because of your own competitive drive, I would ask you to bow out gracefully. I would rather struggle to find more coaches than end up with what some boys' little leagues turn into." Cal was very impressed with the woman. She really seemed to have the girls' best interests at heart. His initial grumpiness at Cheryl for forcing him into this job had not lasted through their discussion about her starting school early. Shelley's absolute explosion of joy when they told her she would be playing ball with Cal as her coach had given him a whole new perspective on what the job was really about. The meeting went on, with each coach receiving a schedule of games and pre-assigned practice times and places. That caused Cal to bring up a point that concerned him. "I don't know about Mr. Franklin (the only other male head coach), but I'm going to insist that one team mother be present at every practice. Legally, I think that is necessary in today's environment." The director gave him a long look, not of disapproval, but of uncertainty. "I understand," she said finally, "but I'm afraid you will have to arrange that on your own." By agreement, Cheryl met Cal and Robin at Cal's house after the league meeting. "Make my mother be there for every practice," Cheryl said upon hearing Cal's concern about having a mother present at practices. "Make her?" "You know you can," Cheryl insisted. She then proceeded to tell a confused Robin about her mother's submissiveness. "It will do a couple of other good things, too. It will get Shelley and Mom together on something. Maybe they won't be such strangers as I Mom and I got to be. And Mom needs to get into something athletic." "So I'm going to be repairing your messed up family, huh?" Cal asked. "Julia said!" Cheryl seemed to like that phrase a lot. Again, Robin looked confused, so Cheryl explained about their sessions with Julia. "Hot tub!" She exclaimed, seemingly extremely upbeat after the trauma of telling Cal about her early departure. "Um, do you maybe have a suit for me?" Robin asked. "No suits!" Cheryl insisted, now in a mood that Cal had only rarely seen. "Cheryl!" Both Robin and Cal exclaimed simultaneously. Cal was very surprised, but Robin looked frightened. "No, I... I... I'd better get home," Robin stammered. For some reason, Cheryl was really determined. "Robin, you stripped for Greg - an asshole that you hated. So what's the problem getting naked in the hot tub with the nicest guy in the world?" "Please, Cheryl! I... I just..." As Robin continued to protest, Cal held his peace, intrigued by the interplay between the women. "Oh, all right," Cheryl conceded, seeing her new friend's near panic. "Let's see what we can find for a suit." A few minutes later, they were in the tub, but Robin still looked distressed. Cheryl had been saying comforting things to her all along, with little effect. Cal decided that he had better step in. "Robin, don't feel bad. It's not Christmas, and not my birthday, either, so if I don't get the present of seeing you naked, well..." He gave an overly dramatic shrug. Despite her upset, Robin could not help smiling, and splashed some water at Cal. "It's only a small consolation, but you've got to tell me about stripping for Greg," Cal demanded as he returned her splash. After some weak objections, Robin told the story of her work with Greg in some detail. When she finished, they were all quiet for some time. In a complete change of pace, Robin asked "Cheryl, are you bi at all?" "Huh?" Cheryl briefly adopted Cal's favorite response of late. "It's obvious you're not lesbian," Robin said with a grin. "The reason I ask is because of what you'll probably run into with the volleyball team." "Oh, there are several on the teams at school," Cheryl explained confidently. "I don't bother them and they leave me alone." "Yeah, but that's high school," Robin protested. "I work with quite a few college players. They are older, and the lezzies can get pretty belligerent. A common initiation for freshman recruits is to eat out the seniors in a group deal." "You're kidding!" "'Fraid not. Can you handle that?" Robin asked kindly. "The coaches let that happen?" Cheryl asked, clearly upset. "In a lot of cases, the coaches are lesbian. That's very common in college sports. If the coaches are male, they usually refuse to have anything to do with sexual issues," Robin explained. "If they say anything, and I mean anything, they can end up in court and fired." "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Cheryl shouted, pounding on the water. "I just want to play volleyball!" "Look, Cheryl," Robin said, trying to provide some comfort, "I don't know if your team will be that bad. It's just... more common than not. "You've got to remember, this is not high school any more. You're basically a paid professional, and they think they own you. The more experienced players tend to rule," Robin pointed out. No one said anything for over a minute. "How much self defense can I learn in a month?" Cheryl finally demanded. "Um, quite a bit, actually," Robin assured her. "But it may decrease your conditioning progress. Careful, methodical Cal was shooting from the hip a lot, lately, and he took a major shot right then. "Make that two months, at least. I'll go to school with you and stay until I have to come back for football. Ken will find us a good dojo, and we'll work out together." The two women just stared at Cal in disbelief, and Cheryl finally objected. "But... but your business! And the softball team!" Now, Cal was really shooting from the hip. "We'll make Robin the head coach. By the time we leave, your mom can be the assistant. Jean can get Jared to help her while I'm gone. It'll be good training for her for next year." "You'd do that?" Cheryl asked, still not believing what she was hearing. "Honey, I believe in martial arts, and Robin believes in the value of self defense. I've never pushed you toward it, but now you have a reason. I will feel so much better with you away if I know you at least have a good start." "Cal," Robin interrupted, "why don't you find out if you can pick up any credits while you're there?" The discussion took on a completely different tone, with Cheryl becoming more excited by the minute. As the women jabbered back and forth, Cal finally had a chance to think about what he had just done. His first inclination was to berate himself for being impulsive, but he just could not work up any concern. Somehow, everything just seemed to fit, and he felt very much at peace with his plan. ------- Martin and Elaine managed to restrain their initial negative feelings over Cal's new plan for the summer. They had been quite concerned over Cal's expressed ambivalence about college. So, on one hand, they were reluctant to see him leave for half the summer. On the other hand, they were delighted to see him more deeply committed to more education, even if it was only to help Cheryl. After a lot of questions, Cal got his parents' go-ahead, along with assurance that they would help in any way that they could. Jean was surprised, to say the least, but after some discussion, she was very pleased. Their business had taken an interesting direction after she joined Cal. Rosalia had discovered some unrealized marketing flair, and had generated a lot of business in the Hispanic community. Baptisms, first communions, and weddings had become a significant part of their recent bookings. Cal had let Jean take the lead on these shoots, acting as coach and assistant. Thus, Jean already had a segment of the business that she was confident about. If, in the eight weeks that Cal was gone, they lost some potential customers that insisted on Cal, she would still have some good revenue. There was another interesting aspect of the increased Hispanic business. Cal had taken Spanish classes all through high school. In fact, that was one of the reasons he knew Jean. When the first of the new customers started trickling in, Rosalia and Jean ganged up and started talking only Spanish to Cal. Jean was not much more proficient than Cal, and she wanted to learn, as well. Rosalia was second-generation, and had a lot of early exposure, but she was also rusty. Cal found that he picked up a lot just hearing Spanish in the houses where they did shoots. As the school year wound down, his Spanish recognition was far beyond anything he could have picked up in school. While Cal was selling his parents and Jean and Rosalia, Cheryl was also busy on his behalf. She told both of his coaches what was going on, and they contacted their counterparts at the college. The football coach was particularly anxious to see Cal kick. They basketball coach suggested a gym where many of his players regularly played pickup games in the summer. Cheryl also prevailed on her advisor to find out if Cal could take any classes and retain the credit for when he enrolled officially. She found two, English and Spanish. She also talked to the high school football coach and got grudging permission for Cal to be one week late for summer practice so he could complete the courses. Cheryl went ahead and registered Cal for the two classes, and told him about it after the fact. Just the excitement radiating from her prevented him even thinking about any objection. The term 'pussy whipped' was thrown around a lot in the locker rooms, and Cal wondered if it was starting to apply to him. Looking at Cheryl and seeing her enthusiasm, he could not see why 'pussy whipped' was such a derogatory accusation. All of this activity happened in a space of three days after the hot tub discussion. Cheryl was on top of the world. The near disaster that she had feared because of her early departure had turned into a perfect summer. She was going to get at least a taste of what her friends Rebecca and Tessa were getting into. Robin's warnings about the sexual climate in women's college sports still concerned her, but with Cal around, she knew she would be all right. Ken found them a dojo near the college and arranged for short-term membership. Martin used some contacts to find a short-term apartment that was much nicer than they had reason to expect. He repeatedly assured Cal that cost was not a concern. After some discussion, Elaine and Martin had decided the whole plan was a very good thing, and they got behind it any way they could. ------- Cheryl decided to stay out of the discussions with her mother about helping with the team. Since Robin was now the head coach and Cal would be there for barely half of the season, the original need for a mother's presence at practice was diminished. Cal agreed with Cheryl that it would still be a good thing for her family to have Shelley and her mother share some kind of athletic experience. Cal arranged to take Darlene out for coffee after school while Hal was still at work. Robin arranged her schedule to make the meeting, as well. Cal felt almost guilty using his dominant demeanor on the woman, but he and Cheryl had talked it over, and it was the only way. Darlene was being pulled way out of her comfort zone. Robin had been warned about how Cal would interact with Darlene, but she still had to fight to disguise her shock as Cal practically dictated instructions to Darlene as they sat at the coffee shop table. She did notice that as firm as Cal was, he used a friendly tone, and Darlene showed no signs of being offended. Robin also could not miss the way Darlene looked at Cal, and she could not help but wonder. Robin hardly had time to ponder how she suddenly ended up coaching a team of teen girls. In her alone moments later, she still wondered, but she could not really find any negatives in the situation. She had started seeing Julia, and got lots of encouragement from the doctor to expand her interactions with people. The coaching fit right in. ------- Julia was as excited as anyone about Cal's new summer plans, even though it would cut short the number of her sessions with him. She tempered her enthusiasm to tell Cal "I think it's a wonderful plan, Cal. I need to explain something, though. "Right now, you are doing these things because of Cheryl. You are doing them, and that's great. You need to be thinking about what future you want for Cal, apart from Cheryl or anyone else. I don't mean that Cheryl won't be a part of that future. I just mean that you need to find a goal or a driving ambition of your own - something like Cheryl's desire for an M.D. My hope is that while you are doing this for Cheryl, that ambition will surface." ------- Cal several times cautioned Cheryl about not ruining her scholastic standing in the last few weeks of school. She became a dervish of constant activity. Her studies came first, and softball season was still on, taking a good chunk of time. Other than that, she seemed to spend every spare hour working out. She was taking so much of Robin's time that she tried to pay for it, with no luck. Robin and Ken had been introduced and were talking about some interesting ways of combining their specialties. Together, they did everything they could to hone Cheryl's physical condition and her defensive skills in the short time they had. Cal's talk with Shelley about his shortened tenure as her coach was a little painful, but she realized there was not much she could do about it. Even though she felt a bit competitive with Cheryl for Cal's attention, she loved her big sister dearly, and was happy for the summer that the couple would have together. The initial team practices were a lot more fun than Cal had expected. Robin knew the game inside out, and showed a real flair for teaching. Cal concentrated on one-to-one interaction with the girls, encouraging them and keeping things from getting too serious if they were having problems. Cal also made a project of getting Darlene involved. He had bought a glove for her, and he had to show her how to put it on. The first few balls lobbed to her caused a slight panic, but her natural reflexes were good, and her confidence grew quickly. Playing catch with Cal, she was able to emulate him and throw the ball in a natural fashion, not the 'girly' toss that some of the girls were saddled with. That was a pleasant surprise to Cal. His plan was to get her more and more involved in the various drills on basics. At first, she just retrieved balls thrown in from fly ball drills. He hoped to eventually have her hitting grounders and even flies. He could see the origins of Cheryl and Shelley's athleticism in Darlene. Her reshaped body was very evident, and almost reluctantly, she was starting to enjoy the game. It was very interesting to see Shelley watching her mother as if Darlene was some kind of strange alien creature. Cal did not yet see much change in their relationship, but that hope was a major reason for pulling the woman into helping out. When they had a moment by themselves, Cal kept working on Robin about how to deal with Darlene. Robin did not like any kind of dominance at all, so he had to carefully show her how it was for Darlene's benefit. She finally accepted that if Darlene was to be safe in the world outside of her home, she needed to be brought along by someone who cared. ------- Graduation was a completely positive experience for Cal, largely because of his new plans for the summer. He had been secretly dreading it as a signal of his impending separation from the three girls most important to him. The fall would still bring that separation, but the upcoming weeks alone with Cheryl were so exciting that the fall seemed farther away and not nearly as threatening. Seeing all three girls honored for their academic excellence was something that he could now enjoy wholeheartedly. He kept reminding himself how lucky he was to have them all in his life. ------- The girls' softball league started play as soon as school was out, but the scheduled practices continued, usually with three teams given consecutive hours at the main field. It was at one of those practice sessions that Cal was very thankful for his enhanced understanding of Spanish. His team of girls had the middle of the three hours that evening. About halfway through their hour, Cal noticed a low-riding car with reversed wheels cruising past the field several times. About ten minutes from the end of their practice, the car stopped, and four boys came toward the field. They were wearing the colors of one of the prominent Hispanic gangs, and Cal became concerned. The boys sat in the small bleachers along the first base line, and Cal tried to stay as close as he could without attracting attention. Although he did not understand all of the words, he could easily tell that ribald comments about the girls and what they would like to do to them dominated the conversation. If it was just those four, he was not overly worried. The big problem was what if more of the gang arrived. It was one of those situations where the proper course of action was not clear. Cal believed there was potential danger to the girls, but as yet, there had been no overt threat. Any action taken right then would alarm the girls, probably unnecessarily, and could be considered discriminatory. There was the predictable mayhem as one set of parents picked up Robin's girls while another set dropped off the last team to use the field. Because of his unease, Cal told Robin, Darlene, and Shelley, who had ridden with him, that he needed to stay around for a while. He whispered the reason to Robin, and she quickly agreed. He wanted her to stay in the van with Darlene and Shelley, but she was having none of that. Deciding it was better not to hide anything, Cal had Darlene and Shelley get in the van, and he handed Darlene his cell phone. She looked at it in confusion, and Shelley grabbed it from her. "I hope I'm wrong," Cal said, "but I am worried about these guys hanging around. I don't want to leave this other team alone here. Shelley, if I think there is going to be trouble, I will look at you and do like this (he mimed holding a phone to his head). If I do that you call 911 and tell him that a gang of boys is threatening the girls. Be sure to tell them where. OK?" Initially wide-eyed, Shelley set her jaw and nodded that she understood. Cal did not want to alarm the women coaching the other team, although he saw them keeping an eye on the four boys. He and Robin took seats in the same bleachers as the boys, within easy earshot. Hopefully, the boys would assume they were just scoping out an opponent. Without alerting Cal, Robin got up and went to talk to the other coach. From the quick, alarmed glance, Cal knew that Robin had told the other coach of their concern. From Robin's negative head shake, he surmised that she told the other coach not to evacuate the girls. Robin had barely returned to sit by Cal when he had feared seemed to be happening. Two of the boys began looking back up the street from where they originally arrived, then looking at their watches. When he heard them ask, in Spanish, if 'they shouldn't be hear by now', he became truly alarmed. Before he could act, her heard enough to understand that two more cars full were expected. "Robin," Cal said quietly, "tell the other coach to get the girls into the cars. Pile some into the van, too." He casually stood and gave the pre-arranged signal to Shelley, seeing her wave in acknowledgment. As Robin walked away, Cal stretched dramatically and sauntered off of the bleachers. Of course, as soon as the girls started heading for the two coaches' cars and the van, the boys knew what was up and hurried toward the stragglers. Cal had anticipated that and sprinted to get between the boys and their 'prey'. He was concerned about facing all four alone, but he did not see any evidence of weapons. Knives, however, he knew to be almost universal among gang members. As yet, he had no idea how aggressive they might be. Whatever the threat, he really had no choice. Cal had admired Robin's spirit and attitude from the first time he had met her, but she really impressed him at that point. In their hurry to get to safety, the girls had left several bats lying on the sidelines. Robin hurried to them and flung then high and far toward the cars, yelling for the coaches to retrieve them. She kept two, and tossed one to Cal as he came closer. Making it obvious that she was not fleeing to shelter, she joined Cal as he positioned himself between the vehicles and the boys. Apparently, the only acceptably macho thing for the boys to do was an exaggerated strut, so they did not hurry to pursue the girls. That gave Cal and Robin enough time to position themselves. A tactic such as a flanking maneuver was equally foreign to the boys, either because they didn't think about it, or it wasn't sufficiently macho. Soon, they were face to face. By that time, the girls and the coaches were all in the vehicles, and Cal knew that they should just get out of there. At his first move to retreat toward the van, however, the boys suddenly thought of flanking them, and they were quickly surrounded. It had been less than two minutes since the girls had fled, and Cal knew that the target response time for patrol cars in the area was five minutes or less. He doubted that he could keep things under control for three or more minutes. As he was pondering how to kill more time, the worst happened - two more low-riding cars appeared just a block away. His estimation of Robin went up another notch as she quickly turned and moved so she was back to back with him, facing the two boys who had moved between them and the cars. Stalling for time was no longer the objective, however. They had to get to the van and get out of there. "We're going to the van, Robin. If anyone touches you, no mercy." Cal said softly, but loudly enough so the boys could hear. He did not wait for acknowledgment from Robin, but spun around so he was beside her, facing the van, and walked right into the boy immediately facing him. With his extended arm, he tried to push the boy aside gently. Meeting resistance, he wasted no time. He rammed the heavy end of the bat into the boy's solar plexus, and roughly shoved the collapsing boy to the side. Everyone but Cal was stunned and immobile, but just as Cal had hoped, Robin was the first to recover. She duplicated Cal's move and sent the boy in front of her reeling to the ground, gasping for breath. Cal had waited for Robin before sprinting to the van. Just as he reached for her arm to urge her to escape, he heard the unmistakable 'snick' of a switchblade opening. It came from behind Robin, and Cal was still in his split-second debate over the best defensive move when Robin pre-empted him. She was on Cal's right. She took her bat in a left-handed hitter's grip and spun completely around. The boy had the knife in his right hand, and the sound of the bat smashing his right elbow was sickening. Hardly as sickening as his scream, though. The fourth boy was effectively neutralized by fear and shock. Robin was momentarily stunned by her own action and probably horrified at the injury she had inflicted. It only took a single sharp shout from Cal, though, and she was sprinting beside him toward the van. He had been about to take her arm, but he realized that in the state she was in, he might have had to dodge her bat. In the van, Shelley, Darlene, and five girls from the other team were watching open-mouthed as the little confrontation played out. Cal and Robin were almost to the van before Shelley managed to pull herself together and open the sliding side door for them. Seeing that there was no hot pursuit, Cal shouted "Open the driver's door!" and dashed around to the other side. "Robin, take the phone and find out from 911 when the patrol car will get here. Tell them that two more cars full of gang members just arrived. Robin looked at him almost in a daze until Shelley thrust the phone into her hand. Then, she shook her head and began dialing as Cal started the van and pulled up alongside the two coaches' cars. Cal wanted all of the cars to drive to somewhere safe, but he wanted to stay behind the other two as a screen if they were pursued. Seeing that no boys were chasing the van, he got out quickly and ran to one of the cars. The other coach got out to hear what he was saying. "Go to Centennial Mall. I'll try stay behind you, but if we get separated, meet at the Wendy's at the edge of the main lot." When Cal got back in the van, Robin was talking angrily to the 911 dispatcher. "What do you mean you didn't think it was anything serious?! There is no patrol car dispatched! They'll check the field on their normal rounds?! Well we have three cars of gang kids here. Three of the first four boys are injured, one seriously. We have to leave here to protect the girls." She looked questioningly at Cal, and he told her the meeting place, which she relayed to the dispatcher. As Robin was chewing out the dispatcher, Cal saw that all four of the original boys were on their feet, and some of their newly arrived buddies were helping them to the cars. He honked his horn and waved to the two other coaches that the should get moving. ------- Chapter 32 "Don't let the dispatcher hang up!" Cal said sharply to Robin. She looked at him in confusion for a moment, the set her face and began speaking. "Listen, this situation is already screwed up. Let's get out of it without any more foul-ups, OK? Now, you patch me through to the two nearest patrol cars, and..." Robin paused, obviously waiting out the dispatcher's objections. When she resumed speaking, her voice was steady, but had an authoritative crack to it. "We've got a dozen thirteen-year-old girls and three carloads of gang members who were bragging about what they were going to do to the girls. We're in three cars heading for the mall, and they just pulled out to follow us. Does that sound like reason enough? Now, get your supervisor's approval or whatever you need, but do it NOW!" Cal could tell that she was holding back from making threats, and he was again struck by her composure under fire. There was little time for Cal to spend admiring Robin's composure, though. The three cars had come up quickly behind them, and he was faced with an impossible conundrum: how could he screen off three cars with his van, while not endangering his own passengers? The road past the ball diamond was a normal residential street, and they would follow it for about three miles to a main four-lane arterial. With cars parked along the sides, there were almost no places where three cars abreast would fit. In the distance, Cal could see two stop signs, and he hoped against hope that the two coaches ahead of him would ignore them. The chance of cross traffic in that residential area was minimal. Cal's biggest hope was that the boys would just give up the chase. He thought that was the most likely scenario. They must know the kind of trouble that would would come down on them if they did anything serious. The end of the chase came much more quickly than Cal could have expected. The first pursuing car accelerated from twenty or thirty yards back in an obvious attempt to pass the van and cut it off from the others. Cal saw the old pickup parked facing them, and his tactical instincts saw it as the way to stop the pursuer. Part of his mind was probably repelled by the certain injury or worse that he would be causing the boys, but his protective instincts were focused on his own passengers and the girls in the cars ahead. Perhaps influenced by some instinctive concern for the boys, Cal swerved into the passing compact car as soon it was alongside. The crunch of metal against metal was accompanied by screams from all of his passengers. He knew that he could not release contact as long as there was any chance of the car regaining control and completing its intended pass. There was no predicting what the enraged pursuers might do in that circumstance. The driver had some skill and good reflexes. Seeing the pickup blocking the only part of the road open to him, and knowing that his compact car had no chance of moving the van, he turned hard to the left, hoping to jump the curb. It was an older part of town with sidewalks and boulevards lining the street, but a fairly high curb that the small wheels could not get over. Braking hard and cranking left on the wheel, the panicked driver caught a small break when a driveway allowed him to turn enough to avoid the truck. Unfortunately, there was a stately old tree just on the far side of the driveway. The car sideswiped the tree hard, sending it spinning down the sidewalk. Cal's heart almost stopped when he thought of what might have happened if there had been anyone on the sidewalk or in the nearby yards, though his quick scan had shown no one around. Preventing the car from passing had been a defensive move that Cal had considered absolutely necessary. His next ethical dilemma was even tougher. It was likely that there were serious injuries among the car's occupants, and he should have rendered aid. But there were two more cars of gang members, quite likely enraged at that point. From considering stopping to render aid, Cal's thoughts quickly turned to hoping that the other two cars would stop to help their buddies and give up the chase. The dispatcher had evidently heard the screaming and the noise of contact over the cell connection, and Robin quickly recovered and began explaining. "One of the gang cars has crashed. Send an ambulance to..." she paused to check addresses and relayed the location to the dispatcher. "No, we are not stopping!" Robin said quite sharply. Then after a pause, "Leaving the scene of an accident is not the issue now. The safety of all of these girls is the issue! We are continuing to the Wendy's at the mall, unless we meet a patrol before then." Looking back, she informed the dispatcher "The other two cars stopped to help their friends. They are no longer chasing us." There was another pause, then "Stop here? In sight of those creeps?! You've got to be kidding!! Just have a patrol meet us at Wendy's. There's only one thing that matters right now, got it?" She looked over at Cal in frustration, but he told her to keep the connection open. ------- For a few days, it looked like Cal's plans to go off to college with Cheryl might be derailed. Just the questioning and the taking and retaking of statements went on for days. Then there was the hassle over getting the side of the van repaired. The insurance company balked because the damage was intentional, and not truly an accident. Of course, the boys all insisted that they were just trying to pass the three vehicles because they were moving too slowly. They claimed they just enjoyed watching the girls practice. Two of the boys in the wrecked car were injured quite badly, and an enterprising attorney filed a civil suit on their behalf. It was Cal's word against four boys as to what had been said in the bleachers before the other cars arrived. It was hard to argue that he had heard incorrectly because the others had actually driven up. There were two big things in Cal's and Robin's favor. On was the testimony of all of the girls and the coaches. Every one of them had watched the confrontation between Cal and Robin and the four. Every one testified that the boys had tried to stop them from getting to the van. The other big piece of evidence was the switchblade, which had been left on the field. Cal thought of it immediately when the first patrol arrived at Wendy's, and a car dispatched to the field found it right where it had been dropped. Fingerprints from the knife matched those of the potential attacker, which were already on file. The recordings of the 911 calls were also strong evidence. It turned out that the dispatcher was not even qualified to be on duty, but several problems had left a serious shortage of coverage that evening. Nor was the fault entirely his. The main coverage car for that sector was tied up with a serious domestic situation, while the Beta and Charlie cars were both dealing with an injury auto accident. The patrol sergeant on duty had to grab a car and meet the ambulance at the crash site, and a car from a different precinct was ordered to the mall to meet Cal and his little caravan. At first, the DA considered charging Cal with vehicular assault and leaving the scene of an accident, under pressure from agitators from the Hispanic community. It took an entire morning of more questioning and discussion before that idea was given up. Over and over, Cal described the problem he had faced. If one car had passed him and forced him to stop, there would have been ten or eleven boys attacking the van and the girls inside. Once more, Cal was in the news, and he did not like it any more than the other times. As it turned out, three of the girls on the team that Cal had 'rescued' had very influential parents. Two were prominent attorneys, and one mother was president of the school board. The civil suits were overwhelmed by a veritable flood of counter-suits, and within a week, all such actions were dropped. The van was fixed free of charge without any impact on the insurance rates. On a more personal level, Robin suddenly had no trouble being accepted as the coach. Not that Cal was forgotten, but a female hero seemed to resonate in a special way for all of the girls. Shelley would miss Cal when he went off with Cheryl, but Robin now had her full loyalty. The league found a donor to fund an extra duty police officer, complete with patrol car, and the practice sessions did not have to be discontinued. The little collaboration between Ken and Robin quickly got more serious as several of the coaches and mothers expressed interest in self-defense training. Ken had been brought up learning the classical Oriental martial arts forms. From his military service, though, he had become much more of a pragmatist. To the 'pure' forms, he added everything from Queensbury boxing to the deadly 'dirty' tricks taught to military experts. Thus, he did not consider it a step down to work with Robin on courses well-suited to the womens' needs and interests. After a lot of discussion, they jointly decided to keep using the old dojo. Robin and Amelia did collaborate on some improved locker and bathroom facilities. ------- At the next practice after the gang incident, Cal was sitting in the bleachers watching a game scrimmage when Darlene sat down beside him. That was not entirely unprecedented, but something in her manner told Cal it was different. "I guess you think we're a pretty strange family," Darlene said after over a minute of silence. There were a lot of things Cal could have said in reply, but among the things he had learned about women was not to talk just for the sake of conversation. Right then, he did not even know what he thought about her statement, much less what a good response would be. "Prom night was a while ago, but it was... um... eye-opening," she finally stammered. "Mom and Dad were very glad you came to their party," Cal answered, thinking that was a polite, safe thing to say in his puzzlement. "I guess... I guess I can see why Cheryl got so upset with us... why she did the things she did." Darlene shuddered visibly after that admission. Cal could only think of silence in response, again. "I really am proud of her, you know," Darlene said softly. "I'm... I'm just... I can't..." "You're afraid to tell her, you mean?" Cal said, taking a big chance. Her response was quite a surprise. "You and Cheryl think of me and Hal as children, don't you?" It was not said angrily, but with a sense of shame. "You treat Matt and Shelley more like adults than you do us, the parents." Whew! This from Darlene! Who would have thought? 'Julia, Help!' ran through Cal's mind right then. "Does that make you angry?" he finally was able to ask. "Angry? Um... a little, I guess," she admitted. "Mostly, it makes me feel, uh, um, small... like a... a failure." Wow! Impulsively, Cal took Darlene's hand and held it firmly. "Darlene, you've raised three wonderful children. That's certainly not failure." "But they don't want to be with me! They don't share with me! I know that Shelley goes to Cheryl with everything important. And Cheryl... if she didn't have you... ! I feel so bad about how Hal treats Matt, but I... I don't know what to do about it. Now Cheryl is leaving, and we've never even been... been friends. I saw your mother and your sister... and the other mothers and daughters prom night." She was not sobbing, but tears were running freely down her cheeks. Cal's regard for Robin was already high, but she took another big jump right then. She had apparently been keeping and eye on Cal and Darlene and their conversation. She suddenly broke up the scrimmage by shooing the girls to right field, as far from the distraught woman as the field would allow. Cal's mind was spinning with ideas about what to say. He sensed that Darlene was at a critical point in her life, and he really wanted to help. Just as he was about to open his mouth, though, common sense took over. he was not a psychologist or psychiatrist. What little Cheryl had been able to get out of Julia indicated same very deep-seated issues with Darlene. "Darlene," he said after a pause, "I've ordered you to do things several times, haven't I?" She nodded, tearful and puzzled. "Well, I promise I won't do that any more." Her only reaction was more tears. "But I... but I..." she tried to say. "I know. You think you need to be ordered, don't you?" His question was met with a tentative nod. "Well, I want to ask you to do some things. Just ask, OK?" Another tearful nod. "Would you invite Cheryl to the club with you in the short time before we leave?" After a brief flash of puzzlement, Darlene's face brightened and her nod was much more enthusiastic. "Would you also sign up with Robin for her women's self-defense class?" That surprised Darlene, but she nodded again. "And will you start seeing Dr. Waxman again?" "Oh, I don't think Hal would let me. And I don't really need..." "Darlene, I've been seeing Dr. Waxman. Cheryl is seeing her. Robin just started." He did not like revealing the personal facts about Cheryl and Robin, but he needed to make an impact, and he was quite sure they would not mind. Clearly surprised at that news, Darlene was left speechless. When he saw her about to respond, he quickly added "Cheryl will pay, and you can go when Hal is at work." She looked dejected, but she finally nodded. "And one last thing," Cal said, once again shooting from the hip without much forethought. "Will you and Matt and Shelley drive to college with us? You can stay several days, and we'll fly you home." He hope he would survive when he told Cheryl about that offer. She should be happy for any chance to improve relations within that family. "But Hal would be alone..." she protested. Just then, Cal realized that Hal had always had Darlene to take care of him. He wondered what had happened when the children were born. "If I can arrange something for Hal, will you go? Even if he doesn't like it?" Cal asked, taking a big risk with that last question. "Ooooh!" was all Darlene could say. Now Cal had to go into selling mode. "You said you really are proud of Cheryl. What better way to show it? The apartment has two bedrooms. It would be tight, but I think we would all have a good time." Seeing fear in her eyes, he pushed harder, turning to face her and taking both of her hands in his. "If you want to tell Cheryl how you really feel, this is the perfect way. I know it will be difficult, but you just need to tell Hal you are going. Don't ask him if you can, just tell him and ignore his objections. It will work. I'm sure of it." He really did not want to order her, but he knew it would work, and the more he thought about the trip, the more he was convinced of its importance to Cheryl. "I've never... I always ask Hal... I don't know if..." she stammered. "Just like a child, right?" he blurted without thinking. Seeing the shock and a little bit anger in her eyes, he decided to go for it. "Dammit, Darlene! You are not a child. You are a beautiful woman who has raised three great kids. You are starting to take charge of your life for the first time. I don't know if things can ever be like my family between you and Cheryl, but here is one big chance to make them a lot better. But you have to stand up for yourself and make it happen. Isn't it worth it? Don't you want things to be better?" He hoped he had not pushed too hard. He certainly had gone farther than he had intended, but he did not like the kind of second-class existence that the woman had lived. Her six months of workouts had changed her appearance dramatically. If only she could become a true, independent adult, she would be worthy of Cheryl. For the first time that he could remember, Darlene looked him straight in the eye and held his gaze. He felt that he had said enough, so he just returned her stare, trying to convey acceptance and support. Finally, she spoke. "I am so happy for Cheryl. I see why she loves you so much. I... it may be hard, but I'll do it. I want to do it." ------- The incident with the gang had been another in a series of watershed events for Robin. During her time with Greg, she had acted with a strength and a determination she did not know she had. It had helped her self-confidence, but at the same time, it had built a large reservoir of guilt. Her strength had come from hatred and from anger. Greg's death, which she could not help feeling partly responsible for, had grown her guilt exponentially. After Greg died, she had been thrown together with some men that did not at all fit the male image she had harbored since her rape. Martin was the first, vocalizing the feelings of all of those assembled at the little 'memorial' gathering. Her respect for him only increased the more time she spent at the Banner house. Then she met Ken Yokata, and started a business relationship with him. Once again, he seemed like a different species from her rapist, from Greg, and from most of the men she had encountered in the intervening years. Ken was so manly that she could not deny the physical sensations she felt in his presence. Now, there were two women she was unavoidable envious of - Elaine and Amelia. Actually, now there were three - Robin was as envious of Cheryl as of the other two. She had sensed from the first that Cal was a great guy, but after the gang incident, she had to control her thoughts about him. The biggest thing was that he had treated her as an equal in a danger situation. He had depended on her, fully expecting that she would do her part. After all of the police questioning, she had gone home as horny as she could ever remember. She could not get Cal's image out of her mind as she went through her entire selection of toys, trying to reduce her arousal enough to allow her to sleep. Of course, Cal belonged to Cheryl, and Robin would never do anything to disturb their relationship. Actually, what would she do anyway? Aroused as she was, the idea of sex with any man was still frightening to her - disgusting, even. The sessions with Julia were already starting to help, but it seemed hopeless to think that sex could ever be something she looked forward to. Many times, Robin cursed her lack of interest in other women. It would make things so much easier. She was not repulsed by the thought of mutual pleasure with a woman, but it brought no excitement. Every time she followed that line of thought she ended up angry with the rapist who had stolen so much of her life. As Julia had pointed out in their second session, though, Robin had to admit that there were good men. For her, that was a significant concession, and a major step toward her emotional recovery. ------- Cal's next scheduled session with Julia was two days after his conversation with Darlene. She knew him too well, and led off with "What are you feeling guilty about this time?" Their relationship being what it was, he felt free to laugh before answering seriously. "Two of the boys were injured pretty badly. I didn't want that." "Have you talked to Ken? What did he say about your tactical decisions?" "Are you guys ganging up on me? He heard about it and he called me last night. I met him half way and we talked." "And?" "He said that I had to keep that car from cutting us off. He said I had to assume the worst about their intentions. The fact that they gave chase meant that they intended harm." "Did that make you feel any better?" she asked. "I guess. The police told me the same thing. There had been two or three other similar situations with that gang. If the patrol hadn't arrived when it did, one of the times a girl would have been raped." "So, can I assume this won't add to your guilt problem?" she pushed. "I'm OK. You know, the other incidents never made the news. Now, a couple of those punks get injured and its all you hear about. Nothing about the poor girl who's been in treatment ever since." "I would think that with all of your interaction with the press, that you wouldn't have to even ask why," she needled him. "Maybe if I just quit football and basketball, I'll never see my name in print again, or on TV," he grumbled. "Nope! Not an option! Against doctor's orders," she said, not really joking. "Face it, Cal. There's an old saying - 'Those that can, do'. You can help and protect people. Situations just seem to find you. You developed your abilities on purpose and for a very good reason. Don't ever wish you didn't have them. And don't ever apologize for using them when you have to." "Hey, I got you another patient," he said brightly, eager to change the focus of the session. "Guess I can find a spot in October," she joked. "Maybe." "So you can't fit Darlene Carson in?" he asked with mock consternation. "Well, I have you pencilled in for five more sessions. Since you're going away and you seem fairly sane now, why don't I give those to her?" she replied, trying to maintain the same light-hearted tone. He explained how Darlene was going to school with them for several days, and they worked out when she could start. ------- Pete came home a week before Cal was to leave. He would be there until early August, and that was one downside of Cal going off with Cheryl. If Pete was disappointed, he certainly did not show it. He seemed honestly enthusiastic about Cal's commitment to school. Elaine had shared her concerns with Pete about Cal's ambivalence toward college, and Pete was as relieved as their parents. In a surprise move, Pete asked Cal to get pizza with him one night. While waiting for their order, he asked Cal "There isn't anything between you and Ismi, is there?" When assured that there was not, Pete said "It's kind of discouraging what I find in the girls on campus." "You mean there's not another Mom out there?" Cal asked, surprising Pete. "You got it," Pete answered. "I think you found one just like her. Don't let her go. Believe me, they aren't that easy to find." "Well, Ismi is sure better looking than any girl on any campus," Cal opined. "That sure doesn't hurt," Pete agreed, "but it's more than that. She always seemed so... I don't know... so real. Nothing fakey about her." Of all of the things that had surprised Cal about how people treated him, having his older brother discuss this with him was as remarkable as anything. "Do you know if she's going with anyone?" Pete asked. The two brothers spent the next hour over pizza and conversation, inevitably spending a lot of the time on football. Each of them was impressed with how much the other had changed over the last year. ------- In a rare breach of their open communication, Cal had not told Cheryl about his conversation with her mother, and about the things Darlene had promised to do. He did not want to build expectation if Darlene chose not to follow through. Darlene invited Cheryl to the club with her a few days later, an invitation that Cheryl accepted with disbelief and great enthusiasm. It was in the pool that Darlene told Cheryl about seeing Julia again and then dropped the bombshell about traveling to school with them. For a moment, Cheryl was a little miffed that Cal had asked her family to intrude on the ultra-romantic summer session she was looking forward to. But that lasted only a second before she realized the true import of her mother's agreement. It was the first time that Cheryl had felt a genuine urge to hug her mother, and she was sad that the state of their relationship still made it too awkward for both of them. Cheryl did not wait for evening, finding Cal as soon as she and her mother parted, and dragging him up to his room. She said nothing as she proceeded with the almost-rape that had become a major outlet when she was at her emotional peak. He did not have to ask what brought it on, even if he could have found the strength to ask. In the subdued conversation afterward, Cheryl was able to remember something that had bothered her as she went through her mother's workout with her. "This trainer guy, Jeremy," she explained, "he just bothered me. He and Mom didn't say much, but the way he looked at her, and vice versa - I don't know. You know, Mom could be pretty vulnerable to a man who knew how to dominate her." That very evening after dinner, Cal sat with his parents and asked "Any chance you could spend some money on a private eye?" To their surprise, he went on to explain his concerns. "There are two things, one small and one big. First, I want to find out about a guy named Jeremy that is Darlene's trainer at the health club. That should take someone a couple of hours. "The big thing is Laura." That produced a shocked reaction from both Elaine and Martin. "I haven't said much about the weird way she has been treating me, but you must have noticed something." Elaine reluctantly agreed. "Well, I think it must be because Will is running around on her and maybe abusing her." That made Elaine gasp. "Are you willing to spend some money to find out. I'm pretty sure she would never ask for your help, and she probably wouldn't hire anyone herself." During the ensuing discussion, Cal related many of the comments that Laura had made to him, causing Elaine to cry. It did not take long for Martin to state angrily that he would nail the son-of-a-bitch no matter what it cost. Both parents were quickly convinced that Cal's theory was correct about the infidelity, at least. ------- There was one more touching incident before Cal and Cheryl left for school. One evening, the couple arrived at the Banner house for dinner, and there was a brand new Suburban sitting beside the three year old one. When Cal commented on it to his father, Martin just tossed him the keys to the old one. "Go look in the back end," Martin instructed. When Cheryl and Cal got out to the driveway and opened the hatch, they saw two large bags taking up a lot of the potential cargo space. One contained ten volleyballs. The other had ten footballs and one of the self-holders that kickers use on the sidelines to warm up into the kicking net. To the couple's joyful thanks, Martin explained "The van belongs to the company. Jean needs it for the business while you're gone. Just Cheryl's car won't be enough space for everything you'll need to take to school. It's in your name now, Cal." Cal knew his parents were delighted with his renewed interest in college, and that just underscored the strength of their feelings. ------- For most of the ten-hour drive to college, Darlene and Shelley rode with Cheryl while Matt rode with Cal. The two were well-acquainted because of all of the Saturday outings. It had been hard for Matt at first because of Cal's status as an athlete, and Matt's own lack of athletic talent. By the time of the trip, though, Matt knew that Cal would never add to the pressure that Hal put on the boy, and was relaxed around his sister's boyfriend. Cal decided it was time to bring up a subject that he had been thinking about for some time. "Matt, I don't want to bring up a topic that makes you uncomfortable, but I want to make a point that I think could help you. "I know you have no interest in sports and that you don't think you have any talent. What I want to suggest is that some kind of an exercise or conditioning program could help you in a couple of ways." Matt stiffened a little, and Cal quickly said, "Just hear me out for a minute. Look, you must have noticed how much better your mom looks since she's been working out, haven't you?" Matt nodded cautiously. "Well, girls notice what kind of shape a guy is in." Matt's expression changed from nervous to thoughtful. "The other reason is hard for me to talk about, but here goes," Cal said. "I know how hard your dad has been on you about sports. Well, I think if he saw you doing something physical consistently, even if it wasn't a competitive sport, it would take some pressure off of you." Matt's eyes went wide, as he had apparently never thought of that. "If you really got serious, you could kick his butt someday if he didn't back off." Cal said that with a chuckle, aware of how inflammatory his comment could be. Matt sat silently with furrowed brow for quite a while. He was a very bright young man, and Cal could almost sense him processing what he had heard. "I really like biking," Matt finally said. "I've been wanting a good road bike and all the gear for quite a while." "That would be great!" Cal enthused, not having to fake it at all. "It would be uniquely your thing, too? No comparison or competition with Cheryl or Shelley." "Or Dad when he was young," Matt added with undisguised bitterness. "Have you been asking for the bike?" "Nah. Trying to save. I don't think it's on Dad's list of approved manly activities." That comment, as much as anything, showed Cal just how deep Matt's wounds were. "Get your mother to help." "Mom?! She'd never be able to get Dad to do anything. Wouldn't even try." "I really think that is going to change, Matt. Give it a try, OK?" Cal encouraged. "Say, is there a girl you like that bikes?" The blush was all the answer Cal needed. ------- Cal's summer apartment had two bedrooms because Martin thought it would look better, offering the pretense that Cal and Cheryl were just roommates. There was, however, just one bathroom. The apartment was part of a large house owned by a retired couple. As soon as the couple saw the whole crew arrive, they fell all over themselves trying to make Darlene and the younger kids welcome. Claire had retired from the admissions office of the college. Bert had left the police force in just the last year. He was also a Viet Nam vet. This apartment and two duplexes that they owned supplemented their income nicely. As it turned out, they had spent a lot of time on the phone with Martin and Elaine, and they knew a lot about Cal and about the Carson family. For Elaine, it was comforting to think that Cal would have the next best thing to grandparents right next door. They had arrived three days before the start of classes, so there was plenty of time to pick up all of the necessary items. On the first morning, Cheryl and Shelley determined that the most necessary item was some true hot-weather clothing for their mother. Although she had purposed not to dominate her mother, Cheryl had to use some force to get Darlene into the rather revealing shorts and tops that they had brought home from a brief shopping trip. It was perhaps a step too far to make her model the outfits for Cal and Matt, and she was as terrified as when she first came out to the club pool in her swimsuit. Without being told, though, both guys were effusive in their praise. It barely dented her nervousness, but it did add a flush to her face that was not just embarrassment. They were not trying to be cruel, but Cheryl and Shelley took their campaign against Darlene's excessive modesty farther. All of the 'inappropriate' outfits that she had packed along suddenly disappeared, along with her overly chaste nightwear and her robe. On the second morning, Darlene almost wished that she had not come along. There had been a strained discussion about nightwear the evening before, but since she had the second bedroom to herself, she had acquiesced quite easily. She was surprised at how well she had slept in just the panties and a long T-shirt that the girls had insisted upon. The two girls had the main bedroom and Cal and Matt were on air mattresses in the living room. Somehow, the girls managed to wake up before their mother. When they sensed that she was getting dressed because her robe was missing, they bodily hauled her to the kitchen in just what she had slept in. After much pleading, they let her primp a little in the bathroom, on promise of not covering up any more. ------- Darlene did not have to fake her embarrassment at breakfast with her children and Cal, at least not very much. She had, though, come a long ways since joining the health club in December. Her daughters' little skirmish with her modesty was nothing compared to Jeremy' skillful, relentless campaign. Just the week before they left for school, after Cheryl's visit to the club, Jeremy had gotten Darlene on the massage table for the first time. She had been fully dressed, having showered and everything, so he had to work hard not to laugh. But he had gotten his hands on her, and that was a victory. As Darlene was struggling to face her children and Cal in less clothes than her husband usually saw her in, Jeremy was wondering why she had not showed up at the health club. The possibility that he had frightened her off with one clothed massage concerned him far more than he would have expected. There was no question about his skill as a masseur, and Jeremy knew that the wonderful feelings he could impart would have her coverings disappearing little by little. If she came back, that is. He was sure that by the end of the summer, he could get to work his usual oils into her bare, exposed back. From experience, he knew that was the crucial point. With a woman as submissive as Darlene seemed to be, there was no reason he could not own every inch of her by Christmas, just a year after her first visit to the health club. After her bare back, the next crucial milestones would be her legs. He would take it slowly, and just do her back for a few visits. Then, he would suggest doing her feet, something no woman had ever refused. At the thought of working his way up those mature, shapely calves and those strong thighs, Jeremy always got hard. It did not make any sense that he should react so strongly to Darlene. Any evening that he chose, he could have two young, firm, smoothly shaven, naked girls at his beck and call. Somehow, though, the collars, the tattoos, the piercings, and the neediness of his regular subs did not seem as satisfying when he was in the presence of the timid, fortyish housewife. Just her deeply ingrained modesty seemed to add an aura of mystery that aroused Jeremy every time he dwelt on it. He could have two young, taut, bare asses lined up in front of him at the D/S club any evening he wanted. Yet, his curiosity about Darlene's womanly but sleek bottom distracted him from images of his young lovelies. Darlene would not be the first mother he had dominated. Something about a woman's body having produced another life just increased her appeal to him. Labia through which a new person had forged its way into the world just seemed much more delicious. Of course, Darlene had no knowledge of Jeremy's feelings about her or his intentions toward her. As she sat at breakfast in the apartment, trying to keep the T-shirt covering as much of her legs as possible, she wondered why she had allowed her girls to expose her so. When she was able to look around, she saw her son giving her his full attention. What she saw on his face shocked her. It was the look she longed to see from her husband: the look that said he wanted sex with her. Could her own son really be lusting after her? ------- After breakfast that second morning, they took a tour of campus. On their return, Claire and Bert demanded that all five join them for lunch. During lunch, Claire suggested that they all visit the water park, a prime local attraction. Shelley and Matt were naturally excited about that suggestion. Darlene was far less enthusiastic, having purposely not brought her suit, contrary to Cheryl's instructions. She made the mistake of using that as an excuse for not joining the others, and instantly, both of her daughters and Claire had her in the car on the way to shop for a suit. Claire had been clued in on Darlene's modesty, and took to the challenge eagerly. Once again, Cheryl used more force than she preferred on her mother. All the way back to the apartment, Darlene was literally shaking at the thought of going to a public place in the fetching but conservative two piece that had been bought for her. Bert did his best to buoy Darlene's spirits, making jokes about the 'three Carson sisters' and wondering whether he, Cal, and Matt would be able to defend their women from the hordes of slobbering males that were sure to try and steal them away. The group spent several hours at the water park, even eating dinner there. Afterwards, Darlene probably could not have recounted much with any accuracy. Her shame and embarrassment made the first couple of hours a blur, and she never really did relax. There was one thing the Darlene did remember vividly. Somehow, Matt was assigned the duty of protecting his mother from sunburn. Jeremy's hands had felt wonderful during her one massage. When Matt's shaking hands first spread SPF on her back, though, she felt a charge like nothing in her experience. Darlene and Hal were not people who touched very often, even each other. Loving, extended contact with his mother was almost completely missing from Matt's life. Even his sisters' attempts to compensate could not erase the affection that he knew was missing. With Cheryl right in his ear, coaching him, he did Darlene's back, the initial shaking finally settling down. When Cheryl told him to do his mother's legs, Matt almost came in his swim trunks. As it was, he got so hard that he was right on the edge the whole time he applied the lotion. Darlene noticed the bulge and she experienced sensations just as strong. After the second time Matt oiled Darlene's backside, Cheryl whispered in her mother's ear that she should return the favor for her son. It took some forceful words to get the poor woman to do such a simple, normal, motherly task, but she did it. When her hands reached his lower back, he lurched and shook, then scrambled to his feet and ran to the nearby water. Darlene was surprised and bewildered. Cheryl sat down by her and put an arm around her, something not normal for Cheryl. "Did I do something wrong?" Darlene asked, almost in tears. "No, Mom. You just did it too well. He got so excited he came." "He came?" "You know: he had an orgasm. He ejaculated." "Oh my God!" Darlene exclaimed with a very rare oath. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean anything wrong! Now he'll hate me!" "You didn't do anything wrong, Mom. It was just so... unusual. You look so sexy, and he was already excited from putting it on you." "I... I saw he had a problem." Darlene appeared to ignore the 'sexy' inference deliberately. "Problem!? Mom, Matt has been hard almost every minute since you modeled your new clothes." "But I'm his mother!" Cheryl waved the rest of the group away from her and spent several minutes explaining about family sexual attraction to her mother. As she was finishing, Matt came back and Cheryl called him over. Taking a huge chance, Cheryl put one arm around her mother and one around her younger brother. "Matt, I told Mom what happened. She feels..." "You what?!" he shouted, drawing the attention of several people nearby. "I told her that you came in you pants... Now calm down! Calm down." The boy had become very agitated, almost to the point of tears. Cheryl had not set out to embarrass him, but she sensed a critical point for her family. "Matt, Honey, it's not like it's a secret. Mom does the laundry, after all. She knows you're a healthy young man." "But... but we don't talk about that stuff," Matt objected. Cheryl pulled both of them closer and tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "No, there's a lot of stuff we don't talk about. And a lot of touching we don't do. You're so starved for some affection from you mother that it excited you sexually when you finally got it. That's sad." "Look, Matt, Mom is going to start seeing someone, like she and Dad did after he was injured. I think some things are going to change around the house." Still taking an enormous risk, Cheryl backed out from between them, and with surprising strength, she pulled them together and got an arm from each around the other. "Matt, do you think Mom is beautiful?" "Y... yeah, I s... sure do!" "Then tell her," Cheryl ordered. He looked back at his sister in surprise and consternation. Then, seeing the hope and the determination in Cheryl's eyes, he turned to Darlene and stammered "M... mom, you r... really a... are beautiful." "Matt, have you been noticing all of the cute teenaged girls around here in their nothing bikinis?" "N... not really." "I know you haven't. You haven't been able to keep your eyes off of Mom, have you?" "I g... guess not." "Mom, how did it feel for you and Matt to put lotion on each other?" Darlene's reaction was tears, then "It felt... it felt..." Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she was unable to voice her feelings. "Well, it's such a normal thing for family to do for each other. But that's the first time, isn't it?" When mother and son both nodded, Cheryl said "Can that be the start of a lot more normal affection between you two?" On the last day of the visit, Cheryl did nothing to put any more pressure on her mother or on her siblings. It was significant that Darlene came to breakfast on her own wearing just what she had slept in. Darlene boarded the plane for home feeling like she had been through an emotional ringer. The three of them were sitting together, and both Shelley and Matt took their mother's hand when she expressed nervousness about the takeoff. Accompanied by Claire and Bert, Cheryl and Matt left the airport with mixed feelings. Cheryl, in particular, felt that she had only started to stimulate some changes in her family. She wished she had a chance to do much more. On the other hand, she could hardly wait to start 'playing house' with Cal for the summer. ------- Chapter 33 The Carson family's flight was an early one, to get the best fare. That day was not the actual first day of school, but registration day. After returning from the airport, Cal and Cheryl got through registration quickly, bought books, and were home well before lunch. Home. Cheryl pondered that concept as they pulled into their parking spot. She felt the excitement welling up at the thought that they were finally alone. In some ways, she considered it her first real home. Very early in her life, she had realized how out of step she was with her parents. Each of her battles for ordinary rights and privileges had made the house seem more of boarding house than a home. She was very pleased at the changes in Darlene, and happy that she could have a hand in bringing them about. Her mother was definitely more human than she had ever seen her before. But she could not honestly say that she loved her mother as much as she had come to love Elaine. And Cal - well that was how she defined love. Because of her drive for a career, and because she was never certain how long-range Cal's feelings for her were, she had not let herself dream about a future together. His decision to join her at school had said more than words ever could, and she no longer tried to stifle the dreams. Their little love nest for the summer was absolutely the most thrilling thing that had ever come into her life. Considering all of the nights they had spent together, it would seem that being completely on their own for an extended time would be no big deal. In terms of modesty, that was true. However, not having to worry about anyone else being in the house was a delightful revelation. Cheryl was always a little puzzled at the strong attraction her body held for Cal. Most of her puzzlement was due to her modest breasts. She would be loathe to admit it, but they were a major source of self-consciousness to her. No matter how many times Cal assured that he loved them and showed it by his attention to them, in her mind, they kept her from being truly sexy. She rationalized Cal's apparent lack of concern about her breast size by comparing herself to his mother and sister. Maybe guys really did marry their mothers, as she had read several places. Being super bright, though, her puzzlement did not prevent her from taking advantage of that attraction. On their return from registration, she stripped as soon as the apartment door was closed. The air conditioning in the apartment was working just fine, so it was not a matter of comfort. She didn't say anything, but her little smirk told Cal all he needed to know. Darlene was a fanatical housekeeper, and even as early as their flight had been that morning, she had gotten up to be sure that she left the apartment spotless. Thus, there was no reason for Cheryl to do any cleaning or straightening. But she did it anyway, making sure that she was always in Cal's sight, and often touching him in some way. Whether she understood it or not, she would use his attraction to her to the max. Deciding that they needed lunch was another chance for her to tease him as they collaborated on sandwiches. Even being male, Cal could not misread his lover's mood, nor could he fail to understand why she felt that way. Being male, though, he felt compelled not to make it too easy for her. He had watched without seeming to watch as she did her naked 'housecleaning'. As they made the sandwiches together, he joined right in the game, going her one better. At every opportunity, most of which were manufactured, he got a hand on her. When he did, he made sure the touch lingered sensuously. He started with just her arm or her shoulder. The first time he touched her bare bottom, she made the obligatory protest, which the look in her eyes completely invalidated. The little wiggle and the shiver that sent goose bumps over her whole body did not give her complaint any more credibility. It just told Cal that his lover was near another of her sexual explosions. Those episodes had been unbelievable experiences, but he had always felt like he was just along for the ride, holding on for dear life. He sensed that it was the freedom of their own place that had her so stoked, but he wanted to celebrate their first day of playing house just as much as she did. Thus, Cal conducted an escalating arousal campaign. As they finished making lunch and sat down to eat, his touches moved to her hips and belly, coming tantalizingly close to her pussy and her breasts. As she stood right next to him to clear the dishes, he ran his fingers through her pubic hair. She kept it quite short and bikini trimmed. For Cheryl, the roots of that hair almost seemed anchored in her clitoris. Playing with her hair aroused her very quickly. With both hands full of dishes, she froze as he ran his fingers through it again and again. When he gently tugged in a couple of places, she put the dishes down almost violently. She yanked him to his feet and had his cock out in the open in a flash. Wanting to head off the explosion, Cal said "Let's go in the bedroom." "To hell with the bed!" Cheryl objected. "We can always do it in bed with the door shut. I want to do it here. And in the living room. And maybe in the back yard. We don't have to hide it in the bedroom any more." With that, she bent over a chair with her hands on the seat and threw him a smoldering look back over her shoulder. Satisfied that she was not headed for another fit, Cal decided that she had a very good idea. Taking just a few seconds to match her attire, he assumed, correctly, that foreplay was neither needed nor desired, and worked his way into her from behind. Despite her concern, Cal really did love her breasts. They never caused a B cup bra any stress, but they stood stood so firm and proud that they always made his hands itch, even when she was clothed. He thought their shape was just perfect, and he loved the way she responded to any attention given her nipples. Like so many other places on her body, they were very, very sensitive. In their many sessions of love-making, Cal had learned that it took a long time for vaginal stimulation alone to bring her off, usually longer than he could hold out. Working her clit while he stroked brought her to climax rather quickly. Teasing her nipples during intercourse took longer for success, but the finish was just as strong. Cal wanted to reward her for baring her breasts, so he worked his hands under both of them and began rolling and pinching the nipples. Considering the state that she was in, it was a small wonder that she did not peak before he was completely seated within her. As it was, it took only a couple of minutes of nipple action before she uncharacteristically screeched and went into spasms. Her contractions were so strong that the chair began stepping rhythmically across the floor as she shook. Her release was so rapid that Cal did not come. Instead, he stroked her hair and her sweat-moistened back, intermittently planting little kisses and mouthing endearments. If she could only witness herself in rapture, he thought, there would be no more worrying about not being sexy enough. She was an athlete, and a very, very good one. At the same time, she was pleasingly feminine. Her walk was strong and purposeful, but her hips swayed as enticingly as the best runway model. She certainly had not adopted the 'walk like a linebacker' gait that identified so many of the dykes. Telling her how her body pleased and excited him, whether in motion or repose, was not something he forced himself to do. "Does that take care of the kitchen?" he asked when her gasping had steadied into regular breathing. "No way!" she exclaimed. Raising herself from the table and moving him back and out of her gently, she wrapped both hands around one bicep and pulled him to the counter, close to the sink. "Up!" she commanded. After a little confusion, he understood and got himself sitting on the counter. He was barely in place when she swallowed his cock and began fucking her mouth on it with serious intent. Obviously, a blow job was always a great treat. Cal though, did not get them on a regular basis. He felt it was a bit demeaning to her, and only when she was clearly doing it out of her own enthusiasm did he truly enjoy it. Right then, he really, really enjoyed. Swallowing was a further indication of the sexual high that Cheryl was on. She had only done it a handful of times. He did not even consider telling her that she did not have to do it. It was apparent that her actions were driven by something other than reason right then. She was certainly enjoying the ride, and he let himself get caught up in her euphoria. This was much better than Cheryl's previous sexual explosions. Before, she had been in a true frenzy, barely cognizant of her surroundings. Now, she knew just what she was doing, and there was even a lightheartedness - fun - in her actions. For so much of her life, pure fun had been pushed aside by tension and struggle. It made him love her even more to see how delightfully joyful and spontaneous the unleashed Cheryl was. Cal had figured out that he was privileged to share the little emancipation celebration of a truly awesome woman. He vowed to do everything in his power to make the celebration last all summer. While he was still reeling from the force of his explosion into her mouth, she was scrambling back and forth from table to sink, clearing the tabletop. When the last item was removed, she leaped backward onto the table, threatening its somewhat questionable understructure. "Eat! Eat!" she ordered, scooting to the edge and raising and spreading her legs. Cal's sometimes reluctance about blowjobs did not at all carry over to doing oral on her. A good eating out pleased both of them and he did not feel a bit demeaned by it, nor did she appear to have any uneasiness at all. An orally induced come or two made the ensuing intercourse just that much better. He did not need any such warm up. In fact, for him, a pre-coupling come served mainly to attenuate his arousal so he could fuck longer. Intercourse was the main thing, after all. At least, Cal definitely felt that way. He could not avoid the slight twinge of selfishness when she used her mouth on him. Inside of her, though, they were connected, sharing, and communicating at the highest level possible. And the maximum amount of that taut, incredibly smooth body was pressed hotly against him. Since he had learned to keep going through the sensitivity of a first come, their times joined together had become even more wonderful. Right now, though, her orgasms were the goal, and as he recovered his strength, he gave her a good ride through two of them, one a really big one. If she was willing to lay on the inhospitable table top, the least he could do was help her to ignore it. Recovery did not seem to be a necessity in Cheryl's current state, and remarkably soon after her second, very big climax, she was on her feet, towing him to the living room. Almost frantically pushing him down on the couch, she turned her back to him, reached between her legs to find his revitalized erection, and eased herself down onto it. The newness of the position left Cal motionless for only a moment. As she began moving up and down on him, the movement of her impressive muscles under the silky skin of hear marvelously tapered back carried him away. He may or may not have returned her plunges with his own upward thrusts - he honestly could not remember later. All he could remember was worshipfully running his hands all over her back as his urgency rose. He definitely remembered the completion, though. She somehow reached behind her and grabbed enough of both arms to pull them around to her front. Then she took his hands and placed them over her breasts. That was a momentous event in their relationship! He was so thrilled he almost came right then. She had never, ever emphasized her breasts to him, nor even encouraged his attention to them until he initiated it. If this meant that she was accepting their true sexiness instead of worrying about their size, it was a watershed moment. As much as the thrill of her new confidence made him want to come right then, he steeled himself to resist. It was her first open invitation for attention to her nipples, and there was no way he would waste it. He would make them come together if it killed him. He took a big chance and handled her breasts more roughly than was his custom, but it seemed to suit her mood perfectly. She escalated beautifully, and when he sensed that she was almost there, he pinched both spears harder than he ever had before. Her convulsions almost lifted her off of him, and he had to drop his arms to her waist and clamp her against himself to prevent his own discharge from jetting out onto the couch or the carpet. Fortunately, the couch was an older leather one, so stains were not a threat. And that was a good thing, because in the aftermath, all Cheryl could think of was turning and cuddling in his lap. Nor was he up to much more activity than that. For several minutes, he just petted her gently while her only movement was breathing. "I guess that takes care of the kitchen and the living room, huh?" he teased when their breathing had settled down. "No way! We've hardly started," she objected dreamily. "Look! There's that chair. And that one! And that little desk. And all that carpet. Nope. We'll be lucky to initiate it properly by the end of summer. Sure gonna give it a good try, though." She said the last with a light-hearted giggle that absolutely thrilled him. He watched in disbelief as she then jumped to her feet, grabbed his hand, and tried to pull him up. "Give me a minute more," he pled, only half joking as he said it. "Huh, uh! We're making our first visit to the dojo this afternoon. Do you wanna shower first, or just go stinky?" How was he supposed to react to that? The thought of her sleek body all wet and soapy was enough to restore him even from the energetic session they had just finished. ------- The dojo and the sensei were a very pleasant surprise. After a nice, short drive, they entered the place, which stood at the end of a light industrial complex. They were barely inside when a hispanic man approaching middle age, clad in a white gi, strode up to them. Without saying a word, he gave a brief, crisp ceremonial bow and skipped forward toward Cal in weak-foot-forward attack position. It took Cal only a second's surprise before he sprang into his defensive stance. There followed three of four minutes of action-movie quality high-speed sparring moves. Cheryl stood back and watched, dumbfounded, and about ten gi-clad students who were working out circled around to watch. Abruptly, the man stepped back and bowed. Cal returned the gesture, and the onlookers burst into spontaneous applause. "Please follow me," the man said, and led the way to an office off to the side of the main gym. "Welcome, Mister Banner and Miss Carson. I am Jesus Monteleone. I instruct my students to call me Master Jessy. Ken Yokata was right about you, Cal, is it? In respect to how you have used our art according to the highest traditions, please call me Jay when we are alone. I extend that invitation to you, as well, Miss Carson." Cheryl won a huge amount of respect from Jesus with her next action and comments. She gave an acceptable little bow, then said "Master Jessy, I am new to the discipline. But I would not dishonor your accomplishments, or Cal's, by showing less than the proper honor until I have earned the privilege myself." That brought a deep bow from Jesus. Jesus cleared his throat, gave a chuckle, and said with a noticeable Spanish accent "That kind of formality does not come easily to us homeys. Let's just talk, OK?" Hearing the accent, Cal asked in Spanish "Will you be able to help me improve my Spanish?" With a minimum of surprise, Jesus responded that he would be most happy to help. Cal explained where he had learned it, and then they talked about objectives and schedule. Ken had briefed Jesus on Cheryl's goals, and that is what they talked the most about. Cal and Cheryl then changed and had a vigorous workout. ------- They had barely gotten home from the dojo when Claire knocked at their door and Cal let her in. "Cheryl, your mother told me that you had done hardly any cooking except for breakfasts and sandwiches. Is that right?" Cheryl nodded. "How about you Cal? Can you do dinners?" He shook his head emphatically. "Well, I know Darlene stocked up your refrigerator," Claire said. "I'm not going to cook for you, but I promised I would help you learn how. Ready for the first lesson?" That turned out to be the first of many cooking lessons that Claire demanded both of them attend. On that first night, Claire found a chance to pull Cheryl aside and tell her "You really celebrated your first day alone, didn't you?" "Oh, no!" Cheryl exclaimed, mortified. "I had no idea you could hear us!" "Oh, I'm definitely not upset," Claire assured her. "I had my first nooner in years!" The giggling that erupted between them caused Cal to throw them a questioning look that only increased the giggling. "Seriously," Claire said, "be sure you always make some noise. I think that would be the best thing that's happened to us in years. Bert can still turn me inside out. I just wish he'd want to more often. You can help." More than the cooking lesson, that little intimate exchanged bonded Claire and Cheryl very quickly. After everything that had happened that day, it was time for one of their face-to-face cuddle and talk sessions. Cheryl replayed her conversation with Claire, and Cal got around to telling her about his talk with Matt. "Biking? Really? Cal, that's great!" In typical Cheryl fashion, her excitement turned their gentle cuddling session into more stimulation for Bert, if he had happened to be listening. When they were once again cuddling quietly, Cheryl said "I've got to make sure Mom follows through and gets him that bike. If she can't get the money from Dad, I'll get it to Mom and have her pretend it's from Dad." "Good bikes aren't cheap, you know," Cal cautioned. "For my brother's sanity, it's worth it." "Do you think things are that bad?" Cal asked. "Well, you talked to him. What do you think?" "Uh, yeah," Cal said. "Some things he said showed a lot of bitterness." "Well, even with Julia's bills, I haven't spent the interest I've earned on my money. Now, Marty has someone investing it, and they sure seem to know what they're doing." "Maybe I'd better let Marty take care of my money, too," Cal mused. "I guess you're right. You should see that Matt gets a good setup." ------- As excited as Cheryl and Cal were about being together for the summer, they both had larger goals that drove them. Cheryl wanted to get a perfect start on her compressed undergrad career. She had managed to register for three courses, more than was usually allowed, so it was a given that she would be spending a lot of time studying. One of the courses was especially critical, since an 'A' could exempt her from further courses in that sequence. It was one of the few ways of reducing the total number of credits required for graduation. Cal's original objective was to support Cheryl and let her know that he was committed to her. Since making the decision, though, he had vowed to use the time well to improve his physical conditioning even further, and to hone his kicking and his basketball shooting to the highest levels possible. As a high schooler, he had been fortunate to get admitted to two classes, the normal summer school load. On the very first day of class, Cheryl completely shocked Cal by rising with him at first light. Her resolution to work out with him was quite a sacrifice. She had never been a morning person. If she was ever to break that habit, this idyllic summer would be the perfect time. In the few weeks that she had been able to train with Robin and Ken, Cheryl could definitely tell the difference. She had expected to feel stronger, even though she had thought she was in shape. What surprised her was the increase in her quickness - her reaction speed. Robin had told her repeatedly that college sports was an entirely different proposition than high school. The physical conditioning of the top players was incredible. Robin gently but frequently reminded Cheryl that she was short for a hitter, and that she had no desire to become a bumper or a setter. If Cheryl was to win a spot in the rotation, she would have to be quicker, stronger, leap higher, hit harder, and have more endurance than girls several inches taller. Robin already sensed the strong competitive fire in Cheryl, and suspected that that fire and her natural talent had carried Cheryl to a successful high school career and her scholarship. "Any decent coach will put you through the wringer physically when practice starts. They will try to shock you into realizing what being in shape really means," Robin had warned Cheryl. "If you can work hard enough so that the initial stuff doesn't wear you out, you will have your first edge, even on the veterans." With high school graduation and all of the preparations for the summer dominating her thinking, Cheryl had heard and believed what Robin said. It just did not really sink in until she actually walked the college campus. She was a lot like Cal in that she wanted very badly to compete. Sitting on the bench would still earn her the scholarship money, but she wanted to be on the floor - all the time. If getting up at dawn with her lover could help her toward that goal, it was a small price to pay. Well, it was a small price in the abstract, but trying to drag herself from a warm bed that first morning was disgustingly real. Cal knew that, and did his best to aggravate her with unwanted cheerfulness. In the morning, they ran together to the student center gym, where they used the machines before returning home. ------- On the first day of class, Cheryl inquired and found out that her volleyball coach was on campus. She arranged a meeting for the next day. Later that first day, she called her mother to ask about the bike, and Darlene was down. "Matt asked me to see if I could get money for a bike he wanted. He told me about his talk with Cal. Your father said that was way too much money for something to ride to school. Then he went on about the bike he had when he was a kid." Darlene's words shocked Cheryl. It was the most negative tone she had ever heard her mother use about her father. Darlene had let herself get seriously upset with Hal, not quashing her emotions as she normally did. Her interaction with her son during the trip had made a huge impact on her, and she wanted him to have something that was uniquely his. When he had asked her to get the money from Hal, she had gone in optimistically, only to get shot down. Cheryl had left two signed checks with Shelley, warning her to keep them well hidden. At the time, she had not trusted her mother enough to leave them with her. They probably should have gone to Matt, but her sisterly bond with Shelley was unusually strong, and as much as she loved her brother, she found him difficult to read at times. Cheryl got Shelley on the phone and had her give one check to Darlene, telling the reason. Shelley insisted that she go along on the shopping trip, and insisted on going that very afternoon. The experience of spending several hundred dollars on a bike and the accompanying gear was one more in a series of high impact experiences for Darlene. Money had always been under Hal's control. He had never denied her requests for clothing and personal items, nor had she ever asked for anything out of line. Not being able to provide something for her son that she considered important troubled Darlene greatly. Having her daughter provide the money that she, the mother, could not get made it very disturbing. Having Cheryl entrust the checks to Shelley rather than to her was a blow to Darlene's awakening ego. The seeds of desire for some money that she could control were planted. ------- The phone was busy the day that Cheryl arranged for Matt's bike. Martin called in the evening with the investigator's report on Jeremy. Briefly wondering if he should keep it secret, he put down the phone for a moment and told Cheryl what he had asked for. He then got her on the phone so she could hear the report. Word of Jeremy's active membership in the D/S club was chilling for Cheryl. Knowing how submissive her mother was, Cheryl feared that Darlene would be helpless against any moves that Jeremy made. Cal's and Martin's congratulations on her instinctive suspicions about Jeremy really did not help. She wished that she had been wrong about the man. After the talk with Martin, Cal sat and cuddled her as they discussed what to do. Afraid that the news would make her feel guilty about being away, Cal had an idea. Calling his father again, he got Robin's number and caught her at home. They were both on the line with Robin, but Cheryl let him take the lead. "Robin, we're afraid that a predatory guy is after Darlene. He's her trainer at the health club, and he's an active member of a dominance and submission club. You've probably noticed it, but Darlene is very submissive." "What can I do," Robin asked. "Well, we're not sure," Cal admitted. "Do you have any ideas?" "Do you think I could get her to join another club?" Robin asked. Here, Cheryl jumped in. "She's knows what I paid for her membership, and she knows it's only half used up. She would never forfeit that money to quit the club." "Hmmm. Scratch that idea," Robin lamented. After a silent moment of thought, she asked "What would happen if Darlene found out about Jeremy." "Oh!" Cheryl responded, not knowing what to think. "I've gotten to know your mom quite well," Robin said. "I can see what you're saying about her being submissive. But I can't imagine her doing anything wrong. I sense that she is very conservative about sex and faithfulness." "That's an understatement," Cheryl exclaimed. Without going into detail, she mentioned how she had tutored her mother on some aspects of sex. "Robin, do you know anyone who works at that health club?" "Actually, I do, now that you mention it." "I don't feel comfortable warning Mom about Jeremy. We have done a lot of things that must make her feel like she is the child. Her physical conditioning has been one very positive development that she has done by herself. I don't want her to quit, and I'd like to see if she can deal with Jeremy's threat on her own." "Isn't that taking an awful chance?" Cal asked. "I guess it is," Cheryl admitted. "I just wish Mom could develop some backbone." "If she's a true submissive, she may be incapable of resisting anyone who knows how to pull her strings," Robin cautioned. "Yeah, I've done some reading on that, and talked to Julia." After saying that, Cheryl gave a gasp. "How could I forget? Cal talked her into seeing Julia again! I'll call Julia and let her know about Jeremy and our concerns." "Tell you what," Robin said. "I'll get my friend to watch her closely and report anything that she does with Jeremy. We can play it by ear from there." "Robin, that's awesome. I don't know how to thank you," Cheryl gushed. "Between your friend and Julia, Mom won't be out there alone, and I won't have to humiliate her any more by taking care of her." "Hey, it's a small thing on my part," Robin replied. "You can't imagine how much the friendship I've found through you guys has meant to me. When Greg died, I think I was close to self-destructing." ------- The coach was very surprised to find out that Cheryl was attending summer classes and asked why. "You may as well know," Cheryl said, "I am going to med school. I want to finish my undergrad in three years." "Will you play volleyball the fourth fall season? You'll still be eligible, even if you graduate." The coach asked, concern on her face. "That all depends on when and where I can start med school," Cheryl responded, deciding not to hide anything. "Our med school here is very well-regarded," the coach pointed out. "I found that out," Cheryl answered. "Usually, it is not recommended to do both undergrad and med at the same school, though. That's a ways off. I'll be sure to let you know what is going on. I promise I'll give you time to use the scholarship on someone else." Since pre-season practice overlapped the last week of summer classes, they checked Cheryl's schedule and found that only one final exam caused any real conflict with practices. "Are there any other incoming players in town this summer?" Cheryl asked. "No, there aren't," the coach answered. Then, she put up her hand and added "Well, there is one girl who wants to walk on. I haven't rostered a walk-on in a lot of years." Cheryl got the information on the other girl, and left. The other player was Madelina Estevez, who they quickly found out went by 'Maddy'. She was short, solid but not stocky, and both Cheryl and Cal instantly recognized her competitor's eyes. In the living of Maddy's home, surrounded by a large group of siblings, Maddy explained. "I had a scholarship offer. But I did some research and found out that all of the players were lesbians. The team really had a reputation, and I didn't want anything to do with that." "So you just walked away from the scholarship?" Cheryl asked in surprise. "Well, they weren't very competitive, anyway. I want to be on a winner," Maddy declared. Both Cal and Cheryl sensed that Maddy had only given them one reason. This was obviously a girl who had strong beliefs and took them seriously. "The coach told me she hadn't added a walk-on in a long time," Cheryl cautioned. "While, I'll be her first, then," Maddy said, almost fiercely. "I have to earn a scholarship. We came up with enough money for one semester, but that's all there is." She motioned around the modest home in explanation. Cal and Cheryl shared a look that expressed their respect for the confidence and commitment of their new friend. ------- Before the end of the first week, they were comfortable in their routine. Morning run and workout, classes, afternoon session at the dojo, study, early evening session at a local park, study, expend any leftover energy making love. The park they found had combination football/soccer fields, including goal posts at one end, basketball hoops, and two sand volleyball courts with usable nets. Maddy immediately joined them for the evening session. Cal spent some of his time hitting volleyballs over the net so the girls could practice setting and hitting. Maddy was astonishingly quick, and she knew her game better than most coaches. Within a couple of days, she had Cheryl practicing left-handed hits. They also worked on the quick sets, where the hitter spikes the ball on its way up, rather than waiting for it to peak and come down. The move required perfect timing between setter and hitter, but they made it a goal to perfect it during the summer. During the first week, Maddy learned about the early morning workouts and rather timidly asked if she could join them. Cheryl looked the question at Cal. In a way, he hated to have anyone intrude on their alone times. On the other hand, he thought that pairing up with Maddy could help Cheryl's prospects in the fall. That, after all, was the main objective. And Maddy was a very nice person whose drive Cal could not help but admire. He agreed. ------- On the second Monday, after the two had talked a lot about Maddy on the weekend, they took Maddy to the dojo with them, over her strong protests. "Master Jessy," Cal said formally, before shifting to Spanish "Do you think you can make this weak, lazy little puta fast and strong?" Maddy started in surprise, showed a flash of anger, then burst out laughing. Jesus found her a gi and sent her and Cheryl off to get Maddy started. "Cheryl and I will cover her fees," Cal told Jesus after the girls had left. "What's her story," Jesus asked, and Cal told him what he knew. "With a heart like that, I'll do it for free for the summer. I think I know the family, and they could use a break," Jesus told Cal. There was one problem with Maddy spending so much time with Cheryl. Maddy had a job at a fast food place, and that money was important to her family, especially with tuition coming up in September. The three of them sat down and worked on their schedule. "I think I can get all evenings for work," Maddy said. "Can you go to the park earlier in the day?" They patched together a schedule around the classes. It meant that their park and dojo times were irregular, but consistent week to week. Cal and Cheryl decided that leaving the evenings free for study was a good idea, anyway. An added advantage was that getting to the park earlier in the day meant generally cooler temperatures. Also, there were fewer other people trying to use the fields. Everyone felt that the collaboration between Cheryl and Maddy would be crucial for both of them when practice started. Maddy was willing to endure the murderous schedule she had committed to. Cheryl and Cal felt that the sacrifice of some of their solitude was well worth the benefit, especially since both of them genuinely liked Maddy as a person. ------- Darlene found herself quite anxious to get back to the health club. The trip to college had affected her in ways that she would not even realize for some time. It seemed that almost everything that happened during the trip highlighted how different she was - how out of step with her children. Questions that had been building since Cheryl had first moved out began consuming more and more of her thoughts. Through her whole life, she had felt fortunate that she did not really have to take charge of anything. What she had to do was always clearly laid out for her. Limits to what she was allowed to do always went with the luxury of just following, but that had never concerned her before. During the trip, everyone had decided things for her, down to what she would wear. She was supposed to be the parent, but she wondered if Claire and Bert would have known that if they had not been told. There was one part of her life that Darlene felt in control of - her physical conditioning. Oh, her daughter had forced her into the health club and had paid for her membership. After that, though, it had been all her own effort, and she was proud. So, when she was feeling the lack of control over her life, getting back to the one place where she felt some control became important. She was barely in the door of the club when she saw Jeremy. At first, he wore a look that she could not read, but then he broke into a wide smile. Seeing Jeremy brought her a momentary flash of uncertainty. Didn't Jeremy do the same things to her that her children had done at the college? Was she really as much in control here as she had thought? But Jeremy was just doing his job. He was paid to help her get stronger and look better, and he was doing that. He made her do things, but they were all good things. She should have bared her legs on her own so she was more comfortable exercising. She should have gone to the pool every time on her own. She should have worn one of the tank suits on her own so she could swim better. If not for Jeremy's help - she did not think of it as control - she would not have been able to wear the clothes that her daughters had forced on her at the college. And that swimsuit they had bought for her! Her conscience told her that she should be ashamed for having exposed so much of herself. The problem was that the memory of her son's reaction always overrode her conscience. Her conscience did have plenty to deal with, though, concerning her own reaction to Matt since that afternoon. The tingle and the moist feeling in her crotch revived memories of her teen years and the guilt that had made her glad to grow up and leave those times. Still not able to believe that she had done it, Darlene thought about the two-piece suit that she had brought in her bag with her other workout clothes. The tank suit was there, too, and she would probably just wear it as she normally did. Actually, the two piece did a better job of concealing her breasts and nipples than did the tank suit. Maybe... The workout felt very good after a week of minimal exercise. Back in the locker room preparing to swim, she was reaching for the tank suit when she froze. Jeremy did not know about the two-piece. If she wore it, it would be something that he had not told her to do. It would prove that he was not doing what her children did. It was a tiny burst of independence born of her anger at not being able to get the money for Matt's bike, some unaccustomed humiliation at how her daughters had railroaded her on the college visit, and some concern that Jeremy might be doing the same thing to her. She put on the two-piece and hurried out before she changed her mind. As usual, Jeremy was waiting, and he smiled again and heaped complements on her. Hidden behind the smiles, though, was a touch of alarm. It was unprecedented for her to make a change like this without his direction. What had happened while she was gone? Was he losing control? She could not be going independent so early in his campaign, could she? When she finished her swim, Jeremy was again waiting. "Come on, Darlene. Let's use another of those massage coupons." The thought of refusing never entered her mind as she turned toward the locker room. There was no concern about doing what he said. After all, she had just proved that he was not manipulating her, hadn't she? "No, just stay in your swimsuit this time, Darlene." Her conscious mind had a fleeting thought that getting a massage in her swimsuit was not appropriate. But then she remembered Matt putting sunscreen on her back. Was that appropriate? The mental debate did not last long as her subconscious took over and she acceded to Jeremy's skillfully delivered command. He made sure that his sigh of relief was not audible. Jeremy was very curious about where Darlene had been and what had happened there. The new suit and her unquestioning compliance with his directions marked quite a step forward, despite the brief scare. In his enthusiasm, he thought of unsnapping her top to get at her whole back. Then, he reminded himself of how slowly each gain had to be made with her. He had better just accept today's unexpected progress and not push things. He would have her topless in just a few weeks, no doubt about it. ------- Julia was very glad to have Darlene in her office once again, although she wished that Hal could have been with her. Like any true professional, failure did not sit well with her. The fact that it was not her doing but the patient's ego that caused the failure only softened the effect a little. Cheryl's call about the predator who was after Darlene made the woman a very challenging case. Julia had dealt with numerous submissives and understood the applicable psychology very well. That did not make things easy. Abruptly separating Darlene from Jeremy would not have been a good idea, and Julia was thankful that Cheryl and Robin had sensed that. It was not always possible to change a person from being submissive, and from what she knew of Darlene, Julia would not have placed good odds on a conversion. Still, a lot of things had been changing in Darlene's life, and the turmoil could be useful. The ideal approach, from Julia's perspective, was to enable Darlene to stop Jeremy in his tracks - to resist going beyond her personal scruples. Given his head, Jeremy would draw her into increasingly intimate sexual activity, culminating in full adultery. After that, he would force her into some form of slavery. Darlene's marriage would certainly be a casualty. Julia wondered if Darlene could stay with Hal after the changes that she saw happening. But that should be Darlene's choice, not something forced by Jeremy. With all of the other reasons that Darlene needed help, Julia had to focus first on the Jeremy threat. In the first session, she had to try to retard Jeremy's rate of progress. Julia started with some friendly, complimentary talk about Darlene's physical condition. She would try to build the belief that Darlene was responsible for the great progress and Jeremy was just an attendant. ------- By the end of the second week, Cheryl and Cal considered asking Maddy to move into the second bedroom. She did not live far away, though, and Cheryl was too fond of their ultra-casual at-home dress code to give it up. Her campaign to 'christen' every possible spot in the apartment would have had to end with another tenant. During that week, they established their routine at the park. Cal helped for a while with volleyball. Then, he shot baskets until the girls were ready to retrieve kicks for him. Occasionally, they had to wait for a field to clear before he could use a goalpost. Over the second weekend, Bert found out about the trips to the park and insisted on helping any way that he could. With Bert's help, volleyball workouts got even better. Bert was athletic, and he hit the ball over the net for them. Cal would bump it to Maddy who would set it for Cheryl. It was a more realistic sequence. The part of volleyball practice that Cal liked least was blocking practice. Cheryl would be alone on one side of the net, opposite Cal. Maddy would set the ball for Cal, and he would try to spike it. He had not played much volleyball, but hitting was not too difficult for him. The bad part was that he was hitting the ball right at his sweetheart. His objective was to get it past her. Hers was to block it back to his side any way that she could. In real games, the opposing hitter would often try to give the blocker a 'facial', driving the ball right at her face. The blocker would try her hardest to return the favor, of course. The facial was not just for intimidation, though. If the ball hit the players face, it was very likely to rebound into the net and drop where no one could play on it. "Look, Honey," Cheryl said repeatedly, "If you hit it in my face, I'm not going to kick you out of bed." He was never willing to take that chance. They also took advantage of the soft sand court to practice gets and saves. Cal would hit it hard to a place that would force one of the girls to dive for it. It was an exhausting drill, but one that both girls thought was valuable. The sand slowed everything down, so their reactions would be quicker on a wood floor. The wood floor, though, would offer none of the cushioning of the sand. Floor burns were the bane of the back row positions. It turned out that Bert had been a high school quarterback. He did a great job of holding the ball so Cal could get more realistic field goal practice. Maddy tried snapping the ball to Bert one day, and it worked quite well. She snapped from a much shorter distance, but it still improved the realism of practice. Bert was an unabashed sports fan, and when Cal would finish every practice with sixty yard kicks and make well over half of them, he could hardly contain himself. It turned out that Bert called the football coach to let him know when and where he could watch Cal. ------- The relationship between Claire and Bert and their young renters strengthened almost daily. They were a salt-of-the-earth couple who had carved out a decent but not luxurious retirement. They were satisfied with their lives, and Cheryl and Cal could not remember hearing a complaint from them, except about politics. During the week, Cheryl and Cal had almost zero spare time. On the weekends, they always had at least one extended visit with Claire and Bert. On the third weekend, as they all pushed back from an excellent barbecue, Bert said "There's something I've been wanting to ask you, Cal, ever since the water park. Please don't be offended, and if it's none of my business, just tell me. I won't be hurt." "Go ahead and ask," Cal said, almost certain what the question would be. "You know I was in Nam. I've seen gunshot wounds," Bert said, "and I don't think yours came from a hunting accident. Can you tell us anything about it?" "Bert!" Claire said in objection to his prying. "It's OK, Claire," Cal assured her. Very few people outside of his family knew about THE DAY. Cal had already decided that, if possible, he would like to spend his college career in that same apartment. He could not ask for a couple who cared more for two complete strangers. To Cheryl's surprise, but complete approval, Cal told Claire and Bert the whole story. There was silence when he finished, which Cheryl broke. "I've got a story, too. It's not heroic like Cal's, but I'd like you to hear it." Claire was raining tears when Cheryl finished. Neither of the men was breathing normally, either. "We've talked a lot about you two," Claire said. "We still think you must be lying about your ages. You act more like thirty-year-old married people. Now I understand why. You've both been through stuff that doesn't leave you a teenager any more." Cal had never heard it phrased quite so eloquently, even by Julia. Deciding to share what he had been thinking about, Cal said "Because of the terms of her scholarship, Cheryl has to live in the athletic dorm, but just for this year. I have to go home and finish high school. "Do you think you could arrange it so we could rent this place starting from next June until I graduate?" "We'll make sure that happens," Bert assured them. Cheryl got up and hugged Claire in thanks. The evening finished in a warm glow of shared friendship and respect. Bert had made an early decision never to tell Claire exactly what he had done in Southeast Asia. He had also hidden some of his more dangerous assignments from his days as a vice detective. In Cal, forgetting the boy's age, he saw someone he could share with as an equal in experience. Claire had been saddened to see the gulf between Darlene and her children, and it brought back painful memories of her own daughter's rebellious teen years. At the same time, she was impressed by Cheryl's commitment to helping her mother, even if the love was sadly lacking. Claire enjoyed the uncomplicated, well-received mothering she was able to do with Cheryl. Cheryl could never quite shake the lingering worries about her mother. Still, she had done the best she could, and she trusted Julia and Robin. Right here, right now, everything else was perfect. She felt great, and she was loved and cared for. The rest of the summer, she would live her dream. Cal was surprised that he had wanted to share so much with Bert, but he detected a kindred spirit in the older man. It was just one of the things that contributed to an overall feeling of comfort and satisfaction with where he was and what he was doing. His decision to join Cheryl for the summer had been impulsive, not his usual style. Maybe he should be more willing to follow his impulses. ------- Chapter 34 In the weeks since her return to the health club, Jeremy had given Darlene five massages. That they were much longer than the fifteen minutes offered on the coupons was never mentioned. She had worn the two-piece suit on the table every time, and he decided to make his move. "Darlene, you've got some tightness here that I can't get rid of with these short strokes. I need to move up and down your whole back." Without saying any more, Jeremy undid the clasp that held the suit top together. This was the first time Jeremy had used any physical force on her. When she felt the straps fall, Darlene panicked. She started to raise up to resist and to get her suit reconnected. Making it seem accidental, Jeremy rested his forearm on her back and leaned across her as if to fetch something from the little table on her other side. By the time he eased the weight on her back, Darlene had realized that changing her position would just give him a better view of her breasts. As she was formulating a verbal objection, he made the first full-length stroke from the small of her back up to her shoulders. She was lost. There was no question about his massage skills, and he knew that the sensation would be a revelation to her, making any type of protest impossible. He was making great progress. Of course, Jeremy knew nothing of Robin's spy or of Julia's treatment. He saw Darlene as a naive, pliant, attractive woman ripe for inclusion in his little harem of subs. There had been neither time nor opportunity to determine how truly submissive she was, but all of the signs so far were extremely encouraging. Just what Jeremy would do with Darlene once she was 'his' was a question he had not given much consideration. His apartment was already crowded with his two current slaves there much of the time. He had imprecise but pleasant visions of the superior cooking and housekeeping he would get from this experienced wife and mother. He could not help thinking about eventual sex with Darlene. He could sense the sexual tension that was barely constrained by her timidity and modesty. His current two gave him everything he wanted, but taking what the woman did not think she wanted to give would be unique. Robin's spy called her that evening with the report, and according to instructions, Robin called Julia immediately. ------- "Darlene, let's talk a while about some of the things that you're most proud of. What are some of them?" Julia asked. Darlene went into a predictable recitation of her children's grades, their home, how tidy she kept it, the meals she prepared. Julia could almost have written the script. "If I remember correctly, Darlene, you look different from when we first talked. I assume that you have continued with the health club. Is that right?" Darlene explained how Cheryl had purchased a full year's membership for her. Julia wanted to probe how that had affected the mother/daughter relationship, but there was a more important objective for that session. It was imperative to find out just how truly submissive Darlene was. From that, Julia would have a better idea of how much danger Jeremy truly represented. It was clear that Cheryl and her friends would take some kind of action before her mother fell any further into Jeremy's clutches. Robin had shared the conversations she had had with Cheryl and Cal. None of them wanted Darlene to quit working out. It was the single most important personal growth aspect of her life at that point. That it put her home life in danger worried and infuriated all of them. "I've always enjoyed working out," Julia reminisced. "You see, I'm not as naturally trim as you are, and I get soft and flabby so easily. Besides, I like the feeling of my muscles being all tight and warm after I'm done. "One of the things I like is a good massage afterwards." Julia did not have to make that up, as massage was a regular part of her fitness regimen as well as an occasional part of her lovemaking with Frank, her husband. "It really takes care of any muscles that I might have stressed. Do they offer massage at your club. Have you taken advantage of it?" Darlene seemed reluctant to even admit that she had gotten massages. Julia read that as a small danger signal. If Darlene was ashamed but did it anyway, that could indicate that she was susceptible to persuasion or control. Julia was doing a fine acting job. She gave a small chuckle and reminisced out loud. "I think every woman goes through a little struggle with massages, though. I mean, the way the masseur likes it best is if you are naked with just a towel over you bottom. It always surprised me how many women are willing to do that with a male masseur. "The women would tell me that he was just like a doctor, but I just believed that level of intimacy should be reserved for my husband. Do you have a man or a woman do yours, Darlene?" "A... a man. M... my trainer, Jeremy." The stammering, to Julia, was a further indication of the guilt surrounding the massages. "Oh, so you know what I'm talking about," Julia went on. "As a matter of interest, how have you solved the problem? What do you wear for your massages?" "I, uh, just wear my swimsuit. It's still wet from the pool, but that doesn't seem to bother." "Oh, is it a tank suit like most women wear for swimming laps?" Julia asked innocently. "Doesn't that make it hard for him to do your back?" "No. It's... it's a two piece." "Oh. So you just take the top off when you get on the table, then? I guess you're more bold than I am, Darlene. I wasn't willing to do that." "No, I'm not... I mean, I don't take it off, I..." "You know what I ended up doing?" Julia asked conversationally. "I wore a big, baggy T-shirt with no bra, and a pair of running shorts. He could lift the shirt just fine to do my back and shoulders, and I didn't feel so exposed. If some oil got on the shirt, it was no big deal. Why don't you try that next time?" Julia had done no such thing, but it was a good suggestion for someone who was very body-shy. That 'offhand' suggestion was really a carefully devised test to see if Darlene could take that much control away from Jeremy. The spy would report on the outcome. ------- Cal and Cheryl and their crew did not always have the park all to themselves. Sometimes, there would be a volleyball game going on when they arrived. Several times, people wanted to join them and make up a game. When that happened, they would quickly start their most impressive hitting drill, and the wannabes usually either wandered away or just sat and watched. When they could not get the net, they just played basketball or helped Cal with his kicking. Cal's kicking attracted attention, as well. He did not know the football coach, so he was unaware of the two times he was being scouted. Somehow, two kickers from local high schools found out that he was there and asked if they could join him. Since it was only sporadic, he went along with it, giving them any advice that he could. He never let on that he had another year of high school himself. ------- "Ready for a massage today, Darlene?" Jeremy asked in his perfect, cheerful yet commanding way. "Let... let me change first, I..." "Oh, you're fine. I don't mind if the suit is still wet." "No, I... I'd rather... "Darlene!" Jeremy said in sharper tone, but he backed off skillfully as he continued. "I've got a heavy schedule this morning. I'm afraid i can't wait for you to change." That put Darlene at a crucial point. She had the T-shirt and running shorts in her bag. She had thought Julia's suggestion was perfect. But if she took time for that, she would not get her massage today. She stood frozen in confusion and internal conflict for a few moments. Then her shoulders slumped and she walked toward the massage room. Almost skipping with his triumph, Jeremy followed. As soon as she was prone on the table, he unfastened the strap of her top. Just as she hissed out her shock, he told her "Raise up a little, Darlene" in his best no-nonsense command voice. She did not intend to. She did not want to. But she had no will to resist. She was flooded with panic as she felt her top flipped upward off of her breasts, then quickly pulled off of her shoulders. It was all so fast that she could not react, and the long, sensuous strokes up and down her completely bare back had her mesmerized in seconds. It was a sad commentary about the life Darlene had led. Besides Matt applying sunscreen at the water park, Jeremy was the only male to have touched her in such a sensuous fashion. Certainly, she had sex with Hal quite regularly. But he never spent time rubbing, caressing, or tenderly touching her. It was just not his way. ------- "How did the workouts go this week?" Julia asked to open her next session with Darlene. Of course, she knew that Darlene had not been back to the club since the day after their last session. Julia read her patient's 'flight' reaction as a positive sign. It meant that either she did not really want to submit to Jeremy, or that her scruples were struggling valiantly against his dominance. Julia hoped for the former, but either way, it was a starting point for working with Darlene. "Well, I h... haven't been able to get there since... since... several days," Darlene mumbled. Her uneasiness was apparent, bordering on panic. This was Julia's chance to make a strong connection, and she approached it carefully. "How much do you know about psychiatry, Darlene?" Showing obvious relief at the sudden change of subject, Darlene quite eagerly began relating her understanding and asking some questions. Julia covered all of the aspects of confidentiality and respect for the patient. "Darlene, I am very happy that you chose to see me again. Why do you think I am happy about that?" At Darlene's look of confusion, Julia went on. "Doctors are doctors primarily because they want to help people. Very few are just in it for the money, and they tend not to last long. I am glad that we are meeting again because I want to help you have the best life that you can." Darlene was about to make some sort of objection, but Julia talked right over her. "From your reaction about my workout question, I know that something about the club or your workouts is troubling you deeply. I don't think you have anyone else that you can talk to about it. Your daughter is paying good money so you can tell me all about. I will not tell anyone else, and I can help. Darlene, talk to me." Julia said the last in a commanding manner, something she did not want to do to the woman, but she sensed a critical point in the treatment. Darlene looked up in shock at the unusual tone of voice, but rather quickly, she started spilling the story. She talked for most of the session, with Julia inserting questions to keep her going. When Darlene stopped talking, Julia still could not be certain if the woman acquiesced to Jeremy because of submissiveness or because of the sensuous feelings that her no longer dormant sexuality was hungry for. "Darlene, here's what I want you to do," Julia said, again using a commanding demeanor. "Go back to the club tomorrow morning, then come here for lunch. We can have a sandwich together and talk about what happened." "But I don't know if I can resist..." "Nothing really bad will happen in one more visit," Julia assured. "Be as strong as you can, then tell me about it at lunch." That evening, Julia got Cheryl and Cal and Robin on a conference call and described her 'orders' to Darlene. Before Cheryl could raise an objection, Julia explained. "I am breaking protocol here to even talk about this, especially to two of my patients. However, I am treating this case as if you, Cheryl, are the parent, and your mother is the child. That's how I am justifying this call ethically. "Yes, I sent your mother into harm's way, so to speak. But for her long-term benefit, I need to find out why she is so compliant. Notice I did not say submissive. To me, there is evidence that her compliance is due to a tragic lack of self-will rather than to true submissiveness. How she reacts in these next several interactions with Jeremy will tell a lot." "I just don't want that asshole to break up their marriage," Cheryl said. Julia gave a long sigh that they all could hear, then said "Boy, when I break the code, I go all out. Cheryl, your mother is like a butterfly fresh out of the cocoon. She is going to change dramatically over the next several months. Because of that change, her marriage to your father, at least as it is now, is going to seem less and less satisfactory to her." "And... and I probably made it worse, didn't I?" Cheryl asked. "Probably. But I cannot fault the things you did. Events made it impossible for her to continue just as she was. You had her best interests at heart - and the interests of your siblings. Don't forget that important point. "The ideal outcome would be to strengthen Darlene's ego enough so that she could resist Jeremy's campaign, and I believe it is a campaign. If it appears that she can never do that, she will have to leave the health club. Beyond that, my goal would be to strengthen her enough so that she can begin to shape her marriage into something that she would be satisfied with." "It's a little frightening," Cheryl mused. "I mean, it's like you're sending her out with the lions." "But we're watching her closely, and we really need to find out," Julia explained. "You're the doctor." ------- Jeremy felt a combination of puzzlement and relief when Darlene reappeared after a week's absence - and a bit of anger, as well. He had to find out where she had been. He could not imagine that she had just stayed away by her own choice. His growing control of her seemed much too strong for that to happen. When it came time for her massage, he was tempted to push her farther than they had been, just to reassert his control. He had stopped logging her massages, so there was no chance of her running out of 'coupons'. Apparently, her daughter had bought the membership, and there would be no more money coming in for the year. When she came out of the pool, though, his reason took over. Slow and steady would get him there. Don't spook her. On the table, he did an exact repeat of their last session, gratified when she showed minimal reaction to her top being removed on the table. At lunch with Julia, Darlene replayed exactly what had happened with a sense of relief. "Just be ready, Darlene." Julia cautioned. "It might be tomorrow, or it could take a week, but he will try something new before too long." It took three more days before Jeremy casually unfastened her top and stripped it off of her when they were standing, barely inside the door. She let out a squeak and threw an arm across her chest. "Relax, Darlene. It's just easier this way than going through contortions when you're on the table. Remember, I'm like a doctor. I work with bodies all the time. Not many as nice as yours, though." He was good. The compliment at the end was the master stroke. To her, every such compliment was like water in the desert. Without a word, she got on the table and nothing else unusual happened. "I couldn't believe it!" Darlene told Julia at lunch, almost in tears. "I love working out, but I just can't go back! Cheryl will be so disappointed." Julia wanted so badly to warn her patient about the man's long-range goal. That would have gotten Darlene away from the immediate threat, but a wonderful chance to determine the reason for her compliance and to build up her self-will would have been lost. And, a flight at that juncture would have left her feeling defeated. By that point, Julia was convinced that Darlene and Hal could not survive as a couple. Unless, that is, some dramatic changes happened in Hal. Only Darlene could bring about those changes, and only a much, much stronger Darlene could do it. "I know this will be hard, Darlene, but you have to go back." "What? I just can't! I felt so... so helpless... so... so dirty!" "You can do it. I know you can. Here's how tomorrow will go..." The next day, Jeremy did not see Darlene get into the pool, but he was waiting when she got out, stunned and furious after seeing her swimming in the tank suit. When he managed to calm himself a little, he decided that it would be all right. He would just pull the suit down to her waist. That, however, did not make up for her impertinence in changing suits without his command. "Ready for your massage?" he managed to ask in his normal command voice. Actually, his voice was not quite normal, and that probably made the difference for Darlene, as she was able to demur. "Sorry. I... I can't today. I'm almost late for an appointment." It took every bit of willpower that she had to turn away from him and walk toward the locker room. If he had managed to say anything, she might have failed. "Did it feel good?" Julia asked as Darlene squirmed in her chair, too worked up to touch the sandwich before her. "Why was I so scared?" Darlene asked. "Does he have some kind of hold on me?" Bingo! Perfect lead in. "Do you think he does?" Julia asked with studied casualness. "It seems like... it seems like I just do everything he says." "Do you want him to have a hold on you?" "I... no. NO! I don't. I think I'd better just quit the club. Maybe Cheryl will understand." "Or, you could just break his hold on you," Julia said, chewing a bite of sandwich in very relaxed fashion. Darlene voiced her fear and uncertainty for quite a while as Julia listened. Then Julia adopted her command voice again. "Darlene, today, you did it just right. You say it was hard, but you did it. You can do it one more day. I know you can. Here's how tomorrow will go." Jeremy was irked at seeing Darlene in the tank suit again, but at least she was there. As long as he could get her on the table, things were still on track. After thinking about it, the tank suit wasn't that bad for his campaign. It was actually more revealing, and there was no definite line to mark the lower limits of his stroking. "Let's do your massage, Darlene. You shouldn't miss two days in a row," he said, this time in full command of his voice. "OK. Just a second," she replied. He wondered at the little quaver in her voice. She was caught between two commanding forces. Jeremy, whom she carried a growing suspicion of, was right there, right then, and resisting him in any way was difficult, Julia, she respected and liked. She believed Julia had her best interests at heart, and she wanted very much to please Julia. But Julia was yesterday, and Jeremy was right now. Struggling to walk steadily, Darlene walked over to the chair where she always laid her towel, feeling his gaze on her as almost a physical touch. She picked up her towel and dried off as usual, forcing herself to see Julia's face and hear the instructions she had been given. Jeremy's jaw actually dropped when Darlene, facing away from him, did that quick female move and slipped her arms out of the straps holding the tank suit over her shoulders. Before he could react in any way, she picked up a huge T-shirt and slipped it on. He had no way of knowing that Julia had given the shirt to her patient, and had carefully chosen the 'I Am Woman' emblazoned across both the back and the front. Jeremy wondered what the hell was happening. Could he have read her so badly? Well, two could play this game. When he got her in the room, he would just rip the damned suit right down and off of her belligerent little ass! She was way out of line, and he could not allow that. By the time they got into the massage room, though, Jeremy regained control of himself again. She was not yet his. It was still just the capture phase. There were bound to be bumps along the way. She could not resist his touch, he was certain. He would use that to reassert control. Her head fairly swimming at what she had done, Darlene reached up under the shirt and peeled the top of the suit down to her waist, then climbed on the table. He proceeded with the massage as if nothing unusual had happened. She began to wonder if she and Julia had been imagining things. Maybe he was not trying to do anything to her, after all. Just when she began to relax with relief that their suspicions about Jeremy had been all wrong, his hands slid under the bunched-up fabric around her waist and began stroking and kneading far below the invisible limit once impose by the waist of her two-piece. The panic returned for her, but once again, the marvelous feelings produced by his educated hands rendered her incapable of protest. By the time he began kneading the upper swell of her buttocks and the spreading flesh at the points of her hips, she was almost mesmerized. He probably could have stripped off the suit right then and done just about anything he wanted. The shadow of someone walking by the door of the room with its single window literally stopped him cold. He was about to grab the suit and pull it off. His pulse pounding at the mistake he had almost made, he consoled himself with a minor show of ownership. He slipped one middle finger down the crack of her ass until he could just feel it touch her rosebud. Then, he pulled his hand out, gave her a light slap on one ass cheek, said "That's it for today," and quickly left her. After Darlene's tearful recounting of the incident, Julia told her "I'm proud of you, Darlene. You did it perfectly. I'm sorry that he shocked you with what he did at the end. Don't you think it's clear now what his intentions are?" "Y... yes. Wh... why can't I resist him? What's wrong with me?" Dodging the question, Julia assumed a comforting role. "You just stay away from there for now, Darlene. Don't worry about Cheryl. If you say it's OK, I'll explain to her what has been happening. I'm sure she wouldn't want you exposed to him any more. Can I tell Cheryl?" "I... I don't know. What if she thinks she has to come home?" That was a tremendously significant reaction in Julia's mind. It indicated a level of interest in and concern for Cheryl's goals that the mother had never before shown. "Trust me, Darlene. I can convince her that she should stay right there, get her A grades, and make the starting team. It won't be a problem." "That son-of-a-bitch!" Robin exploded when Julia did another conference call that evening. "I ought to castrate him!" Cheryl's reaction was only marginally milder. "I'll admit, I did not think anything that overt would happen," Julia said. "But we did flush him out, and Darlene now sees him for what he is." "Well, thank you for getting her out of there," Cheryl said. "I'll buy her a membership somewhere else." As she had done before, Julia let her emotions show to the group as she sighed heavily. "I consider this a failure, though," she said softly. "It was my hope that she could develop the strength to resist him. Even now, I don't believe that she is truly submissive. It is just a combination of a lifetime of never standing up for herself and him using her extreme, uh, horniness. I wish there was some way to give her the confidence to deal with him. It would change her so much - for the better." ------- Eight weeks had seemed like a long time, at least from the beginning. Actually, they only had seven weeks together, since Cheryl had to move into the athletic dorm when practice started during the last week of summer classes. Their packed days flew by with amazing speed. The summer had been everything that Cheryl had dreamed about and more. She did not know how even marriage could bring her and Cal any closer. For the first time, she questioned whether her desire for an M.D. was worth what she would have to give up to get it. Before they realized it, it was time for Cheryl to move into the dorm. In what Bert must have thought was a dramatic surprise, he waited until two days before she was to move out to tell her the big news. Martin was continuing the renting of the apartment indefinitely, even though it might be empty for most of the next school year. When the first serious renter for the fall term had approached Bert, he had called Martin and relayed the kids' desire to stay there for their college careers. Martin, still elated over Cal's interest in and commitment to a degree, decided that establishing a permanent home at school for Cal would add to the appeal. Hardly believing the wonderful news, Cheryl had surprised her new roommate, a sophomore, by arriving with very little luggage. Her intention was to 'camp out' at the dorm just enough to satisfy curfew and other requirements. Her real home would remain at the apartment. Her roommate did not consider that a bad deal, either, considering the small size of the freshman doubles. Cheryl had become extremely close with Maddy. Despite their physical differences, they shared a lot of the same values. Cheryl had told Maddy about her time with Greg, and that had been difficult. Maddy was a faithful Catholic, and it was hard for her to grasp what Cheryl had done. Cal and Cheryl living together had been hard for Maddy, too. She got past all of that because she saw Cheryl as a very good person who had done a bad thing out of need. She was realistic enough to know that unmarrieds living together was no longer unusual. Among the restrictions on freshman scholarship athletes was the prohibition against having a car on campus. After a little maneuvering on her car insurance, Cheryl let Maddy keep the car for her and use it. Cheryl would still use it if she chose to drive home for holidays, and if there was anything else in the area that she needed to travel to. Of course, she also had a standing offer from Bert to take her anywhere she needed to go. Between Claire and Bert and Maddy and her family, Cheryl saw a support system that would help her get through without Cal. She just had to stay busy enough to make the rest of the year go as fast as the summer had fled. There was an enforced curfew in the dorm for the pre-season practice period, but it was only a night curfew. Since she would be getting plenty of workout with the team, Cheryl persuaded Cal to delay his usual morning workouts for his last week and spend the early hours in bed with her. Cheryl's new roommate thought she was insane, rising at dawn that first Monday morning. Cheryl made every effort to leave quietly without disturbing the girl. Knowing what was ahead, she put on minimal clothes and had anything else she needed carefully packed in a backpack. Cal picked her up just as the first streaks of light were chasing the dark. "Good, you brought the truck," she giggled. "My car doesn't have darkened windows," she said. Her shorts came off immediately and she wore no panties. Giving him her steamiest look, she shed her T-shirt and sat naked beside him. The way she threw back her shoulders thrilled him beyond words. She was starting to believe how much he loved her breasts. Their parking space was a good ten yards from the apartment door, but she was too wound up to worry about that. "Hope you left the door unlocked," she said over her shoulder as she pranced toward the entrance. He had locked it, and he made a great show of laboriously closing the driver's door and strolling slowly toward where she was dancing with sudden concern about her exposure. As he slowly unlocked the door, with great pretend difficulty, she plastered herself to his side away from the road. Once inside, she grabbed his hand and pulled him frantically toward the bedroom. Literally throwing him on the bed on his back, she yanked down his shorts and climbed aboard. He was hard and she was slick, and in seconds they were coupled. "Baby..." he started to say, concerned about another exhausting fit on this critical day for her. Her demeanor changed in an instant. Leaning down to kiss him gently, she told him "It's OK. I know I need to save my energy, but I needed to get as close as possible to you." With that, she stretched out on top of him. "Can I get these clothes off?" he begged. "Only if you can stay in me," she insisted. With quite a bit of giggling, they got him undressed. They kissed gently, then he asked "Nervous?" "Big time." "Aren't you afraid to wear yourself out this way?" "I've got five more days. I'm not going to waste any of them." "Six. I'm not driving back until Sunday," he told her. "If you can still drive after Saturday," she quipped. "Promises, promises." "Yup!" "Maybe we'd better warn Claire and Bert so they can be out for the day," he suggested. "Are you kidding? She wouldn't miss a chance to get him cranked up from our noise." That caused them to both to laugh, producing some interesting sensations in their crotches. "Would a couple of nice comes wear you out too much?" he asked. "Nope. Just calm me down a little." "Fingers or tongue?" "Mm Hmmm." With a chuckle, he rolled them over, pulled out of her, turned around so they were sixty-nine, and ate his breakfast appetizer. She did not suck him. She was confident enough in their relationship to understand that this morning was mostly for her and not to feel that she had to even things up. He made her come twice, and both were gentle, almost as if her body knew that is what she needed. He was not going to enter her, but she insisted, and he was not inclined to argue for long. Just like her orgasms, it was sweet and gentle. He came, but she did not, and neither of them fretted about it. After a quick shower together, they had breakfast and headed for class. They had arranged to meet Maddy for lunch on campus. They ate early, giving the girls time to recover before practice. Maddy was fairly crackling with tension, and Cal joked about it. "Well, I don't have all the ways to relax that you guys do," she complained. Just the laughter from that helped her quite a bit. Seeing her ease up, Cal did his best to keep things light, even managing to make the girls laugh a few more times. Cheryl had one more class, and Maddy and Cal strolled across campus and ended up sitting on the main quad, just people-watching. Out of nowhere, Maddy said "I'm really going to miss you, Cal." "I'm just glad you're here for Cheryl," he answered. "Yeah," she agreed, some dejection creeping into her voice. "I may not be around for long, though." He knew just she meant. He took her hand and said "Given her record the last few years, I assume your coach knows how to read people. Maddy, you're an incredible athlete. You know the game better than any coach. You're a fierce competitor, and you make other players better. Only an idiot would not give you a scholarship." "But what if I don't really get a chance to show what I can do?" "Never stop moving, never stop competing, never stop being enthusiastic - don't stop being Maddy. You'll get noticed, alright." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I haven't dated much, and it never bothered me much. After seeing what you guys have, I'd sure like to find someone." Giving her a quick hug, he told her "And he'd be a damn lucky guy." By then, it was time to meet Cheryl for the girls to head for practice. Cal had wanted to watch practice, but they had decided that it might be a distraction and they were not sure how the coach would react. Instead, he was going to watch the football practice for a while, then do the workout he had missed that morning. ------- It took less than five minutes for Cheryl to grasp the emotional makeup of the team and to understand that the year ahead could be nothing but trouble. Maddy had been a faithful fan of the team for years, and she knew all of the players. They had talked in detail about the skills and weaknesses of their teammates. Maddy had not been close enough, though, to know about the personalities involved. She and Maddy had barely entered the locker room and were shaking hands with Sharon, the only other freshman scholarship player, when Wanda approached them. She was a tall, husky, pale-skinned blonde. She was so painfully, obviously butch that Cheryl barely kept from laughing. It was a good thing, because Wanda was the team captain, even though just a junior. Butch, Cheryl could take - she was not terribly prejudiced. But the attitude that was signaled by Wanda's expression soon became evident in her speech. "Damn!" Wanda said. "Looks like Coach had a piss poor recruiting year. She sure got the dregs. And what makes you think you can walk on here, Squirt?" The last was aimed at Maddy. Maddy, of course, knew who Wanda was, having watched all of the volleyball games for several years. Not knowing where she got the nerve, Maddy put her hands on her hips, grinned up at Wanda, and said "I heard you needed help getting that hitting percentage above seventy, so here I am!" This all took place in the locker room. The coach's office door was open, and she was watching the exchange. The coach would never let on, but Maddy probably won her scholarship in those first five minutes. In all of her years of coaching, the coach had never had to deal with a player quite like Wanda. The coach knew she should have done something to stop it, but Wanda had just intimidated her way into the captain's job at the end of last season. Last year's conference champion team had graduated four outstanding seniors, with only two incoming seniors to fall back on. That left Wanda and her two junior 'acolytes' as the experienced core of the team. Chloe, one of Wanda's followers, was tall, but not as muscular as Wanda. Bell was the presumed starting setter, one of only three black girls on the team. She was about 5'6" or 5'7". All three were good athletes, and had played well the previous year. The attitude change in the three is what disturbed the coach coming into this year. Wanda's high-handed demeanor did not promote the kind of team spirit that was essential to a winning season. Sue, one of the seniors, should have been the captain, but Wanda somehow pressured the team to get herself elected. That kind of power meant that the coach had incrementally less control, and that could be the difference between winning and losing. The coach, a life-long lesbian herself, had to admit that she was intimidated by the big bull dyke, Wanda. Seeing little Maddy confront Wanda gave her a burst of hope. It was not that easy to get a girl kicked off the team, so finding someone to put Wanda in her place would be perfect. How could a little freshman walk-on do that, though? The initial conditioning drills went just as Cheryl and Maddy had hoped after all of their work over the summer. They were almost the only ones left standing when the coach finally called a break. They got a lot of angry stares as they stood and chatted with Sue, the senior, the only other player in serious competition condition. The rest of the team was lying down or slumped on the bleachers in exhaustion. The first day's actual volleyball drills were quite short and not taxing at all. Cheryl spent the whole evening with Cal, trying to study for finals, but continually venting her concerns about Wanda and the team. She had to hurry her shower after their lovemaking session, and Cal dropped her off barely in time to make curfew. By the third day of practice, some of the tactics of Wanda and her crew became pretty obvious. When Cheryl was up in the hitting drills, Bell's sets were always a little off. Bell's problem was that Cheryl picked up what was happening and adjusted. She soon found out that she was the quickest of the hitters, and she actually had fun chasing down Bell's errant offerings. In frustration at failing to make Cheryl look bad, Bell set one behind Cheryl, almost out of bounds. The reaction of the rest of the team when Cheryl did a 180 and smashed the ball with her left hand was not at all what Bell and Wanda were after. At that point, Cheryl acquired three serious enemies. Maddy was in the regular rotation as a setter in the drills, and Wanda and Chloe tried similar tactics. They screwed up their own timing just enough so the sets looked bad. To get even, Maddy gave Cheryl a nod when it was her turn, and they did a series of quick sets that actually generated some clapping before Wanda stared down the enthusiasts. On Friday of the first week, Maddy blew up. She was setting and Chloe was hitting, missing three in a row. "Why don't you just step aside and let a real setter in for me!" Chloe spat out. Maddy stomped right up to Chloe and glared up at her. In a derisive voice, she yelled back "Do you want me to hang it on a string so you can take your usual five minute windup, huh? God! I've never seen anyone so slow and clumsy! Should I get the referee's ladder over here so you can get your fat, lazy ass high enough to reach a perfect set?" Wanda came charging from the sideline, actually growling in her fury. Just as she reached out to grab Maddy, she found herself staring up at the ceiling of the gym. Cheryl had seen Maddy ready to burst and suspected that Wanda would be enraged. When Wanda charged, Cheryl was right behind her. She clipped Wanda behind the knees and yanked backward on the big girl's shoulder. Wanda made a satisfying thump as she hit the hardwood floor. Cheryl turned toward Chloe and said "You wanna join her, or are you gonna play volleyball, now?" Then, she nodded to Maddy and went back to her place. It had all happened so fast that the coaches had no chance to react. Almost instantly, everything was back to normal, except for Wanda struggling to her feet out on the floor. The coach could see the dilemma facing her very clearly. Either she had to step in and take over emotional control of the team, or hope that the two feisty freshman could make something happen. Cleary, she had a team on the edge of turmoil. The immediate question was whether to do anything about the current outburst, or to just let everyone save face as best they could. With a quick look at Cheryl standing placidly on the sideline and Maddy almost bouncing up and down with fury in her setting position, the coach took the easy way out, and just let the drill resume. It was the next to the last night together for Cheryl and Cal, but after the day's events, Cheryl just had to invite Maddy for the evening. They all went out to eat, then just sat and talked until time for Cheryl to beat curfew. ------- Saturday was a tough, emotional day, but yet a very good day. Finals had seemed somehow insignificant amidst the drama of the team and the approaching separation. Cheryl was sure she had gotten her 'A' grades, and Cal thought he had an 'A' and a 'B'. True to Cheryl's earlier boast, they were in and out of bed several times that day, and they probably set a record for showers in one day. They did not dress at all until time to go out for a pre-arranged lunch with Claire and Bert. Cal had invited them to dinner, but with a twinkle in her eye, Claire insisted that she would not interrupt their last evening. She put a very nice supper in the apartment refrigerator, ready to be heated up whenever they needed it. Their parting in front of Cheryl's dorm that last Saturday night was emotional, but not sad. Because of their team schedules, it would be very hard to see each other before Thanksgiving, but Cal swore that he would get to at least a few of her games. She knew that there was no way she could get to his Friday night football games, but told him that she would be at every game when he played there the next year. The ten-hour drive home on Sunday was the first of many that Cal would come to treasure as unique times for reflection and planning. The first thing on his mind was Cheryl and their relationship. He thought back to the times when he had been concerned because he had not found love. Now, he had no doubt that he had found it. In the last several weeks, he had found himself comparing his relationship with Cheryl with that of his parents. He had been pleased to notice many similarities. He had talked about it with Cheryl on several occasions, and she liked the comparison, as well. It had all been so natural - so right. It was surprising how well they fit, and how little friction they had experienced. It had taught him that love was not just about passion and desire, but about belonging, about support, and about quiet satisfaction. There was no doubt who he thought of first when there was elation to share, or dejection, or concern. They had agreed not to talk about marriage. There was still that huge barrier of med school and residency looming ahead of them. There was no way they could not talk about that, but they had never come up with a solution that satisfied both their desire to be together and her need to focus totally when she got there. Whatever happened in the years of schooling ahead, Cal felt certain that he had found his life mate. That certainty gave him the confidence that as difficult as the intervening years might be, they were just an interruption. From thoughts of Cheryl, he drifted into pondering his own future. Other than his certainty about Cheryl, the summer had convinced him that he wanted to go to college. Even living off-campus in the much quieter summer environment, he admitted to himself that he liked it. He knew that just getting a degree because he liked college was not enough, and that's where the uncertainties crept in. Apparently, his lack of a long-term objective was not unusual. Over the summer, he had decided that he would tentatively major in business. Since everything for the first year would apply to almost any major, that would not cut off his options or threaten his three-year plan. Since even his morning workouts had been done with Cheryl all summer, one of his usual periods of contemplation had been missing. A subject that he had considered but kept putting off until the drive home was perfect for the long hours ahead. His life was too full. What was he going to do about it. He was not the type to do a pencil and paper scoresheet to reach a decision, but he definitely could go through all of the factors methodically. Martial arts, photography, football, basketball, and golf were all things that he enjoyed and benefited from. He did not put Cheryl and studies on the list because they were constants, not subject to the selection process. It did not take very long to move martial arts up into the constants list, as well. It had been with him since he was eleven, and it had helped him save lives. By this time, it was an integral part of his personality. Having once experienced deadly combat as he had, not being fully prepared if it happened again was just unthinkable. That left four worthwhile, enjoyable activities, too many for when he went to college. He had already decided to hand the photo business over to Jean, so that was off the board, but not until graduation. He wondered if he could offload any more earlier, especially during football and basketball seasons. On the other hand, he would like to grow his bank account some more, and he wanted to be sure the business was completely healthy when he turned it over. Other than abandoning it when he went to college for real, there was not much he could do about the photography. It boiled down to the three sports. Realistically, he had already given up golf, as far as preparing for team competition was concerned. If he intended to try for the golf team at college, he would have to work on his game tirelessly for the next year. The problem with golf was that it did not offer the physical contact and sweaty competition that he enjoyed in football and basketball. Having gotten into football almost by accident, he had come to enjoy the hitting, the strength-against-strength, very much. Basketball had it's share of contact, as well, and the feeling of 'nothing but net' was just as satisfying as any perfect golf shot. Another way to analyze the sports was to determine where he had the most personal advantage - where he had the best chance of a lot of playing time in college. It did not take long to arrive at kicking as his strongest competitive skill. There were a lot more excellent golfers and dead-eye shooters than there were reliable kickers. The fact that he could do kickoffs, place kicks, and punts made him even more unique. His tackling ability was a bonus. He did not think it was reasonable to try two sports at college, so football would be it. Of course, he would play basketball in high school. For him, golf would have to fall back to the status of a social sport. His aversion to being nothing but a kicker was still there. Having watched a little of the first week of football practice at the college, he could see that the safeties were not that far ahead of him in skill. He would be at a size disadvantage, but he could still increase the force of his hitting. Even over the summer, he had gained some weight and felt stronger. Lots of other things raced through Cal's mind as he drove, but there were very few concerns or problems. His Aunt Laura was one, but he did not see how he could do anything about that. He had already suggested trying to get proof of Will's adultery. Likewise with Cheryl's family. He would do everything that he could for Cheryl's sake, but he was not optimistic that he could make a big difference. Perhaps he would have to intervene with that Jeremy character. ------- Jeremy was pissed. It had been almost two weeks since Darlene had been at the club. He had checked to make sure that she was not just working out when he was not there. He was angry at her for getting all independent and ruining his careful plan. And he was angry with himself for pushing too hard and too fast and, apparently, scaring her off. To his credit, he even felt bad that he had derailed a customer who was getting great benefit from the club. Two weeks without workouts could undo more than a month of faithful exercise. ------- Jeremy need not have worried about Darlene backsliding. Robin had become quite fond of the older woman as they worked together coaching. There was something poignant about Darlene's naivete that just drew Robin to her. To Cheryl, Darlene had always seemed distant and undemonstrative, but that was from well before Darlene's current awakening. Robin had become a regular visitor at the Banner home, and when she mentioned the Darlene had stopped going to the club and briefly described the problem, Elaine instantly called Darlene and invited her over to work out on the equipment that Pete and Cal had left behind. Elaine's invitation created a problem for Darlene because Elaine worked during the day. She did not think Hal would react well to her being gone in the evening. Since Hal went to work very early and Elaine's day tended to run later, they found a match in the morning as soon as Hal left. Julia was beyond delighted with Darlene's hopefully temporary workout arrangement. Keeping up the exercise was important, but Julia considered exposure to the Banner family a great way to continue and accelerated Darlene's 'awakening'. ------- Chapter 35 Robin was pissed. Her anger at that Jeremy character had been building with every report of his smarmy little campaign to subjugate her new friend Darlene. It was two weeks before Cal's return home, and Robin had just heard about Jeremy's last intrusion and Darlene's refusal to return to the club. Well, it was better that Darlene not be there right now, but by God, she would be back if Robin had anything to say about it. Robin and Darlene were worlds apart in life experience, yet Robin identified with her in a unique way. In her own analysis, she decided it was because they had both been robbed of a lot of the best of life through no fault of their own. For Robin, it was a brutal rape that did it. For Darlene, it was a restrictive, stilted upbringing and a cold fish marriage. The losses were different, but the sense of loss was still the same. Through her tumultuous relationship with Greg Overland, Robin had met Cheryl and Cal and the Banners. They had extended instant friendship, and it was genuine. Originally, Robin had agreed to coach as a favor to Cheryl. She instantly fell for Shelley, almost like the daughter she never had. It did not take long to develop genuine feelings for Darlene, either. Darlene was threatened, her marriage was threatened, and that meant the happiness of Cheryl and Shelley was threatened. Robin was still angry at males in general, with the exception of Martin and Cal and Ken. This Jeremy asshole just verified all of her darkest feelings about men. The morning after she heard, Robin did some quick scrambling of her work schedule and went to see a friendly neighbor who ran a beauty shop. "Make me look like one of those slave chicks," Robin told her friend. "You know, like in the D & S clubs." "YOU!?" the friend asked in amazement. "There's a good reason. You don't want to know it. I know you keep your mouth shut, OK?" "Uh, if you say so. I don't do piercings, though." "Piercings?" The friend just shook her head. "I don't know what you've got planned, but with what you don't know, good luck! I'll do the best I can." Robin walked into the health club as Sarah, and bought a three month membership, since it was the shortest she could get with massage privileges. Acting as timidly as she could fake, she stammered out that she only wanted Jeremy for her trainer. A friend had said that he was the best. The attendant rolled her eyes, but wrote it down. "I think he can be here in just a couple of minutes," the attendant told Robin. When Jeremy introduced himself, it was very easy for Robin to play the timid role, as her breath caught, her knees felt a little weak, and she tingled in places where men no longer caused that sensation. Greg had not looked very good when Robin started with him, although the handsome face was still there along with the evidence of an excellent body. Also there was that alpha male arrogance that was supposed to sweep her off her feet. She had worked up so much anger at Greg that she was impervious to him, even after she helped him reshape his body to the the hunky form that it had been. So why did Jeremy hit her so hard? As an avid amateur student of psychology, Robin had read many times about 'presence', and that was all that she could attribute it too. Unless pheromones were real. Whatever the reason, she had enough wits about her to realize that she really had to be on her guard. One good thing: it would be easy to fake his impact on her. Fake? 'Poor Darlene', Robin thought to herself. 'I hate the guy coming in, and I'm fighting for control. What chance did she have?' For the orientation session, which Robin worked hard not to laugh at, given her vast experience, she concentrated on playing her role. Well, she concentrated as best she could. Those eyes, that smile, and that voice made concentration a real effort. Looking up from her place on one machine or another and seeing various perfectly muscled parts of his body did not make her task any simpler. Even doing just a third or a fourth of the weights she could have worked, Robin/Sarah was exhausted when she left the club. It was the second day that Darlene had not shown up, and Jeremy was worried. Certainly, she had had longer absences before, but after the stupid little 'ownership' stunt he had tried, he was afraid that he had scared her off. This interesting piece had come in for the first time today, and that had helped to take his mind off of worrying about Darlene. He had been immediately struck by the subtle signals of hair and make-up that may have signaled her acceptance of a new master. There was no body jewelry, though, and that threw up a caution. He had encountered other subs who could not handle piercings, though, so maybe... One thing for sure, he was not going to rush this one and blow it. Matter of fact, Sarah bore quite a physical resemblance to Darlene. If she was a sub, her previous dom really had her working out. ------- Robin had decided to tell no one what she was doing. She was not even sure that she could pull off the final plan, and she wanted to spring it on Darlene and Cal at the last minute as a done deal. The next day, she showed up at the club at the same time, and she was dismayed that Jeremy could generate exactly the same feelings. This was not good. She could not safely execute the rest of her plan if she was not in full control of herself. As he guided her through the machines, Robin worked hard at the techniques she had used to maintain her anger at Greg. What Jeremy intended was just rape in a supposedly kinder, gentler form, wasn't it. She imagined what it would do to Cheryl if her parents broke up over Darlene's adultery and abandonment. That would have been the ultimate outcome, would it not? Would it derail Cheryl's sports career? Her medical career? What would happen to Shelley? Matt? It took most of the second session, but by the end, her shyness was much more acting than real. Brushing by close to him on the way to the locker room still sent a charge through her, but she was almost able to view it as an interesting phenomenon. Not quite, but her devious mind decided that some genuine blushing would improve her act. Robin gave herself one more session to be sure that she had enough control. On the fourth day, she wore the delicate little choker with the emblem that was supposed to signal her availability. Trying to keep her eyes downcast when he approached her, she was still able to catch the quick flair of his nostrils and widening of his eyes when he saw the collar. At the end of her workout, she bashfully said to him "I signed up for massages. Do... do you give them?" "Absolutely, Sarah. I would love to give you one." His next answer was critical to Robin's timing. It was Monday, and Jeremy was off Tuesday and Wednesday. Cal would arrive home the next Sunday. If Jeremy's 'seduction' of her went too fast, he would be putting pressure on her that she was not ready to deal with. "Um, what should I, uh, wear?" she said with head down. "What you have on now is fine, Sarah. I'll have to push your top up out of the way." He said that in a tone and manner that almost compelled her obedience. She gave an involuntary shiver as she thought of sweet Darlene trying to stand up to that. She had worn a self-supporting tube top, and that was what he was referring to. Her relief was enormous. In fact, this was perfect. A first, very innocent massage before his days off. Then, four or five days for things to accelerate - yes, everything was on track so far. "So, you don't mind if I don't shower first?" He made a show of sniffing close to her. "Oh, you smell just fine, Sarah." She was still shivering when he added "You'll want to shower afterward because of the oils, anyway." 'Damn this guy', she thought to herself. 'He can turn me inside out with just his voice, and now, his hands!' In her business, she knew massage and was herself an expert. Jeremy was very, very good. ------- Thursday, Robin managed to maneuver things so the massage was exactly the same as Monday. On Friday, as they entered the massage room, she turned away from him with a shy look over her shoulder and pulled off her top. If he had paid close attention to her face, he would have seen terror rather than just shyness. She hated the thought of exposing her body to a man, but this was a necessary part of her plan. It was for Darlene. She had stripped for Greg to bait him, and she could do it again to trap Jeremy. She made a show of covering up with her hands as she laid down on the table. The look of triumph on his face could not be mistaken. Darlene's 'escape' still rankled him, but just maybe Sarah could fill in. Unfortunately, it somehow would not be the same thrill as with the wife and mother. With the very nice body on his table at the moment, though, he should just forget about Darlene and make sure he captured this one. Saturday was the big day, as far as Robin's nerve was concerned. It was a gigantic struggle to exercise naturally. She kept telling herself she was doing it for Darlene, and that made it worth it. At the same time, she tried to deny the little thrill that she felt when she thought about it. Into the massage room, she carried a huge, long T-shirt that she had kept out of Jeremy's notice. Putting the shirt on a chair, she again took off her top, this time, making no effort to hide her breasts. With her top removed, she grabbed a towel off of the stack that was always handy, and unfolded it. Somehow, holding the towel behind her in one hand, she managed to skin out of her shorts with the other. In preparation for today's step, she had skipped panties. With a little girlish squeal, she scampered to the table and jumped aboard, awkwardly holding the towel so it sort of covered her bottom. Jeremy was frozen in place for just a moment, then adjusted the modesty towel in a very professional manner, without saying a word. For about ten years, Robin had been pushing men away from her in fear and disgust. Now, for the sake of a friend, she was trying to seduce one. The scariest part was that she was getting seduced more than a little at the same time. Oh, it wasn't really Jeremy that was seducing her. She was managing her hatred of him just fine. It was the openly sexual nature of what she was doing, despite the fact that Jeremy was involved. She was pretty sure that if the nicest guy she knew, say Cal, was involved, she would be just as aroused. Blessed with a sensitive nose, she noticed a faint whiff of her own arousal odor. It almost made her bolt from the room until she remembered that it was a good thing. Sensing her excitement would further pull him into her plan. He had only worked on her back for a few minutes when she said "Jeremy, the last couple of days, my legs have ended up really tight. Could you do them?" Of course he could. She was just able to restrain a chuckle when he almost dashed to her feet and began working his magic. That magic was so good that she had to struggle not to just relax and go with it. The bastard had placed the towel so that it only really hid anything when looking down from above or from up by her shoulders. From her feet, he could see a lot of her ass cheeks. With supreme willpower, she slowly spread her legs as wide as they would go on the table. The feeling of air on her carefully shaved rosebud and pussy lips told her that it was plenty for him to get an eyeful. And a snootful, from what her own nose told her. As Jeremy worked his way deliciously up her legs, Robin was suffering a crisis of confidence. What if her body turned him off, rather than attracting him? What if he was not the predator they all assumed that he was? What if she had shamed herself to help Darlene and it all fizzled? Fuck shame! This was absolutely incredible! It was almost cruel for her to be introduced to these sensations after so long, and it was only because she had made herself bait for a slimeball like him. As Jeremy reached her upper thighs, she detected a slight shake in his hands. It was enough to assure her that her 'sacrifice' was not wasted. Robin was not sure how or when the massage ended, but she found herself engulfed in the huge shirt, picking up her scattered bits of clothing, and trying to remember where she was supposed to go next. Finding even more nerve on Sunday, Robin skipped the towel when she undressed, and with steely control born of her carefully cultivated hatred, she made herself saunter naked to the table. Noticing the panicked way that Jeremy grabbed the towel and held it behind her, she surmised that her exposure had just violated a club rule. He did not ask, but just split his time between her back and her legs. Her reaction was the same as the day before. She really had to concentrate to remember her next move. "Jeremy, could you do my bottom, too? It gets really tight." 'It sure does', he thought, before shaking his head and answering her. "Sorry, Sarah. They check on these rooms pretty often. If they saw that, I'd be fired." "Ohhhh! Darn!" "Tell you what. Come to my place Tuesday night. I'll give your bottom the attention it deserves." Robin could not guess that he was debating between the leather paddle and the mini-cat for that proper attention. She was trying to suppress the exhultation enough to get in her last planned line for the day. "Can you do another one tomorrow, anyway? Or am I all out of massages?" He took a quick look out the room's window. There was usually a shadow when the supervisor came by. He slipped his hand under the towel and gave her a quick stroke over each cheek. Her bottom was just starting to rise to meet his touch when he pulled his hand out. "You'll never run out of massages from me, Sarah." Spine - jello. Pussy - swamp. Brain - overruled. As Robin dressed in a near trance, Jeremy was similarly affected. The supporter that he always wore at the club was not up to the task of totally hiding his erection. The hand that had touched her ass was literally shaking from the urge to leave it's fiery impression where it had just caressed. Cheeks so smooth, so rounded, and so unbelievably firm did not stimulate him to gentle loving caresses or worshipful kneading. They were nothing but a beautiful means of demonstrating his own superiority through inflicted pain. ------- Hal was not pleased that Darlene wanted to take off for that Sunday afternoon and evening. After church, she had fixed her usual fine meal, though, and there was a pre-season game on, so he could not think of a good reason to say no. He had a stray thought that she was not as attentive to the house and to him as she once was, but the time of the accident rather blurred his memory on that point. One thing that was unmistakable was the change in her appearance. Of course, he had never said anything to her, but she somehow looked straighter and firmer and more graceful - almost as if she was - powerful. And he could never remember her wearing such revealing clothes before. He was going to say something to her when she first started dressing like that, but he had to admit that he rather enjoyed it. Her face and hair had not really changed, except that her expression was different, but he could not really describe the difference. He had noticed that she seemed very eager every time he wanted sex. That had started back when he could not use his hands. They had done some 'irregular' things back then to satisfy him. They were actually quite nice, but he just could not let them continue when he was healed. Well, she had really seemed to enjoy coaching, but that Robin reminded him too much of Cheryl and her independent ways. He guessed it was OK for the girls to have their fun with sports, and it was happening whether he approved or not. How it could end up getting Cheryl a college scholarship was beyond him, though. Damned women's libbers were just stealing money from the football program. As the kickoff happened, he wondered what Darlene and Robin would talk about. The softball season was over a long time ago. He was not too comfortable with his wife having a younger, single woman friend, but it was getting harder to keep her completely in line. "I... I've never seen anything like these!" Darlene gasped as she looked at the items laid out on the table. They were in Robin's house. It was not large, but quite nice. She had stretched herself to the limit early on to get into the house, and she had never regretted the investment. "I guess I've seen pictures in magazines, but I never thought they were ever really used anywhere," Darlene said. "They're used alright, and Jeremy uses them a lot," Robin told her. "Darlene, here's what Jeremy had in mind for you. You would be wearing this. Period." She held up a collar. "You would be kneeling in front of him like this." Robin produced a surprisingly good snapshot of Jeremy with his two naked slaves in the 'position' before him. Robin had paid the investigator quite a fee to get a picture like that smuggled out. Luckily, that investigator was good at finding purchasable people just about anywhere. There was no doubt at all that it was Jeremy, and the look on his face was chilling. Darlene was motionless and speechless. She looked up at Robin several times with wide eyes, clearly struggling with what she was being told and shown. Finally, "I... I was a real fool, wasn't I?" "No, Honey, you definitely were not a fool. You told Julia about what was happening, and that was the smartest thing you could do. I hope you aren't angry, but we have had a spy watching you and Jeremy for two months." "A... a spy? You suspected something was wrong? Why didn't you warn me?" Robin led Darlene to the couch, turned toward her and held both of her hands. "Darlene, I've really come to like you as a friend. Don't be offended when I say this, but you have had a terribly sheltered life." "You mean I'm naive," Darlene said sadly. "When my own daughter has to teach me and force me to... to please myself... Well, I'm not educated, but I've learned a lot about what I don't know." Then, Darlene did something unprecedented. "That bastard! I'm sure glad that Julia got me away from him." "Well, yes, it's good that he didn't get you like this," Robin said, holding up the snapshot again. "And it's good that he didn't break up your marriage. But the health club is something that you really like, and I can tell how much it has helped you. It was a wonderful gift from Cheryl. It is one of the best clubs in town, and it's very convenient. "What I'm trying to say, Darlene, is that Jeremy has hurt you, even if he didn't get what he wanted." Once again, she waved the snapshot. "He has stolen something meaningful from you." "I feel bad about that," Darlene said, "but I just have to stay away. I can't seem to resist him." "That's where my plan comes in," Robin said. "I want you back at that club, totally unafraid of Jeremy." "Do you mean you'll get him fired?" "No, not at all. I mean that you will be able to just ignore him. Or better yet, you will order him to do whatever you want from him." "Oh, I don't see how that could ever happen," Darlene said, her fear obvious. "Well, listen to my plan..." Robin spoke for twenty minutes, with Darlene more and more amazed by the minute. She watched Darlene closely as she spoke, pleased to see the anger, the anticipation, and some signs of arousal building as the plan unfolded. At the end, Darlene was speechless and squirming slightly in her chair. "Does... does Julia know about this?" "No, of course not. This is beyond unethical." "Isn't it illegal? Like kidnapping?" "Probably." "Then, isn't it awfully risky?" "I want to get pictures that we can use as blackmail. That should protect us," Robin explained. "I... I think I had better just explain to Cheryl and find another club. Maybe I can get a job and pay my own fees." "But Jeremy and what he tried to do will always be there, Darlene. You'll always think you were weak and couldn't resist him. You know what submissive means, don't you?" "Yes, I've read about it in magazines." "Well, Julia will be unhappy, but I'm going to tell you this. Those of us who care about you have been worried that you may be submissive, and that's why Jeremy was able to do those things. Personally, I don't believe you are." "Wh... what does Julia think?" "Darlene, you know that Julia cannot say anything like that about a patient, don't you?" Robin did not tell Darlene how much Julia had 'stretched' the code. "I know when Hal, and Cheryl, and Cal would tell me to do things, I just had to do them," Darlene lamented. After a pause, and with a frightened tone, she added "And Jeremy, too." "Well, I choose to believe that was just because you didn't have the confidence to refuse. I'll bet you grew up not really thinking that you had any say in anything. Isn't that right?" "My parents weren't mean or anything," Darlene insisted. "But your mother was almost a slave, wasn't she?" "Mom is a strong woman. She just... she just..." Darlene stumbled. "She just did what your father told her, right? And you learned to do the same thing." "Robin, I'm not stupid. I know I'm different from a lot of women." With a quick hug, Robin assured her "A stupid woman does not have brilliant kids like yours, Darlene. I don't think you realize how smart you are. The question is, do you want to be as different as you are?" "This last year, since Hal got hurt, I've done so many different things. At the club, I feel good. I feel strong, and... and normal." "Exactly. You never knew it, but you are an athlete at heart, just like your daughters. That's why you have to defeat Jeremy and get back to that club." "Couldn't we get him fired or something?" "Perhaps, but the embarrassment you would have to go through would be tough." "Oh, I wouldn't want anyone to know..." "Exactly," Robin said. "That's why I came up with the plan." There was silence for a while as Darlene debated in her mind. "Let's go pick up your kids and get over to the Banners'." Elaine was hosting a big party for Cal's expected return late that afternoon. ------- Rebecca charged out of the house as he parked the big SUV at home at about four in the afternoon. He had left college at dawn, passing up his workout. Thus, he arrived in plenty of time for a little welcoming party that his mother had organized. When he got out, his sister was plastered all over him, surprising him with her emotional outburst. "God, it's been strange without you here!" she said tearfully. She would only have a few days with her 'big' brother before she and Bobby headed off for freshman orientation. Elaine was right behind her daughter, and her hug was just as intense and just as tearful - so tearful, in fact, that she could not say anything. Laura was next, and Cal had to steel himself to act naturally affectionate with her. It did not seem to be a problem for her, at all, as she seemed determined to outdo her sister and her niece. Teri was there, and he could tell that she was restraining herself, as was he. It was the same with Tessa. Vick had gone ahead for pre-season practice, and they had all decided that her presence with him might be too much of a distraction. The strangest greeting of all was from Jolie. Having hardly exchanged a dozen words with her over the past year, the almost painful intensity of her brief hug left him puzzled. After handshakes from Martin and Bobby, they all adjourned to the patio. As Martin started up the grill, some unknown signal went out, and all of the females shed their outer clothing to reveal swimsuits. It had been very entertaining to watch all of the girls on campus in their minimal hot weather attire. But after his initial surprise, Cal was struck by how all of the coeds paled in comparison to the closest women in his life. The grill was not even warmed up when Robin arrived with Darlene, Shelley, and Matt. Shelley pre-empted him first. She hugged him like a little girl with her favorite uncle. The feel of her rapidly developing body was not at all like a little girl, though. Cal shook Matt's hand and gave him a quick guy hug, embarrassing the boy a little. Darlene seemed distracted, but she still showed surprising warmth in her hug. She pulled back a little, and her eyes were moist as she asked "How's Cheryl doing?" When she said "I miss her," Cal had to hide his amazement. As Cal hugged Robin, he felt her shiver a little. At his quizzical look, she said "I'll tell you later." All through the delicious meal, Cal was very aware of Laura, wondering if things between them had returned to normal, or if she would still get in some shots at him. She did. One moment, she would be hanging on him, cooing and flirting. The next moment, she would make some cutting, sexually denigrating remark. Then, right back to cozy. For whatever reason, Elaine seemed to be shadowing her sister, and she caught one of Laura's slams. Cal happened to look over at his mother after Laura's nasty crack, and Elaine shook her head sadly. On a muggy August evening, it was not hard to get everyone in the pool. Even Darlene had on her two-piece. As she stepped into the pool, Cal was watching her, thinking about the increasing resemblance between Cheryl and her mother. Darlene returned his look with an expression that he never thought he would see from her - it was a flirt, no doubt about it. What was happening here? Good food, good companionship, and the comfort of being home surrounded Cal. In the midst of it all, though, there was a feeling of strangeness that took a while to recognize. The problem was that after only two months, Claire and Bert's little apartment with Cheryl had become more his home than his family's luxurious house. Still, he was happy to be back, and he thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Things broke up quite early. As Robin was leaving to take the Carsons home, she told Cal "I'll come right back. I've got something important to talk to you about." He wondered if it had anything to do with her reaction as they hugged. After Robin had returned and told Cal her plan, he reacted strongly. "That's crazy. You can't be serious!" "Deadly serious, and I need your help to make it safe," she assured him. "Look, that bastard took something away from Darlene, something important to her, something that was changing her. Think we could reach Cheryl?" "Sure. I called her at the apartment as soon as I got in. I think she is still there, and Maddy will drop her off before curfew." "Call her," Robin insisted. "Let's see what she thinks." They ended up having to call Claire since Cheryl and Maddy were visiting with them. Her shock was as great as Cal's, but her follow-up reaction was totally different. "John Calvin Banner! You help Robin, do you hear?" Cal could remember only two other times that Cheryl had talked to him that way. He quickly got the idea that he was caught between his love and his principles. He had to point out the problem with Robin's plan. "Honey, it's so illegal it's not funny. And Robin or your mom could get hurt." "Nah! Robin could probably handle the asshole herself. With you there, nothing could go wrong," Cheryl dismissed his objection. "Cal, Mom is starting to change into a normal woman. What this, this... piece of shit was trying to do would have ruined everything that mattered to her. Robin's right, he already stole something important. She needs to get it back or her progress could be over. If she has to run and hide from this creep, she might never get any confidence again." Though it violated his common sense, and all kinds of things that he had been taught, Cal was not left with much choice. He consoled himself with the thought that although it was wrong, it was fair. That had always been the deciding factor with him. It was with a big sigh that he hung up the phone and gave Robin a shrug. Claire, Bert, and Maddy had left the room as Cheryl talked on the phone, but there was no mistaking her state of mind when they returned after she hung up. She was standing dejectedly, with a few tears sneaking down her cheeks. Claire hurried over to give her a hug. "It didn't sound like bad news," Claire observed. "N... no. It's actually something pretty wonderful that my friend Robin is doing. Cal's gonna help. It's just... it's just... damn, I wish I could be there!" As Claire continued to console Cheryl, only Maddy noticed Bert slipping out of the room. Cheryl was just settled down and starting to tell the story when Bert came back into the room and insisted that she start over. In a typical Bert move, he waited until the tale was finished before he dropped a bomb. "Old service buddy of mine has a plane. His son just came home after twelve years as a Navy flier. Bud, that's the son, would be happy to run you home after practice Tuesday and bring you back in time for the next practice. Might be nice if you could find him a place to stay." "You're kidding! You're kidding! Ohmygod!" Cheryl was jumping up and down in excitement, but she suddenly stopped dead. "Damn! Curfew!" "You've got to at least try for permission," Maddy said. "I'm going! That's all there is to it," Cheryl declared, reaching for the phone. "I'll be there! I'll be there!" Cheryl shouted when Cal was on the line. She went on to describe the travel arrangements. Cal quickly offered a bed for Bud, the pilot. "On, and Maddy's coming with me," Cheryl said on the spur of the moment. Maddy was too stunned to object at first, and by the time she recovered, Cheryl was too excited about the prospect to listen to any objections at all. ------- When everyone else had gone, Rebecca took Cal's hand and led him to the spacious master suite where his parents were sitting and chatting. As soon as he came in, Elaine said "I heard what Laura said to you and I couldn't believe it. Has she said anything like that before?" "She's been doing it for over a year. That's why I suggested the PI," Cal answered. "Oh, my. That must have been terrible for you," Elaine said. "Why didn't you tell us? You never let on." "I talked about it with Cheryl and she discussed it with Julia before I started seeing Julia." He related Julia's suppositions about Laura's behavior. "It wouldn't have done Laura any good to have you angry with her. She probably doesn't even realize what she is doing." "We can't just let this go on," Martin insisted. "SHE can't let her marriage go on," Cal retorted. "We didn't want to interrupt your summer," Martin said. "We've got solid adultery evidence on Will. It was so easy to get, it did not cost us nearly what we expected." "I'm not surprised. Now, if we could only get evidence of abuse," Cal mused aloud. "Do you really think he is hurting her?" Elaine asked tearfully. "Julia thinks that is the real reason for her cutting me down," Cal answered. "She guessed that a lot of the abuse was sexual." "I don't see how we could get evidence of him hurting her," Martin lamented. "Well, Cal IS the photographer," Rebecca pointed out. The rest of them just looked at her thoughtfully. ------- "I need to get home for something terribly important Tuesday night. I've got a flight all arranged, and I won't miss any practice. I need your permission to miss curfew," Cheryl told the coach first thing Monday morning, trying hard not to babble in her excitement and nervousness. "How could you fly home and back and have any time there?" the coach asked. "I know what the airlines schedules are in and out of here." "It's a private plane. A friend of our landlord's." "Landlord? I must be missing something here." "My boyfriend and I stayed in an apartment this summer. It's still rented," Cheryl explained. "Our landlords are really neat people." "So, why are you staying in the dorm?" the coach asked. "I thought it was a requirement, unless I lived in town." "Well, in a way, you do live in town. You could actually make that your official address, you know?" "I could? Wow!" Cheryl reacted. "Uh, doesn't it help if I'm around the team, though?" The coach just looked at Cheryl for a moment and shook her head. "You and your friend keep surprising me," she said with a chuckle. "I wish... I just wish the rest of my players were as worried about the team. "I won't make an issue of the curfew," the coach said, "but there's another problem. We could be in big trouble for you accepting a free trip like that." "Then I'll pay the charter rate," Cheryl said without a pause. "I've got money." "It's that important, huh?" the coach asked. Cheryl nodded, and the coach added "Well, I hope things work out for you." The coach stared at Cheryl for a long moment as if about to say something else. She finally stood up, extended her hand and said "I need a copy of that paid invoice for the flight. It's important. Good luck." With no classes yet and practice not until afternoon, Cheryl hurried back to the apartment and explained the invoice problem to Bert. It was not easy for Maddy to get permission from her parents, but they liked and trusted Cheryl, and the OK was finally given. She worked hard to hide her own nervousness. It would be her first flight of any kind. What Cheryl had described about what they were going to do to that man seemed incredible to her, but the look in Cheryl's eyes suggested that she would do even worse if she had her way. Maddy found herself curious and she felt guilty about it. ------- Football practice on Monday seemed familiar, although a little strange after Cal had watched the college team practice a few times. He did not get much flak from his teammates after missing the first week. They knew that he was always in great shape, and they remembered how he had breezed through early drills the previous year. He was the presumed starting safety coming into the year, and the other defensive backs looked up to him. There was a freshman kicker who showed a lot of promise. The coach took Cal aside and said that he had to prepare the new kid for when Cal graduated. The freshman would be getting some kicks when it was relatively 'safe'. In a way, Cal would have been willing to give up kicking for the fun of playing defense all of the time. He kept reminding himself that kicking was his strongest, most 'marketable' skill. ------- Because time was so critical, the girls' departure was scheduled like a military operation. They left practice at four without showering. Bert and Claire picked them up and they planned to put on clean clothes in the car. It turned out that Claire had brought a pail of water, rags, and towels, so they could get much cleaner than they had planned. Maddy was hugely embarrassed and Claire had a blast constantly telling Bert to keep his eyes on the road and away from the back seat. She even covered the rear view mirror, causing laughs from everyone but Maddy. Robin had ordered them to wear revelaing outfits, but they covered the skimpy shorts and tube tops with overshirts, since they were meeting and flying with a stranger. Both girls regretted no chance to wash their hair, but there was just not time. They first met Bud on the tarmac, where his engine was already running. Cheryl thought he looked like a recruiting poster, fairly tall, straight as a ramrod, trim, and with a very masculine face. His generous smile almost surprised her. With barely a handshake, they boarded and were in the air within five minutes of arriving at the airport. Seeing Maddy's nervousness, Cheryl reached over from the second row to Maddy's co-pilot seat and took her hand to a grateful smile. Through the headset system, Cheryl explained about Maddy's first flight. Bud then started a pleasant, informative monologue about the airplane, their flight plan, and his flying experience. Bud politely asked why the urgency for the trip, and Cheryl decided that the least she could do was tell him. She was paying a going rate for the trip, but Bud had assured her that all but the gas and fees would be returned to her in cash. Bud asked a number of questions about Robin, and Cheryl promised that Robin would deliver them to the airport in the morning. She hoped she could keep that promise. The two-and-a-half hour flight passed quite quickly. Rebecca was at the airport with Tessa in the car. The three old friends exchanged quick hugs and introductions with Maddy before hurrying off to Jeremy's place. Martin would be picking up Bud after he had time to service the plane, and Bud would spend the night at the Banners'. ------- Robin was exhausted, and her business had taken a big wallop. Not to mention what she had spent on the club membership and a few rather special items. But it would all be worth it. One of the items, she had asked Ken about the day after she heard about Darlene having to stay away from the club. It was the cornerstone of her plan. She and Ken had found a number of ways to collaborate, and they got along very well. Amelia and Ismi approved of Robin, also. When Robin had explained what she wanted, it took Ken only three phone calls, and he told her that the item would be there in three days. He had refused to talk about cost, saying something about favors. She had also done quite a bit of shopping at local establishments that she hoped never to frequent again. All in all, she had a gym bag quite full of 'accessories' for her evening with Jeremy. When she rang his doorbell that Tuesday evening, however, she had very little with her. She wore a bikini top that covered but in no way hid her modest but beautifully formed breasts. Her shorts were flimsy, shiny material, short in the leg and slit nearly to the waistband. She had been too nervous to wear them bare, and had on a thong underneath. Hating piercings as she did, she had found a fake navel ring to go with her 'available' collar. On her feet were flip-flops. She carried a purse that was little bigger than a wallet, and she wore sunglasses. She had warned Jeremy that she was not certain when she could get there. In fact, everything was keyed on Cheryl's departure from the local airport in Rebecca's car. Even though seduction was far from her mind right then, Robin was pleased with Jeremy's reaction as he opened the door. She dropped her head in the shy little gesture that seemed to catch his fancy. He stood back against the opened door to let her enter, and he turned to stare at her after she passed. That made the next, critical step amazingly easy. Robin and the still reluctant Cal had rehearsed several possible scenarios for the initial capture. She was gratified that her careful attention to her appearance had brought about the optimum case. Cal was flattened against the wall beside the door. He quickly spun around, found just the right point on Jeremy's body exposed, and had the man on the floor and unconscious in nothing flat. Jeremy had just been congratulating himself on his new conquest when he felt a sudden stab of pain. Not understanding how it had happened, he found himself on the floor with something around his neck. The apartment was totally silent, and for a disoriented moment, he forgot about Sarah. His only immediate thought was the object around his neck, and his hand went right to it. He quickly recognized it as a collar, a slave collar, complete with a loop for a leash. But there was a heaviness at the back. When his hand reached back, he felt a rectangular object the size of two cigarette packs. Moving along farther, his fingers found a set of thumbwheels like those used for combination locks on luggage. Locks! Jeremy struggled to his feet to find Sarah facing him, hands on hips, an object in one hand, and a look on her face that he had never seen. She was smirking! He sensed someone behind him and turned around. The first person he saw was Darlene, just a few feet away. She was dressed far more scantily than he would ever have imagined. She looked nervous, but determined and angry. Behind Darlene were two other figures. Both wore masks. One apeared to be male, and was dressed in a white martial arts outfit with a black belt. A hood covered his head, and he had on a full face mask. His arms were crossed and he stood in a classical guard stance. The other figure was a small female, lots of olive skin showing in her enticing outfit. She also had on a full-face mask, but a rather decorative one. She held a professional-looking camera. Now fully aware that something was amiss and that he might be in for some unpleasantness, Jeremy spun back toward Robin and started to protest. "Sarah, what's going..." "It's Robin!" she snapped out in a voice that he could never have imagined coming from Sarah. "In case you haven't figured it out, Asshole, this is about what you tried to do to Darlene." "Hey, I didn't do anything that she..." "SHUT UP! No one is buying that bullshit. If she hadn't had friends watching out for her, you would have made her your slave. It would have torn up her family, but you didn't give a shit about that." "I didn't do any such..." "Save your breath. You are going to serve as a slave for some of Darlene's friends. You'll get a chance to see how the other half feels." "You can't just come in her and... ungggh!" Jeremy stiffened at the jolt that came from the collar. That explained what the rectangle was. "I can do whatever I want, and you will do exactly what I tell you, got it? What you felt was one-third power. Want to sample two-thirds? No? Oh, just in case you decide to fight through the shock, Kenji over by the door (actually Cal) can take you out before you can breathe. I could do it myself, but I'd have to damage you in the process. We want our slave fully functional. Kenji won't have that problem. Now, do you understand what's going to happen here?" Jeremy's anger rose, and he made a small flinch toward Robin. The resulting jolt was still just a third power, but he quickly decided that he would not try to fight it. "Do you understand?" Robin demanded. After a long glare and a deep breath, Jeremy murmured "Yes." "WHAT? That is not how a slave responds!" Jeremy was in turmoil, and more than a little panicky. Robin's last demand made it perfectly clear that he was really in for it. He had never, ever been in the slave role. He knew of some doms that liked to try the other side, but that was abhorrent to him. The prospect almost made him physically ill. He wanted in the worst way to lash out at Sarah - no, Robin. He didn't think he had even flinched when he felt a very short jolt. "Do you understand, slave?" Robin shouted. Again, he did not respond. This time, she held up the control, with her finger right over one of the three buttons. He gave her the most hateful glare he could muster, but she did not flinch in the least. "Yes, Mistress," he finally hissed out. "We'll have much more time to get the proper respect out of you, Slave. Now, strip!" ------- Chapter 36 Cheryl really wanted to be there for the first part of Jeremy's humiliation, but she understood why it could not work out. As Rebecca drove them all from the airport, Cheryl felt that sense of unreality. It was the first time that she had been home in two months. Everything seemed so familiar, yet strange in a way. And she really was not home. This was just a quick drop-in. Nobody could understand why she was so adamant about being there tonight - well, Cal understood, and maybe her mom did. Even Cheryl knew that Robin would carry it off just fine, especially with Cal's backup. It was just that she had been away for the whole time that the threat was known. More than she realized, she had made her family's survival her personal responsibility, going back to her dad's injury. During this worst crisis yet, she had been away. If she could not at least see the asshole and witness his humiliation, she would feel like she had let the family down. It was only Shelley and Matt that she cared deeply about, but if her mother had been lured away, they would suffer greatly. Actually, she cared more about her mother than she ever thought she would. Darlene was changing in so many ways, it was sometimes hard to maintain the old distrust and animosity. Yes, it was important to Cheryl to see Jeremy brought down. She hoped for some chance to inflict real pain on the bastard, and not just humiliation. There was one other important reason for her to be there. She needed to look in her mother's eyes. She would know if it was truly over. ------- It kept getting worse for Jeremy. This bitch was really going to try to do it. It was a mistake to give in and say 'mistress'. He just could not be a sub. He was the one who ruled subs. He could make any woman he fancied his slave. That was how things were supposed to be. His face reddened and he shouted angrily "This isn't how it works! My girls are there because they choose to be. I don't force them. You can't pretend you are doing anything legitimate here!" "More bullshit!" Robin spat out. "Did Darlene offer to become your slave and break up her marriage? One of your current slaves left a heartbroken young husband behind. Was that her choice? So what if this doesn't fit your idea of what master/slave should be? This is punishment - revenge!" "Well, you get the same damned choice you were going to give Darlene - none! Oh, you do have one choice, actually. You are going to be humiliated and hurt. You can pretend you're a man and take it with your hands free and some show dignity. Or, we'll just restrain you. That won't be nearly as fun for some of the things we have planned, but you do have a choice. Which will it be?" "Fuck you!" "That, you definitely will not be doing," Robin said with a laugh. She had given an indecipherable, prearranged signal to Cal, and without warning, Jeremy felt that pain again. It felt cooler when he regained his senses, and it took only a moment to realize that he had been stripped. He struggled to his feet again, his anger building as his consciousness returned. "You can't just break in here! This is kidnapping! I'll have you arrested!" "I don't think so," Robin said, managing a laugh. "In fact, let's take care of that right now." At another signal to Cal, he opened the door, and a young man stepped in and walked over to Robin. "Thanks so much, Jerry. I owe you big time." "Not hardly, Robin. I'm still way in your debt. Besides, it will be my pleasure, I'm sure it will be my pleasure," Jerry replied. "But, uh, is everyone... ? I mean... I've never..." "Narita here (actually Jean), the photographer, has to be here," Robin answered. "Would you rather Darlene and I not watch?" "Well, ah... oh, shit! I don't care who watches. Maybe I'll go faster." Having said that, Jerry shucked off his shorts, revealing an already hard cock. "Jerry!" Robin teased. "Did you start early?" "Yeah, well. This is the wildest thing I've ever done, you know." "Well, keep it happy while I get your cock-sucker ready." Jerry looked nervously at Jean, whose expression was hidden by her mask, but whose body language clearly revealed her shock. Robin had said nothing about this to Darlene, either, and the poor woman was almost in a faint. She was suddenly faced with two more male organs than she had seen in many years, one of them erect. Robin now walked right up to Jeremy, whose face had lost any hint of anger and showed nothing but fear and disgust. "OK, Asshole," she said, waving the controller. "Want to try for two-thirds? Full power? That thing can give you several minutes at full power. It's souped up to the same strength as a cattle prod. It's not your standard doggy anti-bark collar, you know." Robin just stared a Jeremy for several seconds. "You know what you're going to do, don't you? The only question is, how much pain do you want before you just do it and get it over with?" "I... I... Arrrrrrgh!" Jeremy tried to object before Robin tapped the control very briefly. "That was two-thirds. Need a full power sample?" Not waiting for a reply, Cal hit Jeremy in the back of the knees and guided him to a kneeling position. Robin motioned Jerry over into position. "Now, Slave. Are you going to do exactly as I tell you?" Jeremy hesitated for almost two seconds, and suffered another short zap. He looked up at her with an expression that would have been pitiable if she had not come to hate him so much. "Answer me, Slave! Are you going to do exactly as I tell you?" She held the control so he could see it, finger poised over the button. "Y... yes," he said softly. "Dammit!" Robin screamed at him. "We've been over this! Are you going to do exactly what I tell you, Slave?" She could see his face flush with anger, and she waved the control again. "Yes, Mistress," he finally said. "Your responses will get better as the night goes along," she said. "Now, you've gotten hundreds of blowjobs, so you know just what to do. The sooner you make Jerry come, the sooner it will be over. Got it?" Jeremy experienced another surge of disgust, fear, and bravery, and tried to get to his feet. When Robin punched the 'Full' button, he collapsed to his side. It took almost ten more minutes of threats, shocks, and a little man-handling before a thoroughly beaten Jeremy took Jerry's cock in his mouth. "Narita, get lots of shots. Make sure Jeremy's face is clearly shown, with his mouth full. Don't get anything that will identify Jerry - unless some guys can recognize him just from his ass and his cock." Robin said that last with a laugh. "Jerry, keep giving us progress reports, OK? Tell the bastard what you want him to do. Let me know if he needs a zap." As Jerry began giving Jeremy instructions, Robin knelt down and began playing with Jeremy's penis. She had worked hard to steel herself for this. The last thing she wanted to do was touch any part of Jeremy, but this would make the pictures even more damaging. To be in control later, she would also have to handle him more. At first, he tried to flinch away from her fingers, but more threats worked. Despite his own loathing, he hardened quickly from her efforts. It all worked to perfection. Jean had a hard time getting control of herself to take good pictures, but by the time Jerry went critical, she was in better shape. Jerry pulled out as he came, and Jean even got one shot of a jet on the way. She finished her roll with a few shots from behind Jerry's bare ass, taking in Jeremy's cum-covered face and his hard cock standing straight up. When it was over, Jeremy looked stricken, and Darlene did not look much better. Robin's reservoir of hatred seemed undiminished, though, and she knelt right in front of Jeremy and snarled "If you even think about any kind of revenge for tonight, guess what? These pictures, with your name, phone, and where you work, will go out to the gay community. I hear the Internet is getting lots of gay sites, too. Got it? Now, go clean up." Jeremy staggered down the hall, and Jerry got his clothes back on. Robin hugged her friend Jerry by the door and asked "Was it OK?" "Hey, you know what they say," Jerry answered, "No such thing as a bad blowjob. It was, um, different with an audience. Are the girls OK?" "You're sweet, Jerry. I can see why all the gals are pissed about your sexual preference." "It's women like you who scare the shit out of me, Sweetie," Jerry responded, giving Robin a quick kiss and walking out the door. He was more than a little surprised to see four very attractive, scantily clad girls waiting just outside with several bags and coolers. Cal looked out and saw the girls. Checking to make sure that Jeremy had not returned to the room, he pulled Cheryl in, whipped off his mask, and gave her a gigantic hug and a searing kiss. Then he said "Sorry. Have to stay mysterious," and put his mask back on. Darlene was waiting, and engulfed her daughter as soon as Cal let her go. Even with everything else that was happening, Cheryl was still shocked by the most intense hug that she could remember from her mother. Robin suspected that Jeremy might be stalling and went down to the bathroom. All she had to do was wave the control, and he started back to the main room. He heard the voices, but the full impact of his increased exposure and humiliation did not hit him until he saw the expanded crowd. He tried to back down the hall again, but Robin had her hand in his back and gave him a blip at one-third. Keeping her hand firmly on his back, she pushed him into the room, right up to where the four new arrivals had turned to stare at him. In Cheryl's case, it was a glare of unvarnished hatred. The horror of sucking off the other man had still not worn off, and now Jeremy was faced with a roomful of scantily-clad young women staring at him, mostly at his crotch. The one must have been Darlene's daughter, and her look made him want to take shelter behind Robin, of all things. He felt dirty and nauseous from the blowjob, and now he was feeling small and helpless. Just then, Robin's now-feared voice snapped out "Assume the position, Slave!" He could not move for a moment, and just as he feared a zap from the collar, her hand was on his shoulder, pushing him down. He knew the position well, and he gave up and sank to his knees, unable to muster any resistance. As Jeremy knelt and the girls continued to stare at him, Robin went to her bag that Cal had brought in. She pulled out a riding crop and gave it to Cheryl with a grin. "In case he does something wrong that I don't see," she said with a chuckle. "Come on, girls. Do a walk-around and see what you think of our slave for the evening. Notice how well-developed his arm and torso muscles..." Robin laid it on thickly, mentioning every part of his body in some detail. The girls played along, seeming to inspect him carefully, chattering all the time and making crude observations. When Robin thought it was enough, she shouted "Slave, most of us are pretty hungry. Feed us! It's all right there." Jeremy first looked confused, then pleading, then resigned. As the girls all studiously ignored him and talked among themselves, he hauled the bags and coolers to the kitchen. He was purposely given no help or instructions, and they were all free with their complaints and insults if everything was not done perfectly. The meal was just sandwiches and deli salads, so it was not challenging. There were eight to feed, though, and he was kept very busy. Robin kept the control constantly in her hand, and Cal stood by the door as Kenji, in the same exaggerated guard position. The girls all sat on the floor, and Darlene seemed attached to Cheryl. Rebecca and Tessa both noticed, and they fought to keep their emotion from showing. It was important to keep things light-hearted and to humiliate Jeremy any way that they could. Maddy sat on the other side of Cheryl, and she felt like grabbing Cheryl's hand. She saw what the others were doing, how they were doing everything possible to make Jeremy feel like a servant and to humble him. She just could not enter in. One girl or another was constantly ordering him to bring her something else, so it seemed to Maddy that his penis was constantly dangling in front of her. She wanted to stare at it, but was afraid to. Noticing her friend's distress, Cheryl leaned over and told Maddy "Stare at it all you want. Make sure he knows you're staring. Go ahead." Cheryl was the only one with the nerve to touch Jeremy while he was serving. Several times, she absent-mindedly stroked or tapped his legs or his ass with the crop from her position on the floor. Once, she ran it up the inside of his leg until it touched his balls. "Slave!" she snapped out after she did that. "Are you starting to get hard? Did any one tell you you could get aroused! No, we definitely did not! How disgustingly disrespectful! Come over here!" He hesitated, and Robin, who had been watching, raised the control, only to have Cheryl wave her off. Cheryl stood as Jeremy fearfully stepped up to her. "Yes, I do think you have allowed it to swell up. In front all of these innocent young girls? What do you think your punishment should be?" She feigned thoughtfulness, then delivered a light blow with the crop that scored right on the head of it. He could not avoid a scream and he doubled over from the pain. "I would have preferred cutting it off!" Cheryl hissed at him when he was able to straighten up again. "Maybe I'll get a chance later." When everything was cleaned up, Robin chilled Jeremy to the gut with her next announcement. "OK, now we have a special treat, a look inside the perverted world of domination and submission. Slave Jeremy is going to show us his play room and demonstrate some of the toys he has in there." The PI that Robin had retained had talked to one of Jeremy's slaves and obtained a very good description of the room and its contents. It was the second bedroom of the apartment, and it was kept securely locked. Any thoughts of protesting or resisting were erased with a wave of the control in Robin's hand. So far, he had experienced anger, humiliation, pain, and nausea. This was the first time he had felt real physical fear. He knew what was in that room, and he knew what it could do to a body. These women did not know how to use the toys. They could hurt him. Badly. Suddenly, Jeremy had to pee very badly. Cheryl saw the signs first and whispered in Robin's ear. Robin whispered something back and Cheryl went into the kitchen. Robin produced Jeremy's keys from his shorts and ordered him to unlock the door. "But, I... I have to... please!" Jeremy pled in the first words he had said since the four girls arrived. "Shut up and get in there!" Robin ordered. Cheryl stuck the crop between his legs from behind and snarled as she pressed it against his balls. Once he had opened the door, Robin pushed his back up against the 'X' frame that she knew was there. She saw that it was set up for a smaller person, so she first locked his legs into it. Then, she and Rebecca worked at extending the arms to accommodate his height while he writhed and begged. There were a stool in the room, and Robin used it to secure his hands amid increasingly frantic pleas that he had to go. As soon as he was fully imprisoned, Cheryl held a bucket under his crotch and snarled "Pee in that, Asshole!" Of all of the humiliations so far, this was the worst. His face first went white with shock, then bright red in embarrassment. But there was no way he could hold out, and he let go. As bad as it already was, he had been holding his breath, and when his flow was going full force, he exhaled rather loudly. The girls had all been rather tense, and the humor of his sigh of relief sent them into gales of laughter. The laughter was infectious, and it went on and on. Cheryl could barely hold the bucket until he was finished, she was laughing so hard. When she could put it down, she stood back, pointed, and said loudly "Hey, I'm not shakin' that slimy little thing!" That just set everyone off again. Even Jean, who as Narita had been faithfully recording everything on film, had to put down the treasured camera because of her laughter. As the hilarity went on and on, over half of the girls had to make their own pee stops. When all had regained some composure, Robin had been able to think for a moment. She had not planned to put him on the 'X' right away, but she could adopt to the change. "Ladies, since we have such a unique opportunity tonight, I'd like to further your understanding of male anatomy, particularly male genitalia." She adopted a stentorian tone that threw the girls back into laughter. She waited them out and went on in a normal voice. "Now, I realize that some of you are very, very familiar with male equipment," here she paused for more hilarity to subside, "but even you might learn a thing or two. First of all, I'm going to take a quick measurement in his flaccid state. Uh, that means soft." More giggles. She produced a ruler and called out the length. Then she wrapped a string around it, marked the intersection, and measured the circumference. "Before I get into my little lecture here, I think we should make the specimen more visible, don't you?" "Noooo!" Jeremy moaned out. "Shut up, Slave! You should just be happy someone's going to play with your pee-pee. It's more than you deserve." Robin left for a minute and returned with a pan of warm water, a towel, and shaving gear. "Darlene, you do the honors. Maddy, give her a hand." "Oh, I don't... uh, I can't..." Darlene stammered. Maddy just looked stricken. Robin went over and put her arm around Darlene, whispering in her ear "This is important for you, Honey." Aloud, she said "Oh, come on Darlene, it's OK if you're nervous? If you nick him a little, so what. I've got styptic right here." Jeremy's possible groan was lost in the general gasp at the thought of how that might sting on sensitive flesh. Seeing Darlene's continued reluctance, Cal, who had been standing in the doorway, stepped in and took the camera from Jean. "You go help Maddy," he whispered to her. "She's more nervous than you are. Talk to her in Spanish. That will drive him nuts." "Oh, wait. One more thing before you start," Robin said, "well, two more." She got up on the stool and strapped Jeremy's head back so he could not look down and see what was happening. Robin thought that would increase the fear factor. Then, she roughly jammed a ball gag into his mouth and fastened the strap around his neck. Darlene and Maddy were still frozen in place, but Jean had gained tremendous confidence from her photography experience. She took Maddy by the arm and started talking in Spanish. Before long, they were both giggling. Unbeknownst to Cal, Jean and Jared had progressed to some pretty intimate petting over the summer. Her curiosity easily outweighed her fear right then, and she became the leader. Speaking only in Spanish, where their skills were about equal, Jean got Maddy calmed down and even giggling a little. Jean took one finger and twirled Jeremy's soft shaft around with it. When Maddy refused Jean's encouragement to try it, Jean asked in Spanish "What? You don't have little brothers?" Maddy did the impossible. Her lovely olive complexion turned flaming red, and she covered her face. Then she playfully peaked at Jean between her fingers and started giggling. Soon, the two were giggling and breathlessly mumbling in Spanish. Cheryl could not help it. She ran up to Maddy and hugged her friend from behind. Maddy had always been so serious and intense, and it was a joy to see her cut loose. With one hand holding one of Cheryl's Maddy stepped up and repeated Jean's little twirling trick to applause from the group. Jeremy's 'X' frame was a lightweight home model, and it was not on a raised platform as those in clubs usually were. Jean pulled Maddy down so they were on their knees, at face level with Jeremy's crotch. Jean started flicking his shaft up and letting it flop back down, then got Maddy to do it. It was Tessa who started a constant low 'ooooo' tone as she noticed him start to stiffen slightly from the stimulation. With each upward flip, he became firmer and all of the girls raised the tone a step or two. Before long, his cock was quivering at an upward angle and it could no longer be flicked. Robin started the cheering and clapping and Jean pulled Maddy to her feet and they took a giggling bow. "This is a good time for a little more of our lecture," Robin said, laying the ruler along the top of his now-distended shaft. "His cock measures 5 3/4" hard. That's a bit under average, but not embarrassing small. She took the circumference with the string again and said "The thickness hard is well within the normal range." "There's an interesting theory that the size of a man's organ correlates with the size of his feet. I don't know if there is any scientific study on it, but look: Jeremy's feet are not particularly large. Maybe there's something to the theory." At that moment, Cal strongly wished that he was not there, as every female eye was suddenly fixed on his size 11 1/2 running shoes. Cheryl gave him a lewd grin. He was very thankful for the mask. "Of course, it could be due to steroids," Robin intoned. "If he was too impatient to grow these muscles the normal way," and she forced herself to stroke his abs and pecs, "he might have gotten into the steroids. However, the balls usually shrink first, and his seem to be about normal, so he probably just wasn't blessed with a big one to match his ego." "And that may be the reason he became a predator and a dominator. All those workout muscles and all that domination could be an attempt to make up for his undersized equipment. I've heard a term called 'small man syndrome' that describes pompous, arrogant, belligerent short men. Maybe we're seeing 'small dick syndrome' here." The shaving operation proceeded with lots of encouragement, cheers, and jeers, and a number of gasps and moans from the gagged Jeremy. Before they finished, Maddy was freely grabbing his rigid cock in her whole hand to move it out of the way. Before letting go, she would pump it a time or two. Eventually, he was as bald as a baby. "Now, for the next step in our lesson," Robin said. "Our slave is clearly at a high level of arousal. Men can be brought down from arousal in a number of ways. One is pain." With that, she splashed regular shaving lotion all over his genitals, eliciting a strangled scream from him. The sting was only momentary, but sure enough, his penis drooped immediately. "OK, now that everything is nice and visible and he's gone soft again, I can explain and demonstrate the different things that are highly arousing to men. Um, most of you know that I don't have much personal experience with this, but I've studied a lot." Robin blushed a little as she said that. "Maddy, why don't you continue to demonstrate for us, OK? First, of course, is the head, called the glans. Our slave is circumcised, as are the large majority of American males, so the head is always exposed. Now, Maddy, start touching, teasing, and rubbing just the head. It will get easier as it stiffens." Rapidly losing all vestiges of shyness, Maddy soon had him rigid again. Robin held up a couple of objects. "These are nipple clamps," she explained. "The pain from them is supposed to make women more aroused. Let's see if they work on men. Cheryl?" Jeremy's muffled scream was pathetic, but Cheryl was undaunted as she fastened them to his shrunken nipples. Everyone was fixated on his nipples, but in mere seconds he was flaccid again. "Hmmmm. That's not exactly what I expected," Robin said, feigning puzzlement. The resulting laughter was rather nervous, given his obvious pain. "Well, maybe with a fresh start they will work. Let's leave them on. Jean, why don't you do the honors?" She coached Jean how to use just the underside of his shaft to get him hard again. "Can anyone guess what these two little beauties are for?" asked Robin as she held up two small clamps. When she was met by nothing but puzzled looks, she went on dramatically. "Just imagine! Someone, must have been a man, decided that clamping these on your pussy lips would be arousing. God! Well, slave here doesn't have a pussy. Yet." That got some nervous titters. "Cheryl, think you can find somewhere in the crotch area to..." Jeremy let loose a scream that was piercing even through the gag, and he flung his body around frantically on the frame. "Wow!" Robin exclaimed. "They must work. He's all excited already." She paused a moment, then "Well, shit! He's already gone soft. I guess we'll just try the next way of getting him hard." This time, Robin had Maddy work only on his balls. Because of his emotional state, it took a while, but she was eventually successful. Part of the problem may have been that he sensed her inexperience and was worried about being hurt. When he was ready again, Robin whispered something to Cheryl, who stepped up quickly and delivered a sharp underhanded slap to his balls. By the time his scream ended, he was again soft. "Ladies, Slave here is getting what he deserves for what he tried to do to Darlene. But we're not total monsters like he is. It's time to give him a little relief, don't you think. Uh, let's see, who's turn? Oh..." Cheryl put her hand on Robin's shoulder to stop her, then led Darlene up to Jeremy and knelt down with her in front of him. Whispering in her mother's ear, Cheryl said "Mom, you need to trust me on this. Don't worry that you're being unfaithful to Dad or anything. You need to handle him and make him come. Bound the way he is, it will show that he is your toy, not the other way around as he had planned." When Darlene tried to protest, Cheryl just hugged her tightly. "Do you trust me, Mom." Almost in tears, Darlene nodded and her shoulders slumped, her resistance over. Aloud, Cheryl said "Don't worry, Mom. You can wash your hands as soon as he spurts." "Nothing will be tender and sensuous, Mom," Cheryl whispered. "You can't use any of this on Dad." Darlene was worse than reluctant, but with mostly persuasion and minimal ordering, she finally touched him. Cheryl had her start by holding the head firmly and stretching him outward, releasing when she could sense him trying to ease the pressure. Faster and faster, Cheryl urged her mother to pull and release, pull and release. When he lost elasticity, she had her roll the glans rapidly between her palms, moving her hands up and down in counter motion on either side of the head, twisting and rubbing. "You want to abuse him, but not let the pain get bad enough to make him shrink," Cheryl said aloud. She thought it more humiliating for him to know what was happening, but be unable to stop it." On and on Darlene went, losing more reluctance with every minute. Improvising, Cheryl came up with several arousing abuses: batting the shaft back and forth; rotating the sac rapidly; lightly scratching the underside of the shaft; drumming the tightened sac with fingertips. All the while, Cheryl narrated and directed in very impersonal, disdainful tones. After about ten minutes, it appeared that more stimulation would be needed. "I guess you will get a little practice for Dad here, Mom. We need to finish him off." She coached Darlene how to stroke him and started a count of the spurts, which the rest of the girls quickly picked up. As Jeremy hung limply on the frame after his orgasm, he let off an unmistakable fart and reddened brightly. "Aha!" Robin said gleefully. "We're scaring the shit out of him." The girls made a big show of disgust at the smell. Taking advantage of the situation once again, Robin got him off of the frame with threats of shocks if he did not cooperate completely. By that time, he was in no mood to resist. He had slipped into that feeling of detachment and unreality that allowed him to somewhat escape the impact of what was happening to him. She led him to the bathroom, turned on the exhaust fan, found the can of room spray, and invited Darlene and Maddy and as many of the others as could fit into the bathroom. "Now, do what you need to do, Slave!" Once again, it was shame fighting physical need. Though he tried to defecate without noise, it was useless, and the girls heaped on their derision with every sound. When he was done, Robin ordered him to shower, which the girls also watched with frequent comments. With no ceremony, Robin had him back in the playroom and into the stocks that he had installed. Without saying a word, she grabbed a leather paddle and handed it to Darlene. "Now, just think of what would have happened to your marriage and your family if his plan had worked. This is not sexual, so let him have it!" Darlene still seemed reluctant, but she did take a swing, and the impact made him flinch. With a snort of disgust, Cheryl stepped in with the riding crop. She paused a moment, then swung viciously at the backs of his thighs. He screamed into the gag as the crop raised several angry welts on his legs before she stopped after about eight blows. Jeremy squirmed and whimpered with the pain as Cheryl put her arm around her mother and talked earnestly. "Mom, this is where you get victory over him. Beat the hell out of his pervert ass and you can go back to the club without any fear of him. Do it, Mom. I showed you how." Hardly taking her eyes off of Cheryl, Darlene picked up the paddle and smacked the other cheek, much harder than the first stroke. She looked at Cheryl for approval. "Do you think that's all the harder he would have hit you when he had you just like that?" Cheryl asked. Darlene looked shocked, then shuddered, then stuck her jaw out in a look of determination. The next two blows were even harder. "Do you think he would even have let you see Shelley and Matt again? Do you think Dad would have let you after he threw you out?" Darlene jerked, then trembled and flushed all over. This time, she gave a growl and laid into Jeremy with everything she had. Cheryl wrapped her in a hug to stop her after ten vicious blows. Pulling back to look at her mother's face, Cheryl saw what she had traveled all that way for. If she had had only one minute before flying home, Darlene's expression would have made the trip worthwhile. Loathing, disgust, anger, and determination blended together to tell Cheryl that the Jeremy threat was ended. More than just that, Darlene had found another long-dead part of her personality. While the paddling was going on, Robin slipped into the bathroom and began filling the tub with cold water. She returned to free Jeremy from the stocks and stood him in front of the group, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Well, I'll be damed!" Robin swore. "Just look at that! It hurt so bad it made him cry, but he got hard. I wouldn't have believed it! This is perfect for some more education. The male body has ways to protect the genitals. One thing it protects from is cold. Follow me." She led Jeremy to the tub and forced him to sit in the cold water. Ignoring his muffled protests, she kept him in there for a few minutes. A look at the flaming skin on his backside suggested that he might benefit from the cold water, besides her object lesson. Standing him up, she said "Be sure to get a picture of this, Narita. See how tiny it is? His body shrinks the shaft and pulls the testicles up close to keep everything as warm as possible. Now, out to the living room." When they were all gathered again, Robin locked his feet in a spacer bar, just far enough so he could still stand safely. "Now, jack off, Slave!" At the look of disbelief in his eyes, she held up the control for the collar. A blush covering his whole upper body, he timidly took his still-shrunken member in hand. "Watch how everything loosens up and stretches as it warms." It took quite a while because his embarrassment seemed to suppress his arousal. Eventually, though, he started to stiffen, and from that point, things went quickly. "See, he's hanging pretty low right now. Watch as he gets closer to coming. His balls will pull up almost inside him just before he shoots. There... close... close... count 'em off - One! Two!..." Not even giving him time to recover, Robin released the spacer and handed him a jump rope. When she held up the control, he took the rope and started jumping quite skillfully. "Those of you with bigger boobs than mine," Robin said, "complain about them bouncing around. Well, just look at that." She was pointing right at his flopping penis. "His body has another defense mechanism, though. Just watch." Sure enough, after a couple up minutes, his shaft was again shrunken to a nub, and his sac had tightened up. "Now, I haven't ever tried this, but if it works, it should be awesome," Robin said as she led the slightly panting Jeremy over to an open spot on the floor. She had him get on his hands and knees and put the spacer on his ankles again, leaving him stable but certainly not comfortable. She produced a second spacer for his hands. "Kenji, would you put your foot on this to keep his hands in place, please. I don't think you're too interested in watching this." Out of Jeremy's sight, she started to pull on a latex surgical glove, but Cheryl jumped in. "Let me! This will be just like a med school lab." She pulled on the glove like an experienced pro and squirted a large glob of KY on the index finger. With her knee on the foot spacer, she began spreading the lubricant around his asshole. He panicked and tried to rear up but both feet and hands were trapped down. After carefully lubing the area as much as possible, Cheryl said "Here goes. If I can find his prostate, this will be interesting. He just came twice in a fairly short time. He should be pretty much empty." It took her a while to get in, threatening him all the way. "Hope everyone has a good view now," she said. "I think I've got it." A long, loud groan from him verified Robin's claim. There were many spontaneous 'Ooohhhs' and 'Wow!s' as his penis stiffened on its own, and eventually pulsed a few times and dropped several small globs on the carpet. And just like that, it was over. Robin unlocked and removed the collar and released the spacer from his hands. "You know how to get the rest off," she told him. "And just remember about those pictures." In less than another minute, Jeremy was alone in his apartment, not completely sure if the evening had been real. When, in his semi-trance, he stepped in his small third cum deposit, he was reminded that it had all been very, very real indeed. Then, he tried to sit down and the flash of pain from his ass reminded him vividly of everything that had gone on. ------- Cal was the last one out of the apartment, and he almost got knocked back inside by the force of Cheryl's attack. She ripped his mask off and kissed him frantically. He could never remember her hugging him with such intensity. When they were able to separate, she moaned "I want to go home with you so badly! But tonight is for Mom." "I know, I know," he assured her. "I'll pick you up in the morning and take you to the plane," he said as they walked toward Darlene's car. "Honey, your father, Shelley, and Matt have no idea that you are here," Darlene said. Cheryl had just been insisting that she and Maddy would spend the night in her old room. "It means so much that you came just to help support me," Darlene added. "Jeremy is no longer a problem, believe me. You need to be with Cal tonight. That's what would make me happiest." Those words from her mother told Cheryl more about the changes that were happening than anything else could have. Cheryl dashed from her mother's car to catch Robin, dragging Maddy behind her. "Yes, you're coming to Cal's house, Robin. There's someone you have to meet," Cheryl told Robin after leaving her mother. "But look at me! I look..." "Sexy as hell," Cheryl cut in. "That's just how I want him to see you." "Him?" "Yup. Now, we're riding with you to make sure you don't try to escape." "Cheryl, I don't want to meet any guy. After tonight..." "You're so horny you crackle!" Cheryl finished for her friend. After a moment, Robin broke down and laughed, and Cheryl and Maddy joined her as they drove off. "Is... is he cute?" Robin asked. "Think recruiting poster," Cheryl said. "He just left the Navy after twelve years flying off of carriers. You know, 'Top Gun' - Tom Cruise, the whole bit." "And he's not taken?" "Nope." "Can't I go home and get fixed up?" "Nope. Look, I told him what was going down tonight, and he can't wait to meet you." "He must think I'm some vindictive bitch! Did you tell him anything else about me?" "Not a thing. Uh, Robin, you're going to have to deal with him on your own. Cal and I, uh..." "You're not helping at all!" Robin almost shouted. "Seriously, Robin," Cheryl said. "I don't know how to thank you. My parents' marriage isn't much, but you saved it. Now, at least there's a chance for Mom to get something more. Don't be upset about meeting Bud. He's a super guy. You'll get along fine." "That's the problem," Robin moaned. "Two weeks ago, I could have had a few drinks with him, said 'so long' and never thought about him again. This crap with the asshole woke up some feelings that I thought were dead. If he really is a great guy, I... I..." "You mean you're vulnerable?" "Practically helpless." "So?" "Just 'cause you're almost married, you can't stand to see any girl free and independent, can you?" Robin joked. Not at all responding to the joke, Cheryl answered "I can't stand to see a really good friend still lonely, angry, and hurting after all these years." Robin had no comeback for quite a while. "What if we don't click?" "Then call it practice for the next guy. Just let whatever happen, OK?" More silence, then Robin asked "So, he really is cute?" Cheryl gave a little laugh. "Cute is not exactly the right word. I'll stand behind you so if you faint, I can catch you." "Surrrrre." "You do have panties on under those sexy shorts, don't you?" "Thong. Why?" "Well, I wouldn't want the shorts to get all stained. That'd be embarrassing." "CHERYL!" ------- "Hello, Robin. I told Cheryl I wanted to meet you. I'm glad you came over," Bud said. Robin shook his hand, but was unable to speak. After a few quick non-verbal signals between Cheryl, Rebecca, Tessa, Maddy, and Elaine, Bud and Robin found themselves alone in the kitchen with soft drinks and some snacks. Bud was a little concerned by Robin's silence, but she did not seem afraid of him. "I was impressed by what you were willing to do for a friend, Robin. But Cheryl didn't tell me you were beautiful." Robin could not explain the volcano of emotions that suddenly welled up within her. She managed to breathe out "Oh, Shit!", and then her wracking sobs made speech impossible. Bud was more than a little alarmed, but Cheryl had been worried about her friend's condition. Out of Robin's sight, she stepped into the kitchen and motioned for Bud to go to Robin. He got the message, moved to the chair next to her, and pulled her into a hug. It took almost ten minutes before Robin could stammer out "Here I'm supposed to be this strong bitch who took down the predator, and I turn into a puddle from one nice compliment." Maybe it's a secret known by really strong men, but Bud chose silence and a quick hug as his only response. Then again, maybe it's just confusion and uncertainty at playing on a field where they have no idea of the rules, and they admit it. Whatever the reason, Bud said nothing, and it seemed to be the right response. Robin was getting control of herself, but she still clung to Bud as if he was a lifeline. Finally, she pulled away and sat up. She brushed back her hair self-consciously, then gave a little snort. "Guess that doesn't make much difference with thess red eyes and this runny nose." She got up and grabbed some tissues from a dispenser on the counter Walking back to where Bud sat, she stood looking at him for a moment, then sat right in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. With her head nestled on his shoulder she said "I'm sure I've scared you off, so I'm going to steal some more of that great feeling while I can get it." "You know, us fighter jockeys don't scare easily," he told her. "But you aren't fighting off weepy women most of the time," she was able to say with some humor. "How long?" he asked. "Huh?" "Since you've been held." "H... how did you know?" she demanded. Then softly "Ten years." "I recognize the symptoms. Six years for me," he said. "It was my choice," Robin said. "Same here," was his reply. "It was her or military life. But she never really gave me the choice. Just found someone else." "Stupid woman," she said without thinking. "Oh, I'm sorry." Robin amazed herself by unloading on Bud things that Julia had to drag out of her. They moved to a comfortable sofa, but she still insisted on lots of contact. And they talked and talked. Sometime long after midnight, he told her "I need to get some sleep. I take flying safety very seriously. Say, any chance you could get some time off?" She gave a short laugh, "With the way I've put off work on this Jeremy deal, I'm not sure I even have a business any more. Why?" "Fly back with me tomorrow. There's empty seats. I'll bring you back whenever you need." "I've gotta pack a bag," she blurted out without even thinking about work. "When are you leaving from here?" Impulsively, Robin planted a quick but intense kiss on him, then hurried off to get ready for the trip. ------- While Robin and Bud were getting acquainted in their unique way, Cal could not avoid a flashback to a time not all that long ago. Cheryl, Rebecca, and Tessa, were all sitting on his bed chattering away. Maddy had retired, not having to fake her exhaustion. Cal wanted very badly to make love with Cheryl, but this was a unique, unexpected reunion for the three long-time friends. Besides, now that he knew about Bud, maybe there would be more chances than he thought to be with Cheryl. It would cost, but his Dad did not seem too worried about any expense. He was thinking that maybe the Banners should have a plane. He could learn to fly, and then he could see Cheryl, and Pete, and Vick, and... that would be perfect. But, did he not just get through eliminating some things he liked because his life was just too full. He guessed that flying was something he had better just pay for... The sensation of his penis being dug out of his shorts woke him some indeterminate time later. It didn't take him long to discover that Cheryl was already naked, and that brought him to full alert very quickly. He was sure it was not that long before dawn, but so what? He could nap before practice, and Cheryl could sleep on the plane. This surprise chance could not be wasted. Their parting love-making had only been four days earlier, but the separation already felt like it had been a long time. All through his 'guard duty' at Jeremy's place, he had had trouble being alert to back up Robin. The way Cheryl was dressed! Not even acknowledging that they knew each other had been pure torture. The relief when Darlene insisted that Cheryl spend the night with Cal was huge. Of course, a lot of the night had gone to the girls' kibitzing, but he had her now. They were going to make love twice, there was no doubt at all about that. By unspoken mutual agreement, the first time was right then, and it was highly energetic. She did not come, but he knew better than to worry about it. They took a quick shower, and settled down to taking care of her. Several times. When he again entered her, she was on top, and it was a long time before he even worried about coming. The feeling was just so wonderful! ------- Chapter 37 Cal and Cheryl were still cuddling, caressing, and talking when his normal workout time arrived. They dozed off for a few hours, and Cal was definitely groggy when they had to get up for her flight. She was just as lifeless until Robin showed up and explained that she was going with them. It was the biggest shot of energy that Cal had ever seen. Cheryl was absolutely ecstatic. Robin sat in the front seat of the plane with Bud. Several times when she looked back, Cheryl was grinning from ear to ear. Robin herself was very subdued, though, and eventually, Cheryl noticed. She put a hand on Robin's shoulder and gave her a questioning look. Robin just mouthed "Later." When they landed and it was possible to talk easily, Bud took Robin's hand and told her "I was watching you on the plane. It's called post action remorse." "But last night I felt... well, I was emotional, but I didn't feel like this." "Funny how things change overnight, isn't it?" he said. Giving her a hug, he told her "I wish I could take you with me right now, but I really can't. I'm not sure how the day will go, but I won't stay away any longer than I have to. I'll call Cheryl's number when I know more." He gave her a quick, sweet kiss, and they went their separate ways. Cheryl made it through practice, not at the top of her game, but not hurting her team standing, either. She was pleased when the coach asked if everything went all right. Robin had insisted on watching practice. She introduced herself to the coach and explained her work with different sports teams. Robin looked thoughtful as they left campus, but did not say much. When they got to the apartment, Cheryl asked "Is it what Bud said, or is it something more?" "I feel like I abused the friendship of all of you," Robin said. "I did a lot more to Jeremy last night than I had ever planned. When I woke up this morning, I almost cancelled this trip, I felt so guilty." "Guilty about hurting Jeremy?" "That, too. But mostly about dragging you guys into something that could cause trouble." Robin paused a minute, then said "You know what happened? Instead of just Jeremy, I was seeing him plus my rapist. A couple of times, I had to stop myself from doing things even worse than what I did." "But you did it for Mom," Cheryl pointed out. "I wish I could claim to be that honorable," Robin admitted. "A lot of it was for me, too. That was selfish." Cheryl pulled Robin down to the sofa and wrapped an arm around her. "Let me tell you, Lady. I don't give a damn what your motivation was, and whether you went overboard or not. That sonofabitch deserved every single thing you dished out and more. I looked in Mom's eyes. It worked! Maybe you saved some other poor woman, too." "But what I did was wrong - illegal." "We all knew that going in. Cal and I have had discussions about legal versus fair a number of times." "He must be upset, isn't he?" Robin asked. "He was tricked into some awful stuff that I don't think he would ever do." "You're right. He wouldn't do anything like that on his own. But you know what? He looked in my eyes. He knows what it meant to me. He knows all about Mom. I think he would rate the punishment as fair, legal or not." "So, none of you are angry with me?" Robin asked. "I don't know what gave you that idea," Cheryl exclaimed. "We're grateful, not angry. Listen, you get that asshole out of your mind right now! This is the chance of a lifetime for you. Bud is a real catch. Don't go letting a guilt trip mess up your chance with him!" ------- Claire and Bert had scheduled a cookout for Cheryl, Maddy, Robin, Bud, and Bud's parents. Robin had the uncomfortable feeling that she was under a microscope, but her talk with Cheryl had done wonders for her emotions. She tried not to look like she was clinging to Bud, but he pre-empted her by keeping a hand on her or an arm around her almost constantly. After the meal, Bert got Robin to talk about the previous night. Even the highly edited version produced many gasps, but she decided she was not going to hide anything. "So you were sure he was after Darlene?" Bert asked. "Couldn't have proved it in court," Robin admitted, looking to Cheryl for support. "Several of us talked about it a lot, including a doctor that we all see. And we had the PI report. I even paid for more from the PI. When I set myself up as bait, he did exactly what he did to a young wife that is now his slave." "Oh, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything," Bert hurried to add. "Believe me, I've been accusing myself all day," Robin said with another glance at Cheryl. "I've been through that several times," Bud's father said. "It's a common reaction for a warrior. Sometimes..." he paused for a moment with a far away look. "Sometimes we did terrible things with less evidence than you had." "But it was really brutal," Bud's mother spoke for the first time. Robin's heart sank, but she made a quick decision that she was going to let everything out. "I have to confess that it wasn't all about Jeremy," Robin said with her voice shaking a bit. "That's what it started out to be. But when I had him there and helpless... I... I need to tell you some more about me." She told much more about her background than she would have expected, again deciding that if there was any possible future with Bud, his parents might as well know it all right up front. It was hard to believe that she was even thinking in those terms after just one day. Bud's mother was clearly disturbed by some of what she heard from Robin. Things made a definite turn toward the positive, though, when Bert asked why Robin had taken such a risk for Darlene. "After Greg died (she had mentioned working with him), I was in pretty bad shape. Cal's family, Cheryl's boyfriend, took me in as if I belonged. I had never experienced anything like that. Then, I coached with Darlene, and I came to really like her. Claire and Bert, you've met Darlene. She's had a strange life - she's almost childlike - but I think she's changing. "Then we find out that this asshole is trying to seduce her into some kind of perverted master/slave deal. It would have destroyed Darlene's marriage and hurt Cheryl badly. For the first time in years, I had people I felt I belonged with. I couldn't let something like that happen if I could stop it. I could, and I did." Bud's mother had tears in her eyes, but she didn't say anything. Later, she took Robin aside for a little talk. "I don't know what has happened so quickly between you and Bud. I just want to say that I'm happy about it. I wasn't sure until I heard about your loyalty to your friend. You would never hurt Bud, would you? I couldn't stand to see that happen again." "Please. We've known each other one day, and..." Robin started to object. "Doesn't matter. I know my son. He is yours if you want him. That's why I'm concerned about him getting hurt." Robin just stared at the woman in disbelief. She knew there was a strong connection with Bud, but she was afraid that romance was so new to her that she might make a mistake. "You feel the same way, don't you, Robin. You're just afraid of it. I can understand that. Look, with me, it's more than just a normal mother's concern. I'm responsible for the way Bud is now. I pushed him to marry the 'right' girl, a proper future admiral's wife. Unfortunately, there was nothing 'right' about her but her pedigree. "Bud's just like his dad. He's down-to-earth, no nonsense, loyal to a fault. You're like that. You two need each other. Don't miss this chance just because you're afraid. Bud won't hurt you. I just know it." Earlier in the day, Robin had decided to take the rest of the week off, and she would be staying at the apartment. Cheryl had decided to go back to the dorm to please the coach. As soon as Robin was free from Bud's mother, Cheryl cornered her. "Okay, so now it's unanimous with everyone but you," Cheryl said. "Huh?" "You and Bud are made for each other. I wish I could threaten to kick your butt, but I'm not that good yet," Cheryl said sternly. "But if you don't go to bed with him tonight, I'm really gonna be pissed off at you." ------- Thursday, both Robin and Bud were watching volleyball practice. Cheryl knew they had spent the night together, and she was in the 'zone'. Everything close to Cheryl was a winning hit, and she was blocking everyone in the drills. Robin had kept to herself the fact that she and Bud did not have sex. After practice, Robin pulled Cheryl aside. "The big dyke. What's her name." "Wanda. She somehow got to be captain." "I think steroids. What do you think?" Robin asked. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I watched it with Greg, you know." "Haven't you told the coach?" "I really can't. The team dynamics are pretty much a mess right now," Cheryl answered. "Besides, I don't have proof." "Well, you could lose games you'd already won if it comes out," Robin warned. "We have almost no chance in the first three games," Cheryl answered. "Before the conference starts, I'll narc for the good of the team." ------- Still feeling very uneasy about his role in 'taking down' Jeremy, Cal had the Laura issue to contend with after Cheryl flew back. He had reluctantly backed up Robin after Cheryl emphatically ordered him to. Robin had outlined her plan, but what had actually happened had gone well beyond what he had expected. In a way, it was a similar problem to what he faced when he broke up Greg's attempted rape of Rebecca. He needed to talk with Ken Yokata. When he arrived at the dojo, Amelia was there, and asked if she could sit in on their talk. Cal could not think of a way to refuse her. Cal started telling the story, beginning with the first suspicions about Jeremy. All along the way, it was Amelia who kept prodding for more and more details, especially about the happenings in the apartment. She would not let him gloss over anything about the torment and humiliation they administered. "Were there times when you almost stepped in to stop things?" Ken asked, surprising Cal. "No. Not really. I was very, very glad that it was not me on that rack. It was hard to watch what was happening to another man. But I did not think he was in an danger of serious or permanent harm. Well, physical harm, anyway." "You mean he might suffer some psychological damage?" Amelia asked. "I don't see how he could come through that and still have the kind of attitude - the presence - that both Darlene and Robin felt so strongly. Both of them, along with one of his subs that was interviewed, talked about an almost magical power that he had." "So you think he might be a less effective predator after last night?" Amelia asked, almost gleefully. Before Cal could answer, she chortled "Think of yourself as the exterminator. You did pest control." She was the only one who laughed at that, but it did ease the tension a little. "Well, it was Robin who actually did the job. I just backed her up and put him out a couple of times." "Cal, it seems we have had this discussion before, haven't we?" Ken said. "I know you have your own standards for measuring right and wrong - we all do. The most important factors in your standard are about protection - protecting those you care about from harm. "What Robin did - what you helped her do - was wrong and risky by any normal standard. The outcome was exactly what you wanted. It fit your standard exactly. I do not want to tell you that your standard is above society's normal one. It is, however, the one that you will always have to live by. It's the way you are made. "Ask yourself if the results meet your standard of fairness. Then ask if there was any gentler, more legal way to achieve those results. Then, get on with your life as you have been trained to do. That experience and your reaction to it will hone your judgment for the future. Console yourself that you have significantly helped several people who are important to you." When Ken had said all that, he broke the mood with a laugh and said "If I had been in your shoes, I think I would have stepped out of sensei mode for a few minutes and caught him out behind the club. I cannot chastise Robin, or you. I hate that kind of man." From the laugh, his expression had gone to one of fury. Amelia instantly engulfed him in a hug. ------- Having learned about what her sister had been doing to her son, Elaine was really worked up. Cal could see that something had to be done. His mother could no longer act naturally toward her sister. "I've even tried to talk to her about Will's running around," Martin said. "She just refuses to even consider breaking up. I don't know if it's pride, or what it is." "Julia thinks it's a form of denial," Cal told his parents. "Has she seen the PI report? She can't deny that." "How do we tell her, 'Oh, by the way, we checked up on your marriage and it stinks'?" Elaine asked bitterly. "Before, I've felt sorry for her. Now, I'm angry." "Mom, we can't afford to have you angry at her. The way she feels about you and Dad, she might go off the deep end if you turned against her." Both Martin and Elaine were silent for a while, then Elaine sighed and said. "I know you're right. But how do I act normal around her when I know what she's doing to you." "Try to do like I've been doing - pretend it hasn't happened. If Julia is right, Laura doesn't even realize that she's doing it," Cal explained. "But doesn't it hurt you?" Elaine asked her son. "It sure does. You know how close we've always been," Cal answered. "I don't know how long I can pretend," Elaine said. "If I hear something like that again, I'm liable to scratch her eyes out." Cal moved over and hugged his mother. "I appreciate your loyalty, Mom, I really do. Just think of Laura as being sick. That will help." "I guess so. Something has to be done, though." "I agree. I need to be the one to do it, but I need proof of him hurting her, first," Cal said. ------- Thursday morning, Darlene got a call from Robin just as she was ready to go to the Banners' to work out. "Ready to go to the club?" Robin asked cheerily. "I... I... can't I wait until you can go with me?" Darlene begged. "Darlene, you have to establish the psychological advantage over Asshole. It's important for you to be there the first day after his days off. You can't let him think there is any lingering fear or submissiveness." "There isn't but... I mean, how do I face him?" Darlene objected. "You face him like he was a naughty child that you just disciplined," Robin said sharply. "Really? But he was..." "That was before Tuesday night, Darlene. He had control over you. Almost over me, too. Now, you have control over him." "I do? I've never..." "Darlene, were you angry at Jeremy?" "Oh, yes! I can't remember being so angry!" "Then, remember that anger. If he tries to push your buttons, remember the anger. If you feel afraid to order him to do something, remember the anger. Believe me, I know it works," Robin assured her. "I don't know if I could order him," Darlene said. "I've never... I mean, he's a man, and..." 'Oh, God', Robin thought. That poor woman. There's still so far for her to go. "Here's how the first day will go, Darlene. Just do exactly these things, and everything will be fine. First..." Robin went over the half-dozen specific things several times until Darlene almost sounded confident. He had had a whole day to recover, but Jeremy was still nervous when he showed up for work early Thursday morning. Sarah, no, Robin, had said that everything would be secret, but still... If any of those pictures got out, he could never live it down. Shortly after eight o'clock, Jeremy almost fainted when he saw Darlene walk in. Worst of all, she looked him straight in the eye and SMILED at him. There was a young man, her son?, with Darelene, and she was signing him in as a guest. She then walked right up to jeremy. It made him feel better that she seemed nervous, but she said "Are you ready for me now, Jeremy?" Her nervousness gave his battered confidence a little boost, and he had a fleeting thought that maybe he could get his own revenge. Then, he looked over Darlene's shoulder and saw the young man standing with arms crossed and feet slightly spread, smirking at him. Kenji! Or whoever. The confidence that had poked it's head out dove back to safety in a hurry. To Jeremy, it seemed like the longest session he had ever conducted. Kenji obviously did not need a trainer, and Jeremy felt his stomach sink when he occasionally glanced over and saw the weights that Kenji was moving. Later, it almost put Jeremy in a trance when Kenji went through his intricate martial arts drills. He could not avoid a sigh of relief when Darlene finished the last set. His relief dissolved into despair when she told him "I'll want a massage after my swim, Jeremy. I'll be in an empty room waiting for you in exactly forty minutes. See you then." She had said that with hardly any quaver in her voice. Realizing how difficult it would be for Darlene to face Jeremy, Robin had scripted the big psychological shots for when she was face-down on the massage table. She was in the shorts and baggy tee that Julia had recommended, and he was there right on time. "Do my legs, too, Jeremy," was all she said as she laid on the table. It did her a world of good to notice a little uncertainty in his touch. He had just moved to her feet when she asked "Did the semen stains come out of the carpet OK?" According to the script, that was all she was to say for the first 'shot'. The total break in his stroke could not be missed. She felt a little thrill that she had caused such a response. When he was about at her knees, she said conversationally "Oh, Narita got the pictures back already. We went over them last night. She really is very professional, you know." This time, she was expecting a response, and she was not disappointed. She could do this! She felt a confidence that she had never had before in the presence of any man. A minute later, her voice a good approximation of catty, she told him "I'm having lunch with Crosby today." That was a lie, but an extremely effective one. Crosby was the abandoned husband of one of Jeremy's subs. "Did you know that he never divorced her? Isn't that something?" she asked, doing a good job of faking amazement. "Now, that's real love." Not having to look at him made her more bold than she could ever have imagined. Robin was a genius! There was no stated connection between the pictures and Crosby, but he could not avoid relating them in his mind. He read it as in implied threat to give Crosby the pictures. She was feeling powerful when she got off of the table. She had told Robin that she could never do the suggested next move, but now, she thought she could. As a standard procedure, the masseur faced toward the table and an adjacent cabinet after the session. Cleaning up and storing all of the oils, towels, etc., was a smooth way to allow the customer some privacy to dress behind him, if necessary. Approaching him from behind, she first froze, thinking that she was crazy - Robin's idea was crazy! Then she remembered her anger, then the feeling of power she had just felt. "So, you had to wear sweats instead of shorts today, huh? Let's see how bad it is," she said. With shaking hands, she yanked down his sweats, pushing them all the way to his ankles. "Ooooh! We left some nice ones, didn't we?" He was too tender for a jock strap or underwear, so the sweats were all he wore that morning. The site of his bare ass first stunned her, then gave her a rush of adrenalin. Darlene had never felt so strong and alive in her life. She saw Jeremy looking toward the window of the room almost in a panic. For all of his dominance, he was afraid of the supervisor, a woman. Knowing that Cal was there to intercept and engage the supervisor in conversation made Darlene even bolder. As Jeremy frantically reached down to pull his sweats up, his bare ass pointed at her, she put her foot between his, holding down the sweats that were puddled between his feet. That move was completely spontaneous and unplanned. Her next move was even more impromptu. "I want to start working here next week. Set it up," she told him. "But I don't... I can't..." "Just make sure you do it. I will fill out the application Monday morning. As soon as I start working here, you won't have to be around me any more." Before he could get a further protest out past his astonishment and embarrassment, she had waltzed out the door. She had seen other women make such moves in movies and on TV, but she had never done anything like it herself. She had a sudden wish that Hal would be home and in need of relief. By the time she had showered and met Cal at the entrance, Darlene was even more keyed up, if anything, and Cal could see it. While still inside the club, she walked beside him normally. Cal had the feeling, though, that she was about to pounce. In the parking lot, she looked around to make sure no one could see her, and she did indeed pounce. She hugged him with an intensity that reminded him of Cheryl. He had given her a ride, and as they drove, he could barely keep from laughing at her inability to sit still. "OK, Darlene. Tell me about it." During the recounting, some of her old shyness and reticence reappeared, but Cal was having none of it. He made her say every word and describe every action in detail. The look she gave him as she left the truck reminded him of Cheryl, just before one of her sexual fits. ------- "The club?" Julia asked in surprise after Darlene told her that she had been there that morning. "Is that safe for you? What about Jeremy?" "He isn't a problem any more," Darlene assured Julia. "He can't influence me any more. In fact, I can pretty much boss him around, now." "That's interesting," Julia said, hugely understating her reaction in her best professional manner. "I'd like to hear how that happened." "You, uh, have to report crimes if you hear about them, don't you?" Darlene asked, her uncertainty showing. "Only certain specific ones. You committed a crime to get free of Jeremy? If you killed him, forget the whole subject. Otherwise, I want to hear about it." "Well, I'll be damned!" Julia exclaimed upon hearing the tale, professionalism shelved for the moment. "I'll be damned! I need to talk to Robin." "She's, uh, out of town. With a guy she met," Darlene said, giving Julia only enough to increase her surprise. "Uh, Darlene, you need to tell me more about Robin and this guy," Julia said. Darlene described how Bud came into the picture and what little she knew about him. "I'll be damned!" Julia said again. Then, blushing, she told Darlene "I guess I already said that, didn't I? Looks like I may be losing a couple of patients, then." "Oh, no!" Darlene said quickly. "Not me, at least. Dr... Julia, every day, I'm finding out more about what I'm missing in my life. I see the affection that Cheryl and Elaine and the others are getting, and I just want it so badly!" "And the sex. You want that, too, don't you?" Julia asked softly. Darlene just looked at her with moist eyes. "I respect my marriage vows. I have to try to get more from Hal. I can't cheat." "I didn't think you could. So you want my help getting more from Hal?" Julia asked. "There's no one else that can help me. I'm too embarrassed to ask Cheryl, and she's not here. I'll bet Robin will be gone, too," Darlene lamented. "I've been going over to Cal's house to work out - you knew that," Darlene said thoughtfully. "Everything just feels so... so different. And I don't mean the money. Elaine, she is... I don't know... content?" "Do I seem content to you?" Julia asked, wanting to steer the subject a bit. "Well, you're the doctor," Darlene answered. "You've got it all together." "Oh, that such were always true," Julia mused aloud. "I haven't met Elaine Banner, but I think what you are seeing is a woman who is a true partner with her husband. Please don't be offended, Darlene, but you are not a partner with Hal, are you?" "Well, I... I'm not sure what you mean." "There are lots of areas where Hal does not let you have any say, and you have never really tried to exert any influence in those areas." "I'm getting a job!" Darlene blurted out. "I told Jeremy to see that I started at the club next week." "Can he do that?" "He'd better!" Darlene declared in total seriousness. Julia recovered quickly from still another surprise and said "You realize that is going to cause a major battle with Hal, don't you?" "I've been thinking about that," Darlene said with a nod. "I think it's a good first battle. It's not saying anything bad about him personally. We both know I don't need the job. I just want it. I just can't come right out and tell him to learn how to be a lover or I'll find somehow else," Darlene declared to Julia's complete shock. "You have changed more in one week than I would have believed possible, Darlene. What happened?" "That night at Jeremy's - I could only watch, at first. I was afraid to touch him, and almost afraid to look. I saw Robin and Cheryl and all those young girls, and most of them knew so much more than I did. It made me feel small at first. Then it made me angry. "Cheryl made me abuse him, you know, to make him, uh, ejaculate. I felt dirty and guilty at first, worrying about Hal, and cheating. Do you know? I was really afraid of his... his penis. Isn't that incredible? "I can't believe how smart my daughter is. She must have known just what I needed. By the time I made him... shoot, it felt like his... his genitals were just a control stick. Today, at the club, I had to see if I was still afraid of him at all. I wasn't. "I didn't sleep at all that night, just thinking about a lot of things. I decided it was all right for me to have pride. I'm proud of the changes in my body, and that's why I want a job at the club. It's like... like a place that I have won something. Maybe Hal is a little like Jeremy. Maybe I have to get over some fear of my own husband. Does that sound ridiculous?" "Not at all. Not at all," Julia assured her patient. "That is something I have been trying to steer you toward. It looks like Robin's revenge night did more than lots of my sessions could do," Julia admitted. "Without your help, I might be kneeling naked in front of Jeremy right now," Darlene stated. "Tell me," Julia said, "are you still afraid of Hal's cock?" "Oh, I was never... ohhhhh!" "Darlene, we need to be honest about your marriage. You can't say that there is love between you and Hal, can you? At least not the way you see it between Elaine and Martin, or Cheryl and Cal." Darlene just stared at her in shock and dismay. As Darlene was about to respond, Julia held up her hand. "I'm not saying that as a criticism. It is just a fact. Your marriage has faithfulness, loyalty, and some level of respect, especially on your part. What is the one thing that is missing that you need the most right now?" "Well, uh, um, tenderness? Uh, affection?" "Those things would be wonderful, and every marriage should have more of them. But what you need badly, Darlene, is sex, pure and simple. You're almost constantly horny." "But he doesn't always want to, and it doesn't make me... I don't..." "Yes, I know. We've talked about those problems. Darlene, it has taken many months, but you have changed your body into one that a twenty-five-year-old could envy. Progress may have seemed slow, but look where you are. "It may take a frustratingly long time, but you need to start working on your sex life, just like you did your muscle tone. You made one critical discovery at Jeremy's house. That fascinating thing between men's legs is a control device. Hal's is a control device. You need to start using it to make sex with your husband satisfying enough so you can continue in your marriage." "But I would never think of breaking up..." "Yes, you would, Darlene. You are in discovery mode, now. Everything in your life is changing - for the better. If your sex life does not keep up, it will become a point of dissatisfaction. You will lose what respect you have for Hal. Do you know how fast even love can turn to hatred and loathing? We both know that you do not have strong love for Hal. How fragile is that?" "I never, ever thought about not being with Hal," Darlene protested. "Not yet. You are rapidly outgrowing him. Believe me. I have seen it many times. You do not want it to happen, but you are on that path." The next several minutes were very embarrassing for Darlene, as Julia began coaching her on some very specific, very intimate things she needed to start doing. ------- The next afternoon when Cal got home from practice, Martin was already there and called him into the study. "I'm told this is the best stuff you can get. The way Laura's property is set up, you could set up a blind in the back. Maybe you could get lucky." Laid out on Martin's desk was a high-magnification, light-optimizing telephoto lens. Beside it was a broadcast-quality video camera. "You want me to sit in back of their house and spy on them?" Cal asked incredulously. "I know it's a lot to ask, and I know it's a long shot. I could get the PI to do it, I guess," Martin answered. That made Cal feel guilty. After everything his father had done for him over the summer, here was a chance to pay back a little. "This is really important to you, isn't it, Dad?" "Yeah, it is. Your mother was really holding it all in when we talked last night. She is a mess over this whole business. Because of how Laura feels about me, I have to pretty much stay out of it." "Ah. So you know, huh? I thought so," Cal said. "I'll see if I can get the blind set up tonight. Is there any way we can get a fix on when Will is going to be home?" "I'll see if your mother can be more nosy about that," Martin answered, his relief obvious. ------- By the weekend, Cal had a blind set up in the dense thicket behind Laura and Will's house. Their property was one of the prime sites in the development. It backed onto a fairway, but the house was set back quite a ways, and the thicket was old growth from before the course was built. He knew that Will would be gone for the weekend, but he spent two hours in position Saturday night, just to get the feel of it. He felt very uncomfortable spying on his aunt, but he agreed with his dad that something had to be done. Just like his parents' home, both the family room and the master suite opened onto the deck and pool through patio doors. Because of the complete seclusion, neither set of drapes was apparently used. That made spying almost too easy. Taking pictures through the patio doors, however, was not that simple. There was some small risk of theft, but Cal and Martin had decided that it was best to leave the cameras there, covered and camouflaged. When Laura walked naked from the shower into the bedroom area, Cal felt uncomfortable rather than aroused, and he went back home via the dark, empty fairway. School started in one more week. Cal was willing to put in lots of hours waiting for pictures that would prove Will's abuse. He just hoped that he would not have to study by a dim light in the thicket once school started. ------- Part of the reason Bud mustered out was to join his dad in the business of factory rep for several lines of industrial supplies. He was concerned about his ability to sell, but he knew that he had strong administrative talent. The business needed both, and it had grown beyond what his dad could reasonably handle alone. For an officer to leave the military before twenty years was quite a step, particularly after having stayed in for twelve. Another of Bud's reasons was the general decline of the military since Desert Storm. It seemed that nothing had been replaced. Worse yet, the services were top-heavy with officers, and boredom had become his worst job. The logjam for promotion did not help, either. On top of everything else, being on duty had become a constant reminder of the marriage that he had lost. Despite his ex-wife's adultery and abandonment, he felt that his choice of career was at fault. His deployment to Desert Shield seemed to have been the last straw for his ex. The divorce was all handled remotely. His father had paid for evidence of her infidelity, so he was able to sue on grounds of adultery. He was not hurt financially, but emotionally was a different story. Later, being able to bomb the hell out of the hapless Iraqis helped his sanity, but the hurt did not go away. His mother had steered him into the relationship with his wife, but he had truly fallen in love. He was one of those guys that treasured permanence, and he had looked forward to a life with his bride. Because of the guilt he knew that his mother carried, he wanted to find another relationship for her sake, but he would not even think of it while still in the Navy. He had been out and home for barely three months, just enough time to update all of his pilot's licenses. The plane actually belonged to the company, but since it was a private corporation with his father the sole owner, the effect was the same. Now, he had met Robin, and all of his cautions and defenses crumbled when she stood half-dressed before him at the Banners', barely able to say hello. When Cheryl had told him what she was flying home for, he had thought that Robin must be some kind of woman. With no description given, her athletic beauty caught him completely unprepared. From there on, their introduction had to be about the strangest on record. She had apparently used up all of her emotional reserves avenging her friend. His one heartfelt compliment just blew her up emotionally. Rather than repel him, her frantic clinging to him as she wept got right to his heart. Within minutes, the most important thing in the world was protecting the courageous but fragile and wounded woman in his arms. The fact that she chose to open up so much to him further cemented his feelings. The instant trust she displayed as she sat on his lap in the skimpiest of clothes was beyond anything in his experience. Somehow, Robin had gained his mother's approval. Not that that would have stopped him, but he cared for his mother and wanted to heal her hurt from his failed marriage. As far as he was concerned, he was ready to start over with a new love. He could only hope that she was at the same place. ------- Robin did not know just what place she was at, and she was afraid to be where her heart so badly wanted to be. Thursday evening, Robin just had to talk to Julia, so she called the emergency service, identified herself, and left a number. Julia was more than willing to surrender some evening time. Her earlier session with Darlene had left so many questions and concerns. "After all the years of anger and hatred, you're not sure just what you're feeling, and it scares you to death, right?" Julia asked. Robin let out a breath that was audible over the phone. "Am I that obvious?" "This is not the first time we've talked about this, you know," Julia chided her. "So, what do I do about Bud?" Robin asked. "You already slept with him, right?" "Y... yeah. Well, just slept, actually." "I see. Was it nice?" "Very nice, but I'm sure it was frustrating for him." "But not for you?" Julia teased. "The poor man! All I've done is cling to him and cry on him. How could he ever want me?" Robin asked, almost in tears. "Maybe he understands what you're going through," Julia suggested. "Well, he took a tough shot, too." Robin explained Bud's history briefly. "Are you anxious to spend the night with him again?" "Only every night," Robin admitted. "But I don't want to hurt him." "Why not?" "Well, that should be obvious. I mean, why would I want to?" "Is it because you love him?" "Julia, you know I've never really been in love. How do I know if I am?" "What does Cheryl think?" "She thinks I should marry him before he gets away." "Tell me the negatives you've discovered about him," Julia said. "Well, he... uh... that's a dirty trick." Robin's pout could almost be heard over the phone. "Robin, I think the only negative in this possible relationship is your fear. How was it, cuddling all night with him?" "You'll make me cry just talking about it," Robin said. "He was so gentle and caring! I almost... almost forgot the rape." "Robin, I hate to tell my patients what to do in a situation like yours, but I'm going to do for you what you did for Darlene. You need to have sex with him. It sounds like there would never be anyone better to get you past that terrifying last time. And you have to promise me that if it is difficult for you, that you will try it at least five more times." "In one night?" "That's not what I meant. Robin, we've done everything about your fear that talking can do. You have the perfect opportunity to blow your fear away with action. "After you discover that sex is so good that you can't get enough of it, you either get him to move here, or you find a job there. Do not separate for more than a few days. I believe he is the one who can finally put your fear and your rage to rest. I can't do it, and you can't do it by yourself. "You did a stupid but courageous thing to give Darlene a chance to be normal. I want you to be normal, too. Be with Bud unless and until you both see a reason that it won't work. Give it every possible chance. That's my recommendation. Do I need to make that an order?" "N... no. I... thanks." They talked for a while longer, and when they hung up, Robin called Bud immediately. She had told him that she wanted to be alone that night to think about things. That was not what she wanted any more. He never did. ------- Thursday supper just seemed strange to Hal. It was delicious, as it almost always was, but that was not what had him slightly off-center. The big thing was the way Darlene was dressed. It was as if she had raided Shelley's closet, except that she had never let Shelley dress that way. Until tonight. Mother and daughter both had on brief shorts and tops that showed a lot of midriff skin. Shelley looked radiant and excited. Darlene looked... tense. He would have to talk to Darlene alone, later. This deviation from her normal dress patterns needed to be addressed. He could not help wondering if it was somehow related to that health club Cheryl had gotten her into. Actually, he had been going to talk to her for quite a while, but just had not gotten around to it. The number of times he had had to correct or chastise his wife was few, and he had hated every one of them. With few exceptions, she never resisted, but still... The times when they had had legitimate disagreements usually involved Cheryl, and this whole health club thing was Cheryl's doing. Hal never had to start his talk with his wife because she absolutely blew him away a little later with "I'll be starting a job at the health club sometime in the next week or so." It was close to Hal's normal early bedtime, and they were in the family room, with both kids in their rooms studying. He could not know that she had instructed them to stay in their rooms with their doors closed. Of all of the things Darlene might have started a conversation about, that was not on his list of possibilities. She had not earned a penny during their married life, and that was how he expected things to stay. "But I want you home where you can take care of the house and the kids, like you always have!" he blurted out. This was her first test, and she was far more nervous than when she was throwing barbs at Jeremy from the massage table earlier that day. Falling back on how Julia had instructed her, she managed to keep her voice steady as she told him "The kids do not need all of my time any more. In fact, they take care of a lot of the housekeeping. I won't work hours that interfere with your meals. You will hardly know that I've left the house." "I don't want my wife working. We don't need the money. I don't understand why you would want to," Hal said. "I love working out, and I am good at it. It's something I can do better than most people," she answered. That began a long back-and-forth session with each of them returning to the same arguments over and over. As Julia had carefully coached her, Darlene kept her tone matter-of-fact and she did not raise her voice. She was surprised at how hard she had to work to do that. Rarely had she ever wanted to raise her voice to her husband. Now, though, after about twenty minutes, she wanted to grab him by the neck and shake him. She kept telling her herself that Julia knew Hal and that she knew what she was doing. Sooner or later it would work. When the first sign of pleading crept into Hal's voice, Darlene could hardly restrain herself from celebrating. Julia had been right, at least on the first stage. And then, after several more minutes, the whining started, and she knew that she had won. As Julia had emphasized over and over, this was the most critical time of all. Darlene had indeed won, but that must not be the way that Hal saw it. He had to feel magnanimous and he must be rewarded. Darlene was chagrined at how hard the reward part seemed right then. Her level of respect for her husband was at an all-time low, and her own arousal was non-existent, but she could not let him know that. Julia's advice was to just pick the best time and declare victory. Act like he had just given permission. Then, show him her gratitude like never before. She had been sitting on the couch, across from his usual recliner. Leaping to her feet, she dashed to him and sat right on his lap, a completely unprecedented move. Feeling like a virgin teen and dismayed that the feeling was all too real, she kissed him soundly and repeatedly, murmuring her thanks for letting her take the job. Feeling awkward and inept, she alternated wriggling her bottom on his lap and pressing her breasts against his chest. If it felt strange to her, it left him totally nonplussed. He did return the kisses, but his hands never left the arms of the chair. Instead of being discouraged and intimidated by his lack of response, Darlene took it as a challenge. She also found that in spite of everything, it was exciting her. Feeling no swelling under her bottom, she reached down and stroked him as she pressed her breasts into him. Believe it or not, he actually recoiled a little at first, but he did not push her away, and before long, she felt the desired response begin. Almost reluctantly, she pulled back from him and took off her top. She wore no bra. Before he could say anything, she was back rubbing his crotch with her hand and pushing her nipple right into his mouth. She could have been crushed by his response, but Julia had worked very hard to prevent that. "Darlene, what are you doing? What if the kids see you?" "If you're worried about the kids, you'd better take me to bed right now. Otherwise, we'll be making love right in that chair." She stopped rubbing him and undid his belt and zipper to verify her threat. When she reached into his shorts, he grabbed her wrists and protested again. This time, she stood and shed her shorts and panties, causing him to gasp, too flustered for words. When she stood naked and bent over him, shaking inside, she playfully pushed his hands away when he tried again to grab her wrists. This time, she got the front of his shorts down far enough to expose his erection before he reacted. He got out of the chair, holding his pants up with one hand, and headed for the stairs. Finding the move almost instinctive, she hurried ahead of him, turning to face him repeatedly, but keeping just out of reach. He made no move toward her, but he did continue toward the bedroom, and the swelling in his shorts did not recede. Passing the childrens' rooms on the way to the master suite, Darlene turned around once and saw two faces peaking through the crack of Matt's slightly opened door. She managed not to stumble, and the resulting massive blush probably spurred Hal on. The intercourse that followed was no different than usual, but Julia had warned her to expect that. For once, she had caused sex to occur, and that was enough victory for one night. She could barely wait for him to fall asleep before she attacked her pussy. ------- Chapter 38 After she called Bud, Robin searched frantically through Cheryl's closet for something to wear. It was useless. Not that Cheryl didn't have clothes, but Robin could not think of what would look right. Actually, she could hardly think at all, and she ended up not changing anything. When he rang the bell, she opened it, but she could not look up at him. He had a good idea what she was going through, and he realized how careful he had to be not to do anything that would cause her to regress. ------- The previous night, he had been sure that she had gone to bed fully intending to have sex with him. Once in bed, though, she had been almost shaking with fear. It had taken a lot of talking to convince her that he would be happy just to have her sleep by him. Eventually, she was able to talk to him, and it went on for over an hour. Part way through, he took her hand, but other than that, he waited to see if she would make a move. When he was telling her again about discovering his ex's infidelity while he was in the Middle East, his voice caught at one point. Instantly, she was pressed against him, saying comforting words. She never moved back away from him. To both of them, the night had been tender and loving, and their relationship grew stronger. However, both of them wished that they would have taken the final step. She just could not do it, and he knew that putting any pressure on her could undo everything. ------- Julia's pep talk and instructions had given Robin an extra boost of courage, but one thing Julia said had hit her particularly hard. Robin had tried to help Darlene become 'normal', and Julia was trying to help Robin be 'normal'. Normal women show their love for their men with their bodies. Robin knew that. She knew that she had been wounded and angry ever since the attack, but somehow, the inference that she was not normal frightened her. She did not want to be a freak. She could not let that bastard do that to her any longer. Bud stepped up to her and wrapped his arms loosely around her. She still did not look up at him, and he just waited, not even stroking her back. It was over a minute before she raised her face up to look at him. "My shrink says I have to give it at least six tries," she said, to his complete confusion. "Huh?" Suddenly, she was was acutely embarrassed. "Oh, shit, I... I..." The word 'normal' flashed through her mind again, and with an effort of will, she squared her shoulders. "Sex. She said even if it was tough the first time, I had to try five times more. Will you risk that, Bud? I can't promise how it will go." "Robin, you have to tell me why you want to do this," he said. "I want to be normal. I want to enjoy what other women do," she told him. "But why now, after all these years?" She realized that she had almost made a bad mistake. "It's because of you Bud. I want to be with you, and I can't until..." She did not get to finish because her mouth was suddenly covered by his. He had never been a dominant, demanding lover, but this was a totally different situation. Robin did not have the confidence to do it on her own. He sensed that she wanted it so badly that she would go along if he took a strong lead. It was certainly not typical for her, but he had to try. "Do you trust me?" he asked, pulling back from the kiss. She nodded, and he went on "Just for tonight, let me take complete control. Will you do that? I promise I won't hurt you. This is as important to me as it is to you, Robin. I want to be with you, too." Her only response was to sag limply against him, tears soaking silently into his shirt and arms in a death grip around him. To her surprise and concern, he released his hold on her, only keeping ahold of her hand. He led her to the phone, and his intention soon became clear. Calling one of the premier hotels in town, her managed to find a luxury suite that was available, and booked it. When he started to lead her out of the apartment, she pulled back, saying "Bud, I have to pack some things!" "No. We are going just the way we are. They will have anything that we absolutely need." As romantic as that idea may have been, there was no way even a love-struck woman would agree to that. Robin pulled free from him, dashed to the bathroom, and came back in a few seconds with her cosmetic case that had never really been unpacked. By the time they got to the car, she was holding his hand in both of hers and giggling like a teenager. Entering the hotel was a jolt to Robin's confidence. They were both in shorts, tees, and sandals. "Bud, we can't go in like this! Look how all these people are dressed," she hissed at him. He pulled out his wallet, extracted his credit card, and waved it at her with a chuckle. "This is all they really care about, you know." The blows to her confidence weren't over. When she walked into the suite, she froze, and it wasn't from the opulence of the place. When Bud saw her reaction, his first instinct was to comfort and reassure her. Tonight, though, his role had to be different. He had to supply whatever willpower she was lacking. It was clear that she wanted to make love, and he did not think that she would resist anything that he asked her do to. She just was not able to take the initiative herself. Putting his arm around her and talking calmly, he led her around the suite, commenting on everything that they saw. He left the bathroom until last, and it was as luxurious as he had hoped. As soon as they walked into it, he started the sunken tub filling - the first big test. When she looked up at him, he wondered how a tough professional women capable of what she had done for Darlene could look so much like an uncertain little girl on the verge of tears. "I can't wait to see and touch all of your body, Robin. The way you were dressed the other night; and then holding you close last night - I won't frighten you, I promise. I will make it good for you." Saying that, he was about leave so she could undress, but he thought better of it. Quickly shedding his own clothes, he was somewhat embarrassed but not surprised at his semi-aroused condition. He reasoned that when he undressed her, it would be less frightening if he was already naked. His partial erection turned out to be a good thing. Her eyes locked on it, and when he lifted her shirt, she almost unconsciously raised her arms. As he pulled it over her head, the little girl look was there again with a bit more fear. "You believe me, don't you, Darling? I only want it to be good for you." Perhaps it was his impromptu use of 'Darling', but something changed most of the fear to wonder and anticipation. When he pulled down her shorts, she was able to step out of them. He had gotten on his knees and he stayed there to take her sandals off. Just as he was about to pull down her panties, he remembered a little negative remark he had made about her breast size. Standing up, he looked at her bra and moved behind her to unclasp it. Taking a chance, he slid his hands around to her tummy and moved them up smoothly until they cupped her breasts. "Do you have any idea how much I love your body, Robin?" He punctuated the question with a kiss below her ear. His wife had been voluptuous, and the feel of her generous curves under his hands and pressed against him had always aroused him. But ever since meeting Robin, he had been fascinated by her tautness, her smooth skin, and the look of strength in everything she did. He was quickly realizing just how sexy strength could be. He was on a role. That had been exactly the right move. Without dislodging his hands, she pushed her panties down until she was able to shake them to the floor and step out of them. "Do you have to use the toilet?" He asked softly in her ear. "Do you want me to step out?" She still had not said anything since entering the suite. She turned, took his hand, walked over to the tub, and daintily tested the temperature with her foot. When she looked back at him, there was no longer anything partial about his condition. Her nonchalant little move had been graceful and sexy, and he was already stimulated from undressing her and caressing her. Still holding his hand, she stepped into the tub and waited for him to follow. He had thought to sit behind her, but she wanted full view of and full access to his cock. Pleased that she was entering in so willingly, he still wanted to keep leading her along. Finding the soap on the edge of the tub, he opened it and reached for a washrag. "No, Bud. Just use your hands. Please," were her first words in the suite. That was a request he was delighted to fulfill. He started first with her neck, leaving her to do her face herself. He did her arms and her torso, down to the water line. They were sitting with her legs up over his, so her feet and legs got the next attention. If she was still skittish, his next move could spook her. He did not think it would be a problem and he went ahead. Moving as close as he could get, he reached around and washed her back. His cock was almost touching her, and it was the biggest thrill in a long time when he felt her hand wrap softly around it. He did not try to stifle the moan of pleasure that escaped him. "Get up on your knees, Robin," he told her softly. When she rose up, her knees were naturally outside of his, spreading her crotch open for his attention. He spent a long, gentle time on her bottom and the backs of her thighs. She leaned forward with her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. When he first ran his soapy hand down her crack from behind, she moaned and brought her face around to kiss him. As he washed her pussy, the kiss became more intense and was accompanied by little squeaks and moans. He thought she was working up strongly and he wanted to get her off, but he was not sure what the effect would be. "Should I make you come, Sweetheart?" he managed to ask around the kiss. "Oh, God, yes!" she said into his mouth. That was the point when Bud knew that she was going to be fine and that he would really have her as his life partner. Just the simple act of masturbating her with his hand in that strange position eclipsed all of his other sexual experiences because of its emotional impact. Her orgasm was no gentle warm-up climax, and she collapsed in his arms, still trembling. The tub had continued to fill and he moved back and laid her down in the warm water to prevent a chill. Her head was on his leg and she moved her face over to brush her cheek against his rigidity. Still a bit breathless, she said "We need to take the edge off for you." He made sure that she stayed where she was until she was breathing normally. Then, she did indeed take the edge off for him, after which she washed him just as lovingly as he had done for her. The actual intercourse was by no means anticlimactic, but the suspense had been played out. They both knew that she was going to be fine. He had her on top for the first time. He was good-sized, and she had not been stretched in a long time. With patience and her copious flow, she took him all the way with no real pain. It was almost a cliche, but she was soon asking him when he would be ready again. They ate room service food in the robes provided by the hotel, and they talked and talked. When he was adequately restored, they made love again before falling asleep. ------- Both of them woke early and they enjoyed another coupling before getting up and showering. It was still quite early, but they both had the same wish. They had breakfast at his parents', where his mother tried laughing and crying at the same time all the time that she served. Robin was a bit embarrassed that they knew about the love-making, but their unabashed joy for their son finding a knew love was the overriding emotion. Robin insisted on visiting the athletic department on campus, and Bud was happy to accompany her. By the time they went to watch Cheryl practice, Robin had a tentative offer as assistant softball coach, and a very strong possibility of becoming a rehab specialist on the athletic training staff. Her potential jobs did not resolve the question of where they would live, but it was agreed that they would be together, even if it took a while to work out. ------- Friday night, Laura came over for dinner and a swim after Will had left for yet another weekend away. Both Elaine and Cal did a good job of acting naturally around her. When she arrived, she looked a bit down, probably from a nasty scene at Will's departure. Little by little, she loosened up to become her normal self. Since she wore her usual barely-existent bikini, she certainly looked like her normal self. The strange thing was that she did not make any nasty remarks to Cal when she seemed down. It was while they were relaxing after dinner and a swim that it happened. Cal had gone into the kitchen, and for some reason, she went in also. Passing him, she quipped "Has Cheryl found herself a stud, yet, now that she's free of you?" For the whole year that she had been throwing these barbs at him, he had never let her see any negative reaction. Perhaps it was the fact that he and his parents had talked about it, or perhaps because of how much he missed Cheryl. Whatever the reason. His jaw tightened and anger flashed across his face before he could get control of himself. Laura was looking right at him. He saw her face register confusion for just a moment. Then, it was if she lost all expression, and she shook her head slightly. A couple of seconds later, she walked off toward wherever she had been headed, acting as if nothing at all had happened. Cal may have gotten control while still facing Laura, but it must have slipped as he walked back out to the patio. "That bitch! She did it again, didn't she?" Elaine demanded. She seemed headed after her sister, but Cal caught her and held her tight. "Mom, you know we have to play this out. We're not ready yet. Compose yourself before she comes back out. Please! I'm OK." Laura spent several hours on both Saturday and Sunday at the Banner house, and there were three more 'incidents'. The frequency was increasing, perhaps as her anger with Will or her fear of him increased. ------- Cal was in the blind late Sunday afternoon when Will returned, and it was an extremely frustrating outing. The argument between Laura and Will started almost as soon as he got in the house, and it ended with him hitting her hard on the back a few times. From the way that she winced, Cal knew that it hurt her. Cal's frustration came from his inability to get any kind of picture because of the way the light reflected from the patio doors. Laura was very tanned, and perhaps that disguised the bruises that must be on her back if his blows were a regular occurrence. Cal had a thought that he was thankful it wasn't her face or her chest, but that was not at all comforting. Cal stayed in the blind until late that night. He had brought a book and a light, some snacks, and water. He told himself that from then on, he would bring his cell phone and pay the price of the long-distance cell calls to talk with Cheryl while he waited. It was as hard watching Laura and Will have sex in the dim light of a small lamp as it was watching him hit her. He knew that he should have left, since there was no way he could get a picture in that light if Will did abuse her again. If he was going to help her, though, he needed to know what things were like between them. What he saw that night made him ashamed to be the same sex as Will. No man should treat his wife that way. ------- The summer's strenuous conditioning had helped Cal a lot. He was probably as heavy as he would ever be while in shape, but his strength had increased noticeably, and he was almost a second faster in the forty-yard. At football practice, there was no Vick to open the way for his blitzes, but the defensive line overall was very good. The previous year, the character of the offense had changed after the loss of Brad and Greg. This year, the coach decided to take advantage of Cal's talents and make the blitz a regular part of the defense. Because of the increased contact, there was always more chance of an injury to Cal, but the coach decided it was a worthwhile risk. The incoming freshman kicker showed real talent, and he could take over in the worst case. It made Cal feel good to know that it was not just his kicking that got him on the team. He had practiced his kicking diligently over the summer, and he did enjoy it. He was just finding that the strategy and the contact of defensive football really appealed to him. His senior year looked to Cal like it could be one of the least stressful times of his life. Of course, Cheryl was away, and that was stressful, but it was not really a negative thing. The only looming conflict was with Laura. Clearing the last obstacle to a peaceful year made it all the more important that he resolve the Laura situation quickly. ------- "What are you going to do to Laura when you're ready?" Elaine asked one evening when Cal and his parents were relaxing after supper. "Do you really want to know?" "Well, yes. I mean, I don't think you would do anything really bad, but I was wondering..." "One thing you have to accomplish," Martin said, "is to convince her to divorce Will. That won't be easy." "I have a personal goal, too," Cal said. "I'm going to convince her that all of her nasty remarks about me were wrong." "But she was always knocking your, um, your... sexual abilities," Elaine protested hesitantly. "That's right, she was," Cal agreed. "Then how can you... ?" Elaine was looking at Cal's face and she just gasped. "No, you couldn't... !" "You can't be thinking of doing anything sexual with your aunt," Martin cautioned. "Listen, Mom and Dad. Do you really want to know what I do with Laura, or will you just trust me with the situation? I know she needs to get out of her marriage, and I want to help with that. But you have to understand, the main reason I'm doing this is because her crap has hurt me a lot more than you realize." Cal paused a moment to compose himself before he continued. "I'm sorry, but I want some revenge, and I want to humiliate her a little. I think I will have to do that to get her attention. But even after everything, I do love Laura. Most of all, I want to show her that she's wrong about me - that I know how to treat a woman." "But you can't have sex with your aunt!" Elaine objected. "I would never have intercourse with her," Cal assured them. "That, uh, still leaves a lot that you could do," Martin said. "I don't think Laura knows about those other things," Cal proclaimed. "She's a married woman!" Elaine said. "Of course she know about them." Cal took a deep breath and let it out. "We need to decide how much you want know about this and be involved. It might be better if you just let me take care of it." "But she's my sister. I want to help her. I want to help you, and I want the two of you to be close again." "Won't it hurt your relationship with her if you know the details?" Cal asked his mother. "Honey, if she doesn't stop hurting you, there won't be any more relationship," Elaine said emphatically. "Well, OK," Cal said with resignation. "I've watched them having sex." "I didn't intend for you to do that!" Martin said in alarm. "I didn't intend to watch, either," Cal assured his father. "I just needed to know what her view of sex was to understand why she said those things. It gave me a better idea how to deal with her." "Are you saying Will isn't any good?" Elaine asked in surprise. "That's not what she tells me." "I, uh, guess everything is open for discussion then, huh?" Cal asked. "Just what does she tell you, Mom?" "Oh, I shouldn't... Hah! I guess I was the one who pushed, wasn't I?" Elaine said with a forced laugh. "She always talks about how he, uh, fills her, and how excited she gets." "That makes sense," Cal said. "All he has going for him is size and energy. They have sex. They don't make love." Martin sat in amazement at the way his seventeen-year-old son was talking. It pleased him that Cal seemed so sophisticated about sex, but he was awfully young. Looking over at his wife, Martin noticed that she was not at all surprised about Cal's sexual awareness. Well, he had been sleeping with Cheryl for a year already. "I've only watched a couple of times," Cal pointed out, "but it was the same drill both times. Just put it in and pound away. No tenderness of any kind." "Oh, poor Laura," Elaine said with some sniffles. "She never let on." "That's probably part of the denial Dr. Waxman talked about," Martin observed. "She probably senses what she's missing and for some reason is taking it out on Cal." "Would you like to watch some night, Mom? I, uh, don't think I could watch with you." "Ohhhh! Maybe you're right. Maybe you had better just do what you need to do, Honey. I'm going to have enough trouble facing her even now, with what you've told me." ------- The last week before the start of school was good for Cal, as far as football was concerned, but frustrating on the Laura front. Will was home every week night, and Cal spent many hours in the blind. He did get one video of Will kicking Laura out by the pool. That one sequence, however, was not nearly enough to prove any pattern. More was needed. He talked to Cheryl from the blind every night. He left when the lights were turned down, not wanting to watch the sad sight of them having sex again. Fortunately, Laura did not come around the Banner house during that week, making it easier on both Cal and his mother. ------- According to team tradition, the initiation of newcomers was set for the Saturday evening before classes started. Cheryl was very nervous about what was going to happen. The one-sided 'feud' between Wanda and her clique and Cheryl and Maddy was no secret to anyone. Cheryl and Maddy tried to ignore the junior trio, but that was not always possible. The coach seemed to be just watching and waiting. From Robin's warning the past spring and from insinuations around the locker room, Cheryl was almost certain that pussy licking was going to be part of the initiation. Before Cal had gone home and she had moved into the athletic dorm, they had talked about it a lot. The problem wasn't that some muff diving was something she could not do. It was definitely not her preference and she had never done it, but if it had been important, she could have endured it. What bothered her was the acknowledgment of Wanda's dominance that it would signify. Cal had encouraged her to resist if it was a matter of principle. He assured her that with what she had learned over the summer, she could handle even multiple attackers. What he asked her next absolutely thrilled her. "If it means you could get hurt, are you still willing to resist?" She knew without him having to say it that her being hurt was the last thing he wanted. The last thing except for her surrendering her independence or her self-respect, that is. His question told her that he treasured her strength. For him, it was a key part of her sexuality. She did not look forward to being hurt, but his endorsement of her right to make that choice strengthened her love for him to another level. His question also settled her course of action at the initiation. Her mind reviewed again the possibilities, and giving in to Wanda was not one of them. Wanda could back down peacefully, and Cheryl would have to put up with a lot of tension for her first two years. That was probably the optimum outcome. If Wanda refused to back off, there would likely be a physical confrontation. Cheryl had rehearsed that scenario in her mind over and over, and had practiced the moves endlessly. She hated to think of hurting the team, and Wanda could be a good player. But if Wanda made any aggressive move, she would be one-legged for most of the season. The second person to touch her would be nursing a dislocated shoulder. Cal had warned her again and again that things would never go just as she practiced them. He had told her over and over to use the more damaging blows to solar plexus, groin, and throat rather than taking any punishment herself. Even though he knew that she had the right to risk injury, he let her know very strongly that he did not want it to happen. He never once suggested backing down. Cheryl had to keep reminding herself that it was not just herself that she would be acting for. She had become very fond of Maddy, who through sheer hard work and determination had stayed on the roster, and Maddy was strongly anti-lesbian. The other freshman was Sharon, who was in some ways a lot like Cheryl. She had won a scholarship, and was very, very talented. She did not have Cheryl's conditioning nor her competitive fire, though, and there was no way she could stand up to Wanda on her own. Cheryl would be happy to have both Maddy and Sharon as close teammates for three years. One other factor kept running through Cheryl's mind. Having Wanda as captain was going to hurt the team. Was there anything Cheryl could do to get Sue, the rightful captain, to replace Wanda? Through the whole three weeks of practice before school started, the initiation had been on Cheryl's mind. It had not hurt her play, and in fact, as she learned more about the psychological makeup of the team, it made her play even harder and better as the younger players scrimmaged against the starters. Eventually, the initiation party arrived. Cheryl still held out some hope that all of her worry was for nothing, but just the looks from Wanda and her two sidekicks made that hope seem pretty dim. The first hour or so was filled with hazing and pranks that were reminiscent of high school. Cheryl was able to enter in with good humor, even though her mind was on what might happen later. Eventually, it did happen. The three frosh were standing in their bras and panties, surrounded by the rest of the team when Wanda, Chloe, and Bell moved in front of them and dropped their shorts and panties. "Now for the final step in becoming a member of the team," Wanda said. "You will move down the line, spending one minute eating out each of us. If we're not satisfied, you get to do it all over again. Now, down on your knees, worms!" "Stay on your feet," Cheryl snapped at her companions, who were on either side of her. While Wanda had been talking, it had evoked images of Geneieve, as wily and tough an old broad as ever lived. Cheryl had stood her ground against Genevieve Overland again and again. In the end, she had won the woman's respect. Wanda and her crew were nothing but bullies, without Genevieve's true toughness. Cheryl's summer sensei had talked at length about the psychology of bullies and how to deal with them. According to what he had said, Cheryl only had to worry about Wanda. If Wanda backed down at all, the other two would fold. Cheryl's next words were delivered in the same steady, confident voice that had infuriated Genevieve. Her words were backed by the same anger and disdain she had felt those years ago. "Wanda, this is not going to happen. It's a step too far. Now, just drop it." Cheryl could hear gasps from the whole circle around them. Only stunned for a moment, Wanda snarled "Listen here, Bitch. You don't tell me what you will do and what you won't. I'm the captain, and if you want to be on this team, get on your knees and start licking!" Cheryl assumed a nonchalant pose with her arms folded over her chest and was able to adopt an amused expression. "Oh? Has Coach given you roster control? Can you get my scholarship pulled?" Wanda was following the bully script perfectly. She stepped right up to Cheryl and thrust her face down from her six-foot-two height right into Cheryl's. "Do I have to bust you up to keep you in line?" Wanda almost screamed. Not knowing where the inspiration came from, Cheryl adopted a look of disgust, turned her face away, flapped her hand between their faces and said "God, Wanda! Don't you ever brush your teeth?" That generated another gasp and a few titters from the team. Wanda was totally nonplussed for a few seconds before the anger built up. Cheryl saw that Wanda was about to get physical, and this time she initiated the face to face. "Listen, you stupid dyke! You as much as touch me and you'll spend the season watching from the bench! Got that!" This time, there were nothing but gasps from the circle. Wanda again lost seconds before reacting. "Ha! No skinny-assed freshman can hurt me." "Whatsa matter? The 'roids ruined your hearing already?" Cheryl spat out to more gasps from the surrounding crowd. "You can't say that to me! That's bullshit!" Wanda screamed. "Well, bring it on and we'll see what's bullshit and what's not," Cheryl said in an icy calm voice. "So you wanna try one against three, huh, Bitch?" Wanda snarled. "Don't think your little pals want any of this." "Nah. I only have to take you out," Cheryl said off-handedly. "Once I knock you on your ass, those two won't want any of it. So, you ready, Wanda? I'll let you make the first move, since you claim to be the captain." "I AM the captain," Wanda shrieked. "Then you'd better start swinging or kicking or scratching or spitting or whatever deadly moves you have. Either you shut me up, or there is going to be a new vote for captain right now. And you won't be nominated." The idea of supplanting Wanda as captain had been on Cheryl's mind for some time, and the circumstances just seemed perfect. "You can't do that!!" Wanda was in full cry now, and Cheryl was almost convinced that she would attack. But the bully script held, and Wanda just stood quivering in anger and frustration. "I nominate Sue as Captain for this year," Cheryl said loudly. "All in favor say 'Aye'!" As she waited for response from the team, Cheryl wondered if she had pushed things too far. She was, after all, just a freshman. But everyone knew that Sue should have been the captain. "Aye" came loudly from Teri, the other senior, and then rippled through the others. "Can we have some more enthusiasm?" Cheryl shouted. "Sue is the perfect captain. Now, let's try again. All in favor?" This time, there was a hearty chorus of 'Ayes'. "Teri, Beth, and Angel?" Cheryl asked, still facing the fuming but no longer threatening Wanda, "Could the three of you tell Coach about the change?" Beth was a junior and Angel a sophomore. Teri looked at the other two briefly and nodded. "I think it would be best if no one knows how this went down, OK?" Cheryl said. "Let's go home." She held her position, staring at Wanda with a neutral expression. Wanda tried to wither Cheryl with a look, but it ended up more pathetic than threatening. When the big former captain dropped her gaze, it was over. Cheryl could almost feel sorry for Wanda's dejection and the confusion of her followers. Almost. ------- "Why are you there when I need you here!!?" Cheryl screamed into the phone. She had sprinted for the phone and called him as soon as she got home from the initiation. He had been waiting, and he picked it up on the first ring. "What's wrong!?" Cal asked, genuinely concerned at her obviously upset condition. "Did you get hurt?" "Hurt!? Hurt!? No! I'm HORNY!! I can't stand it! What am I gonna do!?" Cal knew that if he was with her, there would have been another fit. It was probably a poor time for humor, but he was so relieved to hear that she was physically OK, that it just popped out. "Well, I'm sure that if you asked her real nice, Claire would loan you Bert for a couple of hours. He sure wouldn't object." "Arrrrrrrrrghhhhh!!" Cheryl screamed into the phone. "You're no help at all! This is serious!" To prove just how serious it was, she broke down and cried. Her determination and her mental toughness had held all of the emotions at bay for the entire party. She did not have to hold back any longer. She missed Cal terribly, and at that moment, she needed him more than at any time since Greg. The phones were both silent for a while, except for her crying. When her sobs subsided into little whimpers, Cal let out a purposely dramatic moan. "What's wrong, Honey?" Cheryl asked, a little alarm jarring her from her sadness. "What's wrong? What's wrong is that I have to just visualize them instead touching them, squeezing them, and sucking them." "Huh?" "I want to love up your gorgeous breasts so bad right now that it's almost killing me! And all I can do is imagine what they feel like." Cal punctuated that with another moan, this one not entirely faked. "My... my breasts?" she breathed out, her residual emotional energy quickly turning into arousal. "If I could just touch them, I'd take both nipples in my fingers and roll my fingers back and forth. You always like that," he told her, his voice communicating his desire. "Um, uh, Sweetheart? Do you, uh, think you could do that for me?" He could hear scrabbling sounds for a few seconds, then a sharp intake of breath that told him she had bared her breasts and started playing with her nipples. "And then... and then, I'd get a good hold on them and pull them out as far as they would go. I know you always like that." There were lots of things he wished he could do with her nipples, but too many of them involved his mouth. He had to stick with things that she could do for herself. Phone sex was something he had heard about but had never tried. Until just then. There was no pretense in the moan that she sent his way. "After I pulled on them, I would pinch them as hard as you could stand, until they were too tender for any more attention," he said in a tone that he hoped was hypnotic. He made a point of breathing slowly and heavily so that she could hear it over the phone. It was hard to judge how long he should let the pinching go on. As he was trying to decide, she solved the problem for him with a moan that conveyed a little pain. "When your wonderful little spears got too sensitive, I would take off the rest of your clothes." This time, the sounds of undressing came almost before the words were out of his mouth, followed by an eager sounding 'Ready!' "God, how I miss the feel of your fur," he said, not having to fake the longing in his voice. "And if I could just move my fingers farther down, I could feel your slick, hot juice. It feels like nothing else in the world." She already had three fingers soaked. "Your inside has the most amazing feeling," he enthused. "There are rolls and ridges and smooth places. And it's all so hot and slick and welcoming." Those same three fingers were ramming in and out of her so hard that she feared a cramp in her wrist. "By the time I get to your clit, it's way out of hiding. It's quivering, and it feels like it actual moves around trying to find my finger." He wanted to time the next bit perfectly. He could read her breathing and her unconscious little vocalizations very well, but that was when he was with her. It was for sure that she was now fingering her clit, and he guessed that she would go faster under her own hand than under his; especially as wound up as she was. She actually went off before he thought she would, but he quickly adjusted his monologue and talked her through her climax. When she had subsided, the tears came again, but she was much more in control. Only then did he ask her what had happened. When she finished the story, he talked her through another nice come before they said goodbye. Afterward, she almost called back to return the favor, but the maturity of their relationship prevailed again. She knew the night was for her, and that he wanted it that way. There would be times for him. ------- The coach was beyond surprised when the three messengers informed her at the start of practice on Monday. Not that she was displeased. Even though she was as lez as any of her players, she recognized Wanda for the bully that she was. Sue, although straight, was the perfect captain. The coach wondered how the change had happened at the initiation party. When she saw the looks from Wanda and her erstwhile honor guard toward Cheryl, she knew who had been in the middle of it. The slender beauty was a definite enigma for the coach in a couple of ways. She was not in the habit of playing freshmen, but Cheryl and Maddy were the best combination she had so far. The little walk-on had shown far more skill than in any of the high school games when the coach had scouted her. And tough! She still shook her head at the way Maddy had chewed out the two juniors that day. She knew that Cheryl and Maddy had worked together over the summer, but the results were still amazing. The other problem was that Cheryl made the coach incredibly hot. Besides the fact that she never, ever messed around with her players, the coach knew that Cheryl was madly in love with her boyfriend. She had watched from a distance a couple of times as Cheryl, Maddy, Cheryl's boyfriend, and an older gentleman worked out on a makeshift volleyball net. The kid did not seem all that impressive, but the football coach had told her in a department meeting that he was an exceptional kicker. In practice, Cheryl showed no signs of trying to assume leadership, and in fact, she clearly deferred to Sue. It was the perfect time to take the change of captains as a gift and not worry about it. ------- Chapter 39 It was late on a Saturday evening, and Cal was becoming concerned that Laura would never give up for the night. He had been hiding in her house for going on three hours, and boredom did not begin to describe what he had endured. At least on the many evenings spent in the blind, waiting for a chance to get some evidence, he could read, study, or talk to Cheryl part of the time. This was the night it had to happen. Two weeks of school had already passed, and he just could not spend any more school nights in the blind. He and his parents had talked on several occasions about the timing, and they agreed that they could not delay any longer. He had shown them the eight good pictures he had managed to get of Will striking or kicking her. Some of them were captures from video tape, so they were not nearly as crisp. Still, both Will and Laura were easily recognizable, and Will's action was unmistakable. Of course, the video clips themselves were carefully preserved. Elaine had gone to pieces when he finally showed them the pictures. Her anger at her sister for the comments to Cal was forgotten on a flood of sympathy for Laura's plight. It was a good thing that Will was out of town that night, because Martin and Cal combined might not have been able to stop Elaine from killing her brother-in-law. By agreement, Cal had not told his parents just what he was going to do to Laura. Only Cheryl knew in detail what he was thinking. In fact, he did not know, even as he hid in her house, just what he would do. It largely depended on how she responded to him. As Martin had pointed out, it was essential to get through to Laura that her marriage was a disaster, and that her family was aware of just how bad it was. Laura was both proud and tough. Getting through to her might take humiliation to break her down. Cal had firmly determined that no pain would be used. She got more than enough of that from her asshole husband. For himself, Cal needed to impress on Laura that despite his age, he knew very well how to please a woman. By demonstrating what Laura had been missing in her sex life, he could give her further reasons to dissolve her marriage. As with any woman who marries into substantial money, Laura was under a pre-nuptial agreement. It was generous enough for her to live comfortably, but not in her current home close to her sister. Martin had paid for legal research that showed that pre-nups were generally invalidated or heavily modified by proven infidelity and/or physical abuse. That was why Cal spent so many hours in the blind. Will would be gone for the whole weekend on another of his extended 'business trips'. Jolie was spending the weekend somewhere with her gang. Cal still had to shake his head over why Laura and Will could not do anything about the crowd their daughter hung with. ------- Jolie, a junior and a year younger than Cal, had all but moved out of home. He was not sure just where she slept or what she did for money, but from what he could tell, she spent more nights away from home than in her own bed. He had heard his mother telling Laura that they needed to employ some tough love to straighten Jolie out. The problem was that Laura would have to carry through on her own: Will had completely opted out of any discipline or guidance for their daughter. So far, Jolie had been fortunate. She had not run afoul of the law, nor had she picked up any nasty diseases. In somewhat of a surprise, she had not jumped on either of the burgeoning fads of body piercings or tatoos. Her only concession to the fad was a navel ring, at least as far as Cal knew. He had heard talk of genital piercings, and maybe... Jolie was attractive, but too thin, and she had adopted poor posture. Her face was very pretty and she could move with the same grace and poise that her mother and her aunt exhibited. Most of the time, though, she chose the female version of the gang swagger. In another strange twist, Jolie's grades had not completely crumbled. Cal had always felt that she was in the same league as his sister Rebecca, intellectually. She could probably get Bs with little or no study. Just as with Laura, Cal had once had a very good relationship with Jolie. Since she fell in with the wrong crowd, though, there was no relationship at all. Only rarely was Jolie involved in any family activity, and when she was, she said almost nothing to Cal. What she did say was usually sarcastic. That was why her warm welcome home to Cal a few weeks earlier was such a complete surprise. Jolie's 'gang' was primarily made up of rich kids. They chased the latest fashions and the latest thrills with a passion. Most of them were bright and talented, and all were haughty and rebellious. A few were downright amoral. While they were not considered the 'royalty' of the school's society, they were well up the social scale. They were sort of the 'alternate royalty'. Most students envied them both their wealth and their willingness to rebel. It was not Cal's nature to want to reform Jolie. He was more inclined to just observe. With Laura, he was righting a wrong against himself. Jolie's waywardness affected him only as it troubled his family. Certainly, he would have liked the old closeness he once had with his cousin, but he would not launch any kind of mission to make that happen. ------- Between an absent, abusive, and unfaithful husband and a wayward daughter, Cal found plenty of room for sympathy toward his aunt. Still, the ridicule had been so constant and so vicious that he had to respond. The sympathy was the reason he had chosen to show Laura that she was wrong, rather than just getting even. From many nights watching from the blind, Cal knew that Laura almost always showered before bed, and he hoped that she would not break her pattern that night. Having her fresh and clean would definitely be preferable, but her state of hygiene would not alter his plan. From his hiding place in the basement, he finally heard the shower in the main floor master suite start up and he breathed a sigh of relief. The whole scenario worked so much better that way. At the same time, a wave of nervousness and uncertainty nearly drove him from the house. Despite her attacks on him, he did love Laura. There were an awful lot of good things to remember from his early years, a time when Laura seemed to understand him better than did his parents. He wished he could stifle the anger he felt toward her now, and he felt guilty about it. But he could no longer just shrug it off; it had become more frequent and more biting lately. He suspected it was because things between her and Will had deteriorated even further, and that gave him something more than just revenge and ego as a motive for what he was about to do. Once he was sure that the noise in the pipes was really the shower, he hurried up the stairs to the main floor. He stopped in the hallway to turn the thermostat up several degrees, then moved into the bedroom, making sure that she was already in the shower. From the gym bag he carried, he pulled a jumbo towel and spread it on the bed. Then, he set two bottles on a folded hand towel atop the nightstand. Lastly, he pulled out four lengths of soft rope and set the bag on the far side of the bed from the bathroom. The next part required careful timing. He stood so that he could barely see in the mirror the area where she would stand to dry herself. He was as completely hidden as he could be, believing there was no chance that she would see him. From his own experience, he believed in the 'sixth sense' phenomenon and was a little concerned that she might somehow 'feel' his presence. There was little he could do about that possibility. One thing he did not know was whether she would wash her hair in the shower. That was the ideal situation, and he lucked out. Another stroke of luck was the heat lamp in the ceiling that was turned on. Between that and the steam from the shower, the open bathroom was very warm. When the shower was turned off, Cal saw a bath towel pulled from the top of the shower door into the shower enclosure where she obviously intended to dry herself where it was warmest. The next question was whether she would emerge naked or with the towel wrapped around herself. Things were going very well, as Laura stepped naked from the shower, using the bath towel to dry her hair. She set it down and reached for a second towel to get her hair more dry, and that gave Cal the ideal opportunity. When she had both hands rubbing her hair and the towel over her eyes, he stepped back to the hallway door of the bedroom. He had thought this part through very carefully. There was no way he could avoid startling her, but he did not want her terrified. "Laura," he called out. "Are you in here? It's Cal." "Cal!? What are you doing here? How did you get in?" "Can I come in?" he called, ignoring her queries. "No! Wait!" I just got out of the shower. I... EEEEK!!" At that point, she saw him standing in the archway of the bathroom and frantically tried to cover herself with the towel she had been using on her hair. "Cal! You get out of here, right now!! What do you think you're doing?" A touch of hysteria crept into her voice and Cal had decided beforehand that his best tactic if that happened was to remain motionless and silent. He would not, however, look away, and he barely restrained laughter as she fumbled with the towel, frantically trying to cover both chest and crotch. The funniest part was that she stayed facing him instead of turning her back to him. Cal thoroughly enjoyed his first close, unobstructed views of his aunt's private bits as first one, then the other was exposed as she struggled with the towel. Of course, he was not unfamiliar with her body, given her penchant for very brief bikinis around their respective pools. In fact, in the last year when her hazing of him had been going on, it seemed that she had gone out of her way to flaunt her body even more outrageously. And a very nice body it was, too. Like Cal's mother and sister and cousin, Laura had a tall, slender build. She bordered on thin and awkward, but her natural grace of movement and ultra-feminine all-over padding more than compensated. She had enough breasts, hips, and ass to make her a bikini designer's dream. Of the four, only his cousin Jolie had adopted any of the tall girl slouch. Laura always stood erect and proud. In fact, Cal always thought that she went out of her way to project her medium-sized but very firm breasts. She was not able to display the crevasse-like cleavage that a heavily-endowed woman could, but they were always very apparent, no matter what she wore. Though he was not skilled at guessing numbers, Cal was impressed by his aunt's small waist and surprisingly flat tummy. There was just a little too much rib showing through for the truly sleek look, but he knew she was proud of her trim physique. Cal's mother often commented on her sister's penchant for teenage-style bared-midriff attire. More than once, Cal had heard Laura retort "If you've got it, flaunt it." Elaine had it, too. She was just lacking Laura's exhibitionist streak. Laura's crotch was not quite bare, but close. That was no surprise, since the string bikini she had worn the last time at the Banners' pool just managed to cover her labia. Any surrounding hair would have stuck out the sides. In fact, Cal vividly remembered the time when Laura had been sitting at the patio table, chatting and drinking. Her legs had been spread, and the narrow crotch covering of her suit had pulled to one side, exposing one lip completely. Another time on the same day, the whole strip had folded together and all but disappeared in her cleft. On both of those occasions, Cal had been the only person positioned to see her display, and he was quite sure it had all been intentional. Given the fact that she had thrown out three nasty comments about his sexuality that same day, he had been more than a little confused about her motivation. About the time he was evaluating her previously 'unseen' parts, it occurred to her to turn around, and he was treated to a view of her very nice bottom. Cal had never thought it necessary to classify himself as a tit man, a leg man, or an ass man. Had he done so, Laura's firm, unbelievably smooth cheeks might have swayed him toward the latter category. In her string bikini, Laura had shown Cal her bare ass many times. Now, though, it was somehow more erotic. Having spent a lot of time appraising all of the women, Cal was particularly impressed with how well Laura's parts fit together. Her narrow waist made her slender hips seem more pronounced, and her wide, proud shoulders made her waist seem impossibly small. The bottoms of her ass cheeks tucked under smoothly as they flowed into her surprisingly generous thighs. Those thighs tapered nicely to her knees. From her knees down, she was perhaps a little too thin, but meticulous grooming compensated nicely. As with most tall women, her feet were not dainty, but they were nicely formed and again, her natural grace of movement prevented undo attention to their length. Cal's musings were brief, and no sooner had Laura turned when she realized her new exposure and tried to move the towel to cover her backside. Just as she got the towel in place, she glanced up and saw him staring at her now-exposed front in the mirror. It was at this point that anger set in for Laura. She managed to get the towel wrapped around herself in typical after-bath fashion and spun around to glare at her nephew. "What do you think you are doing, Cal?" she spat out. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you're going to be in? What are you, some kind of Peeping Tom, now?" He almost winced as he heard the same tone of derision from her that had driven him to this point. Deciding it was still best to let her vent for a while, he remained quiet, motionless, and expressionless. "Look, you get out of here right now, and I'll forget anything happened, OK?" He still did not react. After staring at him for several seconds, she asked "What is this? Some kind of revenge?" "Whatever would I want revenge for?" he asked softly. "Maybe because you can't take my teasing and you think you need to get even?" "Teasing? Is that what you call it?" "Of course it's teasing. Don't be so sensitive!" "I could have written it off as teasing at first," he told her, "but it kept getting more and more vicious. When you purposely ridiculed Cheryl so she could hear it, it went way beyond teasing. That was just plain mean." "She wasn't supposed to hear that. I didn't mean for..." "Don't bother to lie. That was the most obvious stage whisper I've ever heard. The whole family knows it, too," he cut her off. "But..." "ENOUGH!!" he snapped. "Here's what is going to happen tonight. Just shut up and listen." As her jaw fell in astonishment, he explained. "Tonight, you are going to get an education." She immediately started to speak and he cut her off. "For years, we had a great relationship. For some reason, you decided you didn't want that any more." "But I never..." That was as far as she got. "I said shut up and listen!" he shouted, causing her to recoil in shock and a little fear. "I believe I am perfectly justified in exacting some pretty nasty revenge, but I am not going to do that. I believe I know why you turned mean, but we're not even going to talk about that right now." For the first time, her face reflected some sadness, and a little moisture gathered in her eyes as he went on. "I will be going away next spring, and as things are now, you will forever think I am a sexually repressed wimp, and I will believe you have turned into a hateful bitch." When she made as if to speak, he cut her off quickly, and unmistakable tears began to form. "Now, I am going to demonstrate to you just how wrong you are about me," he told her, "and give you a chance to persuade me that I am wrong about you." "How... ?" she started to ask. "Don't!" he ordered. "I am going to do it by doing some very nice things to and for you; by making you feel very, very good. I am going to make you feel things that I don't believe you have ever felt before." "But we can't... !" she tried again to speak. "While I do this, I will keep my pants on. I will not rape you. In fact, I very much want you to submit willingly to what I am going to do. But make no mistake, I am going to do it." "Cal, you can't just..." "Yes, I can. You know I am strong enough to make you do anything I want. If you do not submit willingly, I will use these," and he pulled the four lengths of rope from the back of his waistband. "Once you are restrained, I will start with a spanking, and it will not be a gentle one. That would be too bad for what I would like to do." "Cal, please!" she pled tearfully, "you can't do this! I'm sorry if you took it wrong. I didn't mean..." "Not good enough!" he said sharply. "You don't say things that mean and that often without believing something. I am going to prove you wrong. Now, will you let me please you willingly, or... ?" and he held up the ropes. He saw her shiver as she looked at the ropes, and he knew that they held real terror for her. Silently, he pled with her not to make him do what Will must have done. She didn't make him. "Wh... what do you want me to do?" she whimpered. "Good. First, get rid of the towel. I am going to see and touch every inch of you for the next few hours, so get used to it." "You're WHAT!!??" she shouted in alarm. "I said I was going to make you feel very good. What did you think I meant?" he asked. "B... but you said you wouldn't... that your pants..." "I meant that?" "Then how can you make me... ?" "That will be part of the education, Laura. You see, you are the one with the limited sexual knowledge and experience, not me." "Listen! I've been married for seventeen years. Will is..." "Will is a cave man!" Cal cut her off. "He only knows brutality and cave man sex. That's all you know." Her face reddened and she started to protest, but he stopped her once again. Simply by holding up the ropes, he was able to make her wilt. After looking at him tearfully for many seconds, she dropped the towel and stared at him with tearful but defiant eyes. "Good. Do you need to use the toilet?" She shook her head slightly. "Ah. Peed in the shower, huh?" he asked with a flash of inspiration. It somehow occurred to him that he had not heard the toilet flush before the shower started. Her face turned bright red as he held out his hand to her. Both of hers were covering up and she had to decide which to surrender. She chose her crotch and extended that hand shakily toward him. When their hands touched, he stood right where he was and told her "Laura, I really want to get back to what we used to have between us. Maybe you think this is a strange way to do it, but it is the only way for me. Contrary to what you may think, I have an ego, and you have battered it badly." Without saying any more, he led her to the bed and had her lie face down on the big towel. As a therapeutic masseur, Cal would have made a good busboy. But the many sensual massages he had given Teri and Tessa and Cheryl had made him quite good at that. Coupled with the complete newness to Laura, the impact was immediate. When she first lay down, she was still embarrassed over her nakedness and upset at the accusations he had made: accusations she knew to be sadly correct. Her mind was in turmoil as she questioned for the umpteenth time just why she had harassed him as she had. Her skin, especially on her bare bottom, felt like it was burning and crawling from his gaze. The urge to jump up and dash away was almost overwhelming. She was held in place by the knowledge of his strength, the surprising determination he had exhibited, and the deep-seated conviction that she deserved whatever he chose to do to her. Cal warmed some oil between his hands and spread it carefully over the tops of her shoulders. When she flinched, he held his hands still and spoke softly in her ear. The feel of his bare legs against hers startled her when he climbed up and straddled her thighs. Just as she was about to object, she felt fabric against the back of her legs and knew that he had kept his pants on as he had promised. Part of her brain wondered why that was so important to her. Over the next several minutes, Cal spread oil and rubbed lightly over her upper back. He saw some discolored areas and went very softly over them. When he increased the pressure slightly, she winced as he touched a couple of spots. "I'm trying to avoid the ones I can see," he said quietly. "Let me know if there are some spots that hurt but don't show." "Hurt? Why would I hurt?" she tried to bluff. "Laura, I know," he told her. "Know what? What are you talking about?" she asked, sounding desperate. That was a decision point. He had the pictures ready to show her, but he sensed that they would not have the proper effect right then. She knew she was under his control and that she had to submit, but she was by no means broken. For the moment, he dropped the subject of her bruises. Nothing more was said and he worked his way slowly down her back. As he reached her waist, he felt her tense up. He got up from straddling her legs and began working on her feet, toe by toe. As he moved up her calves and to her thighs, he purposely pushed her legs farther apart. When he felt her start to resist, he spoke her name gently. After a pause, she relaxed a little. The more he worked on her thighs, the more she relaxed, and the more he could smell evidence of arousal. When he moved up onto her buttocks, they hardened at first and he had to gentle her with words and strokes. He spent a very long time working her bottom before she entered the relaxed, almost dreamlike state he wanted. So far, there had been nothing overtly sexual, but it was time to change that. After everything that she had said over the last year, it was hard for Cal to feel the old affection for her, but it was easier than he thought to kiss her ear tenderly and whisper to her "Laura, things are going to get intimate now." When she sucked in her breath and stiffened, he went on. "It's going to happen. It will feel very good if you let it. I want it to feel good for you. Just relax and enjoy, please." The fact that her worst humiliation of the evening was coming up he did not mention. He felt somewhat guilty for only telling her he was going to make her feel good. Knowing that backdoor play was a risky way to start escalating the sexual intensity, he had still decided that letting her remain face down while he took them past platonic was the best approach. It would let him establish control without her having to look him in the face. He could have gone for her pussy in that position, but there was a need to humiliate her a bit - well, a lot, actually. First, he warmed a generous amount of oil and started working it downward from the top of her crack. As it flowed downward, he followed it and worked it in. As he got closer to her rosebud, she became more and more tense. When he touched it, she flinched hard. "Cal, please! Don't!" she cried, already sobbing. He almost changed his plan at that point, but he reminded himself of his anger. Keeping his finger on her anus and rimming her slowly and gently, he pondered why she had reacted so extremely. "Does he hurt you there?" he asked with sudden insight. Pushing herself up on her arms, she made as if to leave the bed, but he quickly pressed his body down atop her and spoke into her ear. "Laura, I am going to do what I planned to you. Don't make me tie you and spank you. I don't want to hurt you in any way. Please, don't make me." He waited quite a while, motionless but openly holding her down. It took a while, but he eventually felt her relax. "That's better. Now, we've lost all of the good feelings. I'm going to do your back some more to get you feeling good again. But then I am going to play with your asshole." When she flinched again, he quickly went on. "I promise you, I will not let you have any pain. I am not Will." In all, he spent another ten minutes just doing her back and bottom. With another gentle kiss on the ear, he told her, "OK, time to play with your asshole. Just relax, now. No pain." Inwardly, he winced again at the little half-truth. Before she had time to react, he began rimming her gently with his fingertip. When it became a little less slippery, he poured on some more oil. For many minutes, he just kept up the same gentle caressing action, not increasing the pressure, and not trying to penetrate at all. Seemingly against her will, she at last could not resist a slight motion of her hips. "See, I told you it would feel good, didn't I?" There was no response from her except for an intake of breath. Now was the decision point. He and Cheryl had talked extensively, and Cheryl was convinced that he would have to do something to humiliate Laura to get her attention. After the way the evening with Jeremy had bothered him, Cal was not at all interested in humiliating his aunt. But Cheryl had warned him that if she resisted the whole time, he would accomplish nothing. After all of the barbs he had absorbed and all of the time waiting for pictures, he could not let this night fail. There was no question that Laura was still resisting. She was going along with his ministrations because she knew that she had no choice. She was even enjoying the sensations. But she was definitely not broken. As her twitches and small gasps increased, Cal took a tube of KY from his pocket and squeezed a glob down her crack. It was a bit cool, but he had no good way to warm it. She gave only a small flinch before he had worked it around so it reached body temperature. "OK, Laura, now I'm going to put my finger in." Once again, she tried to buck up off of the bed, but he had anticipated her reaction and was ready. "Damn, Laura! Now you've gone and spoiled the mood again. At this rate, we'll be here all night." Through copious tears, she pled with him. "Please, Cal! Even if it doesn't hurt, it's... it's humiliating." "Yes, I know it is. That's why I need to do it," he responded. "But I said I'm sorry!" she wailed. "Laura, I have thought about this for months and planned it very carefully. I am going to do everything I have planned. I told you: if you just let it happen, it will not hurt." "But... how can you?... how do you know?..." she was babbling through her tears. Ignoring her questions, he asked "Do I need to start on your back again, or are you ready to relax?" He was quite surprised but greatly pleased when she gave out a huge sigh and wiggled her ass slightly at him. In spite of the anger he had felt when he arrived at her house, he was feeling some guilt over what he was going to do next. He had told her it would all feel good, but that was stretching a point. For a while, he teased her rosebud gently with his finger, then worked just the tip into her. After four or five minutes and some good response from her, he reached into his bag and pulled out a Fleets enema, without her seeing what he was doing. This had been the thing he had debated in his mind the most before deciding to go through with it. The idea had been triggered by Jeremy's humiliating session on the toilet with everyone watching. The enema, while not painful, did not fit with his promise to make her feel good. The whole process would certainly be humiliating, especially as he intended to be right with her in the bathroom when it all came out. At first, he had thought it was too cruel, a step too far. But at the time, he was afraid he was not getting through to her, and he had decided to do it. The nozzle being thinner than his fingertip and her anus being very well lubricated, he was able to slip it in almost unnoticed. If the entry was unnoticed, the pressure when he started squeezing the liquid into her was definitely noticed. "What are you doing?" she shrieked in near panic. "It's an enema, Laura," he told her and braced himself across her body to keep her from bolting away. "Don't struggle or you could hurt yourself." "But you said... you said you would make me feel good!" she cried. "Hey, I always thought a good shit felt really good," he said as lightly as he could. Her response was tears and increased struggling against his restraint. The next part would take the most resolve. He had to restrain her until she could just barely make it to the toilet. He wanted her so panicked that she could not protest his presence in the bathroom. After he emptied the bag into her, the first two or three minutes were not too bad. She cried hard, but did not struggle much. Then, the pressure began to build and she began begging him to let her go. The instruction on the bag recommended holding the solution for five minutes before defecating, and he was determined to make her wait that long. As she passed four minutes, he was a little worried that her near hysteria might make her lose control of her bowels, but he kept holding her down. She screamed "You're making me shit on myself just to get even, aren't you. I never thought you could be so mean!" "You never thought a lot of things about me, Laura. You are learning a lot tonight, aren't you?" At just under five minutes, he released her and she scampered to the toilet as fast as she could go. He followed her, but not in a hurry. He knew she would be in only one place for a while. While she emptied herself with great noise and odor, too absorbed to worry about shame, he started the tub filling. Then, he got down on his knees right in front of her. "Where's the room spray?" he asked with a deadpan expression. That question brought the level of her humiliation crashing down on her and she sobbed so hard that he had to reach out to keep her from falling off of the stool. He reached around her to flush the toilet, and used the spray that sat on the back of the tank. Then he again knelt in front of her. It took several more minutes before she was completely purged. For all of that time, he stayed in front her, saying nothing. Several times she looked up at him, only to drop her gaze amid a new deluge of tears. When he was satisfied that she was completely emptied out, he took some toilet paper, and against her frantic objections, he wiped her. Then he helped her to stand and get in the tub. He knew it might be a while before she could really talk to him, so he just sat quietly beside her on the floor, openly staring at her body. She made no attempt to cover herself. It was important to him for her to be the first to speak, so he just waited. Finally, she asked "How... how could you do something so cruel? Where did... did you learn about that? Those things I said... they weren't that bad, were they?" "Laura, what does Will say about your sexual ability? About your body? Does he complement you?" Head down, she murmured "No, he's always putting me down." "And how do you feel about that?" "Sometimes, I'd like to kill... Oh!... But I didn't say things that bad! I..." Cal felt no need to add anything to what was obviously a revelation to her. "Wh... what else are you going to do to me?" she asked in a very small voice. "I think I've done enough humiliation," he told her. "Now I will keep my promise to make you feel good." "You said that before," she told him with a trace of anger. Without responding, he began washing her, doing a very, very thorough job of cleaning every part of her. At first, she was rather stiff, but she had apparently given up all resistance. When she showed the first signs of enjoying his efforts, he told her "Honestly, Laura, from now on it will all be good. I'm not going to do anything else to humiliate you." Well, a couple of things were a little questionable, but... After a long bath, he helped her out of the tub and dried her everywhere but her midsection. Sitting her on the edge of the tub, he handed her a razor that was on a little soap rack. Sliding back the glass door of the large medicine cabinet, he handed set the shaving gel on the tub beside her. "Is this where you sit to shave your pussy?" he asked. "WHAT!? You can't mean... !" "Laura, Laura! If I'm going to make you feel good, your pussy will need to get a lot of attention. I just want the lips to be nice and smooth." A strangled moan was the only response she could muster. "Hey, I'd be more than happy to do it for you. I don't have much practice, though, so it might be safer for you." She sputtered, pleaded and cried, but to no avail. As a last resort, she wailed "But... but you said you wouldn't humiliate me any more! You said you'd just make me feel good." In response, he turned his right hand over and gently slid his fingers over her labia and into her slit. Bringing his hand right up to her nose, he rubbed thumb and forefinger together. "That's not just bath water, is it, Laura?" When she shook her head with downcast eyes, he continued. "That means you're already starting to feel good, aren't you? The idea of shaving your pussy while I watch is turning you on, isn't it." Laura had done a lot of blushing since Cal walked in on her, but she outdid herself at that point. Still unable to look at him, she asked "Do I have to shave it all off?" The question was significant because it was the most open acknowledgment that he was in control. "Do it any way you want. Personally, I think this little patch is sexy," he said as he ruffled the little bit of hair above her cleft. The hair descended down to partially obscure the lips, but the soft skin at the juncture of her mound and her thighs was bare to accommodate her brief swimsuits. "Just make sure the lips are bare." In an unconscious concession to her arousal, she quickly picked up the gel and, glancing at him from half-closed eyes, she spread her legs wide. Pushing her bottom as far forward as possible on the broad edge of the tub, she spread the gel all over the area. Picking up the razor, she positioned it over one side of her slit, paused, then suddenly thrust it at him. That was a move he did not expect, and for a moment he was uncertain how to respond. He thought everything had been choreographed and he hated to deviate from the plan. However, this was a clear concession of control, and having her more submissive would make the rest of the session more enjoyable for both of them. Making his decision, he found two more towels and wetted a washrag. Next, he located some body lotion. Pulling her to her feet, he dried her bottom and the rest of her midsection except where she had smeared the shaving gel. Grabbing his little pile of towels and such, he led her by the hand to the bed, put another towel right at the foot of the bed where her bottom would lie, and laid her on her back. Her bottom was right at the edge and her feet were hanging over. In an interesting indication of her changed mood, she quickly raised her knees and spread her crotch wide open to him. He noticed that her head was back, her eyes were squeezed shut, her face and shoulders were flushed, and her nipples were like little rockets. Viewing the lewd but somehow touching sight, Cal could not avoid a wave of sympathy for the woman. He knelt on the bed near her head, bent over, and kissed her tenderly on the lips. After an initial jerk of surprise, she pushed her head toward him as if to devour his mouth. She started to raise her arms to hold him, but he stopped her. Speaking between little pecks and nibbles at her lips, he asked "Will makes you submit, doesn't he?" After her nod, he went on "But then he hurts you, doesn't he?" This time she responded with a small, gasping sob, and he had to get a little stern to keep her in position. "Laura, I promise you, I won't hurt you. I'm sorry about the enema, but you understand why I thought it was necessary, don't you?" At that, she opened her eyes and she stared at him, their faces only a few inches apart. "Cal, I'm so... so sorry!" He ended her apology with an intense kiss. Holding contact for a half minute or so, he finally pulled away and got down on the floor. "Hmmm. Looks like things dried out a bit here," he complained as he moved right up to her open crotch. "Guess we'll have to start over." Understanding now how ready she was for stimulation and gentle attention of any kind, he made a big production of wiping away the shaving foam. Then he got a very wet rag from the bathroom and wetted the area thoroughly before applying more of the gel that he brought with him. He almost chuckled at her obvious readiness and submission as she squirmed and jerked erotically as he smeared the gel. He really had no idea what he was doing, but he was pretty sure any clumsiness would not bother her. He wanted things completely smooth, but even failure there would not be a problem. His real intent had been to expose her more completely as both stimulation and a little humiliation. With her sudden switch to submissive, aroused anticipation, the effort hardly seemed necessary. Proceeding at a maddening pace, Cal started to shave her. He exaggerated any need to manipulate her labia, pulling and squeezing constantly, even when they were complete shaved. As he worked, he made little comments about her body, lewd comments that should have been embarrassing, but seemed only to add to her arousal. Her clit was big enough to have a noticeable hood. He could see that it was swollen, but he made a conscious effort to stay away from it. Toward the end of the shave, she was making little motions with her hips, as if trying to get him to touch her button. When he was finished with the shaving, he used the wet rag to remove the remaining foam, then patted her dry. When he sensuously applied the body lotion as an after shave, she did not even try to restrain her squirms and whimpers. There was one last little bit of arousing humiliation that he had planned. It was an object he had 'procured' from Jeremy's play room that night. Instructing her to keep her legs up and spread, he smeared KY liberally on a slender anal dildo and quickly inserted into her exposed rectum. She was alarmed at the intrusion and he had to assure her that it was to make her feel good. The gadget had a small pump that caused it to inflate, plus a release button. It also had two slender, curved flanges that extended up and down her crack to hold it in place. "Now Laura, remember my promise. I won't hurt you. I'm going to expand this thing inside you. It should feel really good - you tell me if it starts to hurt at all, and I'll shrink it back, OK?" Her eyes were as big as saucers and she seemed unable to speak. Each time he pushed the little pump bladder she jerked and hissed, but it was many strokes later before she shook her head to indicate that it was getting uncomfortable. In his plan, Cal intended to bring her to numerous orgasms before they were done. He could tell that she would probably explode into her first at the slightest attention to her clit. Shaving her himself, though, had been a deviation from the plan. It seemed to have gone well, but he thought it best to get back on track. It would be better to work through all of the little intimacies he had originally intended. Thus, he helped her back up on the big towel, where he put her face up. Then, he started the sensual massage again. Working first on her temples and down to her neck, he began softly kissing where he had massaged. After nibbling her earlobes and kissing down her neck, he kissed her on her lips as his hands moved to her shoulders. He spent much longer than necessary on her shoulders and upper chest, maintaining the kiss the whole time. The first couple of times he tried to use his tongue, she resisted. On the third try, she seemed to leap right up at him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Does that mean you're ready to let me make love to you?" he asked. Startled, she told him "But you said..." "I promise. I'll keep my pants on like I said. I don't need to fuck you to make love to you." Her expression showed confusion, but after a few more minutes of kissing, they were ready to proceed. When he came to her breasts, she stiffened, but only briefly. Everything that had happened seemed to have sapped any resistance and made her hungry for stimulation. It was exactly what he had hoped for. Instead of just working in the oil, he used his mouth on her nipples, sucking and nibbling on them in turn for several minutes before applying the oil and spending more minutes working it in. He followed the same pattern down over her tummy to the top of her pubes. Feeling her trembling in anticipation of his next move, he got up and moved to her feet, eliciting a big sigh of disappointment from her. There was no need for her to be disappointed, though, as he worked steadily up her legs and plunged his face into her pussy when he reached the top of her thighs. Her token resistance amounted to nothing more than a gasp and a slight clenching of her thighs. When he ran his tongue up the length of her cleft, her legs spread as far apart as they could go and she lifted her bottom toward his face. For the next twenty or so minutes, Cal used every trick he knew with mouth and hands to stimulate her pussy. He took her to two rather quick but moderate orgasms, then settled in to build her up to a monster. For five or six cycles, he brought her to the writhing, gasping, quivering brink of climax only to back off just as she stiffened for the final release. By the last two cycles, her moans of frustration were truly heart-rending. When he finally took her over, it was the cataclysm he had hoped for, keeping her body arched, rigid, and convulsing for over half a minute. She was not a screamer, but expressed her ecstasy in a series of staccato whimpers, capped by a long, guttural moan when she finally sank down to aftershocks. Cal was not satisfied with just providing her with one giant come, though. His goal was to take her as close to unconsciousness as he could. Guessing that her clit would be too sensitive for direct stimulation right afterwards, he began long strokes with his tongue, accompanied by similar strokes with his hands over any parts of her body that he could reach without losing contact with her pussy. His first contact with her straining nipples produced an obvious reaction of pain, so he stayed away from them for several minutes, as well. From under the hanging bedspread, Cal brought out a moderate sized soft plastic dildo, another 'acquisition' from Jeremy. Trying to keep his mouth in contact with her pussy, he managed to get the artificial penis greased up. "Laura, this is not me, so don't panic," he said as he eased the toy past her opening. By this time, she was so limp and submissive that she did not object. The slight coolness of the object made her flinch a little, but soon she was moving as if to draw it into herself. In a very short time, it was all the way in and he started moving it in and out quite vigorously. From all of the vaginal stimulation, it was only a couple of minutes before Cal tried teasing her clit with his tongue and got a positive response. By then, her big one had not completely subsided, and he was able to push her back into la-la land in a very short time. After that one, he did not have to avoid her clit, and he soon had her rolling from peak to peak. He was not sure how many she had gone through - perhaps it was all one long one. When he felt he needed a break and she was building toward another peak, he tried another trick he had read about. He reached up to grasp both nipples, then pinched them hard. This time she screamed for several seconds before going limp and silent. Cal sat up and used a corner of the towel to wipe off his face before moving up to near his insensate aunt's shoulder. He was just reaching out to brush a sweaty lock back from Laura's forehead when he sensed motion from the doorway. Turning his head, he saw Jolie moving toward the bed in a trance-like walk. ------- Chapter 40 Cal was too startled to say anything, which was probably fortunate. Jolie eventually reached the bed, where she stopped, giving a perfect imitation of a horror movie zombie. Her head turned back and forth mechanically as she repeatedly scanned her mother's exposed body. Far, far from being an innocent, Jolie was still stunned by whatever she had seen. Jolie's confusion gave Cal time to recover from his shock. "How long have you been watching?" he asked, assuming that his cousin would not have reacted thus had she just walked in. Jolie did not respond for a few seconds, then shook her head as if trying to clear cobwebs. "I... I saw... a... a... a while. What?... why?... how long?..." Her voice trailed off. Laura chose that moment to reacquire awareness. Her eyes caught Cal first and her lips twitched in the start of a smile. Then she saw her daughter and let out a shriek. She grabbed frantically at the bedding, trying to cover herself. Jolie's arrival was not something Cal had thought about in any of his planning and he had no idea how to handle the situation. However, over the last few hours he had established control over his aunt, and it felt good. Instinctively wanting to maintain that control, he rolled over onto Laura and pinned her down by her arms, preventing her from covering up. If Laura had had some frantic moments earlier, they were nothing compared to her reaction at being forced to lie naked in front of her daughter, toys protruding from both of her openings. As contentious as the mother-daughter relationship had been, it was extra humiliating for Laura. "Laura! Stop struggling!" "But... Jolie!... I'm naked!... she shouldn't..." "Laura! I'm in control here, do you understand?" He waited until she gave a grudging nod, then told her "You can move back against the pillows, but you are not to cover up. Do you want me to take this out?" He wiggled the larger dildo in her vagina. Laura must have forgotten about the dildo, but she was driven back into massive embarrassment by his drawing attention to it. She tried to cover it with her hands, then tried to roll away from Jolie to hide it from her. Cal was almost caught off guard, but he quickly restrained her again. It became an unexpected decision point for Cal. He had not expected exposure to her daughter to be part of Laura's humiliation. In fact, after the enema, he had not planned on any more of any kind. Truthfully, he did not enjoy doing it to her. He was certainly not privy to all of the interactions between Laura and Jolie, but he was quite sure that Jolie coming home this way was unusual. Laura's current circumstance was unusual, also. Could he take advantage of the accidental happening to promote a little healing between the two? Trying to think rapidly through his possible courses of action, Cal remembered how resistant Laura had been at first. Her pride had not let her acknowledge any wrong-doing. It had taken the breaking-down effect of the enema to get her to the point where she could be honest about her situation and remorseful for what she had done to Cal. Quite probably, the conflict between mother and daughter was fueled by some of that same pride and stubbornness. Cal did not see any way that he could change Jolie's attitude, but unless his first impressions were wrong, some happening had already done that. Laura needed to be completely open, defenseless, and without pretense before her daughter. Just maybe, some new communication might then be opened. When was a woman more open, more honest, and least contentious than when she has highly aroused sexually? Cal arranged himself so he could still hold his aunt down, but so he could begin moving the dildo in and out of her. "Jolie, this is who your mom really is." Laura met those words with a groan and another attempt to get out of his grasp. She was crying, and that made him feel bad, so he went on. "Laura is a beautiful, highly sexual woman whose needs have not been met. She's a very proud woman, too. She has put up a good front to me and to her sister to hide how much she was hurting - how much she was in need. I think she put up a front to you, too." "Well, Laura, you're not going to pretend right now, are you? You're going to do what you really want to do, aren't you?" He had sped up the in and out motion and she let out another groan in response. Her face was about as red as he could imagine it being. "You are going let me give you wonderful feelings. You are going let those feelings take you away, aren't you? You are going to let Jolie see what a passionate woman you are, aren't you?" This was a gamble on Cal's part, no doubt about it. She had just barely recovered from a massive, consciousness-stealing climax. He hoped that her modesty and her pride could not quench her still-elevated arousal. He still had one hand on her chest to restrain her if needed. He moved that hand to a breast and started teasing the nipple. A minute went by, then two with no attempt to escape, and he began to think that he would succeed. Jolie still stood motionless, gaping at her mother. Apparently, she had already seen Laura's orgasm. At the time, though, Laura was not aware that Jolie was there. If Cal could get Laura to let go, knowing Jolie was watching, it had to bring some kind of a change to their troubled relationship. Little by little, the tears stopped, and what was once a fiery facial blush began to creep down to Laura's neck and upper chest. The whimpers and groans of shame and protest became gasps and whimpers of excitement. Being careful not to interrupt the rhythm of the dildo strokes, he took one of her hands and placed it on a breast. With his hand on top of hers, he goaded her into playing with her own nipple. When she took over and continued the rolling and pinching on her own, he knew that he would succeed. Laura would let go in front of her daughter. Maybe, just maybe something important could come out of that. Now that he did not have to worry about her struggling to get free, Cal could put his attention on making her come. That would be the ultimate opening up of herself. With his free hand, he began rubbing her clit as he watched her arousal build and build. With almost spastic motions, she brought her other hand up to work the other nipple. Now, she was not just letting herself be stimulated, she was participating fully. As her excitement rose higher and higher, Laura raised and spread her knees more and more, her feet pressing down on the bed. Her bottom started to lift up and thrust back at the strokes of the dildo. Somewhat to his amazement, she seemed more excited than ever. Knowing that Jolie was watching must have increased her arousal. The climax hit her suddenly, and her body arched up so only her feet and her head and shoulders were supporting her. She stiffened and quivered for many seconds, then let out a long groan as she shook and sagged back onto the bed. Cal kept the dildo moving slowly, but just laid his other hand on her lower belly as her tremors began to subside. "Jolie, would you do me a favor, please? Would you get a warm, wet washrag and a dry towel from the bathroom? Oh, and a hair brush? Thanks." Cal asked in a way that assumed she would it do it. She did, behaving almost like a robot. While she was gone, he gently removed the dildo, over Laura's mild groan of protest. When Jolie handed him the rag and towel, Cal said "Jolie, go and sit on the other side of the bed." The ordinarily rebellious, combative girl stepped meekly around the bed and sat, still staring at her mother with a look of total disbelief. Cal took the rag and gently wiped Laura's face, dabbing her dry with the towel afterwards. He did the same for her chest and shoulders, then her crotch. He placed a pillow under Laura's neck and started brushing her hair. She had not had time to dry and brush it when Cal came in after her shower, so it would need more attention than just the brushing. His attention was more symbolic, anyway, just an expression of affection and intimacy. Jolie sat motionless, unable to pull her gaze away. Jolie's look changed to shock when Cal casually placed his other hand over Laura's crotch and began stroking, squeezing, and caressing the labia and twirling the sparse hairs. Laura looked toward Jolie in alarm when Cal first touched her, but after a glance at Cal, she sank back in resignation and more than a little contentment. Jolie sat transfixed, watching her cousin gently masturbating her mother, who was blushing furiously but was unable to resist his attentions. After an indeterminate time, Jolie asked softly "How long have you two... ?" "Tell her, Laura," Cal said softly but confidently. Over the next fifteen minutes, Laura stumbled through an explanation. Every time Cal thought she was waffling or soft-pedaling what she had done, he worked her through it as if coaching a child. "So you haven't fucked?" Jolie said when Laura's explanation seemed to be finished. "Did you blow him, Mom?" "N... no! He... he's just done me," Laura stammered. "We won't fuck," Cal stated flatly. "And this is not an affair of any kind. It's a one-time thing." "So, I guess you were wrong about him, huh, Mom?" Jolie asked. Laura's only answer was a groan. After another silence, she asked "Jolie, why are you here?" "Well, it's still my home, isn't it?" Some of the old antagonism was back in her voice. "When has that ever mattered? OUCH!" Laura answered Jolie sarcastically then yelped as Cal pinched her nipple, hard. "I'm still in control," Cal snapped at his aunt. "For tonight, you are going to talk to Jolie without fighting, understand?" "But... ?" "And Jolie, do you want me to tie your mother down and take control of you, too?" "Oh, God..." Jolie said breathily, as if she was coming. "OK, then you will talk civily, too. Got it?" "Hey, you can't... UGH!" her objection was cut off as Cal grabbed her thumb and applied pressure, forcing her to lie down beside her mother. "Do I need to undress you, too?" he asked. "Hey, if you'll do me like you did Mom, sure," Jolie quipped, stripping off the tank top she wore as soon as Cal released her hand. If Jolie had hoped to distract Cal or score some sort of win with her taunt and her strip, she failed. Cal acted as if he did not even notice her topless state. "Look, you two. I know there are reasons that your family is so screwed up. But for once, can't we just talk normally." "Normally? When you're diddling my naked Mom and I'm topless? Hah!" Jolie mouthed. "Besides what do you know about us, anyway?" Instead of saying anything, he reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of pictures and laid some of them on each of their bellies. He was very glad he had not shown them to Laura earlier. This was perfect timing. They both looked at them, then Laura started sobbing. "Does... does everyone know?" "Mom and Dad know," Cal answered. "And there's more." This time, he pulled out the PI report. "They loved you enough to pay for this." For perhaps the first time in years, mother and daughter had their heads side by side, both shedding tears as they read. After many minutes, they both just looked at him, having no idea what to say. "Damn!" Jolie finally exclaimed. "Now you can dump the shithead and clean him out." "But... but I..." Laura started to object. "Is loneliness worse than what you are living with?" Cal asked. "Jolie's right. With proof of abuse and infidelity, you can get a nice settlement." When Laura said nothing, he went on. The three talked about possible divorce for several minutes, but Laura would not commit to any action. After one pause, she asked "Jolie, why are you home? You still haven't answered." "They, um, were doing some stuff I didn't want to mess with," Jolie answered in a subdued voice. "Really?" Laura said with scorn creeping into her voice. "I didn't think..." "Laura, don't!" Cal snapped. "She gave you an honest answer. You should be happy that she has some limits. How about saying you're glad she is home?" Anger flashed across Laura's face for a moment, but she quickly relaxed. "Sorry, Jolie. I really am glad you're home. Although, I wish you hadn't seen this. I... I wish Cal didn't think he had to do this. He... he knows a whole lot more about pleasing a woman than your father does." Jolie just snorted at that comment. "I can't believe you're just lying there, letting him play with you like that," Jolie said. "And you still have something up your butt!" She picked up the larger dildo from the bed and began playing with it. "Well, I don't have much choice," Laura responded. "He... he made it clear that he is in control for tonight." "Would you stop him if you could?" Jolie asked. Her tone was somewhere between sarcastic and mischievous. After a bit of a gasp, Laura started crying again and shook her head 'no'. When she was able to speak, she said "It's been so long since anyone showed me some real affection." "So you and shithead haven't, uh, been getting it on much?" "Oh, we have sex, but this is different," Laura tried to explain. "With your father, it's all about him getting off. If he can hurt me in the process, I think it arouses him. With Cal, it's just for me. And he seems to enjoy it, too!" "You have a wonderful body, Laura, why wouldn't I enjoy it?" Cal assured her. "Well, I've never had anything like tonight from Will. Jolie, I'll bet you get more sex than I do," Laura almost wailed, "and it's probably a lot better, too." "Well, uh," Jolie stammered, "I don't know about better. I... how the hell did we start talking about my sex life, anyway?" She was a little angry when she said that, but it made them all chuckle, even Laura. There was a protracted silence following that exchange and Cal was just thinking that the night was over and he should leave. He was satisfied with the outcome. "Cal," Laura asked timidly, "you didn't arrange for Jolie to catch us, did you?" "Do you think she would have gone along with it?" Looking over at Jolie, he asked "Would you, Jolie?" "I'd have called you a perv and laughed in your face." "Well, I've had an unexpected bonus tonight," Cal said. "I've had more conversation with my sexy cousin than in the last two years combined." Jolie actually blushed a little at that. With a sudden inspiration, he blurted out "I'm hungry. Anyone feel like going out for something to eat?" "No!" Laura almost shouted, "but pizza would really taste good. Let's call for delivery." Jolie broke out laughing, and teased "You just don't want him to stop jilling you off, do you Mom?" "Would you?" Laura shot back. Then, she was suddenly sobbing again. Cal put his arms around her and rocked her gently. "I've been so damned lonely! Will is either gone or he ignores me or he bounces me around. And you've practically moved out, Jolie. I don't want tonight to end. I admit it." "Pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives, OK?" Jolie asked as she picked up the bedroom phone. Watching her brought more tears to Laura, but happy ones this time. It was the most like a normal teen that she had seen her daughter in a very long time. The girl could have ordered anything at all and Laura would not have objected. "Laura, our, uh, session is over. You can get dressed," Cal told her. She looked at him and he saw her face flush deeply. "If I, uh, don't get dressed, will you t... touch me some more?" she asked in barely more than a whisper. That question knocked Cal back a bit. Everything up until then had been to prove a point, and that goal had been accomplished. Sexual activity beyond that would border on incest. But he had not anticipated the level of his aunt's need. The chance to cement a really close relationship with her might never arise again. Back on the negative side was Jolie's presence. "Laura, are you sure? I mean, with Jolie here and everything..." Jolie was done ordering, and came back to the bed in time to hear the conversation. "Maybe she needs to see her mother in her natural horny slut state," Laura said almost angrily. "Maybe I should stop pretending around her. Maybe she needs to see that she got to be what she is from me. I don't know, Cal. I just don't want these feelings to stop. I've got this fear that I'll never get to have them again." No healthy seventeen-year-old could resist an appeal like that from a beautiful naked woman, and Cal did not even try. Significantly, Jolie chose to stay topless, so Cal had to receive the pizza when the delivery came. Jolie got the drinks, insisting that her mother stay on the bed. They ate on the bed, chatting lightly, and the pizza disappeared quickly. After eating, they were all sitting against the head board. Cal was in the middle with Laura on his shoulder, his arm around her. Surprising the others, Jolie curled around so she was on her back with her head in Cal's lap, looking up at him. She grabbed his free hand and pressed it to her breast. "I could really use some of that nice touching, too," she declared. If he was concerned about incest before, he should have been at the panic point from Jolie's action. For some reason, though, the predominant feeling was one of closeness. He was partially hard, but felt no urgency as he started gently kneading his cousin's smallish, perky tit. After a few minutes of silent touching, Laura reached out a shaking hand and stroked the hair back from Jolie's forehead. Jolie tilted her head slightly toward her mother and gave a small smile. The emotion between the two was so heavy that his cock wilted. Sex just wasn't the main thing right then. "He ever hit you, Jolie?" Cal asked after one long quiet spell. With a snort, she replied "Yeah, several times. Since I tore open his face with my nails, he's left me alone." "He ever attack you sexually?" "I wouldn't really call it an attack, but that one time when I scratched his face. Tried to mash his balls but didn't get him square." After that exchange, things were quiet and intimate for many minutes. Both Cal and Laura kept up their attentions to Jolie. "Why did you rag on me so much," Cal asked Laura. "I... I guess it was jealousy," she finally stammered out. Cal chose not to respond, and when Jolie started to speak up, he shushed her. "For years I've seen how you treat your sister - your mother and me, too. And then there was Teri, then Tessa, and now Cheryl. "Well, I was getting treated like shit while you and your dad treated all the women like queens. But I was too proud to admit I was jealous. I couldn't say anything to your dad, 'cause... well, 'cause, uh..." "Because you've been in love with him for years, right?" Cal asked. "Shit! Does everyone know, too?" Laura asked with a moan. "You've never done anything wrong, just a lot of flirting," Cal assured her. "How are you so sure?" Laura asked, but he chose to just wait her out. "You know, now it doesn't make much sense to me," Laura mused, "but back then, I had to do something to make what I had seem good. Like you said, I got cave man sex. I mean, lots of times it felt really good and I got off. But I guess I knew instinctively that there should be more. There was no tenderness and not much foreplay." After that explanation, Laura looked up in shock when she realized what she had said in front of her daughter. "But how did ridiculing me help?" Cal asked her. "Ohhhh, it seems so stupid and childish now!" Laura said amid nascent tears. "I guessed you were having sex, and I could imagine how you were treating the girls. But if your approach was right, than I was getting short-changed on sex. So, if I made your way seem wimpy and... Damn, I'm so sorry, Cal." The tears were full-fledged at that point. ------- After Laura's confession and apology, there was silence and more than a little dozing off. It was well past midnight by then, and Cal decided it was time for him to leave. His parents would not be concerned if he did not show, so he was thinking about asking if he could stay the night when Laura pre-empted him. "Cal, Honey, could... would you stay with me tonight?" Jolie gave a little gasp at her mother's question. Cal did not gasp, but he was just as surprised. "Laura, I said we would not fuck. If I slept with you, I don't know if I could keep that promise." "That was YOUR promise," Laura said. "I sure wouldn't object." When Jolie gasped again, Laura got an edge to her voice and went on. "That's right, Honey. Your mother is a horny old broad who is starved for some good lovin'. I'm not ashamed of it, God help me." "Laura," Cal said gently, "I meant it. I just won't do that. You're married, and I'm committed to Cheryl." "Then, could you sleep with me and just hold me? Please!" Laura asked with such emotion that it cut right through the reasoned refusal Cal was about to make. "Uh, OK. I, um, need a shower first," he managed to get out. Laura gave Jolie a playful swat when the girl snickered at Cal's response. Despite his attempts at self-control, he was sure his face turned beet red and he left the bed hurriedly. It was quite obvious that his role as the punisher and persuader had ended. Was it OK for him to just be a friend from now on? It appeared he had more than achieved his original objective. He wanted to be close to his aunt once again. The water temperature had barely been adjusted when Laura stepped into the shower with him. "Laura, I don't think..." was as far as he got before she shut him up with a kiss. "You're not the teacher any more," Laura said and punctuated it with another kiss. "You're my nephew and I love you very much. You're a sexy man who has made me feel wonderful things. You must be hurting for some release, and I want to help." He had fully intended to do it himself, and when she touched him, he rocketed to full extension. Her experienced hands had him decorating her belly in a minute or two. When he stopped spurting, she wrapped her arms around him and rubbed their bodies together to spread his seed around. From the gleam in her eyes, he could tell it had made her just as happy as when she came herself. When she finally broke the hug, Cal saw a mischievous gleam in her eye as she moved back against the wall. Spreading her legs and squatting down slightly, she let a stream of urine go, some of it hitting his feet. "You know, you were right earlier when you joked about this," she told him. "I've always loved this feeling. Why don't you do it, too, while you're soft?" "What soft?" he asked, as the suggestion changed his inflation level rapidly. Her first reaction was wide-eyed surprise, but the expression quickly changed to a grin and she knelt down and engulfed him in her mouth. This time, it took longer, but not by much. "That soft!" she said when she stood up after swallowing his load. "Now, pee!" After he was able to comply, she said "This thing actually feels kinda good," turning her ass toward him and spreading her cheeks a little, "but could you take it out now?" Cal used the air release button, then pulled the dildo out carefully. There was quite a bit of teasing and horseplay as they brushed their teeth and did other preparations. She found him a tooth brush but refused to give him any shorts, and would not let him put on the ones he had worn. He was nervous about being in bed naked with her, so he rummaged through a few drawers until he found some of Will's boxers. They were large, but he managed to tighten the waist. He just did not feel right with both of them naked, even though two recent comes gave him hope of being able to relax. That hope was strained when they got into bed. Pushing him onto his back, she laid almost atop him and slipped her hand inside his shorts to hold his penis. "I love this kind of intimacy," she said with a catch in her voice, "but I never get much of it. When the sex is over, he doesn't want me touching him." After that, Cal could not generate an objection. "I just wish," she continued "... I just wish there was someone I could share every inch of me with, like tonight. Someone whose feet I could pee on," and she giggled. "Someone whose cock I could hold when I fall asleep." "Oh, Cal! I know tonight was punishment and revenge. And I was so frightened and so angry at first. But this has been... has been the best night in a long, long time. With that she rolled right on top of him and delivered a searing kiss. He was afraid she would try to mount his re-energized rod, but she pulled back, patted his face softly, and rolled back to her original cuddle. "Um, Cal? I could, um, fill in for Cheryl," Laura offered in a little girl voice. Cal was not expecting that, but neither was he completely surprised, given what had gone before. He gave her a firm hug, then said "Laura, I'm not looking for anyone to fill in for her. Tonight has to be as far as it goes between us. I just can't let it go farther." "But you did with Teri," she objected. The fact that she knew did not faze him. He was too used to it by now. "But she wasn't my aunt - my mother's sister, and she wasn't married at the time." "So you're afraid it would be too much like doing your Mom?" she teased. "Look," he replied, "I love Mom and Rebecca and you and Jolie to death. You know that. But having sex with any of you is just something I can't do." "Have you ever been like this with Elaine or Rebecca?" she probed. "Laura!" "Oh, I'm sorry, Honey. Guess I'm still so jealous." Although they both had reason to be exhausted, Laura wanted to talk. And talk and talk and talk. They had been going for about half an hour when Laura stopped in mid-sentence as she saw Jolie enter the master bedroom. Stopping on Cal's side, Jolie said "Um, I guess I don't deserve it the way I've treated you, but I sure could use some huggin', too." Saying nothing, Cal just held up the covers for her to get in. He and Laura were in the middle of the king-sized bed and they both shifted over a bit to make room for her. At first, Jolie stayed near the edge, but soon, she moved over so her head was on Cal's shoulder, just like her mother. After a short moment, she got out of the bed and Cal assumed she was having second thoughts. Instead, he could hear her shedding her top and when she again moved up against him, she wore only panties. No one said anything for quite a while. He could tell by her unsteady breathing that Laura was emotional. He could not guess if she was happy that her daughter was willing to be with them or if she was sad that Jolie chose Cal rather than her mother for comfort. Both Cal and Laura felt it when Jolie started shaking. "What's wrong, Honey?" Laura asked. "I... I'm afraid my friends are really pissed at me. They may not even talk to me next week." Cal tightened the arm that was around her but said nothing. Laura seemed to be keying on him and also stayed quiet. With a big sigh and a sniffle, Jolie went on. "There's this big house that has been on the market for a long time. One of the girls got the code for the realtor's box. They had a bunch of stuff and were going there to party. I'm not much into the pot and stuff and the idea of breaking in there scared me. They called me some pretty mean names when I walked away." Laura reached across and took Jolie's hand that was resting on Cal's shoulder. Showing a great deal of restraint and wisdom, she said nothing. Cal was afraid a lecture was coming and did not even realize he had been holding his breath. Words were not what his cousin needed right then but he did want her to keep talking. "Is this the first time you've bailed out on them?" he asked. "Well, no, but this is the first big party I've skipped. They keep doing riskier things. I guess I'm not as brave as the rest of them." "Maybe you're just smarter," he responded, fearing he had said too much. She did not seem to resent it, though. On his other side, it felt like Laura was vibrating against him. He could not tell if it was anger, or what is was. It definitely was not anger on Laura's part. Jolie's few statements about her relationship with her gang had thrilled Laura beyond description. All along, she had thought she had lost her daughter, as so many other mothers had. This was the first sign of hope that the girl had retained some of the values she had been taught - that she had retained some sense of right and wrong. Laura wanted to express her joy and relief in some way before she burst. But she was with Cal. Cal seemed to use silence so well, and he was doing it now. Fearing that she would burst from the effort, Laura kept her feelings inside and mimicked Cal's silence until she was able to relax. From that point on, Jolie joined in with the conversation Cal and Laura had been having before she came in. It was obvious how hard it was for Laura to speak naturally. It had been a very long time since she exchanged anything but angry words with her daughter. A few times when she started to say something emotional, Cal gave her a sharp squeeze and she backed off. It was at least another hour before conversation just stopped and they all fell asleep. In the morning, Jolie seemed very awkward, in contrast to Laura's girlish giddiness. She reached from under the covers and grabbed her top, wriggling into it while still in bed. She would not look at Cal until they were all together in the kitchen. Then, she seemed more at ease and showed none of the attitude that had characterized her of late. Cal did not stay long after breakfast, thinking it best for all of them to digest what had happened. He also wanted to give mother and daughter a chance to see if anything had really changed. ------- That Saturday night was big for Cheryl, as well. The team was playing their third match, another non-conference contest. They were on the road as a warm-up patsy for a major national volleyball power. Cheryl and Maddy had not gotten on the floor for the first two matches. The coach generally did not play freshmen, at least not early in the year. One of the other two matches had been as unwinnable as the current one, against another national power. The other match, they had won in five games, playing a team they should have beaten easily. The first two games of the match were lost at 7 and 5. Even though they were overmatched, the coach had expected them to be more competitive. Rather grimly, she stayed with her veterans for the third game, but they were soon down 0-6. All through the practices, it had been Maddy and Cheryl who supplied the most energy. Maddy was constantly talking and yelling at her teammates. They could have found her abrasive, but the way she threw her body around and the uncanny knack she had for positioning them perfectly gained her a lot of credibility. Also, she was the biggest cheerleader for any good play. Cheryl was not vocal as she played, but her intensity was infectious. Her spikes were so powerful and so quick that they seemed to give an instant shot of adrenalin to everyone. The coach was not feeling good about her team's prospects for the season at that point. It was time to try something different. Anything. Sue and Teri, the two seniors, were on the floor when Cheryl and Maddy checked in. Both older girls almost mugged the freshmen in their enthusiam at their arrival. From the very first play, the difference in the energy level was easy to see. Maddy was already yelling as she stepped across the line, and she never stopped. If she realized that it was her first appearance in a college match, she certainly did not let on. She and Cheryl exchanged a quick nod and prepared to receive serve. The bump came to Maddy nicely and almost so fast that no one saw it, she had set it low and fast to Cheryl, who pounded it down as it was still rising. That set the pattern for the rest of the game. The opponents were definitely knocked off balance by the sudden score. However, they were a superior team, and they had been spotted six points. The final score of that deciding game was 22, but it was still a three-game sweep. It was a little hard to tell that Cheryl's team had lost, though, given their attitude afterward. All of the players knew that their performance up until then would not earn them another conference championship. Cheryl and Maddy had changed the entire outlook. ------- The coach had acceded to Maddy and Cheryl's request to room together on the road. In her experience, anything that helped morale was a good thing on the often exhausting road trips. Because of the distance, the team stayed overnight, and was scheduled to fly back late Sunday morning. When the pair was back in their room after an early breakfast, Maddy told Cheryl "Call Cal. If you get him, I'll go out for a while." Cheryl did not require much convincing, and dialed immediately on her cell phone. When Elaine answered and told Cheryl that Cal had not returned yet, Cheryl gave her the room number to dial. As it turned out, the team had to leave for the airport before Cal could call. He did reach Cheryl on her cell, but they only talked long enough for her to tell about getting into the game and for him to give the brief highlights of the night. He decided not to mention Jolie until they had time to talk about it in detail. ------- Cal really did not want to say too much to his parents about what went on with Laura, but he at least had to tell them how it turned out, and he especially had to tell them about Jolie. "Mom, I suspect Laura will give you a blow-by-blow, and I really don't want to go into detail. I warned you that it would get sexual, and it did. I kept my promise that we would not have intercourse. That's, uh, about all we didn't do." Elaine looked disturbed and Martin looked rather grim at his statements. "I have to tell you, though, that it worked. Maybe not today, but I think Laura will be ready for divorce very soon." "How sure are you?" Elaine asked, afraid to be too hopeful. "First, I have to tell you about Jolie." "Jolie?" "Yes. She came home unexpectedly and found me doing, uh, very intimate things to Laura." "Intimate?" Martin asked. Cal looked at his father for a while, trying to decide how much to reveal. "She had just passed out," he said quickly. Elaine's reaction was not at all what Cal expected. She giggled. Martin turned red as a beet, then he chuckled and said "Guess she's your sister, all right." "HONEY!" Elaine shrieked, and hid her face against Martin's shoulder. Ordinarily, a seventeen-year-old might have considered that far too much information. From his time with Teri, though, Cal had an appreciation of the sexual appetites of women in his parents' generation. He viewed it as as promise of a bright sexual future. Though still blushing, Elaine raised her face and asked "Jolie saw you do that to her?" When Cal nodded, she pressed "What did..." "Huh, uh, Mom. You'll have to hear that from Laura, if she wants to tell you. God! From the look in your eye, I'll bet you beat it out of her." He shook his head dramatically to his father's laughter. He went on to tell what had happened between the three of them. They knew he had stayed the night, but he refused to say any more than that. When her last question was rebuffed, Elaine jumped up and dashed from the room. "Mom, where are you going?" "What's the expression you kids use?" Martin asked. "Isn't it 'Duh'? Us gentlemen never talk about what we do with a woman. That doesn't mean no one finds out." ------- Back at school after the flight home, Cheryl was almost frantic to get to the apartment. Maddy teased her, but she understood. Cal knew their approximate ETA, and was waiting when Cheryl called. Both were anxious to hear about the others' story, but Cal finally won out and demanded a play-by-play recounting before he would say anything. He thought he could turn his narrative into some nice phone sex for her. He was right. There were some tears mixed in, but mostly, she found his story highly arousing. When he described how he gave Laura the massive orgasm that knocked her out, Cheryl made herself come. He gave her a few seconds to catch her breath, then told her how Jolie had walked into the room. Cheryl screamed into the phone, then dropped it as she immediately came again. "You bastard!" she yelled while still panting. "That was a dirty trick! She wasn't really there, was she?" When he swore that she was, she said "You'd better tell me that you didn't fuck either of them." "Honey, I would never. You know that. Things did get, uh, more intimate than I had planned, though." "More intimate than you eating her until she passed out?" she demanded incredulously. It turned out to be incredibly arousing for her. When he described getting Laura off again with Jolie watching, she made him stop so she could do herself again. When it came to the shower, he laid in on heavily, and he did not even have to stop for her. "It was, um, a little more than we had talked about," he said with some concern when he was finished. "Are you really OK?" "I don't think I want you doing anything like that again," she said, "but the only way I could be more OK right now is if you were here." ------- Robin was back in town for the weekend, and would be there through Tuesday. Negotiations for her rehab job at the university were still going on. Wanda's behavior and other physical clues had Cheryl and Robin both certain that the big girl was using steroids. "Robin," Cheryl said over the phone when she finally hung up with Cal, "I don't think it would be good for me to tell the coach." "Don't you think she knows?" Robin asked. "She's too experienced not to notice it." "I think she chooses to ignore it," Cheryl answered. "I think if an outside observer, you for instance, pointed it out to her, she would have to do something." "I'll be at practice tomorrow. I think I have some credibility with her," Robin said. ------- Laura had to laugh at Elaine when she let her sister into the house. Elaine looked about to burst with curiosity, and Laura was going to tease her to death. It didn't work out that way, though. Laura just fell into Elaine's arms and burst into wracking sobs. It took several minutes of hugging and crying before any real conversation could start. From then on, it got more and more explicit. The crying was replaced by gasps and giggles. When Laura got to the part about Jolie, the crying returned. Jolie was there, but she had been in her room all day, and Laura did not want to push. Before Elaine left, Cal would have been mightily embarrassed about what his aunt had told his mother. ------- "Martin? Honey? Where are you?" Cal and Martin were watching TV, Cal's long call with Cheryl having ended some time ago. It was Sunday evening and still light outside. Elaine had just returned from Laura's. Her face was flushed and she was breathing much faster than the short walk would explain. She grabbed Martin's hand and hauled him to his feet, heading for the master suite before he was hardly standing. Cal could not prevent a broad grin from capturing his face. Elaine saw her son's grin and tried to look angry. "What are you laughing about?" she demanded. "It's your damned fault!" With that, she gave all of her attention to getting her lover where she needed him to be. Cal felt on top of the world. Oh, he missed Cheryl terribly - that feeling was always there. But he believed he had his aunt back, and her life was about to improve. As an unexpected bonus, there was a chance for a renewed relationship with his cousin. More than anything, seeing his sexy mom aroused, passionate, and unashamed of it gave him a warm glow. He was constantly seeing more and more similarities between Cheryl and his mom. And to him, that was a very, very good thing. ------- Cal had barely gotten into bed when Elaine came into his room, got right into his bed, and plastered herself to him. He felt like he should raise some kind of protest, but he was pretty sure it would do no good. Besides, he was just as sure that they both had the same very strict limits on how far anything could go between them. That knowledge gave him the confidence to return her hug enthusiastically. "Mothers find lots of things to be proud of in their children," she said after a while. "Maybe it's not usual to brag on my son's sexual prowess, but right now, I can't help it. It's almost like your dad has been giving you lessons." "So, I assume Laura told you everything?" "I should hope so," she said with a giggle. "If there's more, I can't even imagine it." "Even the enema?" "Especially the enema. Did you realize that it got her really excited, besides the embarrassment?" "Well, I know she was, uh, pretty slick there when she got out of the tub." "Before you shaved her, you mean?" Again, she giggled. It seemed like she was trying to draw him into the kind of detail that women shared with each other, and he was not sure if he was ready for that. The problem was, there was no way he could rebuff her. Since their relationship began to deepen a few years earlier, his love for her had matured and his appreciation of her as a woman and as a person had grown tremendously. "Are you sure Dad would like your being here?" was the only protest he could muster. "Poor Martin!" she said with another giggle. "His body will be struggling to rebuild his supply of come until well after daybreak. I don't know if he will even be able to pee in the morning." If Cal had been eating or drinking anything, he would undoubtedly have choked to death after hearing that. Through the blush reflex and the pounding of his heart, he tried to reason out what was going on. She explained it for him. "Don't be upset, Honey. You did incredibly intimate things with my sister. She told me all about them. I guess I felt bad that she had a closeness that I never had. It wouldn't be right for us to do all of those things, and I know it. I just had to have some intimate time with you. At least I can talk about everything with you." She snuggled even closer to him after that. "Your dad and I made a promise when we got engaged. We promised to be each other's one and only, and we both promised to work hard so that we would never think we needed anyone else. Despite everything we read and hear, we think that is the right way for us. It sounds like you and Cheryl have already done that. I just want to tell you that it's worth it. There is something about that complete kind of belonging that I don't think you can find any other way." They talked for quite a while longer, and she seemed to be getting a little nervous. Finally, the reason came out. "There's something about a son that's special for a mother," she said. "And it's sexual, no doubt about it." "A mother is proud that she has produced a stud that can spread his seed - her seed - to other females. A lot of pride is centered on her son's genitals." Cal should have been ready for this kind of frank talk by now, but it was still shocking. But it was nothing compared to what came next. "What you did with Laura will only happen that one time, and we all know it. What I'm going to do will be just this one time, too, but I really need to do it." She did not say any more. She got up and turned on his reading lamp. Then, she threw back the sheet that covered him, and before he could react, she had pulled off the shorts he slept in and spread his legs a little. While he was still too stunned for any action, she had both hands wrapped around his package. "Call this a little celebration ceremony of the wonderful, virile man I produced," she said as she stroked him to hardness. "I have to confess that jealousy is a factor, too. My sister got to love this up, and I can't stand not doing it, too." As she no doubt suspected, his will and ability to object or resist was pretty fragile. The blood fleeing from his brain to his cock reduced that will to zero. Even had he retained some will, the intensity of her need and her determination made it impossible to deny her. While he was completely silent, she kept up a stream of endearments as she masturbated him. She did not have to keep it up long, though. After the events of the day, self-relief had been next on his agenda when he got into bed. Either by planning or good fortune, she beat him to it. When he came, she held him so she could see the height of his jets. She had kept the shorts she had removed right beside her, and she used them to clean him up when he was completely done dribbling. If he had thought that was the end of it, he was mistaken. She never let go of him. Her touch became more gentle in acknowledgment of his post-ejaculation tenderness, but she never completely let go. The previous, energetic masturbation changed to loving fondling, and he was even able to start talking to her. He told her the news about Cheryl's volleyball, and she asked questions about Jolie, none of which he had any answers for. It wasn't many minutes before the tenderness disappeared and her touches again attracted blood flow. As he got harder and she worked him toward another come, she told him "I know Laura used her mouth, but I... I just can't." "I know, Mom," he said. "Can you use it here?" and he tapped his lips. "Damn right," she answered. As she bent toward him, she paused and said "Much as I'd like you to, I can't let you do me, either." "I understand," he assured her, and he did. Her body belonged to his dad, and she included her mouth in that. He respected that, and subconsciously, that was why he had made no attempt to touch her. Then why was she doing him? That made a kind of sense, too. In a way, he was her creation, and she had a right to her little ceremony, as she described it. Once again, she bent to kiss him, and once again, she paused. "Just so you know, I never did anything like this with Pete. You and Rebecca have taught me a lot about being a mother. Poor Pete." "Poor Pete," he was able to agree. Then, their lips met. Somewhere during a long, sensuous, loving kiss, he came for the second time. The next thing he knew, he was waking for his early workout. ------- Chapter 41 Early Monday morning at his workout was Cal's first chance for some deep thought. Of course, there had been idle time on Sunday, but by dint of long habit, it was while exercising that he did his best concentration. The dominant thing on his mind was what his mother had done the night before. Even before he had gone to sleep, he had decided that he was not upset by it. Oh, it had been embarrassing at first, but her words and her expression had conveyed her true feelings - love and pride. The stimulation and the release brought on by her attention had been wonderful, but they were not the high points. The best thing was his satisfaction that he had made her proud of him. He knew from talking to friends and teammates that his relationship with her was not the norm. A couple of years earlier, they had not shared the wonderful closeness they now had. He was not sure what he had done to bring it about, but he was thankful that it had happened. There was no concern that they would fall into perverted, destructive habits. His parents were far too much in love for anything to intrude, and both he and Elaine had too much discipline to let it go any farther. They both treasured their current closeness too much to endanger it. Cheryl had teased him several times in the past about 'marrying his mother', because of Cheryl's physical similarity to Elaine and their similar strength of personality. After one of those times, she had broken down in tears and professed her desire to be the kind of woman Elaine was. Cal was a little concerned about how Cheryl would feel about the intimacy of the night before. There was no doubt that he would tell her during their next call. The fact that he was worried at all emphasized to him how much his relationship to Cheryl had deepened. In fact, many times during his session with Laura, the feeling of betraying Cheryl was at the edge of his awareness. He was still in high school. Was he really making a commitment to a life mate? His sister had done the same thing. Why was that? Perhaps it was living with true 'til death do us part' parents. Was he missing out by not sowing his wild oats before settling on a mate? Was it crazy committing to a girl with ten to twelve years of tough school ahead? Could she devote herself to him and still succeed in her quest for an M.D.? This was far from the first time Cal had pondered these questions about himself and Cheryl. Just weeks before, on the drive home from school, he had worked through many of the same issues. Even though they had been apart for a while, the answers seemed easier now than ever before. When his mother had described the promises between her and his father, it had resonated with him. That was what he wanted, and he wanted it now. The whole 'wild oats' idea held no fascination for him. He had killed. He had escaped death. He had righted wrongs. He did not need sexual conquests to make his life full. Oh, he most definitely needed sex, but sex with unconditional acceptance and belonging was far more satisfying. Of course, he could not imagine a better sex partner than Cheryl, either. After cogitating on his love life for a while longer, his thoughts came back to his mother. He needed to make sure that their relationship was not damaged, and he needed to do it right away. He was not worried about it, but a possible threat like that could not just be ignored. Inevitably, his thoughts went back to Saturday night and Laura. He almost could not believe what he had done. Between that and the Jeremy humiliation, he had stepped far out of his normal behavior. On the court or the field, he was aggressive, but when interacting with people, he did not like to force himself or dominate anyone. Yet, he had done both to Laura. Long ago, Ken Yokata, his sensei, had told him that he would often have to balance his own sense of fairness against what was legal and proper. Well, legal and proper had certainly lost out in his last two 'interventions'. On the other hand, he would not trade the results of either session. That morning, Cal finally acknowledged a feeling that had been trying to intrude on him since the idyllic days of midsummer. He was tired of having to 'fix' things. It would be so nice just to be a normal high school senior, to play football and basketball, to do the normal high school things. Sure, he missed Cheryl terribly, and he had tasted a bit of college life. Still, he believed he could enjoy just being a high school kid for his last year. Maybe the crises were over. Wouldn't that be great. ------- Monday noon, Cal was eating in the cafeteria with some friends when he saw Jolie walking in. She was alone and looked to be in a trance. They had never interacted at school, but after what she had told him Friday night, he was concerned. Leaving his food and coming up to her he asked "Jolie, is something wrong? Have your friends been hard on you?" At first she just looked at him with a strange combination of fear and something else in her eyes. "They... they aren't here... all suspended... cops busted them... lots of drugs. What if they think I narced on them?" After her last question, her expression showed mostly fear. "Jolie, you're not feeling bad because you weren't with them when the got busted, are you?" She gave him that same barely-aware look and shook her head. Cal tried to lead her toward the food line, but she protested that she was not hungry, and he believed her. It was nice outside, so he led her out onto the grounds where they just walked around silently for the rest of the lunch period. He held her hand and her grip was almost desperate. She walked as if she was in a trance, and he doubted that she would be able to go to classes. "Do you need to go home right now?" When she did not even answer, he made the decision and led her toward his car. Before he started the car, he took a deep breath, remembering his fond thoughts that morning of normalcy and not having to intervene in anything. Her concern about her former friends blaming her was valid. It was possible that they would think the worst of her. Once again, it looked like tranquility might be denied him. He told Jolie "I think I know all of the kids in your group. I need you to promise me something, Jolie. Will you do that?" "What?" "Promise that if any of your group threaten you in any way at all, you will tell me immediately." "They're... they're not my group," she stammered. That declaration was stunning but thrilling. If his cousin was going to return to some kind of normal family relationship, separating from the gang was the critical first step. "That's good, Jolie. But, if you can't promise, I'll have to go to them and persuade them to leave you alone." "You'd... you'd do that? Why?" "You're family, Jolie. I always hoped we could be the kind of friends we used to be. I can't let those kids hurt you." "I'll tell you. I promise," she said hurriedly. "Don't get mixed up with them Cal. I'm afraid of them." At her house, Laura was home and after some initial panic, she was able to get control and calmly help the girl. She made Jolie eat some food, then got her settled down for a nap. Cal stayed, sensing that it would be good to spend some time with Laura as long as he had the chance. When she came downstairs from getting Jolie settled in, Laura walked up and plastered herself to Cal in a full-body hug, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He could not help stiffening a little at the intimacy, and he wondered if that was a sign that Saturday night had unleashed something he could not rein in. She sensed his reaction, and after a sweet kiss, she pulled him to a couch, sat him down, and perched on his lap. She took his face in both hands and rested her forehead against his as she spoke. "Don't worry, Honey. I understand Saturday night, and I agree with what you said about a one-time thing. I would never do anything to hurt you and and Cheryl: you know that, don't you?" After she said that, her eyes filled with moisture and she had to pause. "You've got to realize what you did to me," she continued, "and I don't mean just the great sex. It was the affection, the touches, the caring. Cal, I've have been so starved for that! You let me see what I had been missing. If I get too aggressive with you, that's what I really need. Can you handle that?" It did not seem like a time for lot of words, so he let some hugs and some caresses that were probably atypical of aunts and nephews speak for him. It gave her the answer she was desperate for. Cal thought he should stay longer for support, but he was persuaded to go back for his last two classes and football practice. ------- True to her word, Robin was there for the last part of volleyball practice on Monday. Afterward, she greeted the coach, who remembered her from her earlier visit. "Coach, I need to tell you something about one of your players," Robin said. "Are you talking about Wanda and steroids?" the coach asked to Robin's surprise. "I didn't think you could miss it," Robin admitted. With a weary sigh, the coach told Robin "That's a tough one for me to take. I went out on a limb to bring her here. Nothing has been easy for her, and I thought I had her on the right track." "If you've reported it, you'll jeopardize the whole team if you don't suspend her," Robin pointed out. "I know. The test results just came back and I met with the compliance officer this morning. As soon as Wanda can drop a clean sample, she can play again. If that doesn't happen in three weeks, I will have to pull her scholarship. The stupid girl is blowing the best chance she ever had." "I'm sorry to hear that," Robin said sincerely. "Well, you're friends with Cheryl, aren't you? The money will go to her pal Maddy if I have to pull if from Wanda." "I don't think Maddy would celebrate getting a scholarship that way," Robin opined. "Probably not. I've got to find her the money somewhere, though. She and Cheryl may just save what was looking like a disappointing year." ------- Cheryl and Cal got home from their respective practices at about the same time. Cal called the apartment three times before she was finally there to pick up. Robin had relayed the conversation with the coach, and Cheryl was eager tell Cal that news. She was overjoyed because it looked like Maddy would get her money. They spent several minutes talking about Wanda, and Maddy, and the team. When she wound down, Cal, in a perverse moment, went for shock value with his news. "Mom jacked me off last night." The silence from her made him instantly sorry, and he tried to back-pedal. "Oh, Honey, I'm sorry. It wasn't like that, really." "Wh... what was it like, then?" When he had replayed the whole encounter in detail, she was sniffling quite loudly. "Are you angry?" he asked. "Angry?" she said with sadness in her voice the concerned him. "No, Sweetie, I'm not angry. At least, I'm not angry at you or your mom. I guess I'm angry that nothing close to that could ever happen in my family." He was about to make a quip about her wanting to jack off her father, but he caught himself in time and just waited for her. "I don't mean I'd want to do anything like that with Dad. It's just that everything is always so cold, so emotionless." "Your mom is changing, though, isn't she?" "Yeah, she is. But I don't know if it will ever be like your mom and your sister, or Teri and Tessa, or Rosario and Jean," she lamented. "By now, I've given up even getting any encouragement from Dad." "At least you've made sure there's affection between you and Matt and Shelley," he pointed out. "Don't remind me. That was the hardest thing about going away." "Do you think your mom is taking up some of the slack with them?" he asked. "I think she would like to, but she has to, um, learn how." Deciding he did not like the mood that line of discussion was generating, he asked "So, you're not angry about what Mom did?" "Not unless it happens again. I think I know just what she was feeling. It's... it's actually beautiful." "It won't happen again, I'm sure of it," he proclaimed. "I need to tell you what she said, why I'm so sure." He repeated Elaine's comments about the promises between her and Martin. "Cheryl, Honey, I feel that way about us." Cheryl was now openly crying and unable to respond. He just sat and waited for her for a minute or more, and he noticed that her sounds began to change. The sniffles began to be replaced by gasps and little whimpers. After maybe another minute, she let out a long, soft groan, and his suspicions about what she was doing were verified. He did not really understand the mood he was in, but he felt the urge to tease her about having an orgasm when they weren't really doing phone sex. Fortunately, he made himself think first, and her realized how emotional that moment must be for Cheryl. What a disaster it would be if he spoiled it with humor! It would be a childish attempt to avoid facing up to the emotion. He could not do that to her. He did not want to do that to her. He ended up saying, simply "I love you." "Oh, God! I love you! I love you! Why are you way over there when I need you here!?" That was turning into a standard lament. ------- At just about dusk Monday evening, Cal asked Elaine "Want to take a walk with me, Mom? It's been a long time." She practically dragged him from the house. She grabbed his hand walking down the driveway and never let go. "I wanted to be sure that last night didn't cause any problems between us," he said when they had walked a couple of blocks silently. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Honey," she said with a tinge of fear in her voice. "But you know what?" she continued, her voice stronger, "I'm not sorry I did it." "I'm not upset, Mom. Don't worry about that," he assured her. "I just didn't want it to change anything between us." "Even if it made things better?" she asked coyly. He answered her with a hug. "You know, what you said last night about you and Dad, and your promises to each other? Well, I thought about that a lot when I worked out this morning. That's what I want. That's what Cheryl and I want." Their slow walking progress halted at that point, as she spun around in front of him and plastered herself to him in a tight hug reminiscent of Laura's earlier in the day. He could hear her sniffling. "Do you think we're too young for that?" he asked as he hugged her. "Too young? You two are older, mentally and emotionally, than most of the adults I know," she answered. "With what you've been through with the fights, and with Cheryl's time with Greg, you shouldn't try to compare yourselves with others your age. Sometimes, I feel sad that you grew up so fast, but I don't think it hurt you any, and we can't change it, anyway." "I guess when something like Khalid's death happens, it's no different than a serious injury or an illness," he mused. "It's bound to change your life in some way." "Um, are you going to tell Cheryl about last night?" she asked. "Already did, as soon as we both got home from practice." "Was she, um, upset?" "Well, she cried, but not because she was upset. I think it just showed again how little intimacy their is in her family," he explained. "It's not something that all close families do, you know," she told him. "At least, I don't think they do." Then she giggled a little and gripped his hand in both of hers. By then, they were walking again. Cal tried to hold back, but he felt somehow compelled to tell his mother more about the phone call. "Cheryl didn't just cry, Mom. She was crying on the phone, and then she, uh, she came." "Wow!" "Yeah, wow! I was amazed. I didn't think..." Elaine did not know quite how to react. She was amazed the he would tell her something that intimate, but she was also thrilled. For a moment, she debated about how much she should tell him, but his willingness to share with her won her over. "Cal, Honey, what happened to Cheryl is not really so strange. For us women, love and sex can be very tightly connected. Sometimes, it's like there is no difference. What you said made her feel your love so strongly that she couldn't help herself." "You... you sound like it has happened to you." This was certainly not normal mother/son talk, but Elaine just did not feel the 'normal' restraints. "Sometimes, after all these years, when your dad says or does something that shows me just how much he loves me, I feel... it gives me..." This was really going too far, but... "It makes my pussy tingle!" she blurted out. Cal had perfected a response for just such unprecedented, unfathomable situations. He kept quiet. He did put an arm around his mother and give her a hug as they walked. ------- From his years of martial arts training and sports competition, Cal had developed a strong 'sixth sense. It was a trait possessed by successful warriors and athletes. That sixth sense dealt with people or objects in close proximity to him. With it, he was able to anticipate the moves of one or more combat opponents. Or, in a less serious setting, to outthink and outfake a running back, a receiver, or an opposing guard. That special ability really did not explain what happened Wednesday afternoon, and it would forever afterward be a subject of speculation for him and discussion with his confidantes. On Tuesday, Cal had once again sought out Jolie for lunch and had met her after school just to see how she was before he headed off to football practice. Again Wednesday, he had lunch with her and shared a quick greeting before heading to the locker room to prepare for practice. He wanted to establish these interactions as a regular routine. Jolie was honestly trying to separate from her former gang and establish a new 'identity'. She needed all of the help she could get. There was a generous gap between the end of school and the start of practice, and as usual, Cal chatted and horsed around with his teammates for a few minutes before suiting up. He had just sat on the bench in front of his football locker when it hit him like a lightning bolt. Jolie! He knew beyond a doubt that she was in danger. "Tell coach that I have to take care of an emergency!" he told his nearest teammate, and tore out of the locker room, heading for the parking lot at full speed. He knew that Jolie walked home by the same route that he had followed with Ismi on THE DAY, over two years earlier. The eerie feeling was almost enough to overwhelm him as he sped down the residential streets, careened into the cul de sac, screeched to a halt at the dead end, and sprinted up the easement path between the houses toward the park beyond. With Ismi, that park would have been sanctuary, had they been able to reach it. Now, he feared what he would find, certain as he could be that Jolie was there and in big trouble. He had barely burst through the line of trees that separated the park from the bordering row of houses when he saw his expectations verified. In the park were seven of Jolie's former gang, four boys and three girls. One girl was sitting on each of Jolie's arms, and one boy was holding down her legs. Two boys were by her head, and Cal saw that they were forcing her to swallow something. The third girl was lying on the ground, apparently hurt, while the fourth boy hovered over her in a menacing manner. Jolie was gagging and struggling. Cal forced himself to a momentary pause for situation assessment, repressing his urge to wade right in. After a particularly violent gagging episode from Jolie, he had all of the evaluation he could take time for, and he waded in. These were not trained fighters or even hardened street toughs, but he was outnumbered significantly. The objective was to protect Jolie, but to do that, he had to get rid of her attackers. He knew who all of them were, so if he just chased them away, that would be sufficient for now. Retribution could come later, hopefully from the police. Well, that sounded good, but could he really scare them away? Then another thought came to him. If they were forcing drugs into Jolie, what were they, and how much had she already swallowed? He needed one person to tell him that information, and the boy forcing things into her mouth, Brett, was the obvious candidate. In all probability, he was the ringleader in this revenge scheme, and quite likely the leader of the gang. Cal started his full-voice scream before he was in stride. He did not try to say any words, just kept the noise as loud and as menacing as he could. In a split second of inspiration, he moved his arms around in a caricature of a charging ninja. His hope was that the kids had seen enough martial arts movies to think that he might actually know that stuff. For once, he even hoped that his reputation had not faded from their memories. It was barely fifty feet from the park entrance where he had paused to where Jolie was being held. Most of the kids barely had time to look up and try to turn their bodies defensively when he reached Brett. Ignoring anyone else, he struggled very briefly with Brett before he could find the spot to render him unconscious. "Get out of here! Now!" he shouted at the others. "I know who you all are. The police will get to you. Now, I said! Do you want what he got?" The boy holding Jolie's legs had gotten to his feet and looked like he might want to try and fight. Making an instant decision, he sprang from his kneeling position and charged into the kid. He hit him full force as if he was knocking a runner out of bound, and the kid flew several feet before falling into a moaning heap. When he turned around again, the two other boys were already edging away from him. One girl who had been holding Jolie's arm, Gretta, was kneeling over the unconscious Brett, starting to cry. The other girl was scrambling away on hands and knees, screaming. "Gretta! Call 911 and tell them where we are!" Cal snarled, purposely sounding as mean and angry as possible. "Tell them what you were forcing into her and how much!" He knew that these kids almost always carried phones. "I didn't... I don't know..." Gretta started to protest. "If you want a chance of staying out of prison... if you don't want Brett doing time for murder, do it!" He shouted. "Right now!" "I don't what they are," she cried, her panic convincing him that she told the truth. "Just dial! I'll find out." While she called and gave the location and the situation, Cal managed to rouse Brett. With his face right in Brett's and a painful clamp on the boy's wrist, he snarled "What were you forcing into her?" Brett tried once to turn his face away, but a twist of the wrist hold had him screaming in a second. Brett gave up the name of the drug and how many pills he had gotten down Jolie. It was a deadly dose. Jolie was somewhat conscious and moaning, and he rolled her over and got her on her knees. Sorry that he might hurt her throat, but desperate to get the stuff out of her, he jammed two fingers as far into her mouth as he could. At the same time, he began pressing firmly on her lower abdomen and moving upward in a rough stroking motion. She first started to cough, and that turned into wracking dry heaves, but nothing came up. She began to panic as she struggled to regain her breath, and Cal felt terrible that he had to be so rough with her, but he believed it was life and death. In a bit of a surprise, Gretta knelt and held Jolie's head so Cal could keep forcing the gag reflex. He was beginning to get discouraged, knowing that he had hurt her. Just as he was about to give up and hope that the EMTs arrived in time, she began to spew. There was not a lot in her stomach, but it must have all come out. There were eight pills visible, and unfortunately, four of them had partially dissolved. Cal took off his shirt and wiped Jolie's face with it the best he could. Looking around, he saw that only Gretta and Missy, the girl who was already injured, were still in sight. Picking Jolie up, he had just started back toward his Suburban when he heard a siren coming from the other side of the park. Before long, a police car came speeding over the grass, and as the officer was getting out, the ambulance came up behind them. By the time the ambulance came to a stop, Cal was at the back door with Jolie in his arms. He explained the situation quickly to the EMT, and laid Jolie on the gurney before they could get it out. "There's another girl hurt. She was lying there when I got here," he explained. "Just hurry! Jolie needs help quick." Looking around the inside of the van, Cal saw some empty jars. Without waiting for instructions or permission, he dashed back to where she had thrown up and was about to scoop everything into the jar before he stopped himself. This was evidence. If he handled it, it would be worthless at any eventual trial. Almost dragging the officer with him, he explained that at least one pill was needed at the hospital for possible chemical analysis. The officer picked one pill out of the mess and put it in a small evidence bag, then scooped up the rest in another bag. "I probably scratched her throat gagging her," Cal said as he handed the pill to the tech. "I didn't know what else to do. She may not have thrown up all of it." He was starting to feel very weary, but he could not let down yet. Gretta was still there, now standing by Missy as one of the techs tended to her. Cal went to Gretta and asked for her phone, as his was still back in the car and he did not want to leave the scene. This call was going to be tough. "Laura, Jolie has been attacked. They forced a lot of drugs into her. I think I got her to throw up most of them. They're taking her to..." he stopped and found out the hospital, "... St. Gregory's. What's Will's number? I'll call Mom and then call Will. You just get to the hospital. They may need you to authorize some treatment." He reached his mother in her office and gave her the news. Since he called Will's cell, he was not sure where he reached him. He did know that his uncle's reaction infuriated him. "Something like this was bound to happen, the idiots she hung out with," Will said in irritation. "Tell Laura I won't be able to get there for a couple of hours." Missy was now on her feet and being helped into the van. The EMTs, thankfully, were hurrying to get Jolie to care as soon as possible. Cal walked up to the cop and asked if they could do the rest in the ER. "My aunt is going to need some support." "A backup unit is about a minute away," the officer responded. "We have to secure the scene, but they can do it. Ride to the hospital with me as soon as they arrive and I brief them. Young lady, I'm afraid you have to come along," the officer said to Gretta. "My car is right out there," Cal said, pointing to the exit. "Can't I follow the ambulance?" The officer thought for a moment, then nodded. Gretta was giving the names of the other attackers as Cal charged off. ------- Oh, how Cal hated that hospital. It was bad enough after THE DAY when he was a patient, recovering from being shot. It was worse when Rebecca and Bobby were here after Greg's foiled rape attempt and the brutal beating of Bobby. Now, he once again would have to sit and wait helplessly while the fate of someone he loved was out of his hands. He and Laura arrived in the parking lot at the same time. As she got out of the car, he could see the tear streaks on her cheeks. When she spotted him, she charged at full speed and threw herself into his arms recklessly. He had to sidestep a little and spin her around to absorb the impact and keep from being knocked over. Almost carrying her, he hurried her inside so she could see Jolie. By the time they located Jolie and were allowed in to see her, Jolie was hallucinating quite badly. She was able to say "Mom?" a couple of times, but she could not put together anything more intelligible. "We're running the pill through the lab just to be sure," the doctor told them. "It's hard to know just how much she already absorbed." Cal quickly described what Jolie had regurgitated and what portion of the pills were missing. "That helps a lot," the doctor assured them. "What we don't know is if everything came out. "We've already forced her to vomit some more, and nothing else came out. That's a hopeful sign." "What's... what's going to happen to her? Will she be all right?" Laura stammered. "So many of these street drugs are not made under very good standards," the doctor explained as gently as she could. "The drug itself is dangerous enough, but the impurities are sometimes poisonous. We are moving her to the ICU as a precaution. We will be running blood tests one right after another. I wish a could give you a confident prognosis, but I just can't. How did she come to take so much? Excuse me, Ma'am, I hate to ask, but was she trying a suicide?" Before Laura could get over her shock to respond, Cal answered "No. Her former friends forced the pills into her." "That makes it attempted murder," the doctor said. "Even three of those at once could be fatal." That did not help Laura's composure even a little bit. They stayed with Jolie until the orderlies came to take her to ICU. As they walked back into the waiting area, Elaine arrived and the sisters fell into an emotional hug. Cal decided to check on Missy. Missy looked worse than Jolie. One eye was getting very colorful, as was her cheek. He lip was badly swollen and had an obvious split. Cal did not know her well, but she recognized him and immediately asked "Why were you there?" "Jolie's my cousin." "I... didn't know that. She never said. How is she?" "If I hadn't gotten there, she would be dead," Cal said, not sure why he had chosen the hard-nosed approach. "Oh, no! Will she be all right?" "Too early to tell," Cal answered. He did not know where Missy was in the whole mess, so he wanted to sound her out. "Have you talked to the police, yet?" She shook her head in answer, then moaned at the pain the motion caused. "I guess I shouldn't really talk to you until you've given a statement, then," he told her. "I'll be back later." Cal's interview with the police took almost an hour. It was with a detective who had been assigned and had hurried to the hospital. He was extremely thorough in his questions, going back to Jolie's leaving the group on Friday night. Cal had to talk very carefully about why he was at Laura's house that night. Laura would be interviewed separately, and they had not had a chance to coordinate their stories. He decided to use his evidence of Will's infidelity and abuse as the reason. If Laura chose not to mention that, it might be understandable. The danger, of course, was that Will could very well find out prematurely. As it turned out, he was able to see Laura briefly after the detective was finished with him. "Laura, I told the detectives I was at your house because of the pictures and the PI report. I think you had better tell them the same thing." "But won't Will find out, then?" "We don't dare tell them anything untrue right now. It could be bad for Jolie." "Jolie? But she's the victim," Laura objected. "But until Friday, she was part of that gang," Cal explained. "They did some pretty bad stuff, you know." Laura hung her head and was quiet for a while. "I don't care what she's done. If she can just be OK, I can forget all of that." After she said that, Cal sat beside her and hugged her close. Elaine had been gone for a moment, and she returned to hug Laura from the other side. "What happened to that other girl?" Laura asked when she regained some of her composure. "I was about to ask, but I thought I had better let the cops talk to her first," Cal answered. "Let me go and talk to her again." Missy was sitting up a little when Cal got back to her cubicle. "Have they called your parents?" Cal asked. "There's just my dad," she answered. "He's out of town, again." There was a mix of sadness and anger in her voice as she answered. "I left a message at the hotel and I called his office." "What happened to you?" "They said they wanted to get even for last Friday. They said she narced on them." "Wait," Cal said. "Them? Weren't you with the gang last Friday?" "Huh, uh. Dad talked me into a trip to Grandma's. You know, bonding and all that shit." "It kept you from getting arrested," Cal pointed out. "Yeah," she said, then went quiet for a while. "Anyway, when I found out what they were going to do, I couldn't believe it. I tried to stop them, and Brett hit me until I blacked out." "Are you and Jolie pretty close?" Cal asked. "Well, we hung out together the most of the girls." "Thanks for trying, Missy," Cal said sincerely. "You made a big difference. Just a little longer and Jolie might not have had a chance." "Stupid, stupid idiots! I can't believe they'd try to kill her. Jolie wouldn't give them up," Missy said. "She didn't," Cal assured her. "She came right home and I was there." "Cal, how did you know to come to the park? Did someone tip you off?" "Missy, I don't really know. I just knew Jolie was in trouble." When Cal went back to find his mother and Laura, they had gone up to the ICU waiting area. When he caught up with them, he told them what he had learned from Missy. Elaine insisted on going back down to talk to the girl. "Do you have someone to stay with?" Elaine asked Missy. "Dad pays a woman, sort of a housekeeper. She stays overnight when he is gone. I don't want to think of her as a nanny." "Does she know what happened?" "No. I guess I should call her." "What's her name. Give me your phone number and I'll call. Are they going to let you go home now?" Elaine got the information and made the call to the very distressed housekeeper. Missy's car was back at the park, and Elaine said she would ask Cal to take her back because she wanted to stay with Laura. ------- It was actually well after dinner time before Will arrived and he was very curt with everyone and stayed only about fifteen minutes. St. Gregory's, because of its location, handled a lot of drug overdoses. One resident had developed quite a reputation for innovative and effective treatment. Jolie was fortunate enough to get that resident assigned to her case. They had a family physician who was more than happy to cede control to the resident after he arrived. Because Jolie's hallucinations got worse during the evening and she sometimes lapsed into unconsciousness, the doctor told Laura that it would be best if she did not see Jolie. He assured Laura that there was no chance that Jolie would recognize anyone for many hours, at best. Even given Jolie's condition, there was no way that Laura would leave the hospital. Overnight stays in the room by relatives were not allowed in ICU, but there were three rooms often used for that purpose, and Laura rented one of them. Elaine wanted to stay with her, but Laura wanted Cal. Elaine went to Laura's house, put together bags for both Laura and Jolie, and sent them back to the hospital with Cal. He was a little concerned at first, given what had happened Saturday night, but she assured him that she just wanted his company. "Cal, you saw how much Will cared. Now, you're my man, and tonight, I really need you." "Laura, I don't want to push you, but I think you have to move for a divorce right away. If Will finds out what we have and files first, it could get more complicated." They were in Laura's overnight room. They were both sitting in side chairs and Laura got up and sat in Cal's lap, hugging herself to him. "I'm scared. I don't know what to do." "I know a lawyer who will take good care of you. Will you call her?" "OK. You're sure she's good?" Cal related what Marty had done for Hal Carson and how she had handled the divorce of a friend of Dex Madison. "I'll call her as soon as Jolie's OK," Laura promised, then broke into tears. "Cal, why were you at the park? You were supposed to be at football practice." This was the first real test for Cal. What should he say? How should he describe the feeling of Jolie's danger that had swept over him? "Laura, I don't know how to answer that. I'm not sure what I think about ESP and that psychological stuff, but that's about the only way I could explain it." Then, he described what had happened to him in the locker room. "Will you tell me everything, in detail?" Somewhat reluctantly, he retold the entire encounter as he remembered it. For several hours, aunt and nephew watched TV and talked. Three times during the evening, doctors or nurses stopped in with reports on Jolie, and Laura or Cal relayed the information to Elaine and to Missy. Cal had his books and did some studying along the way. Convinced by the last report that there was no chance of talking to Jolie that night, Cal made ready to go home. That put Laura into a near panic. After much pleading from her and despite objections from Cal, the two were soon snuggled together in the narrow bed. After a restless half hour, she actually fell asleep, and he soon joined her. He easily woke at his normal early hour, and freshened up as best he could without waking her. At the ICU nurses station, he learned that Jolie was having some periods of lucidity, but was still suffering hallucinations and spent most of her time sleeping. They planned to move her out of ICU to a regular room when the day shift came on. Laura wold be able to stay in her room, then. He decided not to disturb Laura and he went home for his workout. ------- Somehow, various versions of the story were all of the school by the time first period ended, and Cal was responsible for none of them. Missy was not there, so she was not the source, either. The six gang members, including Gretta, had all been arrested. Brett was charged with attempted murder, and the others with accessory. All had been released to their parents, but they were suspended from school. Elaine had made a sandwich for Cal, and he took lunch hour and the class before to check in at the hospital. Jolie was awake and relatively lucid. When he walked into the room, she held out her arms like a small child and cried. When he came to her, she clamped onto him with manic strength. Laura was there, of course, and both Elaine and Martin stopped in. "How... how did you know?" was the first thing she said to him. "We'll talk about that when you're feeling a little better," he told her. "I'm just glad I was there." "Me, too," she said. "How's your throat? And your tummy?" "Throat hurts. Doctors says my tummy is bruised, but it doesn't hurt bad." The coach was understanding, but Cal insisted on staying for practice that day. Afterwards, he went straight back to the hospital. It was like a small family reunion, with Jolie much better and talking about going home in the morning. Cal stayed well into the evening, doing some homework while Jolie and Laura watched TV. Just at the end of visiting hours, there was a knock on the door, and Missy walked in, followed by her father. He introduced himself as Arnie Holt, and went right to the bed and asked how Jolie was. For several minutes, they all exchanged pleasantries, then Arnie said "Mrs. Whitman, would you have a cup of coffee with me? In the cafeteria? I think they'll let Missy stay here for a while." "Only if you call me Laura," she replied, then led the way out of the room. "I'm so sorry and so ashamed the Missy was involved in this," Arnie started off when they were seated with their coffee. "It's not like Jolie was innocent, you know," Laura responded. "Well, she skipped out on them, didn't she?" Arnie asked. They commiserated over their daughters' gang involvement for a while. "When my wife died of cancer three years ago," Arnie finally said, "Missy was knocked completely off kilter. Before, she was always a good kid, got good grades, and everything. It was almost like she blamed me. I couldn't do anything with her. I sent her to a shrink, but after six weeks, she just refused to go. That gang - that kid Brett - I couldn't believe the hold they had on her." "I know just what you mean," Laura said. "Nothing I could say compared to what the gang wanted. Until last Friday, I thought I had lost her forever. Arnie, if Missy hadn't tried to stop them, Cal doesn't think he would have gotten there in time." "So, your daughter left the gang on her own last Friday?" "Yes. And she did not turn them in, either." "So, she was already done with the gang?" "Well, we were talking more than we ever had. I was hopeful for the first time in years." "The whole trip to my in-laws', Missy was either giving me the silent treatment or we were fighting. When she got to school Monday, she heard that the others had been arrested and she skipped out. At that time, she didn't know that Jolie wasn't there." They sipped in silence for a little while, then Arnie spoke again. "I assume that this mess will finally break their hold on Missy. The problem is, she doesn't have anyone else. I guess I'm going to have to cancel some travel and spend more time with her. She may not be too happy about that, either." "Will that cost you business?" "Big time," he said quickly. "That's not the main thing right now, though. This may be my last and only chance to... to get my daughter back." His voice was shaking when he finished, and he was unable to keep the tears from his eyes. "Arnie, you don't know me very well, but here's an idea. Jolie has Cal, but she doesn't have any girlfriends. Apparently, she and Missy were pretty good friends in the gang. How about if we encourage them to spend as much time together as possible. Missy could stay with us while you're on the road." "What will your husband think about that?" Laura looked at him hard for a while, then asked "Can you keep a secret?" At his nod, she said "I will be filing tomorrow or the next day. You seem like a good guy. I would appreciate you having Jolie at your house as much as possible when you're home. Does that sound like it would work?" "Let's make sure it does." ------- Chapter 42 The loss of a defensive star like Vick Smaak could not help but affect the football team. There was a good program in the younger grades, though, and even if there was not a direct replacement for Vick, there was enough new talent to make the defense very strong. The offense that had been reshaped the previous year to make up for the loss of Greg and Brad hit it's stride right away. It was explosive and exciting to watch. The coaches decided that a gambling defense that stressed forcing big losses and turnovers was a good complement for the big-play offense. That suited Cal just fine, since on some series, he blitzed on every play. If possible, Cal was more fanatical than ever about his workouts. Part of it was for something to do when he was missing Cheryl. Part of it was his growing determination to make the college team next year, and not just as a kicker. When he stopped to think about it, he had to chuckle at how his athletic career had started with golf as his main sport, to be supplanted by basketball in his junior high years. His introduction to football had been almost an accident. Now, he was focusing on football at the college level, and he had hardly touched his golf clubs the whole summer. He knew that he was too small for college basketball, but he could shoot like few others could, and he had exceptional court sense. He thought he might be able to play. But when he thought of football and the pure joy a tooth-rattling hit, that's what motivated him to train harder. He would not be outrunning many receivers. Instead, he had to work on positioning, making sure they never got downfield on him in the first place. He would not be outjumping many receivers, either. Instead, he had to work on anticipation, hitting before they could get a good grip on the ball. He was not big enough to knock down running backs with sheer size and strength. Instead, he had to use his superior timing to hit with an impact that would discourage them from trying to run through his area the next time. His determination to enjoy his senior as just a student and an athlete had suffered a little setback with the incident with Jolie. His extended surveillance of Laura was not exactly ordinary, either. That was in the past, though, and Friday after the attempt on Jolie, he was able to forget everything else and concentrate on generating 'ooohs!' from the home crowd in the upcoming game. Cal was not a showman, but hitting an opponent hard enough to cause a fan reaction generated enthusiasm from supporters and from his team. At the same time, it had a definite intimidating effect on the opposition. Laura was back in his regular group of supporters, and Jolie was there with her. Missy and Arnie joined the group also, in somewhat of a surprise. ------- Saturday morning, Cal went to Ken's dojo for a workout and to let Ken evaluate his progress. Afterward, they sat and talked for quite a while, Cal expressing concern that the way he was hitting opponents might be too ferocious. As usual, Ken had some wisdom to offer. "If you are going to compete, your intention had better be to win. Otherwise, why bother. A key to winning is intimidation - making the opponent believe that he cannot win. This is true in battle, in sports, in cards, in Monopoly - everywhere that there is a winner and a loser. "As you know, a major thrust of the martial arts is learning to maximize force. That equates to maximizing impact. The 'stunts' like breaking boards and bricks are things that are generally considered beyond human capability. Yet, we do them routinely through conditioning, preparation, and focus. There is nothing mystical involved. "Your kicking is a wonderful example, but your tackling is an even better one. Instead of just maximizing the impact of your hand or your foot, you use your whole body. To me, it is a perfect application of the art. "Now, as to your concern about hitting too hard. As a highly train martial arts competitor, you are mismatched against the average high school player football player. It it as if you were competing down two or three classes in a tournament. Oh, that's right, you don't do tournaments, do you?" Ken grinned as he said that. He never missed a chance to zing Cal on his refusal to compete, but he had little or no hope that he would change Cal's mind. "All I can tell you is to hit hard enough to intimidate, but not to injure unnecessarily. Save the really big hits for college." "But if I hurt someone anyway?" Cal asked. "I don't mean to sound callous," Ken responded, "and I believe in the doctrine of minimum necessary force. But you have to error on the side of success. In the case of football, you have to make sure you stop the man. If you use a bit too much force, well, that's just adds to the intimidation." "So in other words," Cal said with a chuckle, "you don't have any idea what I should do." Ken jumped into an attack stance and swung a whistling kick just short of Cal's nose before returning the grin. It was the kind of horseplay done among equals, and it made Cal feel very, very good. ------- Saturday night after the attack in the park, Laura and Jolie came over for a cookout and to enjoy the pool. It was a beautiful, very warm September evening, and Martin wondered to the family if maybe they should keep it open a few weeks longer. Jolie and her mother were acting like things were much better between them. In a bikini, Jolie's skinny build was less of a liability, and she kept glancing at Cal to see if he was watching her. Often he was, but only when he could tear his eyes away from Laura, whose ass was essentially bare in her string suit. Elaine nearly choked on the drink she was sipping but could not work up any outrage when Laura plopped her bare ass in Cal's lap and put her arm around his shoulders. Stunned at first, he finally hugged her back, whereupon she rested her head on his shoulder for a while. Complete silence reigned as they snuggled and she was perceptive enough to know that she had made her point and should not overdo it. When they ate dinner, Laura and Jolie bracketed Cal and chatted like the old friends they should have been all along. His parents said almost nothing, too overjoyed at the changes that had occurred. Later, Jolie spent some time chatting with her aunt and uncle, both of whom tried to cover their surprise and converse naturally. The warm mood took on a somber tone when Laura asked everyone over to the table a little later. She grabbed both Cal and Jolie by a hand and pulled them down next to her, with Martin and Elaine sitting across. Even more surprising was that she did not let go of Jolie's hand, and Jolie did not seem to mind. "I have been dreading this moment for years, and doing everything I could to pretend it wouldn't happen," Laura said in a shaky voice. "My marriage has been a disaster for a long time. You all know about it. I don't know how I can ever thank you for the way you helped me. "I... I didn't let myself think about divorce until now, but I saw Marty yesterday and got things started. I'll have plenty of money to live on. And I'm getting my baby back." She said that with a hug for Jolie that the girl returned. "But I want you living here close to us," Elaine objected as she came around the table to hug her sister from behind. "Maybe you can get enough to keep the house." "Even if I can, I'm not sure I want to," Laura said. Elaine gave Martin a quick look that he read perfectly. No way was he ready for that kind of complication in their lives, though, so he gave his wife a barely perceptible negative signal. "Laura," Martin said, "There are plenty of less expensive houses on the course, and some very nice condos." "But I don't play much golf," Laura protested. "Well, maybe you should," Elaine jumped in. "Maybe we both should - together." ------- By a week after the attack on Jolie, it was apparent that the case against her attackers was not going to be open and shut. When Cal first began to get inklings of the problems, he became angry that injustice might be served, rather than justice. It was a call to Cheryl that calmed him down. "What about the guy who was just going to be a normal high school senior?" she asked. "Jolie is OK, and in a perverse way, it may help her get turned around. You aren't in any trouble personally, like you were after Greg. Jolie's old gang really isn't worth worrying about. Just let it go." "I don't think it will be that easy for Jolie and Laura," he objected. "But that's not you. Just study, play football, and get your ass up here to see me," she admonished him. As usual, her advice made a lot of sense, and he was less agitated after the call. There were several problems with the case. As had happened with Greg and Chad, the attackers' lawyers got together and concocted their own version of events which bore almost no resemblance to the real situation. Six people supported that version, and only Cal and Missy told the real story. Since Missy was unconscious when the pills were actually forced into Jolie, it was really just Cal against six. The defense version had the seven gang members going to the park on a tip that Jolie would try to kill herself. Rather than forcing the pills into her, they were trying to get them out of her when Cal came upon them and made the wrong assumption. Missy had thought they were being too rough and hurting her friend. Brett had tried to keep her from interfering, and had inadvertently hurt her. The one complication that irritated Cal the most was that he had no credible reason for being in the park. Intuition or sixth sense did not play well, but he had no other explanation. He could understand the police reasoning: one weakness in his story made every other part of the story suspect. He did not have to like it. The attackers' legal team had a serious problem in Gretta. At the scene and at the hospital later, she had told the true story. She had been Mirandized at the scene and had chosen to talk freely. The defense team was now trying to get those statements thrown out on the basis of mental stress and coercion. In court, her revised statement would most likely stand. Whether it held up legally or not, Gretta's original statement caused the police to believe the account given by her, Missy, Jolie, and Cal. That made them more energetic and creative in trying to break down the concocted version. Individually, Brett had another problem because he had beaten Missy. His parents wanted to try have the story say that Cal did the beating, but the legal team would not go for that. Direct testimony from Missy, the victim, would be too powerful. They could not afford to introduce such an obvious hole into the story. It would have weakened the entire tale even more than Brett accidentally knocking Missy out. Cal's fascination with all of the legal maneuvering and the investigative process made it easier for him to take the whole thing in stride. The DA assigned to the case took a liking to Jolie and made a point of keeping Laura up to date on the case's progress. Cal always heard the latest within minutes. ------- In a wonderful surprise, Cal got a call Thursday night from Bud. He and Robin were going to be in town. He offered to fly Cal, Darlene, and Shelley and Matt if they chose, back with them after Cal's game Friday night. Cheryl's team was playing at home. They would all fly back late Sunday afternoon so Bud and Robin could be in town on Monday. Martin tried to get Bud to take pay for the trip, but he refused. Since it was not a direct benefit to Cheryl, there was no issue of unauthorized payments to upset the NCAA. After another excellent game for him and a win for the team, Cal showered in record time and dashed to Darlene's car for the trip to the private airport. The general noise level in the plane and the beauty of flying on a clear night kept conversation to almost nothing. Matt had chosen not to join them, so Robin sat with Darlene while Cal and Shelley took the back row. That left Bud alone up front, but he only joked about it once. Since it was the night before a game, Cheryl had decided not to even ask the coach if she could join Cal at the apartment. However, Maddy did it for her without Cheryl's knowledge. Knowing that the two had lived together all summer, the coach was not concerned about Cheryl losing control and not being ready for the game. It was a nice surprise when the coach told Cheryl quietly after practice that she was banished from the dorm for the weekend. Thoughtfully, Claire had invited Darlene and Shelley to use their spare room, leaving Cheryl and Cal alone in the apartment. They took maximum advantage of the opportunity, after some happy hugging and jabbering between mother and daughters. Cal had sat and watched the interaction between Darlene and Cheryl with a sense of unreality. Not long ago, he could not have imagined them communicating at that level. It was a great thing to see. One time, Darlene saw him watching and smiled at him with moist eyes. In bed, while recovering from their first frantic coupling, Cal asked "Are you starting to feel like you really have a Mom, now?" "I don't think it will ever be like your sister and mother," she answered. "We just got started way too late. I'll take it, though. It's kind of, um, upside down, if you know what I mean. I've been the one giving advice and watching out for her. I can't see getting advice from her, and I think she knows that. Still, it's great to be able to communicate. I'm really hoping that it's not too late for Shelley." The game was Saturday evening, and Cheryl did not have to join the team until late afternoon. There was a home football game, and the volleyball team had a block of seats so they could begin their pre-game preparations right after football. Cheryl managed to get Cal into the section, but Darlene and Shelley had to sit with Claire and Bert. When Cal kissed Cheryl as she went off with the team, he just knew she was going to have a great match. She had that combination of contentment, confidence, and tension that athletes recognize as the ideal state for entering a contest. The cheering squad for Cheryl and Maddy was larger than usual. Claire and Bert, Bud and Robin, Bud's family, and Maddy's extended family were all there. On that night, the only spectator that mattered to Cheryl was Cal. Rather than being nervous because he was watching her, it always spurred her on. He had often told her that he found her performance on the court arousing as well as beautiful, and she believed him. That extra incentive added to her normal competitive spirit put her into that special zone. On the very first service return, Maddy gave Cheryl a perfect quick set and Cheryl slammed it home. It set the tone against an opponent that was a threat for the conference championship. Cal was brought back to his discussion with Ken about intimidation as he watched Cheryl and Maddy. Cheryl was intense and business-like. Maddy was a boisterous chatterbox, but no less intense. Neither was cocky, but they both radiated confidence unusual for freshmen. To say that Cal was proud of his mate would have been a gross understatement. They did lose the third game, narrowly, after winning the first two by good margins. The opposition had evidently shot its wad with the win, and at 18-4 in the fourth game, the coach sat Cheryl and Maddy down while the rest of the team polished off the victory. Down on the floor afterwards, the coach came up to Cal and Cheryl and said to Cal "If you can get her to do that every time, why don't you come up every weekend and, uh..." she suddenly realized what she was about to say, and they all disintegrated into happy laughter. Having seen Cal around during pre-season practice, the coach once again wondered what was so special about him. There was no doubt how Cheryl felt about him. Having never had strong feelings for any male, the coach just decided that it was something she might never figure out. Sunday was a wonderful brunch at Bud's parents' place. It was made extra-special when Bud announced that he had asked Robin to marry him. She put on the ring for the first time and showed it off. It was a toss-up as to whether Robin or her mother-in-law-to-be was the more emotional. It was never easy to say goodbye, but Cheryl and Cal had reached the place where they handled it realistically. It was a part of their life, but only a temporary part. Both of their lives were full, and they could deal with the parting without any lingering depression. ------- The following weekend, a trip to see Pete play had already been planned. It would be the only one for Cal that fall, and if he made the college team next year, it would be his last chance ever. Just that thought made him a little introspective about what was happening to his family. It was all good, but things would never be back to what he remembered so fondly from past years. Of course, those past years so fondly remembered had some parts that he would rather forget, as well. Once again, Martin found that chartering a plane gave them the best combination of flexibility and cost. There was a surprise for this trip, too. Ismi and Amelia were joining them. Cal knew that Pete and Ismi had been communicating and that they had dated when Pete was in town. He did not realize that things were crossing into serious relationship territory. Pete and Ismi did not share a bed during the trip, and that gave Cal something to think about. He was three years younger and he had found his life's mate. He was living like a married man. Should he feel guilty about that? Should he question whether that was right? It did not take long for him to decide that it was just Pete's own fault for not paying enough attention to what was most important. ------- The week after going to see Pete, Jolie's case broke open, and Gretta was the key. Her main reason for being in the gang was because she was in love with Brett. Because she was a legitimate trophy, Brett was more than happy to have her. He made a big mistake, though, after the attack and the arrests. He could not tolerate the fact that she had spoken against him in her original statement. His criticism became constant and destructive. Gretta's family was in the same position that Laura had been. They were decent people who feared that they had lost their daughter. They were heartbroken over what they believed Gretta had done during the attack, but saw a ray of hope because she had tried to help Jolie at least a little, and had not fled with the others. Unlike Laura, Gretta's parents had refused to meet her rebellion with anger and fighting. They wisely did not attack Brett, although they voiced as many cautions as they dared. The pain that she caused them did not go unnoticed by her, but her love for Brett and the rebel propaganda laid on her by the gang kept that pain away from her consciousness. When her parents came to pick up Gretta at the police station the Friday night that the gang broke into the vacant house, a change began to occur. The other arriving families were either angry at their offspring or angry at the authorities. Hers were just embarrassed, saddened, and concerned for her welfare. Love can ignore a lot of things, and very often does. Brett, however, was a complete idiot in the way her treated her. That, she might have tolerated, had it not been for the stark contrast with her parents' treatment. It took several days to admit to herself that Brett did not love her, and several more sleepless nights before she decided what she had to do. During a tearful session with her parents, they encouraged her to come clean. If it meant jail, they would be behind her. With four statements now in full agreement, as opposed to the five others, and the physical evidence, the contrived version was no longer tenable, and the legal team knew it. It now became a mad scramble for the most favorable plea bargain. The victim does not necessarily have any say in a plea bargain situation, but the DA kept in touch with Jolie and Laura all along. They were told that the chances of a conviction on attempted murder were pretty small, and that Jolie's involvement in the gang would be hammered on. In fact, every part of her life would be exposed on the stand. Jolie and all of the family agreed on two points. They did not want Jolie to have to testify, and they believed that Brett should spent some time in jail. The other attackers, they did not really care about, except that they hoped that Gretta could get off free. The DA concurred, and Brett got a year in an adult facility. Of the rest, all but Gretta got community service. For what the kids had tried to do, it was not much punishment, but the most important thing was Jolie's return to the family. From watching Cal's experience after stopping Greg's attempted rape of Rebecca, Laura understood how difficult it was to get real satisfaction from the law. Part of her was even saddened at what would happen to Brett during his year in prison, but that feeling never held for long. The legal machinations brought Laura and Arnie together several times. He had told her that she should hang tough for punishment of Brett, but she was able to convince him that it was unrealistic. After one of their discussions, they agreed to have dinner out with both of their daughters. "Jolie, Missy," Laura started out after they had eaten, "I need to ask you a hard question. Do you think you could forgive Gretta and try to be her friend?" Missy just looked serious, but Jolie gave a gasp. "Oh, Mom! She helped. She held my arm down while... while Brett..." "I told you it was a hard question," Laura said gently. "Let me explain. Both of you got involved with the gang, and it took a real shock to make you look at it and decide it was a mistake. Isn't that right?" When both girls nodded, Laura continued. "Just what was it that made you stay in the gang?" Missy answered first. "It was something to belong to. Sorry, Dad," she said with a glance at Arnie. "I know losing Mom hit both of us hard. You tried, but I just didn't... There was this big hole, and..." With a shrug, she stopped talking. "I guess I could blame Asshole," Jolie said, obviously referring to Will, "but that's kind of a cop-out. It was belonging, like Missy said. And it was a rush doing all of those risky things." "I appreciate your honesty, both of you," Laura assured them. Arnie did not say anything, but he had taken Missy's hand and held onto it. "Now, Gretta probably had some of the same reasons for being in the gang, but she had one even bigger reason. She was in love. Maybe neither of you have experienced that yet, but it can take over your life and all of your thinking." "So, we should give her a pass because she was in love?" Jolie asked, her skepticism not hidden. "All three of you made mistakes," Laura explained. "Hers were different than yours, and she did worse things. I can't argue that. The point is, just like you, she wants to change, but she's all alone. You two have each other, and I think that has helped, hasn't it?" The two girls looked at each other, then nodded at Laura. "It's not so hard for me," Missy stated. "She didn't do to me what she did to Jolie. I always got along with her in the gang." "Well, I did, too," Jolie responded. "That's why it hurt so much when she held me down." "Can you blame that on Brett and his hold over Gretta?" Laura asked. "Can you forget about the one really bad time? I'm sure that she desperately wants to forget it." "Have you talked to her, Mom?" Jolie asked. "Yes. And her parents. They're good people. They feel just like Arnie and I do. We're all so glad to have our daughters back..." Laura had to pause to reclaim her voice. "We're all trying to do whatever we can to help you girls fit in without the gang." "Aren't you worried about us hanging around with some of the same people?" Missy asked. This time, Arnie answered. "The most important thing, Honey, is that you have some friends. You will make more friends, but you need a start. The three of you have a lot in common, and you could support each other." The was a period of silence, then Jolie spoke up. "I don't know. I see what you mean, but... Missy, I need the ladies' room." The two girls headed off. "What?" Laura asked, seeing Arnie staring at her. "I guess I would like to meet your husband," he answered. "I need to see what kind of man would drive a woman like you away." His words hit Laura like a jolt of electricity. From the first meeting, she had thought Arnie was a nice guy, but they were just working together for the benefit of their daughters. Well, maybe that wasn't all. ------- The next school day, Cal was eating with Jolie, Missy, and two of Cal's friends when Missy spotted Gretta alone in the lunch line. Cal saw where Missy was looking and asked her "Shall I go and invite her to join us?" Jolie had not noticed Gretta until then. She put a hand on Cal's arm and told him "It won't mean anything unless I do it." Before anyone could respond, Jolie was up and walking toward Gretta. They could all see Gretta recoil slightly as Jolie approached her, but Jolie must have said something reassuring because Gretta's expression changed to surprise. After a short conversation, Jolie returned, smiling, and Gretta was definitely fighting for her composure. Things were definitely strained when Gretta joined them, but when lunch was over, the three girls walked together toward their next classes. ------- Laura's evidence of infidelity and abuse was very strong. That did not mean that the divorce would go smoothly. Will had gone into a rage when he was served. It had been arranged so he was given the papers in his office. Laura was purposely not at home, and did not have her phone on. Suspecting that he might try her there, she stayed away from the Banners'. Marty had obtained a restraining order for Laura, using Cal's photos as evidence. Laura was not willing to rely on that, at least not until Will had a chance to cool off. The papers were served on Friday afternoon, assuming that Will would head off for another assignation that evening. Without Laura's knowledge, Marty had engaged the Plonske Agency to tail Will that weekend. Her assumption was that in his anger, he might discard what little caution he had exercised before. The previous report was now a few months old, and some fresh evidence would be beneficial. Marty's plan worked to perfection, and the agent obtained the most damning pictures yet. Even better, the pictures involved two different women. Marty asked Laura to meet her for breakfast on Monday morning, where she told Laura about the new evidence. "I need to warn you, Laura, and this is extremely important. I fully expect Will to try to obtain some kind of evidence against you. You absolutely cannot be anywhere alone with any man until I tell you that it is safe. Worse than that, you have to be careful not to be in a situation where a compromising picture could be taken, even if it is innocent." "How could it be compromising if it is innocent?" "Well, suppose you are at a football game with Cal's family. Cal makes a great play, and in your exuberance, you hug his father. If someone snapped a picture at just that moment, it could damage your case." "Wow! I had no idea things could be that complicated," Laura exclaimed. "You are going against huge money. This could get very, very dirty." "Then, what do I do to protect myself?" "This may sound drastic, but try to always have another female very close to you whenever you are anywhere that a picture could be taken. In addition..." Marty went through a list of precautions, leaving Laura somewhat chagrined. "Laura, it will be worth it. I have an idea that could speed things up. I just can't tell you about it because it is, uh, borderline ethical." "I'll do what I have to," Laura said in a determined voice. "I don't have any romantic interests going right now, so that won't be a problem." She wondered if she was telling the truth when she thought briefly of Arnie. But they had only been together because of their daughters, so far. It would just have to stay that way until the divorce was settled. ------- Marty did a little research and found out who the lawyers for Will's family were. Then, she constructed an elaborate triple-blind path for the information about the divorce to make it's way to that law firm. The path involved two different investigative agencies and a legal secretary eager to make points with her bosses. The assumption had been that Will would hide the suit from his family. Marty also assumed that the family would put pressure on him to settle quickly and quietly. If she was correct, reputation and discretion would be more important than money to his family, and Laura would win a settlement well above the pre-nup, just to keep things quiet. Will had moved out of the house, but Laura could never completely relax. Seeing her distress, Elaine found a rental condo nearby and was able to get it on a short-term lease. When Marty heard about it, though, she was not at all happy. "Laura, I'm sorry if you feel uncomfortable in your home, but you have to act as if it IS your home. You can't show any willingness to live elsewhere or his lawyers will be all over it." Laura had not actually moved into the condo, yet, so the only damage was three months of lost lease payments. Will's family definitely valued reputation and discretion above money. At least some of his indiscretions were known to them, and they were not at all happy about them. Within days of Marty's 'leak', Laura received a very large cash offer plus the house. The condition was to modify the decree to no-fault. Marty was delighted with the success of her plan. "The proposed agreement looks good. I want to modify it so your money goes into an annuity for tax purposes." It took some more discussion, but Laura gave her go-ahead. With almost dizzying speed, she was on the fast track to a final decree. "Everything is all settled," Marty told her, "but I think you should observe the same precautions until you have the decree in hand. I prefer to be overly cautious rather than sorry later." It was with a great deal of disappointment that Laura had to turn down an invitation to dinner from Arnie a couple of weeks later. She explained why and he understood. She even thought it best not to go out together with the girls. With freedom in sight, she did not want to take even the smallest chance. "Can I ask a big favor, Arnie?" she said. "Can I say 'yes' to your invitation, but keep that date open until I can bring my final paper with me?" ------- Through all of his surveillance of Laura and just the mayhem of starting school and football, Cal had never gotten around to addressing the photography business. It was obvious that he had no time for it during football season, and he wondered if he should just accelerate turning it over to Jean. Jean and Jared were definitely looking like a couple. Both of their parents approved, and Jared had taken a real interest in all of the mechanical and chemical aspects of the business. They went on shoots as a team, and from what Cal could tell, their reputation was very good. Laz (Lazlo) Cociscue, Jared's father, was willing to set up developing facilities at their home. There were questions about the long-term prospects for Jean and Jared and what would happen if they broke up. Laz had dated Emily Smaak several times, but neither of them had felt any spark, so at least that possible relationship was not a complication. Jared was a brilliant student, but he had no desire to got away for school, so he was only applying locally. Over dinner one night, Cal and his parents decided that the photo business had been a very good experience for Cal, but that it did not fit where he was going in the next few years. Laz had offered cash upfront for all of the equipment and supplies. He would be reimbursed out of future revenues. It seemed like a good deal all around, and Cal said goodby to another significant piece of his past. That evening's talk with Cheryl was more emotional than usual for Cal. The wonderful nude shot of her was at the beginning of his career as a photographer. Its lingering memory had also spurred his relationship with her. The business might be gone for him, but Cheryl and the memories would be with him forever. ------- Just after deciding to shed the photo business, Cal and the football team suffered a major disappointment, losing to their chief conference rival. Their big-play offense depended on everything clicking, and that night, it did not. The game was very close, but Cal was denied a chance at a tying field goal by an interception in the final seconds. If their rivals went undefeated, as it looked like they would, there would be no playoffs that year. Every competitor lives for the chance to be a champion, but only a few are granted that privilege. That loss left Cal only one more chance in his high school career. He knew that even if he made the college football team, the chance of a championship there was slim, unless some spectacular recruiting was done. The high school basketball team would be very good that year, and there was a chance for State. Somewhat to his surprise, Cal found himself recovering from the disappointment very quickly, and not focusing on basketball hopes as much as he would have expected to. Other things in his life just seemed much more important. He would play hard and play for fun, but success or failure of the team did not effect him nearly as much as in previous years. The fact that he once again took off in Bud's plane to see Cheryl right after the loss was the biggest help in getting over it. Once again, she played superbly and led the team to a victory. Once again, they grabbed every possible moment to make love, and neither was ever disappointed. It looked like Cheryl's team would be invited to the NCAA tournament as it had three of the five previous years. Cal hoped that he could make it to the matches, but he could not promise up front. The problem with the tournament was that it came after Thanksgiving. That meant that Cheryl would have to stay on campus and practice, rather than coming home. In a move that must have been very hard for her but clearly demonstrated her love, Elaine suggested that Cal should go to Cheryl for the holiday. Pete's status was uncertain, so Rebecca might be the only child home for Thanksgiving. Cal missed Rebecca, and he was torn between his desire to see her and his need to be with his lover. A compromise was worked out where he would spend turkey day at home, then fly to college on Friday morning. Rebecca had no classes on Wednesday, so she would be home Tuesday night, giving them two days together. Bud could not fly him there, but would bring him home on Sunday. ------- While just thinking about Thanksgiving arrangements, some more unpleasantness was introduced to Cal's life. During the next to last game of the season, a big running back broke into the open, with only Cal between him and a score. Having dealt with similar plays a number of times, Cal was not worried about the upcoming tackle. Rather, he felt the instant increase in adrenalin. When the runner showed no inclination to change course but seemed determined to challenge Cal head on, there was little choice of how Cal should play it. Ever since the practice when he had flipped Greg when Greg tried to vault over him, Cal had prepared for that move every time he tried a rolling block tackle. This time, the runner gave himself away early, before Cal had even gone down to hit his legs. When the runner went airborne, Cal hit his legs hard in a running crouch. The result was a violent flip and an impact with the ground that brought an eerie silence to the crowd. Most high school fields did not have motorized carts, so a crew ended up carrying the runner off on a stretcher. The hit was a predictable result of the runner's attempt to vault over the tackle, and no one could point to anything illegal or unsportsmanlike about it. There was one antagonistic sports reporter, though, who Cal had snubbed in previous times when he was in the spotlight. He had a blistering article in the next day's sports section. Cal had caused two other opponents to miss one or more games because he had hit them so hard. The article recounted those incidents, then referenced Cal's martial arts background. Without being able to mention even a penalty on any of the incidents, the reporter managed to make Cal sound like a thug. It even inferred that his training should have rendered him ineligible for high school competition. For a day or two, Cal was quite upset. It took a light-hearted call from Pete to break the mood. "Be sure to get lots of copies of that article. You need to forward one to the football coach at your college. That, Bro, is the best promotional material you could find." The season ended, and their rival had indeed gone undefeated. Cal would not have to start basketball practice late that year. ------- Both Rebecca and Cal felt the emotion of being together again for Thanksgiving day. During the previous two years, they had shared so much. The current separation was just a reminder that they might never again be able to commune in person on a daily basis. Both siblings were happy with the way their lives were headed and both were committed to their lovers for the long haul. That did not mean that they missed each other any less. Even though it was hard to leave Rebecca, Cal could not wait to see Cheryl again. This time, it was just the two of them. Darlene would have loved to come along, but she could not abandon the rest of the family. Hal had grudgingly acquiseced when there was a match to see, but he would never have tolerated that visit. As Cal was watching one practice, the coach came and sat beside him. "I hope you can make it to the tournament," she said. "Well, it starts on a weekday, and I have basketball practice," he answered. "Oh, that's too bad. Cheryl's best games have been when you are here" the coach enthused. "She's hasn't really had a bad match, but the two times you were in the stands, she was unbelievable. See if you can't work out a way to get there. We need super-Cheryl." With no pressure to have to spend time with her mother and sister, Cheryl gave Cal her complete attention. Predictably, Claire and Bert had demanded that she join them for Thanksgiving dinner, so she had not been alone for that. After she picked up Cal at the airport on Friday, he was hardly out of her sight for more than a few seconds at a time. She dressed for practice at the apartment, and she showered there afterwards, insisting that he 'assist' her. Cal had packed some nice clothes, and he had called ahead to arrange Saturday night dinner at a well-known restaurant. The keywords in their relationship had always been 'laid back' and 'casual'. That did not stop her from thoroughly enjoying the chance to dress up. Given how immersed she had been in her studies and the team, a chance to be purely feminine was very well received. Whether it could be described as feminine or not, her behavior when they got home from the romanitc meal was definitely female - horny, in-love female. Cal wanted to undress her himself. He had done it many times before, but not when she was all dressed up. Cheryl was too impatient to wait for his slow progress, but she had to admit that the worship she felt from his touch and his demeanor was worth the wait. The joke was on him when he unzipped her silky, slinky dress and slid it carefully down her body. There really was not any more unwrapping to do as she stood before him in just her shoes and hold-up stockings. She did not think she needed to tell him that she had removed her panties during a supposedly panicked pee stop before they left the restaurant. She had also taken a moment to freshen her pussy as best she could with moist paper towels. It was not very comfortable, but as he knelt in front of her, she was very glad that she had made the effort. He thought Cheryl looked good in any attire and in any setting, but at the moment, she outdid all the glamour photos that he could remember. He was as hard as he could get, but he wanted to relish the moment. Starting at her ankles, he ran his hands lightly up and down over her stocking-clad legs. Those legs! They had always been a source of fascination and arousal for him. When they were relaxing and cuddling, his hands were always drawn to them. Because of her sensitivity about the size of her breasts, he had schooled himself to pay proper attention to them, also, and that was certainly no chore. But those legs! At the moment, he knew Cheryl would not give a thought to her breasts if he worshipped her legs. It was a new, exciting sensation for both of them. He experimented with different pressure and speed of strokes and different areas of attention until he felt her react. In a few minutes, she was shivering, catching her breath, and uttering small whimpers. Next, she put her hands on his head for support. Triggered by a long moan from her, he ran his hands up to her bare bottom and got a firm hold on her cheeks. At the same time, he plunged his face right into her crotch with his tongue fully extended. It took a few seconds of searching with his tongue before he found her clit. When he did, he locked his lips around it and sucked for all he was worth. She began a continuous low moan. When he extended his tongue again and began flailing at her button, she screeched and soared into an orgasm. Unable to stand, she collapsed forward over him, making it impossible for him to keep his mouth on her. Positioning one shoulder under her stomach, he stood, using that arm to hold her in place. He thrust the other hand into crotch, trying to keep up the stimulation. They were already in the bedroom, and in just a couple of steps, he laid her on her back on the bed. He took a few seconds to shed his pants and shoes, then knee-walked up to her. Lifting her legs into the air and spreading them, he slid into her quite easily. The entire evening had been unusual for them, and it all added to the eroticism of the moment. It was one of those times that was for her first, and Cal used every control trick he knew to keep from coming too soon. Fortunately, her first orgasm had not really subsided. That, along with the exciting buildup, had her quivering on the edge again in a very short time. Her climax carried him along, and within less then five minutes, they lay panting beside each other. She was still in her stockings and still had one shoe on. Still unable to resist the appeal of her legs, his hand began caressing her thigh again. At the same time, he dipped his head to take a nipple in his mouth, and she was was climbing toward another peak almost immediately. The much-needed shower was delayed for a while longer. ------- Chapter 43 A few days before the volleyball tournament was to start, Coach Meinert caught Cal after basketball practice. "I got a call from a woman who really needs your help. I told her I would see if I could talk you into it." When Cal just showed a blank stare, Meinert said "I'll give you a clue: she's a coach." Still not seeing comprehension on Cal's face, he added "A volleyball coach." Seeing that Cal had finally caught on, Meinert laughed and said "Get your ass to Cheryl's first match. Her coach honestly believes you make Cheryl play better. That's an order!" Cal and Cheryl usually arrived home from practice at about the same time. She was more than overjoyed at the news, and she was particularly touched that her coach had taken the initiative and called Coach Meinert. "Cal, could you see if there's any way Mom could come? I'll buy her ticket." He was not exactly thrilled at the prospect of the trip with Darlene, but it was easy to hear how much Cheryl wanted it. When he called Darlene, she at first dismissed the idea out of hand. Cal pushed a little and finally got her to consider it. She would have to scramble to re-arrange her work schedule, and that could not be done until the next morning. The first two rounds of the tournament, the sub-regionals, were played on the courts of participating schools. Four teams would gather at the highest seeded school in that sub-regional. Cheryl's team had posted a 24-5 record, but they had not beaten a ranked school along the way. They were seeded thirty-eighth in the sixty-four team field. Their first opponent had won fewer games, but played in a more highly-regarded conference. The highest nationally ranked team in their sub-regional was number nine, and Cheryl did not face them first. Darlene got word to Cal at school that she could go, and Cal called the travel agent that his family used. They had to schedule two nights, assuming the team would win the first game. The team was actually a good deal better than their record indicated. The losses to the ranked teams mostly occurred early in the season. Cheryl and Maddy were either not playing then, or the team had not completely adjusted to the different personality that they brought. Wanda had just given up when confronted about the steroids. She had dropped out of school, a fact that no one on the team was happy about. At first, Bell and Chloe, her two followers, were very disgruntled, and that did not help the team's early performance, either. With a couple of close calls early on, they managed to get their act together and win all of their conference matches and only lost two non-conference contests after the three early ones. By the last third of the season, Bell and Chloe had integrated quite well back into the team, and they had become a legitimate power house. Elaine picked up Darlene and drove them to the airport. From when they first sat in the waiting area, it was obvious that Darlene wanted very much to improve relations with her future son-in-law. She reached over and took his hand as they waited, a completely unprecedented move for her. "Cal, I'm trying to learn not to be a cold fish any more," she said. That was one of those comments that even Dr. Julia Waxman would have had to carefully formulate a response to. All Cal could go on was instinct. "I never thought you were," he said. He raised their clasped hands as a little gesture. "Thank you," she said softly, "but I was pretty bad. I wasn't raised like you. At home, it was like showing emotion was sinful. It's hard to break those habits." "It must have been tearing you up inside," Cal observed. "Not really. Only since Hal got hurt. Then a lot of things started to change. I assume Cheryl told you about what she did with Hal?" "You mean when she pulled his pants down?" he asked. She nodded. "I had never seen her like that. In spite of all of the earlier battles, that kind of woke me up. Then, she took charge and made me, um, take care of him." It sounded like she could barely get the words out. "She treated me like a ten-year-old who knew nothing about sex. It was humiliating and I was angry. It took a while to realize that she did it to save the family." "And she did it out of love for you, too, Darlene." "I would like to believe that, but I honestly think it was more to protect Shelley and Matt." Cal lifted their joined hands again and looked at them. "You're not the same person as two years ago, Darlene. Not at all." "Do you like the new me any better?" she asked. Her fishing for approval was not even subtle. It had a note of desperation in it. He was not sure if he could speak right then, so he pulled her hand to him and kissed it, then smiled warmly at her. As they were checking into the hotel, the same one where the team was staying, Darlene said to Cal "Make sure to get a room with two beds." "Oh? Why?" She fidgeted a bit, then blurted out quickly "If they win tonight and she can't sleep with you, I want to use your other bed. Could... could I do that?" That request left Cal in a quandary. Why was she asking this? What did she really want? Need? Was she coming on to him? Was she just hungry for someone to talk freely with? He had no idea what to do, but he suddenly thought 'What would Cheryl want me to do?'. He knew that she was almost as puzzled as he was about her mother's metamorphosis. He also knew that Cheryl seemed thrilled at every new evidence of closeness to her mother, and he made a quick decision. The hotel was not too heavily booked, and he was able to change from their reservations, since they had arrived in the early afternoon. After a few minutes, he came back to her and asked "I can get a two-room suite. The second bed is a hide-a-bed in the sitting room. Can we make that work out?" She eagerly agreed. Cheryl had been watching out for their arrival. The first game of the day would start very soon, but her game was the later one and the coach had given her the leeway to greet them. She came down to the lobby just as they were heading for the elevator. They had to wait a couple of cars because the hugs and kisses could not wait. When they entered the room and it dawned on Cheryl that they were sharing it, she got a puzzled expression until he explained. Then, she burst into tears and hugged him fiercely. After a moment, she pulled him over toward Darlene and enfolded both of them in a hug. When she stepped back and wiped at her eyes, she said "Those other guys are toast tonight. I gotta go join the team to watch the first game. Sorry." Cal and Darlene both knew what the coach's expectations were, so they did not feel slighted. The inability to evaluate a team's improvement when doing the seedings was evident that night. The opponents truly were toast, never mounting a serious threat in a three-game sweep. Darlene and Cal were in a group of only about thirty-five supporting the team, but they did their best to make up for the lack of numbers with sheer enthusiasm. Cal could not help remembering the first time he had practically dragged Darlene to see Cheryl play. The subdued, almost sullen woman who had watched silently that first time bore no resemblance at all to the wildly cheering, glowingly proud mother now beside him. The woman who had stood back silently and watched everyone else congratulate Cheryl after that first game could not have been the same one who dashed shrieking across the floor to hug her sweaty, victorious daughter. ------- Cheryl came back to the hotel on a separate shuttle after a short team meeting. She came right up to Cal and Darlene's room. They ordered some room service for her and generally helped her unwind from the high that the dominating win had produced. When it was curfew time, Cheryl reluctantly went back to her assigned room. To save money, there were three girls in a room, two in the regular two beds, and a third on a roll-away. When Cheryl opened the door to the room, Teri, the senior, met her. "Sorry, girl. One of the other teams was short a bed and the hotel didn't have any more. We gave them the roll-away. Guess you'll have to find somewhere else to 'sleep'." Cheryl had not even gotten in the door. She looked up and down the hall and saw the coach's face leaning out of another door, grinning. That's when she noticed that Teri already had her bag in hand. Cal was surprised to hear knocking on the door, and when he opened it, he was surprised and nearly flattened when Cheryl leaped into a hug. "You showered?" she asked before he could say anything. When he said 'No', she dragged him right to the bathroom, calling over her shoulder "Sorry, Mom!". Cal tried to keep the noise down out of consideration for Darlene, but Cheryl did not seem to share his concern. The shower, her second in ninety minutes, was playful and erotic. She giggled delightedly when he had to walk through the sitting room to the bedroom wearing just a towel. They had gotten each other off in the shower, but he had not entered her. They corrected that very quickly once in bed. Then they corrected it again and again for good measure. He was recovering and barely conscious when he heard "Oh, Honey, I shouldn't intrude." Cheryl answered "It's not intruding, Mom. I want you here with me. This is... this is..." all he heard next was a loud sniff. Then, he felt her pushing at him gently. "Move over, Sweetie. Need to make room for three." He was finally fully aware of what was going on. Cheryl appeared not to be the least bit sleepy. "Oh, Mom! I hope the smell of, uh, you know, doesn't get to you," Cheryl said. "It, uh, makes me jealous," Darlene responded. "Making any progress with Dad?" Cheryl asked. That launched a shockingly frank, often emotional discussion between mother and daughter. Cal should have been turned off, but all he could think of was how wonderful is was that Cheryl could share it that level with her mother. It was a breakthrough. Darlene must have had some of the same thoughts. After the two had chatted for a while, Darlene asked "Cal, are you still with us?" When he answered, Darlene went on "I hope we haven't embarrassed you too much." "Well, I have to admit - I'm surprised at some of the things you've said in front of me. Apparently, it doesn't embarrass you." Darlene was silent for a moment, then she said "Remember what I said this morning about trying not to be a cold fish? Well, all of this, um, intimate talk, this openness is as new to me as the emotions. I'm the baby, here. There's nothing I can tell Cheryl about sex and love. I'm just so thrilled that she's willing to tell ME things! I don't care what you hear. It's like you're already part of Cheryl." If Cal had ever thought that Darlene was remote and clueless, that impression had just been shattered with great finality. "After hearing the ways you two talk about poor Hal, I'm worried about how you talk about me," he said, trying to make it sound humorous. Darlene took it very seriously. She sat up and stared intently at Cal, who could just see her in the dark room. "If I let myself think about the things she has told me about you, I couldn't stop myself from coming over there and attacking you." Darlene was probably sorry she had said that, and Cheryl and Cal were both shocked. All of them were quiet for a while, then Darlene spoke again "See, I'm just not good at all this frank and honest business. It's like I'm hungry for it, and I don't know when to shut up." Both teens spent a while comforting and reassuring the woman before they all fell asleep. ------- Cal woke up very early and managed to get out of the room without waking the women. He could not resist standing for a minute, looking at mother and daughter sleeping peacefully with various parts touching. He had thought many times that Darlene provided a wonderful promise for his lover's mature beauty. As he viewed them, the similarities were quite remarkable. When he returned from his run, Cheryl had gone to join the team for an early breakfast. Most of the team was already in the little private dining room when Cheryl walked in. The coach was right at the door, greeting everyone as they entered. Sue, the senior captain, hurried up to Cheryl and said loudly "I've never had a night as good as yours must have been." That brought laughter, whistles, catcalls, and various other suggestive noises from the team. Anyone watching would have seen a combination of confusion and nostalgia on the coach's face. As Cal was cooling down and doing some light katas, Darlene stepped out of the bathroom in bra and panties - very revealing bra and panties. "Oh, Cal! Sorry. I didn't know you were back." The fact that she did not try to cover up or turn away told him that she most certainly did know that he was back. She was not very subtle, but he found the little drama poignant. And she was certainly not hard to look at. "Darlene, you certainly don't have to cover up for my sake. I'll have to think of other ways to sneak in on you." He was rewarded with a flaming blush, but still no attempt to conceal what the lingerie displayed so fetchingly. "Tell you what. I'll order breakfast from room service and shower while they're fixing it. BUT... you have to stay just like that. Deal?" "Cal!" she exclaimed, trying to sound indignant, but failing miserably. "Uh, OK." When he came out in just clean boxers, the food had not yet arrived, and she was sitting, looking forlorn. "You must think I'm pathetic," she moaned. "I think you're starved for appreciation and approval," he said quickly, "and I think you look sexy as hell." Any response from her was interrupted by a knock on the door. She scampered into the bathroom while he went to open it. It was a young girl bringing the food, but she did not seem upset by his state of dress, and he was soon able to call Darlene out. As they ate, she said "You know, that's a big part of why I want to work at the club." "What is?" "Guys look at me like... like..." "Like they want to take you to bed?" "Um, yeah. I can't help it! It makes me feel good. A couple of weeks ago, a guy whistled at me. Can you believe that's the first time in my life? I almost... I almost..." "You almost had an orgasm on the spot?" "Cal!" "Come on, Darlene. After your talk with Cheryl last night, what is there to be embarrassed about. Any guys get hard looking at you?" "Cal!" "You said that already. Did they?" Her face color answered for her. When she regained a little composure, she said "All the women who have been referred to the club by friends ask for Jeremy for their trainer. Guess what? A lot of new men are asking for me?" "Smart guys. You'd make me push more weight, too?" "Oh, you!" she said with a slap on his arm. He wondered how a fortyish, formerly uptight homemaker could learn girlish flirting behavior at that stage of her life. It was wonderful to see, though. They chatted and teased a while longer until Cheryl returned. She stopped just inside the door with her mouth agape. Cal was a little worried about her reaction to their dress, but he did not know how to reassure her. It wasn't necessary. She put her hands on her hips and adopted the most angry look she could while stifling a grin and demanded "Mom! Are you trying to steal my man in that slutty underwear?" "Oh, no, Honey! I would never..." Darlene started to protest. That's as far as she got when Cheryl broke into a grin, walked up to her mother, and pulled her to her feet. "I don't have anything that sexy, Mom. I'm jealous. Where did you get it? How much did it cost? Has Dad seen it?" Darlene's mouth moved, but before she could answer, Cheryl went on "I can see you've really trimmed your pubes. I know you had to keep the hairs from sticking out of your new swimsuit, but you've got it really short over the lips, too." Darlene let out a strangled "Eeek!", then hid her flaming face against her daughter's neck. It soon turned into giggling from both of them. When the giggles wound down, Cheryl's looked over Darlene's shoulder at Cal with wet eyes and mouthed 'Thank you'. ------- The final of the sub-regional was also an evening match. Cal could see that Cheryl and Maddy were in a good game mood, and he was sure they would start off strong. He just hoped the rest of the team was with them. His assessment was right. As had become their habit, Maddy and Cheryl worked a quick set to a blistering slam on the first ball to come to their side of the net. That set the tone for a satisfying first game win at 18. By the end of the game, the other team looked a little shell-shocked. They were in the top ten nationally and these nobodies had wiped them out in a game that was not as close as the score indicated. There was a lot of shouting in their between-game huddle. Cheryl's coach was composed but serious as she warned the girls that the next game would be a lot different. She knew her stuff. The opponents had earned their ranking, and they cranked up the intensity level. The second game went on and on. Several times, there were five or more exchanges of serve without a point being scored. Their hitters were big and strong. Cheryl, Sue, Chloe, and occasionally Sharon played hard and well up front. Maddy chattered, yelled, scrambled, dove, and made perfect set after perfect set. The score see-sawed by and forth. It was so close and so intense that it seemed like hours before Cheryl's team lost at 28. At this break, there was jubilation on the opponents' side. There was no anger or shouting on Cheryl's side. At first there was the coach's calm instruction, then Maddy's more energetic challenging and prodding. Game three was almost a replay of game two, with the advantage changing back and forth, and the score seemingly stuck for many minutes at a time. Maddy played with the conviction that no ball should ever touch the floor on her side. Before a match, she looked a little humorous with pads on knees, elbows, wrists and ankles. Her already generous hips were made to appear even wider with some extra padding that she wore there. It never took more than a few points before everyone saw the reason for all of the pads. Maddy was constantly on the floor, rolling, diving, skidding, making save after save. The team was used to it now, and there was always someone right behind her, ready to put her save back into play. At about the midpoint of game three, a ball went off of Sue's attempted block, headed way out of bounds. Maddy, with her great court sense and her cat-like quickness was right on it. It looked hopeless, but skidding on her front, Maddy got her outstretched fist under it, bumping it a few feet into the air, but a little farther out of bounds. Cheryl played outside hitter, and the ball was on her side, so she was right behind Maddy. She dove over Maddy, and managed to get the ball eight or ten feet up and back toward where Maddy had stopped. While Cheryl skidded and rolled and scrambled to her feet, Maddy was up, and with a two-handed bump, she got the ball barely over the net at a sharp angle. The opponents had made the mistake of relaxing, and a diving attempt at Maddy's shot found only the net. Cheryl abandoned her usual on-court reserve, and the two pals bounced and spun back to the court arm-in-arm. Unfortunately, Cheryl's team fell heartbreakingly at 23. During the break, Cheryl broke her pattern of intense silence and almost snarled "We are NOT going out in four! We are NOT going out at all! They are NOT better than us. Let's do game one again!" They did, only better. Whether the opponents thought the threat had passed or Cheryl and the team just went into an extra zone, the final score was an astounding fourteen and there would be a fifth and deciding game. The match was on the opponents' home floor. Both the team and the crowd were stunned and a bit sullen at the break. There was shouting again, and the beginning of game five was just like games two and three. Back and forth it went, all the way to a tie a 16. Then Chloe cramped up and had to come out. Sharon had already played her heart out in Chloe's place, and she gave it everything she had. She was tall, talented, and beautiful to watch, but she had not yet acquired the toughness that distinguished Maddy and Cheryl from the typical freshman. The other players, with the exception of Maddy and Cheryl, started to show signs of tiring, as well. The opponents were eleven or twelve deep in players that would easily have made Cheryl's team. Cheryl's team could rely on only eight or nine. Over the course of five grueling games, that made the difference, and Cheryl's team was out of the tournament at 21. The players all managed to keep their composure through the handshake. As soon as the lines had passed, Sharon broke into tears. When Cheryl and Sue tried to comfort her, she sobbed "I couldn't do it. I wimped out and we lost. God damn it! It won't happen again! Never again!" When the coaches met, the two women talked for a moment. The other coach said "Incredible job, Coach. You really sandbagged us. If your girls hadn't run out of gas... How come you're not ranked?" "It's been a crazy year - long story." "Say, isn't the brunette just a freshmen? I know I scouted her, and I think it was just last year." "Yeah, she is. Did you offer her?" Cheryl's coach asked. "She insisted on being a hitter, but she was too short." Having said that, the other coach started laughing, and Cheryl's coach joined in. "Where'd you get your setter?" "She's a freshmen, too. Walk-on." "No shit? We should all be so lucky. Say, would you like to tell me that long story down at the bar after we get the kiddies put to bed?" "Deal! See you at 10:30," Cheryl's coach said. After shaking hands and trying to comfort Sharon, Cheryl became like a caged animal. She stomped around, clenched her fists, muttered to herself, and tried her hardest to be cordial to the congratulations that came her way. That was how Darlene and Cal found her. He was more used to her 'game face', but Darlene was so in awe that she could hardly speak. "Don't shower after you get the MVP trophy," Cal told her. "We'll have a bath all ready for you." "Surrrrre!" Cheryl laughed. "I mean about the trophy, not the bath. OK. But no freshman gets the MVP. I think it's NCAA rules." Cheryl was right, and the winner had the grace to looked surprised and reluctant as she went up to accept the award. The opposing coach was a class act. She approached the official table and said "I guess I'm happy for my player, but that award was a joke, and you know it. You should be ashamed." Cheryl's coach heard the exchange, since it was not done quietly. She felt a tingle between her legs, and 10:30 could not arrive fast enough. ------- Cheryl was still wound up when she got to the room. The whole trip, the shuttle ride, the walk into the hotel, the elevator ride, she had been silent. Cal knew that she was not angry with them. He had been through the same feelings after a tough loss. Cheryl did manage "Thanks, Mom" when she went into the bathroom after Darlene had filled the tub. She shed her clothes quickly, seemingly unconcerned about being naked in front of her mother. "Cal, would you take the uni down to the coach's room. The equipment manager needs them all." When Cal returned, Darlene was sitting on the floor, stroking Cheryl's hair lightly. They weren't talking, and Cheryl's head was back against the tub and her eyes were closed. Cal sat down where he could reach Cheryl's feet and began rubbing and kneading them. A low moan was the first sign from Cheryl that she was coming out of her funk. Little by little, she added words, and after twenty minutes or so, the first little giggle escaped her. Cal had moved from her feet to her ankles by that time, and Cheryl said "I've soaked enough. Can I talk you out of a serious massage, Honey?" "After the way you played, you can talk me out of anything." He held out his hand to help her from the tub, then toweled her down while Darlene watched. He got some towels spread out on the bed and Darlene had some lotion he could use. He knew his limitations as a masseur, but he loved to touch Cheryl's body any way he could, and he hoped the strength of his hands would help her overworked muscles. When Cheryl stretched out naked on the towels, Darlene started to leave the room. "Mom, don't go. Get your night stuff on and join us. We're not going to do anything. Cal, you're overdressed, too." "But I'll probably get..." "Sure you will. It won't scare Mom." He was about to protest more, but it was a time when he just did not want anything but good vibes. "Give me five minutes to shower," he said. "Shall I massage you anyway if you fall asleep?" "You'd better. It's too early. I want us to talk some more." "Shit. Then I'll get hard for sure." That made her giggle. "I think your Mom's in the shower right now. Let me start on your legs." A half hour later, Cheryl turned over onto her back. Cal was at first reluctant to continue the massage on her front with her mother there, but Cheryl took one of his hands and rubbed her thigh with it. He got the idea and continued his ministrations. They had been talking all along about a number of things. Cheryl punctuated her words with frequent moans or instructions on treating some particularly sore muscles. After nearly an hour, she finally said "That's enough, Honey. If I get any more limp, I'll fall apart. Ever had a massage, Mom? Oh, sure. From Jeremy. I almost forgot. Lie down here." With that, Cheryl rolled off of the towels, making it perfectly clear that Darlene should take her place. Darlene looked nervously at Cal, but there was no question that she wanted it. She had on a tee and panties, and she pulled the shirt up around her shoulders as she laid down. It appeared that Cheryl was too tired and limp to move, but that was not the case. She sat up saying "That's not good enough, Mom." Quickly, Cheryl got the shirt up and over Darlene's head, then pulled her arms through one at a time. Darlene was shocked and uncertain, but she could not seem to resist. That is, not until Cheryl grabbed her panties and started pulling them down. "Cheryl! We can't!" "Mom, this is Cal. The nicest guy in the world. You already showed him everything this morning. You know what he thinks about your body. Let him worship it properly." "W... worship?" Darlene had grabbed Cheryl's wrists, keeping her from pulling the panties down. After a few more seconds of resistance, Darlene gave a little shudder and let Cheryl continue baring her bottom. There was silence for a while as Cal worked on Darlene's shoulders and back. "This isn't helping, you know," Darlene said between little whimpers of pleasure. "This is how I got in trouble with Jeremy. It's reminding me of how much I'm missing. I don't have any resistance." "But Cal's not Jeremy, Mom. He only wants the best for you. He's safe. He's never going to fuck you, Mom. We all know that." Darlene had gasped at the 'f' word. Cheryl had to take Cal's hand and plant it on Darlene's ass cheek before he would massage her there. Darlene flinched at the first touch, but soon continued her little hums and moans. "I want to make it until Shelley's in college, but I don't see how I can," Darlene said. "Huh?" came from Cheryl and Cal simultaneously. "I can't go on without loving - without sex. Do you know he's never rubbed my bare bottom? I've been trying everything I can. He's not yelling at me when I'm, uh, aggressive, but he won't do anything for me. Oh, he'll paw at my tits a little, but that's all. I've tried to, uh, diddle myself with his finger, but he gets upset and yanks his hand away." This was getting back to the frank talk from the previous night. Cal thought he needed to reassure Darlene. "I don't know what's wrong with him. It's sure not because of your body." "Julia's been trying to help," Darlene went on, "but nothing seems to work." "Maybe he just won't take suggestions from you," Cheryl mused. "I wonder if we could get another woman to seduce him and teach him?" "Cheryl!" "Well, wouldn't it be better for him to cheat and come back to you knowing how to please you? Better than you having to leave him?" "I... I don't know if I could handle him cheating." They talked on as Cal rubbed. At one point Cheryl tried to get Darlene to turn onto her back. Darlene resisted, seeming quite upset, and Cheryl backed off. When it was time to sleep, Cheryl insisted that Cal get in the middle this time. "This is your night to see how it should be, Mom. Just go with it." Darlene was adamant about donning her shirt and panties, but she got in on the other side of Cal. ------- A king bed is wide, but it is still hard for three people to share one without quite a bit of contact. At oh dark something, Cal awakened enough to sense that Cheryl was plastered against him. That was wonderful, one of the things he missed the most. He also noticed that Darlene was pressed against him almost as tightly on the other side. He really did not notice the proximity of the two women immediately, though. What he noticed first was the hand gently holding his penis. That presented a two-pronged problem. It was apparently too early for his morning erection. But as soon as he sensed the touch, it started to swell. The most serious part of the problem was the question of whose hand it was. If it was Cheryl's, wonderful. If it was Darlene's? The mere thought zoomed him to full inflation in nothing flat. It also answered the question of whose hand it was. Darlene was lying so his upper arm was pressed between her breasts. He could feel her heartbeat race, and he knew that it was her hand and that she was awake. Now what should he do? The importance of that question escalated quickly as her hand began to squeeze and then to stroke. He did not want to embarrass her, but he was not at all comfortable with the situation. It had been an all-around sensual night, and it would not take much of her manipulation to set him off. What would Cheryl think if... And then he knew the way out. He found Cheryl's hand resting on her hip. He took her by the wrist and moved her hand down to his crotch, squeezing enough to rouse her at least partially. When he sensed that she was more or less awake, he placed her hand over her mother's. Both women gasped, Cheryl at her discovery, and Darlene at being discovered. Darlene's hand pulled away quickly, and she moved out of contact with him. Darlene need never know that Cal knew anything, as long as Cheryl did not tell her. Cheryl was perfect. She replaced her mother's hand with her own, never giving any sign of being awake. She waited a few minutes, then began stroking him, making waking-up noises and stretches as she did so. Before he got too close, she said "Cal!" in a stage whisper. They made a show of getting up together and using the bathroom, but they never returned to the bed. Instead, they opened the hide-a-bed and fell into a frantic embrace. Darlene had probably not slept one uninterrupted hour that night. After the shock of Cheryl's hand reaching for what she was already fondling, sleep was even less likely. Cheryl got to hold that whenever she wanted to! Darlene had held Hal's a few times, but she had always felt guilty and on edge. That just wasn't fair! When the couple did not return from the bathroom after a long time, Darlene heard some noise and figured out where they had gone. On the hide-a-bed, Cheryl side "Quick thinking in there." "Nice pick-up on your part, too." "Hmmm. Why didn't you just let her get you off?" "I couldn't have pretended to sleep through that," he said. "Is that the only reason?" "I think things have gotten about as intimate as they should. Maybe more," he answered. "You're probably right. Enough talk. Let's see if we can keep it sort of quiet." "You're telling ME to keep it quiet!" he joked. She shut him up with a blowtorch kiss. "That wasn't my decision to make in there. That's yours," he told her. That certainly did not quench the kiss. Darlene knew it was wrong, wrong, wrong, but she couldn't help herself. She was ashamed of herself for doing it after the wonderful way they had treated her. But desperate curiosity overcame her shame, and she got up and snuck to the door. It opened a little with no squeak, and she could see the kids fairly well in the light coming through the window. She watched with lust, her hand jammed in her crotch. She watched with envy. She watched in awe, for what must have been an hour. She could not understand how Cheryl could keep so quiet when she came, and Darlene was sure that Cheryl came at least four times. They were not completely quiet, and the things they said to each other had almost as much impact on Darlene as what she saw them doing. Darlene's heart almost broke as she watched what Cal did for her daughter, knowing that she would probably never experience those things herself. The two times she brought herself to climax as she watched were only a tiny consolation. As Darlene watched, it changed her, even beyond what had already happened to her. All of her life had been lived for first her parents, then her husband, then her husband and her children. There were wonderful things that she had been denied, or had never known enough to seek. She wanted desperately to have those things. Back when Darlene first opened the door to spy on them, Cheryl had barely whispered in Cal's ear "Mom's watching." "Damn!" was all Cal could whisper back. "Let's give her a show," Cheryl begged him. His response was eloquent, though he did not say a word. "If we're sorta quiet, it will seem like we're keeping it from her, OK?" Cheryl did not seem at all restrained by their audience - quite the opposite, in fact. It took a while, but Cal found himself so lost in the pleasure and the excitement that he almost forgot about Darlene. It was quite a while later, while they were cuddling, petting and recovering in their usual fashion, that Cheryl said, loudly enough for Darlene to hear, "I really wish Mom could experience this." "Your feelings toward her have really changed, haven't they?" he asked at the same volume, not sure how much she wanted to reveal. She seemed to think it was a perfect chance to let her mother know. For several minutes, they talked about what she had longed for and missed as a girl. Knowing how that would make Darlene feel, she spent more time enthusing about how wonderful it would be to have a real mother relationship for the rest of her life. Then, she floored him. "Would you want to make love to Mom?" Minefield! Quicksand! That was unexpected and potentially explosive, but he sensed that any delay in responding what not be received positively. "Bet you can feel the answer," he said. She responded with a giggle. A loud giggle. "Shhh!" he cautioned, even though he was sure the increased volume was completely intentional. "Of course I want to make love to her. Her body is wonderful. She honestly looks more like she's your sister." "Bigger boobs than me." "A few kids will catch you up. You know it's not an issue with me." "Bigger hips." "Just a little more to play with." "You're not the type to fall for just a body," she teased. "You feeling differently about her as a person?" "Every time I see her, I see more of you in her. Of course I'm feeling different. Actually, I feel bad that I didn't see those things before." "So you'll do it?" "What?" "Take her to bed." "Oh, Baby," he said, "you know this is your body to do what you want with. Honestly, I would love to make love to your mother, but I just can't. For one thing, she's married, and you know what I think about marriage and messing with it. Remember, I wouldn't do it with..." She stopped him with one of her blowtorches, and he was glad. For a moment, he had forgotten that Darlene was listening, and had almost mentioned Laura. That would not have been good. "So, if she dumped Dad, would you do it, if I asked?" "Look, Honey, we've told each other we will act as if we're married. That means monogamous to both of us, doesn't it?" He was amazed that she was pushing the issue this far. "I don't ever want to cheat on you, even with your mother. Besides, you two are just becoming a real mother and daughter. What would that do to the two of you, long-term. One time would not work, you know." Cheryl decided that was enough on that subject, and they were soon very much occupied taking care of the renewed arousal that the discussion had triggered. Later, when the bedroom door was once again closed, Cheryl whispered "Thanks for being honest. That was a perfect chance to make sure we were all clear on what will and what will not happen. She's in love with you, you know." "Is that good?" "It just is. We just have to be aware of it. Be as affectionate as you can with her. Tease her. Flirt with her. Let her learn to flirt with you. Make her feel sexy and desirable." "But don't fuck her," he added. "No. Don't. Better keep your hands and your tongue out of her pussy, too. She would love that waaaayyyy too much. I'm afraid she would never recover." "And if she flashes me some more, shows me her goodies?" "Compliment the hell out of her. She's starving for that." "Sexy talk? Advice about Hal?" "I'll try to help her with that, but by all means." "You know," Cal said, "I probably won't see her all that much when you're not around." "Make it a point to, OK," Cheryl said. "Seriously, Cal, she's like this new butterfly. She's fragile, and home is not a good place for her to grow." ------- Cal passed on his usual morning workout for more of their special workout. He doubted if he would have made it a mile, anyway. Cheryl had to leave early to catch a plane with the team. Cal and Darlene's flight wasn't until the afternoon. Darlene was up to see her daughter off, and the parting was many times more emotional than ever before. When Cheryl had managed to get out the door, Cal took a chance. He wrapped Darlene in a firm hug and just held on. He started stroking up and down her back, not trying to avoid her bottom. He wanted to see if she had picked up the important parts of the earlier conversation meant for her. After her sniffles subsided a little, he pulled her to a chair and down onto his lap. "Did you enjoy the massage last night?" he asked. She nodded against him. "Did you feel guilty about it?" She pulled back and looked at him with a worried expression. "Just so it's clear, Darlene. Cheryl was right last night. I won't fuck you. I won't do anything that violates your marriage or my commitment to Cheryl. Now, maybe you could question last night, but I don't feel that way. You have a wonderful body. It thrills me to touch it, and I hope it made you feel good. Am I making sense?" She managed to nod her agreement. "Good," he said. "Breakfast in the room again? Same uniform?" That got him another girly slap. Without consulting her, Cal got them on a tour of the city that took up the morning. He did not feel comfortable just hanging out in the room for all that time. On the plane, Darlene unashamedly hugged his arm and fell sound asleep against his shoulder. Cal could not miss the quizzical, mildly shocked look that Elaine gave the two of them when she met them at the airport. "You up for a walk with me tonight, Mom?" he asked quickly. From her smile, he could tell that she could hardly wait. Now, how much to tell his mother? ------- Later, after a long, question-filled walk, Cal and Elaine were relaxing in the hot tub. Martin was smart enough to realize that these one-on-one times were important to his wife and son, and in the long run, a very good thing for him. He and Cal had talked about the matches and the trip over dinner. He was happy to let his wife have her chance. "It is a bit of a dangerous game, you know," Elaine cautioned. "I guess so, but no more than with Laura," he responded. "I see your point. But Laura is less fragile, more experienced." "You think so?" he retorted. "It doesn't matter any more with Laura, Mom. She'll get her papers for a Christmas present. From what I hear from Jolie, Laura and Arnie are only staying away from each other on Marty's orders. Laura won't be single for even a year." "Can't argue with you, there," Elaine agreed. "They've never even kissed, and you should hear her go on about Arnie." "Well, maybe if she doesn't marry just for his money and his cock this time, she can get what she's always wanted - what you and Dad have." "Cal!" She tried to sound shocked, but ended up giggling. When he didn't react, she said "It sounds like you and Cheryl have thought and talked a lot about Darlene." "She dreams about having what you and Rebecca have. I want that for her, too. I think it will make our lives better." "Hmmm." was her only response. "Not to be critical, Mom, but you and Rebecca didn't always have it. You built it. I want to help Cheryl build it any way I can." After being so affectionate with Darlene, there was no way he could resist his own mother's tearful hug. He did not want to. He didn't try. ------- Chapter 44 The night Cal got back from Cheryl's tournament, Martin sat down with him as he was having a late snack. "While you were gone, the calls started." "Calls?" Cal asked. "From football coaches," Martin said with a grin. "They were all looking for a kicker." "Am I supposed to call back?" "I told them that you had already started at your chosen school," Martin answered. "I hope that was all right." "You maybe could have saved yourself a lot of money if one of them gave me a scholarship," Cal prompted. "That's not an issue," Martin assured his son. "Would you really have considered going anywhere else?" "No. I do feel guilty, though, about what you'll end up spending," Cal said. "I know you don't pay much attention to the business," Martin said, "but it is doing extremely well. I could retire very comfortably right now. Honestly, college costs for you and Rebecca are a privilege, not a burden at all." ------- Monday morning, after his trip to watch the end of Cheryl's volleyball season, Cal happened to pass Jolie in the hall between classes, and found himself puzzling over what had bothered him about her appearance. Jolie and Missy had become inseparable and Gretta was slowly but surely making them a threesome. He sat with them at lunch at least a couple of times a week. He also saw Jolie much more often around home. He just could not put his finger and what had bothered him just then. It was when he was leaving his next class that he figured it out, walking behind a senior girl who was about 6'3". At lunchtime, he almost ran to the cafeteria, and managed to catch Jolie still in line. "Jolie, would you sit with me for lunch? I want to talk to you about something." She agreed. Her current attitude toward her cousin made it hard for her to deny him anything. After they got their food, she stopped and told Missy and Gretta that she wouldn't be eating with them, then the cousins found a small table alone. "You know I'm your biggest fan, don't you Jolie?" he asked. Waiting for her to nod, he went on, "And you know I wouldn't say anything to hurt you, don't you?" This time, her nod was accompanied by a look of worry over what might be coming next. "I don't know if you're aware of it, Jolie, but you still walk around school like you did when you were in the gang." "Walk?... how?... what do you mean?" "You know I love women who are tall and slender, don't you?" he asked. "Sure. Cheryl. Mom. Your Mom." "And you. But it looks like you want people to think you're about 5'2"," he told her. She looked puzzled, then thoughtful, and then she flushed a little. He was not sure if she was embarrassed or angry or what. "I... I slouch?" "I didn't think you were even aware of it," he assured her. "Ask Missy and Gretta. See what they say." "I guess that's just the way I walk," she said defensively. "Last time I saw you at the pool in that sexy bikini, you stood tall and stuck those delicious tits out proudly." "Well, that was different," she objected. "That was... that was..." she dropped her head and looked up at him. "That was for you." "And I appreciate it. I really, really do." He took her hand as he said to emphasize his sincerity. "Jolie, why don't you do it at school for that special guy who is about to fall in love with you?" "Who... who is that?" "I have no idea, and he doesn't know it yet. He may never know it if you keep hiding how beautiful and sexy you really are. All I'm saying is that you should walk around school like you walk around our pool." "In my bikini? I don't think that fits the dress code," she said with a giggle. That giggle eased his mind tremendously. He did not want to alienate her in any way. They finished their lunch, and as they stood up, she looked around before giving him a quick, highly illegal kiss. "Think they suspend kissing cousins?" she asked with another giggle. "Really, Cal. Thanks. I'll think about it." As he sat in his next class, Cal wondered what was happening to him. Not that long ago, he had been determined never to mess around with other people's lives. Now, it was Darlene, and Laura, and Jolie. Even last year, it was Dante. What was going on? Did he no longer think that interfering was wrong? Did he think that he had the answers for other people? ------- Just a few days before Cheryl would come home for Christmas, Cal's aversion to messing in other lives was put to an even more severe test. During his talk with her, she said, with unmasked anxiety "You've got to talk to Mom. She is so upset with Dad!" "It's tough to find a time. Tell you what. Call her back and see when she takes a lunch break at the club. I don't want to call - you be the go-between, OK?" Cal did not frivolously cut classes. However, his attitude toward school was such that if something more important came along, class became secondary. When Cheryl's voice sounded like it had, it was very, very important to her. That made it Cal's top priority. He picked up Darlene in front of the club and they went through the drive-up at a fast food place and took it to a rather secluded park area. She was at the bursting point, but did not seem to be able to start talking. "Darlene, remember how you said I was like a part of Cheryl? Then talk to me as if I was Cheryl. You can say anything. You know that." He had pulled the plug, and it all poured out. "I've tried to treat him like he was a sex god! I'm sneaking touches and rubs whenever I can. With the kids upstairs, I've pulled it out and played with it in front of the TV. I'm, uh, flashing him all the time. I get in the shower with him. I tried my first... first blowjob." She had to stop to blow her nose. "And how does he respond?" "Little by little, he's letting me do more things, but he won't do anything more to me. If I stick... if I stick a nipple in his mouth, he turns away. I'm so frustrated, Cal!" Continuing the pattern started on the trip, she shared with him as if he was another woman. For a good half-hour, she poured out her need and her frustration. "Darlene, do you love Hal?" he asked when she stopped talking for a while. "It's not love like I see between you and Cheryl, or your parents, or Robin and Bud. I've never had that. I want that, and I could have that with Hal. We've got a whole life together, and that means something. But I can't have it without sex. "Hal is my husband, and I will faithful as long as we are married. I can't believe he loves me if he won't try to please me." She ended with tears. "Do you think there is anything I could do to help?" "It may not seem like it, Cal, but I think he respects you. You fit his definition of a man. I can't ask..." "Yes, you CAN ask, Darlene. You said I'm like part of Cheryl. Well, you're part of Cheryl, too. That means you're an important part of my life. I will try to get through to Hal." ------- If Cal had questioned himself after his little intervention about Jolie's posture, he was conducting a full-scale self-inquisition as he waited down the block from the Carson home in the very early morning. He know that Hal kept typical construction hours, starting very, very early. He did not know the current site where Hal was working, so he had to follow him. It was just the morning after Darlene had unloaded her frustrations on him. Her agitated state had made his current mission urgent, in his opinion. There were a couple of things that he was depending on to give him at least some chance of getting his message across, and he needed every possible advantage. Otherwise, how was a high school kid supposed to jar his father-in-law out of complete, disastrous sexual ineptitude. Darlene had said that Hal respected Cal, and Cheryl had said that she agreed. There had never been any outward evidence of that, but he would have to take their word for it. Months ago, during the attempts to save Darlene from Jeremy, there had been speculation that Hal himself was submissive, but very good at hiding it. Those 'maybes' were his only strategic advantages on this crazy mission. Well, that and the shock effect of the pending confrontation. The tricky part of Cal's plan was catching Hal just getting out of his pickup, with no one else around. Up ahead, he saw what appeared to be a likely site, so he took a chance. Passing Hal's truck, he kept his face turned away and zoomed ahead. He had time to park and sprint to where Hal stopped. He was breathing just a bit heavier than normal when he started his carefully rehearsed spiel just as Hal stepped out of the truck. Any kind of elaborate preamble did not seem to fit with Hal, so Cal just let it fly. "I came to see you this morning to tell you in private that you are in danger of losing Darlene. She would never cheat on you, but she will divorce you if things don't change." Cal could see that Hal was about to say something, and he could not allow that. "Just listen, please. You are one of the luckiest men alive. Your wife is beautiful and she has a huge sex drive that she has just recently discovered. You are not satisfying that sex drive, and it WILL drive her away from you." Hal was angry by now, and he managed to say "What the hell business is it of yours." Cal managed a snarl in his voice as he shot back "Because Cheryl is going to be my wife. She loves Darlene and is very worried about her. She does not want to see a divorce break up the family. She is as certain as I am that it is about to happen." Hal was even angrier, now, but it was sputtering anger, allowing Cal to forge ahead before Hal could marshall his thoughts. "You need to get help to save your marriage. If you are too timid to do that, at least do what Darlene wants you to do. Dammit, Hal! How could you even think of letting that woman get away?" There was much more that Cal could have said, but he hoped he had made the important points. He spun around and hurried off. As he had hoped, Hal did not call after him. Time would tell if his risky intervention would have any effect. The fact that he could make things worse had dogged his sleep during the night. He debated letting Darlene know what he had done, but he decided against it. Of course he would tell Cheryl in detail. If she chose to tell her mother, that was up to her. ------- On their nightly call, he and Cheryl spent a long time talking about the encounter with Hal. She was not happy that he had done it, considering it very risky. Still, she agreed with his assessment that Darlene was approaching her breaking point much faster than either would have guessed. They wondered again if the events on the trip had helped or had made things worse. "It's done, Baby," he told her. "We can only do what we think is right. Sometimes, we will be proven wrong later. We know we can't just sit back and do nothing." After some more talk, he lamented "This was supposed to be the year I was just a normal high school kid having fun. What happened to that?" "That wasn't ever my idea," she answered. "why would I fall in love with some ordinary high school kid, anyway?" He sort of grunted in response, but she was not finished. "Cal, you've got this problem with a need to make things right. That puts you in the middle of other people's live. Every time. I'm blessed that your in the middle of mine, and don't you dare try to back out of my mother's life, either! It's gotten way too important to me." ------- At least when the psychodrama started to get Cal down, he had basketball. That was clear-cut, straightforward, and pure fun. Just put the ball in the hole more than the other guys, then celebrate. It was even more fun than ever this year. Coach Meinert seemed to be more than thrilled that he was out of that messed-up college deal and back where he belonged. He was even looser and more jovial than before, and he was even more committed to a fast-paced, high-scoring style. After having quit the year before, Cal appreciated it more, too. Mahmoud tried several times to persuade Cal to take back the point guard spot, but to no avail. "'Moud, I am not even going to play college ball, you know that. The numbers are just against me. You've got pro talent, but at 6'4", you can only make it as a guard. I'll get plenty of chances to handle the ball and I'll get more shooting this way. Forget it. I'm not changing my mind. Besides, Coach agrees with me." Cal had lied just a little to Mahmoud. Despite his 'firm' decision, Cal still thought about college basketball occasionally. As he thought about his dream of a 'normal' student's life, though, there was another very good reason to forget about basketball in college. Next year, when Cheryl was done with volleyball and he was done with football, they could do 'normal' college student things together for the rest of the year. That was something to look forward to. One of the reasons for so much optimism about the team was the extraordinary improvement in Terrell Roberts' game. He had been expected to be the main inside strength on a rather 'height challenged' team. He did not have the height or weight of his graduated brother Dante, but he had a tremendous vertical jump and he was serpent-quick. Mahmoud and Terrell were frequent lunch companions of Cal's, even outside of basketball season. One other player had begun to join them early in the fall, Jason Fiedler. Jason was a 6'5" sophomore, and Terrell's favorite tease of Jason was "How'd a white guy get to jump like you do?" The fact that Jason came from a large, poor family perhaps endeared him to Terrell, whose own hard-working family depended on scholarships for their sons' education. Jason was the third of six children, with the only other boy being the youngest, just four years old. Cal liked Jason because his on-court personality was a lot like Cal's. He was a fierce competitor, too intent on the action to be demonstrative. He was also a coach's dream, taking instruction cheerfully and doing his best to comply. He was the first front-line substitute and played a good share of each game. Jason's whole family, even the older sisters, were faithful fans at every game. The second girl, Sandy, a senior, was in one of Jolie's classes and they knew each other, but not well. During the third game, Laura said to both Jolie and Missy "Why don't you two talk to Sandy for a while?" Just a few months earlier, Jolie would have responded to that question with scorn. Of course, she would not even have been at the game, but Sandy was definitely not in Jolie's previous social circle. It was a credit to Jolie's desire to change that at half time she sought out Sandy, with Missy right behind her. The initial conversation was a little strained, mostly about their shared class. Then Jolie said "It seems like every girl I know with a younger brother wishes they didn't have one. Do your folks make you come to his games?" "Oh, no! I could watch Jase play every night," Sandy retorted. Impulsively, she added "I wish he wasn't my brother." "That's what the all say," Jolie observed. "No, that's not what I mean!" Sandy said quickly. "I mean, I wish I could date him!" Jolie and Missy just stared for moment, then Jolie said softly "I know what you mean." "You don't have a brother, do you?" Sandy asked. "My cousin, Cal," Jolie admitted. "So, Jason's a good guy, huh?" The ice was completely broken, then, and for every following game, the three girls were watching and cheering together. ------- The best thing about Christmas was having Cheryl home. Of course, she was not 'home' like she was when they were together in the apartment. She spent a lot of time at her house, and he understood how important that was. Still, they managed to see each other every day and find time to make love almost every day. The upcoming time between Christmas and spring break was the longest stretch of the year, and they were never sure how many times they could get together in between. The next best thing about Christmas was that the rest of his old circle of friends were back in town. For the first few days, Rebecca almost forgot about Bobby, staying as close to Cal as she possibly could. There had been a very sweet interlude in the hot tub with the whole family, except for Pete. Elaine had dropped some real wisdom. "You two are seeing what your relationship may have to be for the rest of your lives - making the most of what time you can be together. Of course, no one would be happier than I would if you both ended up back here. That's just not something we can plan on." Pete was not there that night because he was with Ismi. Pete seemed to be with Ismi every moment of his time at home. That did not disturb Martin and Elaine too much because they knew that Pete would be coming home to work with Martin when he finished school. They could not have been happier about his apparent choice of a mate, and they decided that building his relationship with Ismi was more important right then than family time. Rebecca and Cal would have liked to see more of him, but they were closer to each other than either had ever been with Pete. Rebecca, Tessa, and Cheryl spent a lot of time together. All three were happy and excited about their lives. Rebecca and Tessa commiserated with Cheryl about having to be away from Cal and about her concerns about her mother. That did not in any way spoil their reunion, though. A few times, Jean called Cal and asked for advice about the busy Christmas schedule, but she did not ask him to help with any shoots. Cal was pleased that she and Jared seemed to be maintaining and growing the business. There were the expected visits with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and more food than anyone should ever face. All in all, a typical Christmas. ------- During the week between Christmas and New Year's, Cal and Cheryl were talking about Jolie and her progress and Cheryl suggested "Why not get a friend to ask Jolie on a double date with us?" That suggestion caught Cal completely by surprise, and he drew a blank on what friend he could enlist. "Anybody on the team who would do it?" Cheryl asked, and that made Cal think of Jason. Jason was more than reluctant when Cal called him, mainly because Jason did not know who Jolie was. After several minutes of unsuccessful attempts at persuasion, Cal said in exasperation "Ask Sandy about her. They sit together at the games." "Oh, her!" Jason exclaimed. "I've noticed her. She's cute! But isn't she a junior?" It took several more minutes, but Cal finally got past all the objections, including the money problem. That very night, the two couples had a casual dinner out and a movie. Unlike his demeanor on the court, Jason was talkative and quite a jokester. Having seen that in practice, Cal was not surprised. Jolie was no shrinking violet herself, so she was not overwhelmed by him. Her problem was that her interactions with boys had been so different from what she was experiencing. She liked it, but it was still a little disorienting. ------- Cheryl left one negative piece of news until the day before she had to return to school. "Mom has not seen a bit of change since you confronted Dad. She is very discouraged. She is going to try withholding sex, only doing for him what he will do for her. I'm not optimistic about that changing anything. She described how she got in the shower with him and washed him. When she asked him to wash her, he just rinsed off and stepped out. Something is very, very wrong with him, Cal." Darlene had been seeing and talking to Dr. Julia Waxman qbout her attempts to seduce her husband into some satisfactory sex. Julia was concerned about the growing signs of hysteria in Darlene. Finally, she asked point blank "Darlene, why are you so much more desperate to resolve this now? It seems like it has gotten worse in the last month or so. I know there have been huge changes in your life, and I am very happy about them. But this desire for better sex with Hal is becoming an obsession, and I am concerned. I would hate to see you suffer a setback after the progress you have made." "When we went to Cheryl's volleyball tournament," Darlene started, then spent the rest of the hour describing in detail what had happened between the three of them. "Darlene, please let me schedule an extra appointment for you tomorrow. We must explore the events of that trip further, and very soon." The next day, Julia opened with a summary. "On the trip, your relationship with both Cheryl and Cal became much, much closer. You had some sensual experiences and witnessed some sex that made you even more aware of what your marriage was lacking. In addition, you admitted your feelings and frustrations to Cheryl and Cal. That has made it harder for you to suppress the feelings. Does that sound like what has happened to you?" Darlene had a wide-eyed, very serious look as she nodded. Julia continued. "You have been trying very hard since September to get Hal to be more active sexually. We have discussed several things and you have tried them all. Hal has become more, uh, tolerant of your attempts to initiate sex and your more suggestive dress and behavior. However, he has absolutely refused to do anything more to stimulate and satisfy you. In fact, he does not even show affection with simple things like kisses, hugs, and pats. Is that where things stand right now?" Darlene nodded, then took a while to control her voice before saying "I've decided I am going to use sex a weapon. I won't do anything for him that he won't do for me." Julia forced herself to take a deep breath before responding to that. She decided not to respond head-on, but to circle the issue. "OK, let's try to picture what will happen the first time you pull away from him when he wants sex. What will you say to him?" After questioning and prodding for ten or fifteen minutes, Julia had Darlene almost on the point of tears. "Darlene, sex between husband and wife should be an expression of love. It should be a means of bringing pleasure to your partner. When it is used a weapon, only bad things happen." "Well, he isn't using it to bring me any pleasure!" Darlene shot back. "I understand that," Julia assured her. "But if you stop giving him pleasure, then there will be two frustrated, probably angry people. How will that get you closer to your goal of sex that is satisfying to you? "I suspect that Hal is already feeling shame that you are unhappy with his sexual performance. Depriving him and adding frustration to that shame is not likely to help." "But I've got to do something! I can't go on like this!" "Let's talk about some possible options and what the outcomes might be." Most of the rest of the appointment was spent getting Darlene to evaluate whether she would be better off continuing in a marriage with unfullfilling sex or starting over with no partner at all. "Here's what I want you to do," Julia said, handing Darlene a vibrating dildo. "Continue all of the flirtatious and seductive things you have been doing. After he has satisfied himself in bed, using this to make yourself come." "Right beside him?" "Definitely. If he objects, tell him that you deserve satisfaction, too, and you are no longer going to go without it." "But won't that shame him, too?" "Certainly. But he will not be frustrated at the same time. In fact, after release, he may be more accepting and pliant than at any other time. Tell him that you wish it was his hand instead of the toy. Put on the best show that you can." "And you think this will work?" "Darlene, I wish I could give you more assurance, but I honestly don't know. I do know that where you are right now, you have to try something different. I do not want to see you divorce him, and I do not think withholding sex will work. "You either have to increase the seduction and add some shame, or you have to take a dominant role with him. This is definitely my preference." ------- Hearing of Darlene's continuing problems bothered Cal, especially because it greatly bothered Cheryl. They agreed, though, that there was nothing more that Cal could or should do, other than keeping contact with Darlene. After Cheryl had gone back to school, even though he missed her so much, Cal began to realize some of the the 'normal high school kid' life that he had made a goal. In one of their chats, Ken Yokata had pointed out that there wasn't a high school kid anywhere who lived a life free from of all stresses, pressures, or problems. He got Cal to admit that his life was as smooth and his outlook as positive as it had ever been. Other than the criticism of his hard tackling in the newspaper months earlier, no one was attempting to hassle Cal or cause him problems. He could relax and enjoy being at school and accepted by those who knew him. The people close to him were doing well, and he had helped some of that. Darlene had begun attending Cal's games, usually with Shelley. Cal made it a point to talk with her afterwards. The third game after vacation, Darlene was almost bouncing up and down when he approached her. She wrapped him in a quick hug and said softy so no one else could hear. "He washed my back! Julia's right! I'm going to make it work with Hal, even if it takes years." That little bit of intimate news had quite an impact on Cal. It meant that there was one serious concern he did not have to help Cheryl bear. The long winter separation from Cheryl was the one big negative, but the promise of the summer and the following two years with her made it much more bearable. He hoped that there would be some visits before spring break. The long winter separation was made easier for Cal by the success of the basketball team. It looked like Coach Meinert was going to maintain his record of trips to State. That expectation ended in early February when Terrell came down on an opponents foot and twisted his ankle. It was not a serious injury and would not damage his scholarship hopes. It would, however, keep him out of four or five games, two of them critical. Terrell was not the force inside that his brother Dante had been, but he was the team's tallest player and a great leaper. One of the reasons for Coach Meinert focusing even more on speed was the lack of height, and Terrell's loss really hurt. There was one game before the two critical contests. In practices and in that one fairly easy game, they worked hard on ways to compensate for Terrell's loss. Mahmoud moved up front and Cal played point. The coach told Cal that he needed him to have games just like his finale before quitting the year before. In the first game he did just that, making numerous steals and spotting up for three pointers almost at will. The next game was against a team that could nose them out for the conference title. Cal almost equaled his target game, scoring 36 and making eight steals. It was a tight contest right down to the final two minutes. Then, the lack of height gave the opponents three offensive rebounds that forced Cal's team to foul to try to regain possession. As usually happens, that just made the losing margin wider than the closeness of the game justified. If they won the next game, there was still a mathematical chance at a regional tournament spot. Unfortunately, the same scenario played out and Cal's last chance for a championship was gone. Terrell returned for the last three games of the year. It could have been a sad way for the three friends, Cal, Mahmoud, and Terrell, to end their careers, but spurred on by the coach, they played for the sheer fun of it, and it showed. Mahmoud landed a choice offer from a big-time program that gave him a real shot at the NBA. Terrell was delighted with an offer from his brother Dante's school and accepted it instantly. The warm reception from the fans at the final home game helped them all put what might have been out of their minds. ------- By the end of the basketball season, Arnie was a regular at Laura's side for all of Cal's games. They refused to talk about engagement, marriage, or dates, but everyone knew that it would happen. For Jolie and Missy, the prospect of being step-sisters was definitely a good thing. The way they were already, though, it would not change their relationship very much, just less travel. On Laura's lawyer Marty's recommendation, Arnie and Laura had not even seen each other until the final divorce papers were delivered. After the holiday present of the decree, they started dating. Although they never talked about it openly, the dating started out as quite chaste, and the degree of intimacy increased slowly. It was not Laura's idea to move slowly. She already knew during the forced separation that she wanted Arnie, but it did not seem right or necessary to rush things. There was no question that she was starved for sex, but with Arnie, the lack of it was easier to take. It was a new, exhilarating experience for her just to talk and be comfortable with her man. They talked about anything and everything. They shared opinions, they disagreed, they teased, and they played little tricks on each other. Laura had never had that kind of relationship with Will. She had watched it enviously for so many years between Elaine and Martin, and finally experiencing it for herself was intoxicating. It would be stretching a point to say that it made up for the lack of sex, but it did supersede sex as the dominant priority - at least for a while. There was another amazing thing about her growing romance with Arnie - it was a romance in the true bodice-ripper context. Although she had never analyzed it so dispassionately while she was living with Will, she had come to realize that she and Will were more each other's possessions than they were true partners and lovers. At least, that was how dating Arnie made it seem. Without him having to say it, Laura knew that she had become the center of Arnie's world. It was a feeling that she had no defense against, not that she wanted to fight it. It took weeks for her to stop worrying that it was just a courtship ruse and that he would turn into another Will if they wed. It was Missy who dispelled that fear. Perhaps because of her closeness with Jolie, Missy took to Laura very quickly. When Laura and her dad started dating, Missy worked both sides, honestly intent on getting them together. Whether she was astute enough to sense Laura's fears or whether she was just touting her dad, she talked a lot about how Arnie had treated her mother, both before and during the illness. Laura became convinced that Arnie just naturally treated his lover that way. That was when the need to have him completely became intense. Physically, there was no comparison between Arnie and Will, either. Laura would have many pairs of three and four inch heels to dispose of, since they would make her taller then Arnie. She was quite sure that would not bother hime, but for whatever reason, not standing taller than him was important to her. Will, the object of Laura's young lust and greed, had movie star looks. Martin, the object of her unrequited love was just as handsome, and both men were tall enough so her own height was not a factor. Arnie looked manly. His face was more rugged than movie-star handsome. His at-rest expression was rather serious and purposeful, but turned very pleasant when he cracked a smile. Around Laura, he smiled a lot. Standing right at six feet, he was not much taller than Laura. Their builds, though were very different. Arnie's torso was broad and deep and his limbs were thick. His large, strong hands hinted at generations of forbears working the land. Up until the shattering discovery of his wife's terminal cancer some four years earlier, Arnie had felt justifiable pride in the life he had built for his little family. He was not happy that his business success depended on a lot of travel, but he tried very hard to compensate with full attention when he was home. And his success had provided them an enviable standard of living. He was just as proud of his strong, loving marriage to his high school sweetheart. After she died, he was certain that his romantic life was over. There could never be another union quite like theirs, and he could not imagine settling for less. Laura entered Arnie's life at a low point. After losing his wife to sickness, it appeared that he was losing his daughter to something just as insidious and relentless. The difference was that Missy was being pulled away by something that he believed he should be able to fight, to overcome. But he was failing. Because of their shared emotional vulnerability at that first evening in the hospital, Laura and Arnie made an instant, strong connection. He hardly realized what had happened until afterwards, and then the doubts began to circle. The first doubt was about appearance. He had no illusions about how he looked, but with his wife, it had mattered not a bit. She was an attractive woman, but to him, Laura was nothing short of stunning. He feared that they were in different leagues looks-wise, and that that difference would preclude anything more developing between them. Those misgivings not withstanding, Arnie renewed a lapsed health club membership the very next day and began a rigorous program of conditioning. Laura had money - lots of money. Arnie knew that much from Missy. He made an excellent income and felt good about his financial future, but he had started from zero. Even if they could get together, how could he provide what she was accustomed to. To Arnie, marriage was a forever thing, but Laura was about to be divorced. What had caused the breakup? Would it be a problem between him and Laura if... ? Last but not least, Arnie was concerned about his skill as a lover. Sex between him and his late wife had been loving and satisfying. He knew, though, that what they did together was quite ordinary. It had never bothered him until he met Laura. Somehow, he just knew that she was a very sensual woman, a sexual dynamo. How could she be happy with him? The day before the final basketball game, Missy was at Laura's, and Laura pulled her aside. "Think you can pack enough stuff for your dad for overnight without him knowing it?" "Sure, Laura. I, uh, don't need to worry about sleepwear, do I?" Missy giggled as she danced away from Laura's mock attack. Laura waited until after the game to spring her 'trap'. It had been hard to act natural during the game because of some doubts over what she was going to do. There was little doubt about how Arnie felt about her, but there was definitely some holding back on his part. She hoped it was just nervousness and timidity, and she was quite sure of it. Nevertheless, her plan for tonight was risky. "Arnie, you're coming with me. The girls are having a little sleepover at your house," she told him as the final applause for the team died down. "You're staying the night." "I... I need to stop by home and get some things." "All taken care of," she assured him. "Laura, are you sure about this?" "Never more sure about anything!" She punctuated her declaration with a full-body hug and a searing kiss. It was a claiming move, totally disregarding those watching them. It was cause for tears of joy from Jolie, Missy, and Elaine and a sigh of gratitude and relief from Martin. As a little symbolic move, Laura made Arnie surrender his car to Missy and had him drive her car. It was a quiet ride but not in a negative way. Laura radiated anticipation. So did he, but there was a strong thread of concern, as well. "Laura, I think we should talk about some things," Arnie said when they were in the house. "Can you talk in the hot tub?" "Of course, but..." They had, in fact, had a number of conversations there. "Come on, then," and she pulled him toward the patio. "But our suits..." "Tonight we get past all that to where we both want to be. OK?" She asked with more than a little fear of what his response would be. She was not encouraged when he stopped dead, but when he cupped her face gently in both hands, she felt a lot better. "Laura, it's just hard to accept that I'm the one you really want." She just looked at him and he went on. "I mean, there's the whole 'beauty and the beast' thing." It was not the reaction she wanted him to see, but she was afraid that he caught the anger before she could stifle it. "Arnie, do you love me?" she asked when she had enough control. "Yes, I do, Laura, in a way I never thought I could love again." "Well, you big dummy! I'm in love with you in a way I never had with Will. And as for this beast business, I never, ever want to hear about that again! I'm proud to be seen with you, and I know how hard you've worked to look your best. I wasn't even necessary. "Know what, Honey? If you looked like Quasimodo, I'd still want to be with you. I married for the wrong reasons before. I didn't get tenderness and affection. I never had hands say 'I love you' from Will. I know now that what's really important. You give me that, and I don't ever want to be without it. "So I give you a pass on your dumb question, just this once. I've answered it for all time, got it?" With that little attempt to lighten things up, she undid his belt. They never made it to the hot tub. ------- The first afternoon that he did not have practice, Cal went over to the new house that Laura had bought. It was actually closer than the other one, just not right on the course. When she answered the door, she threw her arms around him and started crying. They had been together many times since the divorce, but she had never reacted quite like this. "First time?" he asked her. "Oh, yessss!" she answered. "I didn't think I could wait this long, but we both thought it was best. "Oh, Cal! I can never thank you enough for showing me what it could be like." "So Arnie treats you well?" "He was nervous and I guess he and his wife were not very, um, adventuresome. But he wants to please me! It's like he was in awe of my body and couldn't get enough of it?" "I can sure understand that. It sounds like you're finally going to have what Mom has had, huh?" She stood back and just looked at him for a bit. "I can tell you, Cal. I will never fall out of love with your dad. Your mom knows that, too. But I have never, ever done anything to harm their marriage, and I never will. I love Arnie. I honestly do. I think I can learn to love him as much as I do your dad. And I can show my love for Arnie without any guilt." Cal wanted to say something, but he was unable to. She continued. "I know what I settled for with Will. I know what I could have had if I had chosen better. All I have to do is look at your mom and dad. I am going to do everything I can to make sure I have that - no, that WE have that. Arnie and I. "Still won't tell us the wedding date, huh?" After he said it, Cal was a little ashamed of trying to use humor to lower the emotion level. She did not seem to mind, pulling him into a rib-threatening hug. After just enjoying the closeness for a few minutes, Cal asked "Did Jolie ever tell you about our little talk last fall?" "Which one? You've been great the way you've paid so much attention to her." "That's easy. She's a delightful girl. Her mom's daughter, for sure." "Flatterer! Which talk?" "The one about her posture." "She never mentioned that. Is it a problem?" "Not any more. She walks proud like her mom, now. She has this little thing she does when we pass in the halls..." Cal replayed what he had observed and the talk he had had with Jolie. The talk had gotten away from Arnie, but when Cal kissed her goodbye, she was still glowing. Given the nature of their relationship, he just could not resist one more shot. "Think he'll let you wear one of your bare-ass suits when you bring him to our pool?" Even if she had had something handy to throw, he was out of range too quickly. ------- Spring break arrived with gratifying speed. Bud had flown Cheryl out twice to see Cal play and to spend the weekend. Still, several days was wonderful. It may have been unusual for most young lovers, but not for the couple. They marked that as the beginning of their conditioning program for their fall seasons. Cal acted is if he would play football for sure, even though he had no commitment from the coach. They had three long sessions with Ken, mapping out a program that would work for their sports. Cal's determination to make the team was spurred by another discovery. Football schedules are made out years in advance, but there had been no reason for Cal to look at it. The football and volleyball teams would be traveling together to the first football game. It would be at the school Vick and Tessa were attending. The chance to play against Vick and in front of Tessa was a huge incentive for Cal. He had been determined before, but he immediately became fanatical. ------- At the high school, the scramble for prom pairings was in full swing. Cheryl surprised Cal a little when she said that she would like to come back for it. "After all, I only had one decent year. I'd love another shot. I'll buy my own ticket or drive if Bud can't bring me." Since the double date at the holidays, Jason had asked Jolie out several times, and they had talked frequently at school and on the phone. Jolie really liked him, but neither seemed in a hurry to accelerate their relationship. With a little prodding from Cal, Jolie asked him to take her to the prom. Since he was still a sophomore, that was the only way for him to be admitted. Sensitive to Jason's money issues, Cheryl suggested that Cal get a limo and ask Jason and Jolie to join them. The complete change in Jolie was underscored when she came up to Cal at school and timidly asked if there was any chances that Missy and Gretta, who also had dates, could join them. There was no way Cal could turn her down. The prom itself was significant for Cheryl and Cal as a turning point. They both had college experience, although Cal's was limited. So much of their lives were already lived at an adult level, that the gap between them and the other attendees was highlighted. That did not mean it was not a good night. Cal loved to see Cheryl play, or workout, or just relax in casual attire. But did she ever clean up well! She wore the same dress for prom as she had her senior year, something a girl with less self-assurance would never do. There was only one person she cared about impressing, and he had loved it the first time, so... Cheryl and Cal had themselves dropped off first so the younger couples could enjoy the limo for the rest of the time. They would spend the night in Cal's room and his parents had promised them private access to the hot tub, which they were glad to use. "Was tonight normal enough for you?" Cheryl teased once they had sunk down into the water. "Was I that bad?" he asked. "Well, you talked about this 'normal' nonsense like it was your most important goal, or something." They were sitting side by side. He slid down to the floor of the tub with his face just above water and pulled her down onto his lap. "Except for missing you, it's been a good year," he said, giving her a loving squeeze. "But you know what? Next year! Next year is what I've really been looking forward to." "And the best part is that next year really starts in about six weeks," she said as she turned in his grasp so she could return the hug. "I can't wait to play house again." "Hmmm. Me, too," he agreed. "You mean you won't mind leaving this gorgeous place, you big room, the pool, the hot tub, and all for our little apartment?" she teased. She was fishing, and the competitive part of their relationship dictated that he come up with smart answer. But this was prom night, so why not be a little sappy and tell the truth. "None of that stuff made up for you not being here," he told her. That was close enough to what she was fishing for. From that point on, the hot tub's heater became redundant. ------- The few weeks between prom and graduation and the ceremony itself were almost footnotes for Cal. The new chapter in his life was about to start for real. He had had his taste of high school life as he envisioned it that it should be. It had been good, but nothing to pine over the loss of. When he drove off to school, those that he cared about and left behind would be fine, and that was more important to him than he had realized before. ------- It is doubtful that I will be able to submit Chapter 45 the weekend of Friday, June 23. It is summer and the outdoors calls too strongly. I took pity and made sure there was no 'cliff-hanger' to wait two weeks on. ------- Chapter 45 Cheryl had driven home from school for the short vacation, and she and Cal drove both of their vehicles back. They had debated about whether that was necessary, but they decided to be on the safe side. They left themselves just one day after they arrived before registration. Since housing was all in order, that was one time-consuming item they did not have to deal with. On their free day, they connected with Maddy and her family, with Jesus Monteleone, with the volleyball coach, and of course with Robin and Bud and Bud's parents. They received a bit of a surprise in a note from Sharon, left with the coach. She was in town, would be taking a couple of classes, and wanted to work out with them for the summer. "I'm never going to wimp out again," the note said. "She sounds serious," Cal observed as they left the coach's office. "She worked out hard all last semester," Cheryl told him. "I think she put on about fifteen pounds, and it's all muscle." "Think we should take her to Master Jessy?" "Well, look how Maddy responded," Cheryl pointed out. "Yeah, but she's naturally feisty." "Cal, running out of gas in that last game got to Sharon in a way you wouldn't believe. She is deadly serious about being in top shape. With Sue and Tess graduated, she will be a starter. I don't know how many times she said to me that she never wants to come out of another match unless we're up twenty points." "Fifteen pounds, huh?" he mused. "Well, she was too thin, I guess." As they were driving to see Robin and Bud, she told him, "I think we need to have a good talk tonight." "Oh, oh!" he said, only half joking. "Don't you know that's one of the most dreaded things for a guy to hear?" "Ha! Ha! Very funny. It's nothing bad, Honey. We just have a very tough five months or so ahead of us and we need a little organization." ------- "This is going to be different than last year, you know," Cheryl said as they relaxed after dinner. "Last year, it was like a long camp-out for you. Now, this is your permanent home for the next three years." "I had been think about just that as we drove up," her said. "How long did it take before that sunk in for you last year?" "It was after Christmas before I really thought about much of anything," she told him. "I really didn't have time to think much before then. Of course, with all that went on last fall, that just made it harder to get in any kind of groove." "Seems to mean that you got in a pretty good groove," he teased. "You haven't come close to missing an 'A' yet, have you?" "No, but the sophomore year is the most dangerous for a lot of students. I've got a heavier than normal load, even with volleyball. I'm afraid you're going to wonder if you even have a girlfriend for the first three months of school." "You mean you won't be sleeping with me?" he asked with a pout. "Cal! I'm being serious! I just want you to realize that when it seems like I don't have any time for you, it's because... well, it's because I probably don't." He realized that it was time to stop the joking and teasing. Pulling her close, he said "Believe me, I know how dedicated you are to your goal. And I also know what a fierce competitor you are in volleyball. Remember, I've got a goal of making the football team as a safety. That means I'll be the one with no time this summer. I'm not as fanatical about grades as you are, but I want a good mix of 'A's and 'B's - no 'C's if I can help it." "I think," she said, "that we should agree that one sport is all we will do. It would be so nice to be somewhat normal students the rest of the year." Cal felt a little twinge of regret, but he knew she was right. "You're right. One or both of us will burn out if we try for more. Have you been approached for basketball?" "No. And I doubt that I will be. You, on the other hand, might be. Last year, they were dying for a pure outside shooter. If they ask, could you really say 'no'?" "If I said yes, it would mean no life from August through March. Yeah, I could say 'no'." "OK. Now, about the cooking and cleaning..." ------- Sharon Muron was tall, at 6'2", and one of those athletes that seemed to do everything gracefully. It had been a tough choice for her between basketball and volleyball offers from several schools. "I chose volleyball because my shooting range never got much beyond six feet," she explained at one morning workout. Sharon had found a room not far from the apartment, actually with friends of Claire and Bert. Cal, Cheryl, Maddy, and Sharon all worked out together most of the time. Because of her natural grace, Sharon could seem like she was not putting everything into her volleyball. It took only a few workouts for Cal to realize that she was very committed to her conditioning and was, in fact, very competitive. Her parents were willing to pay for the martial arts classes for Sharon, so she agreed to go. At her first session, Jessy asked "Give me one physical goal that you would like to work toward this summer." "I want to be able to dunk a basketball," Sharon answered quickly. "I can get it over the rim, but I can't really slam it down." "But you don't need that for volleyball," Jessy noted. "Yeah, but imagine a spike coming down from ten-and-a-half feet!" "I see. I guess that would be intimidating," Jessy agreed. "Maddy, can you set it that high?" In answer, Maddy faked a sweeping kick at him. They had developed a combative teasing demeanor toward each other. ------- The seven weeks before practice started were intense, to say the least. Cal and Cheryl shared their workouts, and that was an important form of togetherness for them. They did not pretend that it took the place of more romantic activities, but they were both content. Each treasured their own personal goals and admired the dedication of their lover. One of the things that Cheryl had helped Cal with even in high school was maximizing the value of class time. "More time for kicking," she would remind him as they headed for classes. What she really meant was more time for her, but she knew he understood. Bert insisted on helping with kicking practice almost daily. He also was able to use some contacts to get Cal access to a blocking sled at the high school field. It was not as good as the tackling dummy he had rigged up at home, but two or three times a week, he would exhaust himself slamming against it. Jessy had a heavy bag that Cal also used to keep his impact at a peak. All through his last high school season, Cal had honed his tackling skills. His 'bad boy' reputation actually pleased him. He knew that he would probably never exceed 185 pounds if he was in top shape, so he had to do everything possible to maximize the force with which he hit runners and receivers. Maximizing force is a central concept of martial arts disciplines, so that fit right in with Cal's objective. From the previous summer when he had worked with some high school kickers, the word had gotten around. There were five that joined Cal on a more or less regular basis. He enjoyed coaching them, but made sure that he did not lose practice time for himself. Robin and Jessy both had to watch Cal and the girls carefully to see that they did not cross the line from building their bodies to wearing them down with all of the exercise. It was late in July that the football special teams coach came to one of Cal's workouts. "Are you planning to try out?" the coach asked. "We are in pretty sad shape for kickers because of some injuries and academic dropouts." "I would love to try out," Cal said, "but not just as a kicker." "But the way you're kicking, you could be one of the best in the country," the coach protested. "Don't get me wrong," Cal explained, "I love to kick, and as you can see, I'm working hard at it. But what I really love about football is the tackling, the hitting, the contact. I am not willing to put in all of that time just for ten to twelve plays a game." "You're pretty small for a defensive back," the coach cautioned. "You know we could never guarantee that you would play. Besides, I'm not anxious to risk a kicker getting hurt." "All I'm asking is that I would be allowed to work with DBs. If I get a chance to show what I can do, I'll play." "I don't know. Our defensive backfield coach goes a lot by the numbers - speed and size. I might be able to get you some scholarship money - as a kicker." "That wouldn't make any difference," Cal declared. "Look, Banner. I can't believe you would pass up a chance like this. As a kicker, you could have a chance at the NFL." "I love to compete," Cal explained. "That's not enough competition for me. If I can't play football, I'll just find other ways to compete." "I don't know if I can help you. Won't you at least try out as a kicker. I promise I'll do what I can." "That's fair." ------- "That's a lot to ask," the head coach stated. "We've got several good scholarship prospects back there, and some proven veterans." "But you know the disaster we're looking at in kicking. We may never get a field goal over twenty yards all year with what we've got now. I'm telling you, this kid can flat out kick." "Yeah, I watched him once last summer. He's got a leg, all right." The special teams coach did not let up. "I did some research. The papers in his town were making him out to be some sort of bad guy last year because he hurt so many kids with his tackles." "Just what we need, some kind of thug," the head coach exclaimed. "That's just it! He got two penalties all year, and those were for pass interference." Still not believing it the head coach said "You're telling me he'll just walk away if he can't play safety, even if he makes it as a kicker." "It's what he says, and I think he's serious." "What will he do? Go to another school." "Nope," the special teams coach insisted. "According to the volleyball coach, he's living with one of her stars." "So we could have a first-class kicker sitting it out on campus because we won't let him play safety? I don't like that kind of blackmail," the head coach said. The special teams coach just left, shaking his head. ------- Several times during the summer, Robin and Bud joined the other four at a park, and they would horse around at basketball. Both had played, and Bud had gotten into a league as soon as he got back from the service. While on duty, he had always found a league to play in. He was very good. In early August, they were all at the park on Saturday morning. Robin had convinced them to take one day a week for just play instead of the usual intense workout. After some casual shooting and warming up, Sharon stood back of the circle and called out "Clear the lane, everyone! This is the day. I'm ready!" Sure enough, she got her hand well above the rim and was able to drive the ball down through the net with some force. If Cal had ever thought that she was too laid back to be a real competitor, her fist-pumping glee at her accomplishment wiped out that impression. Bud had to try his hand, since his height matched Sharon's 6'2". When he came up short on three tries while Sharon was successful twice more, he was gracious in his congratulations. For another fifteen or twenty minutes, they all just had fun, the way good athletes can, playing almost any game. Maddy was the only one with little competitive basketball experience, but her raw speed and quickness allowed her to join right in the fun. They did not play three-on-three, but goofed around trying some fancy plays. They also did a lot of shooting, trying to match Cal's accuracy, to no avail. "That wouldn't look so easy with some competition," a voice said from the mid-court line... They had noticed that the park was getting more crowded, but had not paid too much attention. A group of seven guys were standing at the other end of the court, holding a couple of basketballs. They looked to be late teens. "How about a game." Looking at the others, Cal said to his group "Probably not a good idea. I'd hate to see anyone hurt after all of our hard work." It was Sharon who spoke up first. "Hey, we're all in great shape. This is one of those soft surfaces, so falling isn't so much of a problem. I'll bet we can take these guys." "You guys are all players," Maddy said. "I'll sit out." The others all seemed to be itching for some competition. It was probably not a good idea, but even after his caution, Cal felt the need for a real contest of some kind. Several of the boys were over six feet, and the group had the look of players. Cal wondered briefly if they were taking on too much. Maybe this way a whole high school team. Only one way to find out. "Five-on-five, full court, to fifteen by ones?" he asked. "You want to play with three girls?" the apparent spokesman asked in surprise. Cal just knew that the girls would be bristling over the insult, so he quickly said "Oh. You want us to go with four against your five, then?" "Fuckin' comedian!" the spokesman spat out. "Play with six. Maybe you can get a couple of points that way. We'll go skins. Ha! Ha!" Cal decided not to respond. Instead, he huddled the group together. "Our big advantage is conditioning," he said. "And your shooting," Cheryl interjected, to agreement from the others. "Let's run everything flat out," Cal went on. "Fast break on every play. Hustle back on 'D'. Make 'em pant. Bud, Sharon, stick to the boards, OK?" They shot for first possession, and Cal won. Cheryl passed the ball from out of bounds to Cal, who immediately got it to Robin, then headed for the corner, saying softly to Robin as he passed her "I'll probably be open." Sure enough, no one followed him. Within seconds, Robin had passed him the ball and he had drained it for the first point. The boys were mouthing encouragement to each other as they brought the ball up, but they were not at all concerned or upset. The spokesman, whose name they learned was Pat, was apparently the dominant guy. At over six feet, he moved with the confidence of an experienced and successful player. Once he got the ball on their first possession, he never thought of passing, and drove right for the basket. Pat was probably surprised to see both Bud and Sharon converge on him as he barely crossed the free throw line. He stopped his dribble, did a couple of fakes, and went up for a jumper from about eleven feet. Sharon was right with him and tipped his shot straight into the air. Bud turned around and backed into Pat, keeping him from getting to the ball. Sharon got her own deflection and saw Cal off to the side. As soon as he got the ball from Sharon, Cal saw both Robin and Cheryl racing up the court, Robin in the lead, no defenders close. He got the ball to her, and it was quickly 2-0. A group of a dozen or so young teen girls had just come up to the court, and they were oohing and aahing at seeing what the girls had done. It turned out that it was an after-season party for a softball team. This time, there was a harder edge to the comments as Pat brought the ball up. Turning to the others from out in front, Cal said "Double and triple him until he passes." He and Cheryl bracketed Pat as he crossed the line, and Robin hung back about eight feet, ready to pick Pat up if he got through. It only took a glance between Cal and Cheryl, and they knew instinctively what to do. He made a swipe, trying to steal the ball, but not trying very hard. Pat spun around swiftly, turning his back toward the reaching Cal. He ended facing up the court, and before his next dribble had hit the ground, Cheryl deflected the ball toward her basket. She was all over it and picked up the dribble, heading in for what should have been an easy score. Pat was a good athlete, and he was very upset. He tore off after Cheryl. As she went up to score, he caught up with her and brought both arms down over her shoulders. She missed the shot when he hit her arm, and the impact from behind threw her into the stanchion that held the basket. She suffered a slight cut to her lip. "What's wrong with you?" Cheryl snapped as she turned back to the court. "Hey, no lay-ups! That's the way the play in the NBA. Man's basketball!" Pat shot back. By that time, the rest of them were up the floor and circled around Cheryl, making sure she was all right. "I want him one-on-one," Cheryl hissed. "I'll show him 'man's basketball'!" "It isn't worth getting hurt, Hon," Cal told her. "He's the one who's gonna get hurt," she spat back. "We haven't had the ball enough to know who's guarding who," Bud said with a chuckle. "Leave it until another possession." "You girls have got a cheering section over there," Cal said, pointing to the young girls. "Bud, let's let the girls do the scoring, OK?" "Fine by me. How about I set a down pick for Sharon. Watch for my signal." Bud threw the ball in from the baseline to Cal in the backcourt, and Sharon set up at the edge of the circle. Almost immediately, Bud whistled and moved toward Sharon. One of the boys had just gotten in position to guard her, and when she broke toward the basket, the boy ran right into Bud's pick. Cal put up a soft lob, and Sharon took it in for 3-0. The young girls on the sideline were in complete approval. This time, Pat never got the ball. After a couple of nice passes, one of the boys went high over Cheryl for a sixteen foot jumper to make it 3-1. Waving to Maddy, Cal told her in Spanish "Come in for me. Stay with the ball and steal it. Someone will be running. Don't foul." In English, Cal shouted to the others "Box and one!" Maddy looked surprised for a minute, then grinned and sprinted onto the court as Cal came off. Once again, Pat did not get the ball. The boy who tried to bring it up never knew what hit him. Maddy met him before he even crossed the line, and knocked the ball away on the very first swipe. Robin and Cheryl were caught off-guard, but the former ball-carrier was so stunned that Robin got by him and took Maddy's pass for another lay-up. By this time, a bit of a crowd had formed, mostly parents of the young girls, but a few others. They all seemed to be enjoying the show. The boys were not beginners. On the next throw-in, they passed instead of dribbling, but they must never have seen quickness like Maddy's. The first pass got by her, but she seemed to know right where the next pass was going. The boy caught the pass, but as he was bringing it down, Maddy slapped it from his hands. Cheryl broke free and made it 5-1 to hoots and cheers from the sideline. Pat was now railing on his teammates for not getting him the ball. This time up, they boys made sure where Maddy was and kept the ball away from her. Pat went right to the baseline and circled back out. He got a pass at eighteen feet on the wing and scored to make it 5-2. The teams traded two baskets each on another Maddy steal, a rebound basket on Cheryl's missed jumper by Bud, and two more jumpers from the boys, one by Pat. Cal had been watching carefully from the sideline and motioned Bud to come out. "Let's keep the girls in the spotlight, OK?" Bud grinned in reply. On the court, Cal said to Maddy "Stick to Pat like skin. Don't let him bring the ball down. He can't shoot without bringing it down first." To the others, he said "Hit me for an insurance bucket." Maddy was not much of a factor on offense and the boys knew it. Having only seen Cal make the one basket, they had not yet decided to double him. This time, he stayed out front at twenty-five feet. The ball went inside to Sharon and she got it to Cal wide open to make it 8-4. Pat tried the same move circling out from the baseline, but this time, he had a shadow. Maddy did not touch the ball, but he had to keep it high. He went up with hardly even nuisance defense from the much shorter Maddy. Because his normal shooting motion had been restricted, though, the shot was off and Sharon got the rebound. The boys fell back quickly, having been stung by so many break-aways. This time, Sharon's shot was deflected by the tallest of the boys and back it came. "Watch for a pick," Cal said to Maddy as she stayed right with Pat. Sure enough, as Pat circled out, another boy stepped out to rub Maddy off of him. Pat got the ball unobstructed, but did not count on Maddy's incredibly quick feet. As he brought the ball down to about his waist, where he liked to start his jumpshot motion, she was there to knock it away. He blew his top and actually made a run at her. With her speed, he had no chance, and she laughed at him. Meanwhile, Robin had picked up the ball and hit Cal on the break-away. If his teammates had had their wits about them, they would have gotten Pat out of the game. Unfortunately, he seemed to be the de facto leader, so no one even tried to calm him down. He was swearing softly as he trotted back up court on offense. This time, he did not get the ball, and one of the other boys scored. Cal brought the ball up and Sharon faded out along the baseline before making a beautiful fake and breaking free for the basket. Cal knew what she had in mind and hit her with a pass early, giving her time for a dribble to get her rhythm. When she dunked it cleanly, the girls on the sideline went berserk. 9-5. This time, Pat almost took the ball from a teammate's hands, and it was obvious that he had no intention of giving it up. When Maddy swiped the ball, he yelled out "Foul!" and demanded it out of bounds. Despite the fact that it was a clean steal, Maddy just gave up the ball, and Pat stepped out to throw it in. Sharon was not about to let that injustice go, however. She snuck up the sidelined from the baseline, and just as Pat threw it in, she leaped high to take it out of the air. He was so upset that he never noticed her coming. Now, he was flat out enraged. Cal saw Sharon setting up the same move, and once again, she faked out her defender. Cal got the pass to her, but he saw Pat sprinting toward the basket, and he had a sinking feeling about what Pat intended. "Undercut!" Cal yelled. Sharon had just taken her one dribble and had not yet gone airborne. She was able to come to a dead stop and snap the ball back out to Cal. As he was shooting, he saw Pat barrel into Sharon for no reason except anger. Sharon was unhurt, and she was cool. "Player control foul. Our ball!" she hollered out. Pat went into what could only be called a tantrum. Everyone present just stood and watched as he ranted and raved for half a minute or so. When he stopped, Sharon asked out loud "What the hell's wrong with him?" Cheryl could not resist. "I think it's tiny-dick syndrome. He's trying to make up for it." She said it loud enough for everyone to hear, and the girls all laughed. "Stupid bitch! You don't know shit!" Pat screamed. Then, he yanked down his shorts and jock, exposing himself. Because of the hard exercise, his penis had shrunk to its smallest possible size, something he had not considered before trying to show off his endowment. He happened to be facing the young girls on the sideline, and he got a combination of gasps, squeals, and giggles from them. There was one unexpected reaction that Pat did not care for at all. "Young man! You are under arrest!" Said a man stepping out onto the court from the sideline, waving a badge-holder. "You have the right to remain..." The man was an off-duty police officer, there with his daughter who was on the softball team. Pat was about to make a fuss over the arrest, but two of the other boys literally took him in hand and calmed him down. The officer did not have cuffs and he used his phone to call for a patrol. Cal could see that he had a holster in the small of his back. When the officer led Pat away from the crowd, Cal said to the two boys "You should have calmed him down earlier." "Not so easy," one of the boys answered sullenly. "Want to finish the game?" Cal asked. "Hell, no," came the angry answer. "You don't know how much trouble you caused him." "WE caused HIM? How do you figure?" The boy just stared for a moment, then stomped off. Seeing that the game was over, the young girls flocked around Cheryl, Maddy, Sharon, and Robin. "Do you play on the college team?" one asked. "The volleyball team," Cheryl answered. "Us three," she indicated Sharon and Maddy. "Volleyball? Then how come you beat those guys so easy?" "Well, Sharon and I played high school basketball, too. Say, any of you girls play volleyball?" When they all shook their heads in the negative, Cheryl said "Who can I call? I'd like to give you all tickets to one of our games." One of the mothers offered to be the contact, and Cheryl gave the woman her number, insisting that the woman call during the next week. The game had probably been a bad idea, from a risk standpoint. For all of that, the release of competitive juices had been therapeutic, and the six friends were all wired as they left the court. They decided to blow off the rest of the day, with no studying and no workouts. They cleaned up, went out for lunch, went to a local amusement park, and dragged in quite late, tired but refreshed. "That lip OK for some serious kissing?" Cal asked as they fell into bed. "Yeah, but that's all your gettin' tonight." ------- Bert, Bud, and Bud's father all frequented a shooting club. This one was not just an indoor pistol range, but had an outdoor target rifle setup, as well. Bert had done some sniper duty in Viet Nam and even though he would have just as soon forgotten the war, he very much enjoyed shooting. About three weeks into the summer, the men had persuaded Cal to come out with them. Even after all of Ken Yokata's instruction on different weapons, what they could do, and how to disable them, Cal had never done any shooting. Because of the same kind of muscle control that made him a great basketball shot, a dead-eye pool player, and a scratch golfer, he took to target shooting naturally. From the first time he sighted in on a target, he felt that sense of tight control that held the weapon right on the aiming point without wavering. For any first-time shooter, the report and the recoil take some getting used to. That was where Cal's years of training gave him an edge. He was used to focusing totally on the instant of impact, eliminating any distraction, and he was able to treat the sound and shock as distractions after the fact. Bert had been the one to push Cal to try shooting, guessing that he might have exceptional ability. After amazing the three men, plus the range supervisor, with his 'beginner's luck' on the rifle range, Cal was taken inside to try a handgun. His results there surprised the supervisor, as well, although he did not do as well as with the rifle. Cal had been with the three men a number of times, usually at parties that included their wives. As a courtesy to him, because he was under drinking age, they had never gone to bars together. This time, they went to a place where Bud's father knew the owner and had a burger and some drinks. Cal stayed with soft drinks and the others just a had a beer. It was Bud who said "Ever play darts, Cal. I'll bet you're deadly at that, too." Cal ended up winning a small amount of good-natured spending money from the three at the dart board. He had gone to the range a total of four times over the summer. At home the evening of his last trip, Cheryl had commented "Those are all great guys, but don't you miss having some friends your age?" "I think when football starts, I'll meet some guys. To tell the truth, I hadn't thought about it. Does it worry you?" "Not really. I was just thinking back to when Claire said we were more like thirty-year-old married folk than teenagers." "Does that make you feel like you've missed something important?" he asked. "You know, that was one reason I was so anxious to go back for the Prom this year. I had the feeling that I had been 'cheated' out of some of my high school experience. Know what the Prom taught me?" "Maybe that you can't go back?" "That, too," she answered. "Mostly, though, it convinced me that I should keep focused forward, not back. Sure, I maybe didn't have a typical high school experience. But I got you out of it. That's what really counts." Cal would never claim to be a highly romantic person, but he was observant and he did learn. He sensed that his lover was experiencing an emotional peak. Without saying a word, he picked her up from the couch they were sharing and carried her to bathroom. It was one of the times he wished for the luxury of the hot tub at his parents' home, but what they had would have to do. It was not easy for Cal to carry her, and she knew that. The fact that he made it seem effortless had a very arousing effect on her the several times that he had done it. That night was no different. By unspoken agreement, a shower was all either of them was willing to wait for, and the foreplay was well underway before they left the bathroom. As they got in bed, Cal pulled her close and said "If I never had another close friend, you would be enough." Cheryl knew that he did not throw lines like that out carelessly, and it went right to the core of her arousal. The next hour was some of the best sex of the whole summer for them. ------- The process of walking on to Division I college football program is not as simple as it sounds. To start with, the rosters are large and filled with scholarship players, often at or near the limit of eighty-five at any given time. Just getting equipment is the first hurdle. Fortunately for Cal, he had been invited to try out by the special teams coach, so his path was much easier than the thirty or so other walk-on hopefuls who showed up on the designated day. From his one chat with the coach, Cal understood that he had to play things carefully. He had to keep reminding himself that the only reason he was even on the field was his kicking ability. He had to put aside his desire to play defense for a while and make sure that he established himself as by far the best kicking candidate. There were two scholarship kickers on the squad, including the place kicker from last year. He did not fool himself that becoming the kicker of choice would be easy, even though he was confident of his ability. The kicking tryouts went about as Cal had hoped. The three other walk-ons did not last the first week. As Cal watched, he felt some sadness for the boys. Two of them had obvious ability. He could tell that they just had not been willing to put in the incredible amount of training and practice that he had invested. By the end of the first week, Cal had clearly surpassed the others in both distance and accuracy. After some heated discussion with the special teams coach, he had been allowed to compete for punting as well as place-kicking. In measured trials, he out-distanced his rivals by at least ten yards and his hang times were better by over half a second. It was now just a matter of whether the coach wanted to put his best on the field or if he wanted to 'spread the love'. On Tuesday of the second week, the special teams coach pulled Cal aside. "It's no secret that you're easily our best kicking candidate. Are you still insisting on working out at safety?" "As I told you before, safety is my goal. Kicking is my way to get my foot in the door," Cal answered. "Does that mean if you make it at safety, you'll slack off on kicking?" "Not a chance. I know where my competitive advantage is." The coach just shook his head. He was not looking forward to going to the head coach again, but he really wanted Cal as his kicker. The session with the three coaches was not fun for any of them, and to say that Cal was not the most popular player on the team afterward was an understatement. The head coach was a realist, though, and he wanted to improve his record. Kicking had hurt them last year, and he had watched enough of the tryouts to know that he had a special kicker - if he could keep him. "Sorry, but this is not optional," the head coach told the defensive backfield coach. "Let the Banner kid work out at safety. Give him an honest chance to show what he can do. Got it?" ------- Cal knew from the first contact that the defensive backfield coach was a classic bully. He had to assume that the man knew his business or he would not have had the job. Coach Hall was Cal's only antagonistic experience with any of his coaches, and that had not ended very well. There was no point to be made here and no one else to stick up for. He had worked long and hard for this chance, but he was quite sure the coach did not intend to give him a fair shot. He had to decide rather quickly how to handle the situation. From his training and from personal experience, he knew the proven way to handle a bully. But this was his coach - an authority figure. "So you think you can play safety?" was the coach's opening line. Cal decided right then that he had to play it tough. "Do you want to do this in front of everyone, or do you want to step off to the side?" Cal demanded. "What the hell are you talking about?" "You were ordered to give me a shot. You're determined to send be back with my tail between my legs. That ain't gonna happen. There's going to be some yelling going on here. You want the others to hear it, or not?" "You punk kid! I don't have to put up with this shit!" "No, you don't. And I won't give you a bit of shit, as long as you play it straight. That's not your plan, though, is it? I don't want any hassles, but you're determined to give them to me, aren't you?" "Why don't you just take your big mouth and get lost. No fuckin' kicker is worth this!" "OK." With that, Cal started walking away, pulling off his jersey as he went. He managed to stifle the sick feeling he had. This was a tactical maneuver. It just had to work. The special teams coach had been straight with Cal, so as a courtesy, he stopped to say goodbye. "What happened?" the coach demanded. "He has no intention of ever giving me a chance. Thanks for going to bat for me. I appreciate it. Sorry it didn't work out." "Hey, wait! You didn't even try out for him." "What would be the point?" About then, they both heard some yelling back where Cal had come from. It was the head coach the the defensive backfield coach going at it. The special teams coach snorted and said "You'd think they were deadly enemies the way they scrap. They were college teammates and have been together since. Weird!" "What do you think the argument is about?" Cal asked. "You, of course. Coach knows his people. He was pretty sure what would happen. Actually, I'd guess he wanted to see how you handled it." Before long, the head coach came over and told Cal to get back to the workout. When Cal reached the area, the db coach said "OK, big mouth. Let's check your forty." "No need. I know what it is." Cal told him the number. The coach exploded. "You can't play safety with a time like that!" "Why not? I don't see anyone timing me during a game. So I'm half a second slower than you were. So what?" The fact that Cal had done some research on him shook the coach a little, but not for long. "So what do you do? Some magic to make them drop the ball?" "I make them want to stay out of my area after they've been there once." "Sure! All 180 pounds of you! Shit!" "Just tell me who you want put in the hospital to prove it," Cal said, standing much closer to the coach than was appropriate. When about ten seconds went by with no reply, Cal asked "Are we done with the bullshit, now?" The coach just walked away, and Cal joined the drills. ------- On Friday of that week, Cal had just hit a receiver in a drill, timing it perfectly to knock the ball away, but not hard enough to hurt the other guy. When he came back to wait in line for his next turn, the coach yelled out "Hey, Banner! Where's all that big hitting you were bragging about?" "Last I looked, they're all on our side. Why should I hurt anyone. What's the completion ratio against me?" The coach did not respond. Despite the coach's bullying personality, Cal had to admire his drive and the thoroughness of his defensive system. It was mostly a zone system, but it had the corners running with two of the receivers from the line. That defended against the quick outs. At about ten yards, the corners stayed in their zones, even if their receiver veered off. The system depended on both safeties hanging back. The outside linebackers had to cover the tight ends or the backs who came out in the pattern. It sometimes meant that there were more receivers than defenders close in, but one or both of the safeties was always left to pick up anyone breaking through the close defense and hopefully cut off a long gainer. The system fit Cal quite well. Since he seldom had to run with a fast receiver, his modest speed was not as much of a problem. One of the reasons the coach was skeptical of Cal's size was because the safeties were expected to bring down any ball carrier who got in the clear. Cal was confident in his hitting and eager for a chance to show what he could do. He also felt the his instinctive grasp of how a play was developing was best used in a true 'last man' position. ------- Cheryl did not have to face any of the challenges Cal did as practice started. Everyone was optimistic about the upcoming season. They had lost a couple of solid players to graduation, but it had been a good recruiting year, and the coach assumed that Cheryl and Maddy had not reached their peaks. The biggest, most pleasant surprise to the coach was Sharon. It took just five minutes to see that she was a whole different player than the distraught girl who had cried after the tournament loss. Her added muscle weight, the height of her leaps, and just the look on her face told the coach that her expectations when recruiting Sharon were likely to be met and exceeded. When Maddy started setting for Sharon and the spikes seemed to come down from the rafters, the coach could hardly contain herself. Between those and Cheryl's even more vicious quick sets, the other players did a lot of ooohing and aaahing. The three had practiced another maneuver during the summer. Typically, the first player to hit the ball when it came over the net was responsible for bumping it to the setter, giving her the best possible chance to position a set perfectly for a hitter. Maddy was so quick to the ball and had such good control that she could sometimes do a quick set to Cheryl on the first hit. Instead of driving it down, Cheryl would herself set the ball high for Sharon at the other end of the net. The idea was that the opponents would get used to Cheryl hitting the ball quickly and would rush to block her whenever the set came to her. That should leave Sharon a lot of open floor to aim at. ------- Except for his initial confrontation with his coach, Cal kept a low profile and just worked hard in practice. It took some planning and cooperation between the coaches for him to cover both areas, and practices for him were constant action. He knew that his pass defending percentage was at least as good as any of the other backs and the best of the safeties. Given the coach's attitude, he was not sure if that gained him anything. He had refrained from putting a full-force hit on any of his teammates in the drills. He was torn between the need to demonstrate what he could do and a reluctance to risk injury to any of the receivers. One thing Cal noticed was that the head coach was constantly moving from area to area, watching all of the action. That and the way that his own situation had been handled gave Cal a lot of respect for the man. He hoped that translated into a fair shot at safety somewhere down the line. It was unrealistic to expect that to happen right away. As the first game approached, there were more game-situation drills, and it would have been a chance for Cal to deliver some hard tackles in an appropriate setting. The problem was, he never got into one of those drills. The fact the no other freshman did, either, was not much consolation. ------- Chapter 46 As the days before the start of school and the opening of both the football and volleyball seasons dwindled, Cal worked hard on his mental discipline, determined not to let discouragement or anger get him down. Cheryl, of course, saw right through his carefully-constructed facade, but she was uncertain about what she could do to make him feel better. Part of Cal's problem was that he really needed some hard contact to let out some of his frustration and pent-up adrenalin. Seeing the look in Cal's eyes, Jessy had been reluctant to find him a sparring partner, offering the heavy bag as a poor substitute. "This is just your first game," Cheryl said, trying to be consoling. "Somehow, they'll find out that they need you on defense." "My head knows you're right," he answered, "but it's just frustrating. Between the special teams and defensive backfield coaches, they'd both rather have me just kick." "Well, I can think of one good way to release some of the pent-up energy," she said as she wrapped herself around him. ------- On the first day of practice, Cal had overheard some of the players calling another one 'Padre'. He did not think too much about it, but as practice went on, he observed that the player, Hector Cortillon, was the best of the linebackers. Barely six feet tall, Hector was barrel-chested and had heavy arms and legs. Nevertheless, he had cat-like reflexes and surprising speed. Even more impressive to Cal was that Hector hit with great force. During the second week, Cal happened to be dressing near Hector in the locker room and introduced himself. Then in Spanish, Cal said "I've heard you called Padre," Cal said. "Are you planning to be a priest?" After a hearty chuckle, Hector admitted, "I think I know what you said, but my Spanish is pretty lame. A priest? Not me!" At Cal's puzzled look, Hector went on. "My family is very Catholic. I don't do the girl chasing that a lot of the guys do. Calling me 'Padre' is a way to tease me about it." "Do you have a girlfriend, then?" Cal asked. "No time. And no right girl," Hector answered. "It seems like all the girls that hang around the team are, uh, loose." "You mean sluts?" "Didn't want to say that," Hector retorted. "How about you, Cal?" For the first time ever, Cal was a little reluctant to mention his living arrangement, but he did not let that concern last for long. "Got a girlfriend - a lot more than a girlfriend, actually. We'll marry someday." "She here at school?" "Yeah. She plays volleyball." "Volleyball? I hear they're pretty good," Hector observed. "Why don't you come and see their first game? We're flying out together, you know," Cal told him. "I forgot that. Sure. I'll need something to do that night. Probably won't be celebrating much," Hector complained. "You're a sophomore, right?" Cal asked. "Were you sacrificial lambs the first game last year, too?" Hector laughed, something Cal was to find that he did a lot of. "Guess that's one way to put it. Yeah, we got our butts kicked so the school could get a big payoff. We'll probably start every year that way. How come you know Spanish?" Cal told his new friend about the photo business and Jean and Rosario and all of their Spanish-speaking clients. Then he mentioned that Maddy was Cheryl's good friend and volleyball teammate and that they all studied under Jessy. "Guess I should keep it up," Hector mused, "but even my parents don't know much of it." Cal learned that Hector was local, but had won a scholarship. They talked about what they were studying and other typical subjects for college students who had just met. ------- The last week before everything started, Maddy mentioned to Cheryl that her sister Rosalita, who was a high school junior, was discouraged because she could not find a part-time job. She had been fortunate enough to find a summer job, but that had just ended. Her parents were not able to supply much spending money to their children. Without even thinking about it, Cheryl said "Well, it won't be much, but Cal and I really should have someone to do our cleaning and washing. It's not that we're lazy, but there just isn't any time. Until the seasons are over, it's going to be that way." "I'm sure she'd be happy for anything," Maddy said. "Uh, she's quite a cook, too." "That's even better," Cheryl enthused. "We, uh, pretty much just survive on what we can do. I could eat at the athletic cafeteria, and I do sometimes, but..." "I'll try to eat there some during the season," said Maddy, who was now on full scholarship, "but Mama's cooking is just so much better." They talked about probable hours and pay, and Maddy headed off to tell her sister. Cheryl had an idea and went next door to talk with Claire. Before Maddy even got home, Cheryl left a message that there were two customers. ------- There was one discordant note just before everything started. In one of their frequent phone conversations, Darlene lamented to Cheryl that her progress with Hal in bed had ground to a halt after distressingly little progress. Once the ice had been broken, Darlene was completely open with her daughter about the most intimate details. It was partly an acknowledgment that Cheryl was the experienced one and partly just a celebration of having another woman with whom to share at that level for the first time in Darlene's life. As always, the news hit Cheryl pretty hard, and as always, Cal did his best to absorb as much as he could of her concern. In a way, it got his mind off of his own concerns about football. ------- It was only human for Cal to be nervous. All of his training and discipline were not quite enough to keep ice water in his veins in this situation. Here he was in his first college football game, and he would be kicking off to start the game. To make matters worse, they were playing in one of the country's renowned college stadiums with a regional TV audience. They were warmup patsies for a national powerhouse that was favored to win their conference, and was ranked in the top ten in pre-season polls. The fact that he would be playing against Vick and that Tessa would be in the stands added interest, but did nothing to quell the nerves. In addition, Martin had found a sports bar back home that could pick up the regional feed of the game. He had rented a room with two large screens so all of the friends and family of Cal and Vick could watch. Martin had considered a charter flight for everyone, but decided to save that for a home date when they could spend some time with Cal. Martin had tried very hard not to be the all-too-typical overbearing sports dad since the kids were little. When it looked like golf and martial arts would be the extent of Cal's competitive interests, he supported his son with all the enthusiasm he could muster. That Cal would be playing in a college football game as a freshman, even if just as a kicker, was more than Martin could ever have hoped for. Elaine and Laura and anyone else who knew him well saw the undisguisable pride on his face. None thought poorly of him because of it. Knowing what it meant to his father added a little more pressure on Cal. To make matters worse yet for Cal, the opponents' kickoff return man, Rory Renton, was mentioned as a Heisman Trophy possibility. That was, of course, highly unlikely for a cornerback. However, last year, as a freshman, Renton had run back three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns. That was in addition to his seven interceptions and several fumbles caused or recovered. He had the privilege of blitzing through holes created by Vick, just as Cal had done two years earlier. Occasionally, Renton lined up as an extra receiver on long third downs. He was a flamboyant favorite of the sports press, on top of all of his skills. As far as the opposing team and their 90,000 fans were concerned, this was a party. Cal's team had zero chance of winning, and the fans were expecting a shutout, given the home team's heralded defense. It probably distressed the opposing coaches, but there were few serious game faces among their charges. This was just an extension of pre-season practice - less of a challenge than scrimmaging against their own second string. "... Despite the fact that the game appears to be a mismatch, you viewers will have a chance to watch Rory Renton, on of the top collegiate players and pro prospects in the country," the lead TV announcer intoned before the game. "That's right, Mel," the color man, Sammy Taylor, a former pro cornerback, interjected. "This kid has speed, quickness, and instincts that have the pro scouts just drooling." "Kicking off to Renton for the visitor's will be freshman walk-on Cal Banner. Sammy, what must it be like for that youngster - his first college game, playing in this intimidating place, and kicking off to a guy that has a very good chance of running back any kick he gets his hands on?" "That's a good question, Mel. He must be good, though, because they have a junior placekicker on the roster, a scholarship player, yet Banner won the job." Well, all Cal could do was kick it far enough so there was no return. He had no doubt that he could kick it out of the end zone, as long as the wind did not interfere. As often happened in huge stadia, the wind direction was highly unpredictable. When the home team had won the toss and chosen to receive, Cal's team had chosen the published wind direction at their backs for the first and last quarters. Unfortunately, that direction was highly variable within the stadium. Over on the opposing sideline, unbeknownst to Cal, Vick was cautioning Rory Renton, his defensive teammate. "Listen, Rory, don't mess around with the kicker. He never misses a tackle, and he can take you out." "That skinny freshman? No way can he touch me. I'll leave him gasping on the field." "Rory! I'm serious here. We've got a good thing going this year. Don't mess it up. I'm warning you! If you try any of your showboat shit, Cal could put you in the hospital! He hits like twice his size and he won't take any disrespect. Just play it straight, please!" "Man, you worry too damn much." After the usual hoopla of a new season, the ball was finally teed up and the referee's hand came down. Cal saw the streamers on the goal posts blowing away from him, so he kicked it high enough to carry well over the end line. If the wind had been against him, he would have had to use a low, driving kick. As he was moving into his kickoff safety position at the opponent's forty-five yard line, Cal saw the ball pushed around in mid-flight a bit, but he thought it still had plenty to reach the end line. Even if it was just deep in the end zone, it would be downed. Because it was high and gave Cal's teammates plenty of time to get downfield to cover it, no one in their right mind would try to return it. A kickoff is a live ball until it either leaves the field of play or is downed by the receiving team. Thus, Renton faded to the back of the end zone in case it descended in play and he had to down it. The ball would have sailed well beyond the end line, save for a last-second reverse wind gust. It still would have landed just out of play, but Renton must have been thinking about building some early-season stats toward the Heisman voting. Standing barely inbounds, he leaped and made an admirable catch of the ball, keeping it in play. The enraged scream of his special teams coach could be heard, ordering him to down the ball. His first two blockers had fallen back into the end zone to protect him as he knelt with the ball. But Renton did not kneel. Instead, he sprinted between his two protectors and headed upfield. Cal's team had relaxed, seeing the ball so deep, and a roar quickly built from the stands as Renton cleared most of the defenders by the time he reached the twenty yard line. Cal could not quell a sudden feeling of deja vu as he thought back to that game in his freshman high school year when he had to stop a certain touchdown runback. Another feeling Cal had was the long-suppressed urge to hit someone - hard. The restraint he had shown in practice had left him more than a little frustrated. On top of that, Renton had shown arrogance and disrespect in the way he had caught the ball and ignored what Cal was certain were his firm instructions on handling kickoffs. Renton had basically taunted Cal's team, letting them know that they could not stop him. Cal loved sports and he loved sportsmanship. He took any kind of disrespect personally. Rory Renton had ceased to be a Heisman candidate and became an arrogant punk who had besmirched the game and ridiculed Cal's team. Everything unfolded in an eerily similar fashion to that long-ago high school game, as Renton veered to the sideline and started pounding his way toward a score. About ten yards from where Cal would intersect him at the sideline, though, Renton's flamboyance overcame him again. This was a warm-up lark, after all, and there was only a scrawny freshman kicker between him and the first of many touchdowns for the year. In a disdainful taunt, Renton thrust the ball out at Cal in one hand and did an arrogant, incredibly fast little hip-swivel that was sure to leave Cal's jock lying on the field as Renton pranced in to score. The taunt with the ball was a surprise, but Cal ignored it as he mapped out his own attack. The fake toward the middle of the field was exactly what Cal wanted, and he provided his own pretense of being faked out. Renton, thinking he was doing the faking, assumed the sideline was now his, pulled the ball in, and resumed his stride. Cal was able to coil himself and plant his feet perfectly for a hit that was sure to surprise the showoff. Later, he could not deny that anger at Renton's antics had added extra adrenalin to his attack. Moments before impact, he registered the opposing coaches and players jumping and running along the sideline, excited about the quick score. Renton was not a high NFL draft prospect without reason. Realizing that he had not, in fact, faked out the kicker, he launched himself upward to vault over the tackle. Cal, from his years of combat competition, was adept at reading intended actions, and veered enough to smash into Renton just as he was pushing off the ground with his power foot. Because of the slight elevation, the tackle caught Renton around the knees, rather than up on the thighs as Cal had intended. Knowing that he did not have to worry about Renton eluding his grasp, and wanting to remove any chance of a roughing penalty, Cal let the force of the impact stop his forward progress, and he came to a stop just a yard past the sideline. Renton was violently knocked sideways through the air and upended. With his flailing legs mostly skyward, his shoulder slammed hard into the knees of a coach who was belatedly trying to retreat, and the sudden quiet of the stadium was pierced by two simultaneous screams - the kind of screams that only come from something important being sprained, torn, dislocated, or broken. Knowing that he was on the enemy's sideline, Cal turned and started to move the few feet back to the field. A coach, who Cal later learned was the head coach, grabbed his arm and shouted at him "God dammit!! What were you doing?" Swatting the hand away, Cal, in an uncharacteristically belligerent gesture, stuck his face right in the coach's and shot back "I was doing my job! What the hell was he doing?" Sensing a couple of players converging on him, Cal darted back onto the field, passing a line judge who had come over to prevent an altercation. Thunderous boos resounded through the stadium, demanding a flag, as Cal trotted across to his sideline. The referee was standing near his route, and said very clearly "Nice tackle!" A flag was indeed thrown by the line judge, somewhat belatedly, and the crowd's angry roar became cheers. When the referee signaled unsportsmanlike conduct and it was announced against the bench, it seemed like the boos would never stop. The rules were clear: the coach had touched an opposing player, and that meant a flag. "Well, fans," the announcer lamented, "This is not the way anyone wanted the season to start. On the first play, one of the best players in the country is out. Sammy, how could the kicker, who isn't very big, have hit Renton so hard? And why is the penalty not on him?" "First of all Mel, there was no reason to penalize Banner. It was a perfectly clean hit. An extremely hard hit, but nothing dirty. The penalty was automatic when the coach grabbed Banner." "How did he knock Renton end-over-end like that?" "Renton made a stupid move when he tried to vault over the tackle. If he had stayed on his feet, he would have been driven hard out of bounds, but he would not have been hurt. Of course, he would still have been thrown against the coach, who should not have been that close to the field." The opponents did drive in for a touchdown on that opening drive, but the fans' joy was wiped out by the sight of Renton being led off the field with his jersey and pads removed, his arm being supported by a trainer, and a noticeable limp. At about the same time, the coach involved in the collision was taken off on the cart. When Cal's team got possession, they had a decent runback, but could not produce a first down. As Cal stepped on the field to punt, the boos built up in force. Noticing shouting and angry gestures from the opposing sideline, Cal called time out, and approached the referee. "Sir, would you please take a message to the special teams coach?" With a barely suppressed grin, the ref drawled "Can't. He's the one that went out on the cart." A little surprised at the man's joviality, Cal said, "Then please tell whoever is in charge, that if they plan anything but a legal punt block, they had better send the scrubs." "Oh?" "Somebody will be lost for the season," Cal said, staring right into the ref's eyes. "I somehow think you could do that, Son," the ref replied. He headed for the other sideline while Cal hurried off to explain the time out to his coaches, who were not terribly happy about it. During the timeout, Cal arranged for the snapper to go without a signal, assuming the boos would make a snap count inaudible. The snap was good and Cal caught the ball cleanly. His blockers were doing a good job, and there would have been no problem getting the ball off. When one defender broke through, though, Cal just knew that he intended mayhem, regardless of the outcome of the punt. The almost two counts that he had to prepare seemed like an eternity compared to the sideline play, and he planned his moves quickly. Waiting until he knew there was barely time to get the ball away, Cal kicked it and held his pose with his leg in the air. As expected, the defender ignored the ball and headed straight for Cal. Just before contact, Cal pulled his extended leg down and purposely fell backwards with his spikes extended toward the attacker. He used the guy's momentum to fling the attacker several yards away with his legs, where he landed awkwardly and did not get up. "Sammy, I've been doing college football for fifteen years, and I never saw anything like that?" "Mel, I just have the feeling that the kicker set that up. I think he knew they were going to retaliate for Renton. I'll bet that's what the time out was all about. Remember how he said something to the ref?" "But is what he did legal?" "Apparently. The refs couldn't find any reason to throw a flag at him." There was a roar of approval from the crowd when multiple flags came down. It changed to even more thunderous boos when the signal for roughing the kicker was displayed after a brief discussion between the officials. Once again, Cal had to pass near the referee. "Can't say as I approve, Son, but I've never seen anything like that." "Think their coach is ready to just play football, now?" Cal asked. Spurred by the gift first down, Cal's team picked up two more and he was able to drill a forty-seven yarder. It was an entirely new experience, but he found the loudly expressed anger of the crowd exhilarating, and the kick sailed well over the tops of the uprights. Two punts later, Cal got another chance as the returner broke free. The earlier conflict, the boos of the fans, and standing helplessly on the sideline had him really pumped. This time, he charged right for the runner, who had chosen to head for midfield, rather than taking the sideline. Using his subtle fakes, Cal suckered the runner into veering just enough so he did not have to hit him head-on. It was clean and violent, and the runner staggered off the field. This time, the fans were intelligent enough to realize that it was just a perfect tackle. After that second tackle, Cal could not fail to notice an animated discussion between his two coaches and the head coach. The half ended 21-3, and the defensive backfield coach pulled Cal aside in the locker room. "Okay Loudmouth. You think you can play safety. They're passing us to death," he said. "See if you can lay some of those tackles on their receivers - make them drop a few?" "I'm not going to bait them. I won't hurt them on purpose," Cal objected. "But we need some intimidation," the coach insisted. "You did it to Renton. Why not now?" "That was just a clean, hard tackle." Cal said. "Yeah, after he tried to make a fool of you," the coach shot back. "OK, don't hurt anyone on purpose, but see if you can at least let them know we have someone back there." This was a real shock to Cal. He had assumed it might be another year before he saw any playing time at safety. He had to assume that the head coach had prevailed in the discussion he had seen. Cal's team had their own exceptionally fast kick returner, and he caught the opponents napping on the second half kickoff. His touchdown generated a lot of screaming and hollering on the sideline. When Cal came onto the field to kick off, the boos started again. This time, the return man let the ball go out of play. When the fans noticed that Cal stayed on the field in the defensive backfield, their own team had to signal for quiet so they could hear the snap count. Cal's team was definitely overmatched, so the only reasonable hope was to keep the score close enough so that it might be an embarrassment to the opposition. Normally a classic option team, the other team had thrown almost half of the time in the first half. In the national ranking system, huge blowouts of early season patsies were essential and passing was the way to ring up a big total. The defensive line in front of Cal was actually very good, probably the strength of the team. They had held up well against the formidable running attack. Because of the option threat, the defensive line had to hold position and move laterally with the ball, and could not afford to rush the quarterback. Thus, the opponents' passing had been very successful. During the third quarter, Cal did manage to deliver some solid hits, but nothing that would make the ESPN news. Twice, the big tight end got loose with a head of steam and only Cal to stop him. The first time, it was a straight head-on situation, and Cal executed a good rolling block to put him down. On the second encounter, the tight end decided to avoid being dumped in the same way, and he veered at the last moment. That allowed Cal to smack him down hard by catching him right in the turn when his balance was poorest. This time, the fans 'ooooh'd', but did not boo. With about four minutes left in the quarter, and no additional scoring by either team, Cal punted through the boos to inside the fifteen. A TV timeout was called in conjunction with the change of possession, and there was an animated discussion between the defensive coordinator and the defensive backfield coach. "On first down, they never pass, and it's always an option to the same side. We've got a blitz play. Can the line open a hole?" The db coach asked. The linebacking corps was not strong, except for Hector, so the safety blitz was the best bet. However, their experienced senior safety was the logical one to try it. After a quick debate with himself, the coaches decided to give Cal a shot and gave the play to the defensive captain. There had been no defensive player in his backfield the entire game, so when the enemy quarterback turned to fake a pitch before starting left along the line, it was a total shock to find Cal's hands trying to rip the ball from him. All quarterbacks have strong hands, but Cal's years of training and workouts gave him an edge. With the quarterback's dominant right hand behind the direction Cal was trying to rip the ball, he made a quick decision. He let go of the ball, which he knew he would lose anyway, and made sure that he tackled Cal. Not being an experienced tackler, the quarterback took Cal high, around the neck. As he went down, Cal saw the fullback and the pulling guard converging on him and he knew he was going to be hit late and hard. They were hellbent on some payback for the hits Cal had delivered, and damn the penalties that were sure to follow. Years earlier, when Cal had done a lot of mulitple-attacker drills with Ken Yokata, one important tactic was to deflect one attack and use that attacker's body to protect against the other attackers. The quarterback was taller than Cal, and Cal instinctively thought of using him as a shield. Holding the ball in his right hand, Cal grabbed the tackler's right forearm firmly with his left hand. He went down more quickly than we would have had to, holding the tackler in position on top of him. He knew there would be some heavy impact when the other two hit him, but his 'shield' would take the brunt of it. When Cal hit the ground, the quarterback's left arm was pinned under Cal's left shoulder and the right arm was held in Cal's steely grip. He was effectively immobilized atop Cal. The late hitters saw this and tried to pull back. The guard was too late in trying to stop, and much of his 300 lb mass slammed into the two prone players. The flags came out immediately, but that was not the real story. Between Cal's grip and the late impact from his teammate, the quarterback suffered a dislocated shoulder and some very tender ribs. The half-the-distance personal foul for the late hit added insult to injury. It made no difference that Cal was on the bottom. It was still a late hit. By this point in the game, the fans were too shell-shocked to do much but watch in eerie silence as one more of their key players was helped off the field. The kick returner on Cal's team was also a backup receiver, and on the first play after the recovery, he lined up wide. An excellent pass fake to his side set up the reverse perfectly, and it was suddenly and shockingly 21-17. Early in the fourth quarter, a receiver went high for a pass just as Cal closed on him. He had declared that he would not bait the receivers in order to hurt them, but that was not the case here. He had to sprint all out to reach the receiver by the time the ball got there. The man was five or six inches taller than Cal, so there was no way Cal could get up to deflect the ball. The internal debate took only microseconds. He was loathe to hurt another player, and this was a classic injury situation. As soon as he thought that, however, Ken's lecture on intimidation came to mind. Because he was running full speed just to get there in time, Cal had no chance to coil for a jump to hit the man high. Instead, he ran under him full tilt, making sure to hit the legs hard. The receiver did the predictable half cartwheel, losing the ball as he landed hard on his back. Cal came back and asked the receiver "You OK?" The answering "Fuck you!" was reassuring. "Sorry man, but I can't be lettin' you do that airborne shit back here," Cal said, purposely adopting some street talk. "Nuthin' personal." On the next series, Cal smashed the receiver hard just as the ball got there. That generated more boos as the ball fell incomplete. After the opponents' ensuing punt, the offense was able to get Cal close enough for another field goal. Superior size and talent generally win out, and a dramatic upset victory was not to be. In the waning minutes, with their first string still in, except for the injured quarterback, the opposition was able to finish off a 35-20 victory. As the game ended, his coach was signaling frantically to Cal to get off the field. He got in the middle of the team and hurried into the locker room. The fans were subdued at the end, not booing. Their team had not been as dominant as they should have been, and they had lost at least one star. In Vick's locker room, there was turmoil. Renton was sitting forlornly, his arm in a sling. Vick walked over to him, stood shaking his head, and said "Dammit, why couldn't you listen? Your showing off just hurt the team." The defensive coordinator and a local beat reporter happened to overhear Vick's blast. The coach pulled Vick into an open office and shut the door. "What was that all about?" "I warned him not to mess with Cal. He hits harder than anybody we have in our backfield." "Cal?" "The kicker. He's a great friend of mine. We played together in high school." "Well, your 'friend' about ruined our year," the coach snarled. "No, Renton did that. Cal made a perfect tackle, didn't he? He didn't even flip him like he could have." With a sigh, the coach nodded. "Yeah, you're right. That's the way I try to teach it. Damn! Damn! Damn!" ------- In the visiting locker room, the head coach came up to Cal and without any congratulations said "We've got several suites held over at the hotel until we leave. I want you to stay in one. You're going to be pretty unpopular around here." "Why? I didn't do anything wrong. My girlfriend is playing volleyball. I'm going to dinner with Vic Smaak from the other team and I'm going to watch the volleyball game." "That's not a good idea. Things could get ugly." "Is anyone else on the team restricted to the hotel?" Cal demanded. When the coach shook his head, Cal went on "then there's no reason for me to be, is there?" Hector had been congratulating Cal and overheard the conversation. "Coach, I'll shadow Cal. Maybe some of the other guys would like to see the volleyball game, too. Besides if he's with their star defensive end, who's gonna hassle him?" With a frustrated shrug, the coach just walked away. ------- Cal, Vick and Tessa and Hector were sitting in the gym that evening watching the volleyball warm-ups and chatting. It was California, and volleyball was a big draw, so there were several thousands fans on hand. A female reporter spotted Vick in the crowd and wormed her way in beside him. Tessa was between the two guys. "Vick, how do you feel about the rather disappointing win today?" "Oh, I don't know if it's disappointing. They played very well." "There's a lot of anger at the kicker who injured Rory Renton. What do you think about that?" "Have you seen the play?" Vick asked. "Well, sure." she replied. "Did you see anything illegal or unsportsmanlike?" "I guess not. But he hit him so hard!" "How are you supposed to hit someone as elusive as Rory. How many tackles have you seen him break or jump over?" "You sound like you're defending their kicker." "I'm a defensive player. He did what he was supposed to and he did it perfectly." "Um, yeah. Say, are you a volleyball fan?" the reporter asked. All of this time, Tessa and Cal had been fighting off laughter for all they were worth. "Tonight I sure am. Number eight is best friends with Tessa, my girlfriend. We all went to school together. I think our volleyball team is in for a surprise." With that the reporter left to find another interview. Cheryl and Maddy did their usual thing and Sharon showed the benefits of her dedicated improvement campaign. Unlike the football team, the opposing volleyball team was near the bottom of their conference. It was a powerful conference, though, and the match was close. It only took a couple of points for Maddy to pull off one of her sensational digs. Hector, who was sitting beside Cal, muttered something that Cal assumed was some kind of Spanish oath. "She is some kind of quick!" Later, in the second game, Maddy made a mad charge toward the stands in an attempt to save a hit that Sharon had deflected on a block attempt. She was too late for the save, but her charge took her right into the stands. The first three rows parted for her, and Hector, in the fourth row, put out his hand to catch her. For a brief moment, the two looked at each other. Cal said in Spanish "Hector Cortillon, meet Madelina Estevez." When play continued, Hector was quiet for a while, then asked Cal "That Madelina..." "Maddy. She goes by Maddy," Cal corrected. "Is she... I mean, does she date... guys?" "Maddy is not a lesbian," Cal assured him. "She's like you, Hector. Her family is very religious and she is very careful who she goes out with." Cal did not bother to mention that he could not recall Maddy being on a single date. From that point on, Hector probably only saw the part of the match that involved Maddy. During the fourth game, the reporter returned to talk to Vick. "Why do you think our volleyball coach didn't recruit number eight?" she asked. "He did," Vick answered. "Then why would she take the scholarship she did rather than here?" This time, Vick looked over at Cal, who was not sure he wanted to get involved with the reporter. After a pause, Cal said "How tall is the shortest hitter your coach has ever played?" "Oh, I don't know about that," the reporter admitted. She was a sports fan and quite knowledgeable, but that was minutiae. "Well, two inches taller than Cheryl," Cal told her. "But she's better than any of ours." "Uh huh. But she would never have had a chance to prove that here." "Oh. Say, are you her boyfriend?" He nodded. "So, you flew way out here just to watch her play?" All three were having trouble keeping straight faces after that question, but Cal managed the best and said "Something like that." The reporter was a bright lady. She did not miss the expressions and she suddenly put things together. "Mr. Banner, what would you say to Rory Renton tonight, after you tore up his shoulder?" The injury had been diagnosed as a grade two separation, much more debilitating than the dislocation the quarterback had later suffered. "I didn't hit him in the shoulder," was Cal's icy reply. That stopped her for a moment, but she pushed further "But you hit him so hard!" "He is one of the shiftiest, most elusive runners in college football. Was I supposed to just ask him politely to step out of bounds? Look, I hit four of your other players just as hard. Why aren't you asking about them?" Cal was losing his cool, and Tessa put a calming hand on his leg. "But they weren't injured." "If the coach hadn't been too close, maybe Renton wouldn't have been hurt. I pulled back after I hit him." The reporter was not getting anywhere, and she knew that what Cal had said was true. "Why did you end up at a smaller school?" "I got offers from big name schools, but only as a kicker." "So your coach offered you a chance to play safety?" "Not exactly. I walked on." "But you tackle better than any of our players. Couldn't you have made it at safety here?" "I would never have been given a chance. That was clear in the scholarship offer. Too short, too light, and too slow. Everything is by the numbers." The reporter wanted to probe the relationship between Cheryl and Cal, but the game was getting to the end, and he clearly wanted to watch, so she thanked them and left. Cheryl and company pulled out a four game win, but the game scores were close. Several other players on Cal's team had come to the volleyball game for lack of any better way to kill time, so there was an unexpected but very welcome cheering section for Cheryl and the crew. As it turned out, the best travel deal had been a shared charter for both teams. Thus, the football team had to kill time until the evening volleyball game was finished. It was a unique time when Cal and Cheryl could fly together. They had not been able to spend Friday night together, but that was not a terrible sacrifice. Cal was the first spectator on the floor when the game was over. As soon as Cheryl left the hand-shake line, he swept her off her feet and swung her around. "You were unbelievable!" He told her. "Well, you set a tough standard to live up to!" she retorted between kisses. The reporter was watching closely as they walked arm-in-arm toward the girls' locker room, where Cal dropped her off. Cal was a little irritated when the reporter came up and asked him "You two been together long?" He basically disliked and distrusted the press. He had learned, though, that while they were never truly your friend, it did not pay to make them your enemy. "We've known each other for a long time. Cheryl and my sister are best friends. We've been going together for two years." "Is that one of the reasons you chose your college?" "Absolutely." "The main reason?" "Yes." "So, even if you had been offered a chance to play safety here, you probably would not have accepted, right?" "Probably not. But you have to understand: there was zero chance of that happening. Go back and check this whole conference. You will not find a scholarship offered to a defensive back of my size. Worse yet, I don't even have 4.5 speed." "Are you bitter because you couldn't get a good scholarship?" "Bitter? Not at all. I like my life. I love to compete. Sure, I want to compete at the highest level I can. But I'm not six-four and 220, and I can't run a 4.4 forty. I've made myself the strongest and quickest that I can be, and I'm having fun." "Was there extra incentive today, being such a huge underdog?" she asked. "Of course. That's only natural. I was proud of how our guys played. We knew we were supposed to be road-kill, but we didn't have to like it. I suspect we did better than some of your conference opponents will do. We probably won't be invited back." "You mean because you played too well? I can't believe that!" "Tell me that when next year's schedule comes out," Cal said with a grin, "You sound a little cynical," she observed. "Not really. Just realistic. Make no mistake: college athletics is professional sport. They just make sure the players don't make any real money. That's not a bad thing, though. Cheryl gets her undergrad paid for, and that's a big help. "If your school makes a major bowl game, it means millions to the budget. Bowl games depend on rankings, and rankings are affected by how badly you beat patsies like us. If we don't play our part and roll over, we won't be invited back." "Why would you come in the first place?" "Again, it's money. Our take from this is probably a lot more than from one of our home games." "What are you and your girlfriend - Cheryl is it - studying?" the reporter asked in an obvious shift of direction. "I'm just a freshman and I haven't declared yet. She's in pre-med." "Pre-med. Wow! So she's pretty smart, then?" "She's never seen less than an 'A', and she'll graduate in three years." Cal was not sure why he was giving out this much information, but the reporter seemed affable and non-threatening. Besides, it was not hard to brag about his lover. Right about then, the girls began to emerge from the locker room. Both teams were to rendezvous at a bus that would take them to the airport for their return charter flight. Surprising the reporter, Cal headed away from the locker room rather toward Cheryl, who was just as surprised. He returned quickly with Hector in tow. He had time to say just a few words to his husky friend on he way. "Maddy is the perfect girl for you, Hector. She sees things the same way. But you have to take the lead. Can you do that?" "Maddy, this is the guy whose lap you almost fell into, Hector Cortillon. He wears number 54. You're from the same town. Did you go to the same high school?" Cal was talking as fast as he could to take the edge off of any possible shyness from the two. "I'm sure I would have remembered," Hector said smoothly, "but I went to Catholic schools all the way." Cal barely held back a visible sigh of relief. He had feared that his friend would be tongue-tied. He was not aware that having three sisters had made Hector quite comfortable around girls. Showing that she was no timid little thing, Maddy asked "So how come you're not playing for Notre Dame or BC? You're good enough." As they settled into their seats on the bus, Cheryl said "I'm pissed at you!" "Huh?" "Matchmaking is supposed to be the woman's job." She took any possible sting out of it with a giggle and a squeeze of his hand. By the time they all separated back home at the campus drop-off point, it certainly looked like Maddy and Hector were off to a promising start. Despite the very late hour, Cheryl was a veritable tigress when they got to bed. Cal decided that it did not matter whether it was because of her victory, his play, or the potential new love interest for their friend Maddy. ------- Chapter 47 Despite the late return home from the incredible Saturday and the energetic love-making into the wee hours, both Cal and Cheryl awoke only an hour after their usual dawn time. After a brief discussion, they decided to go for a run but pass on the rest of that day's workout. He probably should have suspected it, but Cal pulled up short in surprise as they turned the last corner before home on their run. Right in front of the house stood a TV truck. "I suppose there's no way to wait them out, is there?" he grumped. "I don't know about you, but I want some breakfast," she teased. Then, more seriously "What are you going to say?" "Nothing. I don't like talking to the press. Something bad usually comes out of it." "I'm not sure that's the best idea," she cautioned. "If, and it's only an 'if', they want to make you out to be some kind of a thug, blowing them off will just validate their view. Remember what happened last year." "Shit!" "I've got an idea," she said. "Tell them they have to go through the coach - you don't know what his policy is on the press. Won't do your standing with the coach any harm, either." "The smartest thing I ever did was hook up with a genius woman," he said as he swatted her butt and set off to face the sharks. "But there's no policy against it!" the reporter protested when Cal told him why he would not talk. "I've talked to many football players over the years." "Look, this was my first game. I'm not taking any chances on doing something he's not happy with." The reporter tried some more, but Cal held firm, and he and Cheryl went in to prepare breakfast. That turned out to be difficult because the phone kept on ringing. They had voice mail from the phone company, so they couldn't screen calls, and they thought family might be trying to get through. "I hope I survive this," Cheryl said with mock resignation. "You cook. I'll answer the calls." She was having way too much fun with this for Cal's liking. To three calls from the press, she claimed that Cal was not available. If the calls were from family and friends, she put Cal on to talk. Before they finished a very interrupted, piecemeal breakfast, he had received congratulations from over a dozen people. Elaine could not stop gushing on the call from his parents. "Did you know they kept showing that play over and over and over on ESPN and everywhere?" "That's because Rory Renton got hurt, Mom. Not because of me." "But lots of times they showed what you did on that punt, too," Elaine bubbled. Cal was beginning to get the sick feeling that any hope of a peaceful college career might be gone in the first week. In the middle of the calls came one from the coach. "Banner!" he said in a snarl that sounded real, "I spend enough time with reporters. Don't you go shoving more of them at me." "So, do you have any rules about what I can't say?" "Nah. Lots of cautions I could give you, but there's no point. Just use your head." Cheryl could tell the result of the call, and it was very clear that he was not happy about it. She gave him a hug, then told him "Why don't we work out some answers to the questions you can expect. You need to give the same answers all the time. If you don't, they'll jump all over you." "So you think they'll be mostly, uh, hostile?" "I don't know, but they'll all keep digging for something no one else got," she explained. The TV station that had the truck waiting, the one that had called the coach, deserved the first shot, so Cal called the number on the card he had received from the reporter. "Make you a deal," Cal said. "For a studio disk with all of my plays, the entire plays, I'll talk to you." "Why do you want that?" Cheryl asked. "I'm not sure. I've just got a feeling I may have to prove some things." "This is really bugging you, isn't it, Honey," she asked. "How come my guy, who's not afraid of anything, is so worried about a bunch of reporters?" That stopped him for moment. "I've trained and trained to face all those other threats. How to you learn to handle the press?" The TV reporter came back, disk in hand, and Cal did an interview that was not nearly as bad as he had feared. He did start by trying to deflect the attention from himself. Instead of answering the first question, he asked "Why aren't you talking to Ricky? He scored two great touchdowns. And our defensive line did a great job against one of the top running games in the country." "Well, it was your steal of the ball that set up one of those touchdowns, you know," was the retort from the reporter. Seeing that he would not be getting out of the spotlight, Cal just went along from then on. The rest of the morning was consumed by more calls from the press. Cal was very happy about Cheryl's suggestion for prepared responses, and he told her so several times. She got in as much studying as possible while he talked on the phone. Just when he was he was finally able to open his books, one more call came in. "Mr. Banner, this is Independent Sports Network calling. We would like you to come out for an interview for our show to be aired nationally Wednesday evening." "That won't be possible," Cal said quickly. "Between classes, studying, and practice, I just can't take time out during the week." "We would do the interview tonight." "Thank you for calling, but I'm not interested," Cal said before hanging up. He just shook his head and went back to his books. The next call was from the coach. "Banner, some national exposure would be good for our recruiting." "Even if it turns out to be negative?" "Sure. It still gets our name out there." "Coach, I'm sorry, but I've had some bad experiences with the press. I won't give them a chance to make up a broadcast by editing what I say and putting in whatever they want to add." "Why do you think they would do that?" "Just a hunch. Renton was really popular with the press. They blame me for putting him out." "Hmmm. Well, I won't force you, but it would be good for us," was the coach's final word. Cal had hardly hung up from the coach's call when the network called again. When Cal still refused, the network person said "But we cleared it with your coach. He wants you to do it." "Sorry, but I'm not giving you a chance to make up something that isn't at all what I said." "Do you really think that we would doctor an interview?" To that question, Call just laughed. "Are we through? I have a lot of studying to do." "I guess so." ------- Darlene woke up before Hal on Sunday morning, something that only happened on Sundays. Because he kept construction hours, he was usually up very early. Since the first years of their marriage, Sundays had been an exception. In the early years, they had always gone to church because of their religious upbringing. It was a source of great concern to both of their families that they no longer did, and that they never got the kids involved. Saturday night, she had rejoiced with Cheryl when she called to tell about her volleyball win. Earlier in the day, she and Shelley had gone to the restaurant with the Banners to watch Cal play. Somehow, as happy as she was for Cheryl and Cal, the day had left her depressed. Seeing the Banners together always seemed to have that effect on her. It seemed like she was surrounded with happy, affectionate couples. She could just imagine the kind of intimacy they shared, and she ached for it. The other thing that had fueled Darlene's depression was the way Elaine and Martin could share in the joy of their child's accomplishments. She could not help but contrast that with Hal's cold disinterest in Cheryl's sports and Shelley's gymnastics. The fact that Matt was following Cheryl as an academic leader of his class seemed to trigger scorn from Hal, when he deigned to acknowledge it at all. What was there that she and her husband truly shared, anyway? She just stood looking at Hal for quite a while. The old feelings were still there, but they had been dulled a lot over the last couple of years. The good looks and the manliness that had won her hand long ago were still evident and they still tugged at her emotions. Unfortunately, the main thing tugging at her emotions right then was a growing sadness. She was honestly trying to keep her feelings for him alive, but he was making it harder and harder. She just could not draw any expressions of affection from him, or even of lust. He had begun to accept showering together, and he had 'consented' to wash her, but only the 'safe' parts. She did not think she looked so bad that he should be repulsed by her body. Beyond that, she could hardly get him to touch her with his hands. From her sessions with Julia, she realized that there had never been any real passion between her and Hal. There had been some youthful sexual exuberance, but not even much of that. There had been a lot of sex, and there was still quite a bit. Hal had urges, but he had no passion. Had there ever really been love? There was certainly caring and concern. There was habit and commitment. The problem was that Darlene was seeing too much obvious real love between Cheryl and Cal, Elaine and Martin, and even Matt and his girlfriend Chelsea. She was weary. Weary and oh, so horny. Her determination not to cheat on her wedding vows was being tested to its limits. Of course, there were no candidates lined up waiting to enter into an affair with her, but it would not have taken much for the right man to seduce her. If the encounter with Jeremy had happened now, rather than a year earlier, he probably would have won her. Matt was going on a long bike outing that day with Chelsea and Darlene wanted to fix him a good breakfast. She had only met the girl a few times because Matt would not bring her to the house when Hal was there. She seemed like a nice girl, and the feelings of the young couple for each other were clearly evident. Matt's romance was a huge point of conflict in the household, as if any more tension was needed. Hal tried to forbid Matt's dating in every way that he could, and Darlene was forced to stand up for her son. After many discussions with Cheryl and Cal, she had found that they were right. After all of his bluster and posturing, Hal would fold if she stood firm. He would fold, but he would remain surly. At sixteen, Matt was plenty mature for dating - plenty mature for sex, for that matter. Darlene was sure that he and Chelsea were intimate. As a mother, that should have shocked her, and even a year ago, it would have. Now, she was happy that her handsome son could find the kind of affection that she had been deprived of. Matt would not grow up to be a cold fish like his father, of that Darlene was sure. In fact, her precious children were her only sources of expressed tenderness. Matt was more than willing to cuddle in ways that were probably not appropriate, but that Darlene desperately needed. Lately, on those rare occasions when they were all four together in the same room, she would purposely be all over Matt, just to piss off Hal. She had the faint hope that it would stimulate Hal to some action of his own. Whether that worked or not, Matt entered in eagerly, and it helped to fill that awful void in her life. Understanding how much out of her comfort zone she pushed herself for him, Matt was very grateful to his mother. Still amazed at how quickly her attitudes and her demeanor had changed, to say nothing of her looks, he instinctively wanted to encourage her new independence and her hunger for affection. Matt regarded Cheryl with something approaching awe, a very unique attitude for a teenaged boy toward an older sister. Long before Darlene's latent need for affection was awakened, though, Cheryl had provided the closeness and the physical evidences of love that a mother ordinarily would. Then, she had persuaded Matt to open his heart to their mother when she began to change. In the kitchen, Darlene cooked eggs and pancakes for Matt to give him some protein and carbs for his strenuous day. When he came into the kitchen, he came up and hugged her from behind, planting a kiss behind her ear. He favored her tall, slim build, so he had to stoop a little. She was always impressed by the strength she felt in him, and always wondered if his disinterest in competitive sports was just an aversion because of his father. His frequent biking had certainly made him solid. "You guys gonna be OK in this heat?" she asked. "We're heading for a neat little pool in a creek just up from the river," he replied. "We'll get a great chance to cool off." "Need a lunch?" "There's a sandwich shop a few miles from the spot, but thanks." "Skinny dipping, I suppose," she said somewhat timidly. "Uh, huh." It was not her intention, but some tears started to fall. He read it for the longing that it was, but all he could do was give her another hug. Only halfway teasing, he said "You should come with us sometime." "But I need someone I can do everything with that you guys do," she said through sniffles. "You figured that out, huh?" he asked quietly. "You, uh, upset about that?" "No, Honey. I'm just happy that this messed-up family hasn't turned you into your father. You give Chelsea all the loving you can." Even with his mother's changes over the last year, that comment still left Matt nonplussed. He gave her another hug, then set about destroying the breakfast. ------- It really was a lovely spot. Matt and Chelsea had ridden almost fifteen miles to reach it, but they considered the effort more than worthwhile. They were both careful to set their bikes gently against trees, but then, they turned into happy children, flinging soggy biking clothes every which way and racing each other into the water, naked. The pool was neither wide nor deep, more like a little natural tub in the curve of the creek. He loved the way the clear, rippling water distorted the view of her body. It was a highly erotic scene for him. She was a strong girl, well-muscled, not at all dainty. He appeared quite slender next to her, but the physical dissimilarities bothered them not at all. After a short soak and a little horseplay, Matt went to his bike for a small blanket that he had deemed worth carrying on the ride. He had just barely spread it on the ground when Chelsea dragged him down atop herself, legs spread in obvious demand. To these two, a fifteen mile ride was just a warmup, an aphrodisiac. They knew they would enjoy plenty petting and teasing later, as they ate and afterward. The main thing for right then was some energetic intercourse. Besides their shared interest in biking, the two could talk for hours, and they whiled away most of Sunday between the little pool and the blanket, the conversation only ceasing during a nap. Their biking outfits were rinsed and laid on rocks so they would be dry in time for departure. There was no other need for clothes. ------- Hal had greeted Matt's return with the customary negative remarks. Though he had no concept of the effort and the conditioning involved, Hal considered biking a sissy activity. The fact that Matt could do it with a girl just reinforced that perception. A few times Hal had voiced the opinion that he might as well have sired three girls. That had enraged Darlene. It had motivated her to be even more physically expressive with her son, and to encourage his sexual maturation. Matt gave his mother a detailed account of the day. When he had first started dating Chelsea, the questions about his sexual activity had angered and embarrassed him, but Cheryl had explained what Darlene was dealing with, and he had tried his best to be open in their discussions. Both mother and son knew that his recitation would leave her depressed and wanting, but she could not refrain from asking the questions, and he could not refuse the answers. When Darlene entered the bedroom Sunday night, she had crossed a line. Up until that time, she had refrained from using any humiliation or intimidation in her efforts to get some affection out of Hal. For whatever reason, she could no longer restrain herself. As had become her habit, she stripped as soon as they were alone with the door closed. At first, she had hoped that it would entice him. When that became a faint hope, her nakedness became more of a challenge. In her mind, she knew that her action was foolish, but she felt that she had to do something. Several times lately, she had masturbated herself in front of Hal before allowing him to enter her. The first time, he had hardly been able to stammer out "What are you doing?" Her arousal had mellowed her out enough so she had bitten back the cutting remark that she wanted to let loose. Instead, she told him "I want to get myself nice and lubricated so I don't have to use KY." Over the years, Hal had perfected a response to confusing or humiliating situations. He would say nothing and adapt a blank expression that gave absolutely nothing away. This 'stone face' had always irritated Darlene, even before her 'awakening'. Now, it enraged her. That Sunday night, he wore the stone face again as she lay naked against her pillows, lights on, stimulating herself. If his intent was to embarrass her, it no longer worked. Still, she kept her cool. Reaching for his hand, she pulled it toward her crotch and told him "You do it." Against her firm pull, he drew his hand back, his expression never changing. "Damn you!" she swore at him for the very first time, and got up out of bed. Leaning over and shouting at him, she said "I'm going to see Matt. He knows how to treat a woman." There probably was nothing more inflammatory that she could have said. He certainly was not blind to the overt displays of affection between his wife and son. He knew that they were a rebuke of his own frigidity. Still naked, she had to walk around the bed to get to the door. He jumped up and intercepted her, snarling "You aren't going out there like that." "Why not?" she hissed at him. "I'm married to a queer who won't touch me. At least my son is a real man who..." Whatever else she was going to say was cut off as he grabbed her arm and squeezed hard. Portraying him as the queer and his son as the real man was a terrible escalation of the previous insult. It led to his first ever act of physical violence toward her. Instead of panic, she felt an ice cold anger. "Not that kind of touch!" she spat out, then slapped him hard across his face. That was her first. Tightly controlled people, which Hal definitely was, sometimes hide volcanic tempers. Hal looked like he was about to stroke out as the rage overtook him. He drew back his fist, ready to slug her, but the lifelong conditioning was just too strong. He released his grip on her arm and just stood and quivered in his anger and frustration. In her own anger, Darlene tried to think of something to say, but she somehow knew that nothing could surpass the shot she had already given him. It was only as she turned and opened the bedroom door that shock and dismay began to flush out the anger. Both Matt and Shelley had heard the unusual volume level from the master bedroom, and both had come to the doors of their rooms. Matt saw his naked mother leave her room, walking almost like a robot. She had left the door open and Hal stood naked and motionless in the dim light, his earlier erection not yet completely deflated by the anger. Matt's first reaction was to retreat into his room so as not to look at his mother's nakedness. Then he noticed Shelley, transfixed at the sight of her father. His instincts told him that nothing would ever be the same after that night. They also told him that his mother had needs stronger than the courtesy of honoring her modesty. "Shelly, Mom really needs us now," Matt hissed at his sister. Setting the example, he held his arms wide in invitation. That brought Darlene out of her trance and she dashed the last few steps into the waiting hug. Shock and confusion froze Shelley for a moment, but she quickly wrapped her arms around the other two. It was impossible for Matt to read his father's expression, but it was definitely not the stone face that he was used to seeing, nor the sneer with which Hal often addressed his son. Matt had some concern that Hal might do something physical. Cheryl's old room was right across the hall from his and Shelley's rooms, and he guided the three of them to it, shutting and locking the door behind them. Matt was embarrassed; embarrassed for his mother and about the situation. He tried to free himself to get something from Cheryl's closet, but Darlene clamped her arms around him with manic strength. "Do I look so disgusting?" she demanded. "N... no, Mom. You're beautiful. That's the problem. I shouldn't be..." "Hug! Please! N... no one has touched me for s... so long. I... I..." Darlene herself broke the hug and went to the bed as brother and sister looked at each other in confusion. She pulled back the covers, then lay down on her stomach in the middle of the bed. "Rub. Please. Both of you." Now, it was Shelley who took the lead and pulled her reluctant brother toward the bed. She guided him to one side of their mother and went around to the other. Then she started stroking Darlene's back and shoulders, motioning for Matt to do the same. For twenty minutes or more, both teens caressed their mother while she urged them to more and more intimate touches. Matt was very uncomfortable, but Shelley seemed to sense Darlene's urgency and would not let him pull back. When Darlene begged him to stroke her bottom and her thighs, it was Shelley who pulled Matt's hand into place and made him begin caressing. He was doing things that he knew were not right, but Matt was outnumbered. Besides, it felt wonderful. He very quickly sprang an erection, and almost as quickly, Shelley noticed it. She mouthed 'It's OK' and gave him a loving smile. When Darlene's demands began to decrease, Matt said "I'm going to get a phone. You need to talk to Cheryl." He also intended to get some heavier shorts to cover the boxers that he habitually wore to bed. "No, I'll go," Shelley objected. "He wouldn't hurt me." "Don't worry about that," Darlene piped up. "He'll try to pretend that nothing happened. This couldn't be happening to him, so it hasn't." "I'll still go," Shelley declared, and sprinted for the door. As soon as Shelley was gone, Darlene said "It's nice." "Huh?" "Your... cock?" "Ohhhhhh!" Matt groaned, fearing terminal embarrassment. His embarrassment did not decrease when Darlene rolled over, held out her arms, and said "Come here. Please." There wasn't much light in the room, but the need in her eyes would have been visible in pitch dark. He knelt down and let her hug herself to him. "I know this isn't right, Honey, but tonight... I'm afraid it's all over, and I just need to know you love me... you like me." What could he say to that? When Shelley walked into the room, she was already talking to Cheryl, but she stopped dead when she saw the embrace. "H... here," she stammered, holding the phone out to her mother. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have three wonderful, loving children," Darlene said tearfully into the phone. "Oh, Cheryl! I really did it! I'm afraid I ended everything. I lost it. I said some terrible things. He grabbed me, and I slapped him." Matt and Shelley did not know that, and they gasped at the news. At was an unreal tableau, with Darlene naked on her back, talking on the phone, and maintaining a death grip on Matt's hand. When she repeated what she had said to Hal, all three of the children realized that she probably had indeed ended her marriage. Hal was not a person who could forgive that kind of attack. "I guess I better see that lawyer, Marty, right away," Darlene said. "Hope you don't mind if I take over your old room. I'm not going to fight for the big room. I'd rather be with my kids, anyway." She paused for a bout of tears after that. "What? Oh, yeah. I'll talk to Julia before I do anything else." When she hung up the call, Darlene seemed to decide that it was time to reinstitute some modesty, and she pulled the sheet up over herself, releasing her hold on Matt. After kisses and 'I love yous' Matt and Shelley left the room. He was about to go back to his own, but Shelley was not having that, and pulled him into her room. After closing and locking the door, she turned on a small lamp and pulled back the covers. Turning away from him, she shed her sleepwear and lay on the bed face down. "I need some touching, too," was all she said. "Sis, I don't think..." he started to protest. "This is not a night for thinking, Matt. Please. Our family is coming apart. You have Chelsea. Mom doesn't have anyone. I don't have anyone, either. I need some love from my brother." Sniffles that sounded completely genuine overrode his scruples and he sat beside her and began stroking her back. "All over. Please." Shelley was enjoying his caresses too much and Matt was too nervous to think of anything to say, so there was silence for a few minutes. "Why don't you have anyone?" he asked to break the silence. "Well, it's not like I'm ready to be engaged or anything," she answered. "You know how they are about dating. Remember what Cheryl went through?" "That was before," he pointed out. "Mom would let you, and Dad couldn't do anything about it." There was another long silence, then she gave a loud sigh and said "I guess this is a night for everything to come out. "The truth is, I don't want anyone. At least not a guy." It took him a few moments to process what he had heard, then he let out his breath in a 'whoosh' and his hand stopped. "But... but, you're letting me..." "Doesn't include you, Matt. Anything you want. Any time." "Why?" "Because I love you, silly." "I mean, why only girls?" She shrugged her shoulders and he could feel her response. "Does Mom know? Cheryl?" "You're the only one so far. They've got enough for tonight. Matt, sleep with me tonight. Hold me, OK? I don't want you to be unfaithful to Chelsea, but I need it. We won't do anything bad." There were too many whammies for Matt to absorb and his better judgment just checked out. Crawling into the bed with her, he continued his caresses until she moved over to plaster herself against him. From the kiss that she laid on him, he wondered about her professed orientation. She seemed to fall asleep easily. Even after his strenuous day, he could not. ------- When Cheryl hung up from talking to Darlene, she just sat staring into space, holding the phone in her hand. Cal noticed and got down on his knees in front of her. "Bad news?" he asked. She shook he head slightly, as if to clear it and said "Don't know if it's good or bad news. Mom lost it. Their marriage is probably over." He took the phone from her hand and pulled her into a hug. "And you feel guilty because you're not there, right?" She nodded against his shoulder. "Baby, they've got each other, now. You know how close the three of them have gotten. You can't take this load on yourself." "How can I not?" "Because of you, your Mom can show love to your brother and sister, and she can accept it from them. That's a lot." "And maybe it's because of me that she can't live with Dad any more." "You can't feel guilty about waking her up," he told her. "You've let her see real life. She's experiencing real love for the first time." "But not with Dad." "No, but that's not something you can fix. I don't think even Julia could fix that. Honey, he's a man with some huge problems. Those problems have caused you a lot of pain in your life. Now, the rest of your family is going to get out from under that." "Do you think Mom will really get a divorce?" "I won't try to predict what your mother will do. After the way she has changed in the last year, who can tell?" "If you had to guess..." "OK, I'd say yes," he admitted. "Why do you think so?" He pulled her down onto the floor on his lap and held her tightly. "I've got this amazing sexual dynamo for a lover. She didn't get that way by accident. I think it's genetic, and it sure isn't from your dad." In a way, Cal might have been guilty of cheating, although it is doubtful that Cheryl would have lodged a complaint. He had learned early in their relationship that for her, any kind of emotion could be turned into arousal, and he knew just how to do it. When she was upset in any way was one time when a bit of a dominant roll was the right move for him. Squirming around until he had her in just the right position, he forcefully pulled off her shorts and panties and squeezed her whole crotch firmly. She hissed, squeezed her thighs together around his hand, and straightened her body across his lap. As was her habit around the house, she had not worn a bra. It was a simple matter to raise her shirt and clamp his mouth over a nipple. Within mere minutes, she was fumbling at his pants, frantic to get him insider herself. Some time later, they were on their sides face to face, recovering from their exertions, touching gently, and talking quietly. "You can't let this distract you, Baby," he cautioned. "You're scheduled so tightly you have to keep your concentration." "I know, I know. It's not like this is a new problem. It's all just starting to seem final. My family has had lots of problems, but it was still a family. Now, it's coming apart." "But you're not. You can't." For one of the few times, she was very subdued when she said "I've never been able to. I've had to hold it all together for as long as I can remember." He half-carried her to the bed and petted her until she got drowsy. Then, he cleaned up the spots on the carpet before retiring himself. ------- Monday was an interesting day. Several people in his classes realized who Cal was and he received a lot of unwanted attention. As could be expected, practice was punctuated by non-stop razzing. The upside of that was the underlying tone of respect from his teammates, something that was not easy for a freshman to engender. Cal did not expect any dramatic statement from the defensive backfield coach, and none was forthcoming. There was, however, a definite change in the drills, with Cal now getting the most reps. The coach also began riding him very hard, finding fault with every little thing. Cal took that as a good sign, and the criticism did not bother him in the least. The one major problem involved splitting his time between the defensive backfield and the special teams squads. The db coach suddenly became very possessive, suggesting that one of the other kickers be promoted. That would not have saddened Cal at all. The special teams coach, of course, did not want to lose Cal's services. Cal was significantly better than the next kicker, both in distance and accuracy. It was tremendously reassuring for the coach to have a strong tackler in the kicking position, as well. When the two coaches were arguing, the head coach approached them, but just stood and listened. They got the idea, and the debate subsided. Cal had just finished dressing when the head coach called him into the office. "What's this hardon you've got against the press?" the coach demanded. "I've had some bad experiences with them," Cal said. "How could an eighteen-year-old have that much business with reporters?" "It hasn't all been about sports," was all Cal said. "Hmmmm. There's probably a story in that, but that's not what I'm concerned about right now," the coach said. "Look, Banner. This is my third year here. This is a good-sized school. It's a great campus in a nice town. I'm having some success recruiting real talent, but we're kind of invisible on the national scene. "We played a helluva game Saturday, and I'm really proud of the team. Your play kinda got us started." Cal nodded at the compliment and the coach went on. "Any kind of publicity right now will help us. If they make you out to be a thug, well, call it taking one for the team. The network people will call you again tonight at 8:30." No more was said, but Cal understood that he was being 'ordered' to do the interview. ------- Monday was also interesting at volleyball practice. Most of the team members had been at the football game, but the coach had not. Everyone on the team had met Cal, and the veterans knew him quite well from the many games he had attended, even on the road. Except for Maddy and Sharon, all of the girls were in awe of how Cal had played. They just could not believe that the unimposing, friendly guy they knew could play with such ferocity. All during practice, the coach seemed to be watching Cheryl strangely. Finally, as Cheryl was getting ready to leave, the coach pulled her aside. "I heard the girls going on and on about the game, so I watched a tape. I always wondered why you were so in love with Cal. I mean, he's a nice guy and everything, but he didn't seem that special. Cheryl was a little irritated at the point. "Of course he wouldn't seem special to you," she said rather sharply. "Oh. I'm sorry, Cheryl. I didn't mean to be insulting. After I saw how he played, I can understand better." "I feel sorry for you," Cheryl said, still angry. "If Cal never played a single football or basketball game, I would still feel the same about him. Sure, I love to watch him, just like he loves to watch me. But that's because we love each. We don't love each other because we play well. I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Maybe you can find someone you feel that way about someday." That took her relationship with her coach to a place that she never really wanted it to go. It was not the first such comment she had gotten, either. It did not bother her that Cal was very unimpressive until you got to know him. It did bother her that others commented on it to her. ------- Sunday night, Cheryl had been pretty down. Monday evening was Cal's turn. She was a little surprised because he very seldom showed how upset he was. It just emphasized how strong his feelings against the media were. She was sure that the 'cure' he had used on her would not work on him. Cal had barely wolfed down some dinner that Maddy's sister had left for them when he dialed Dex Madison. "Dex, I have to do this interview for ISN. Coach as much as ordered me to. I'm afraid they're going to edit it to make me look really bad. Who is that reporter woman you know? Could she give me some pointers on what I can do to mess up their editing plans?" Before the ISN people called, Dex was able to get Judy Morrison on a three-way. After brief introductions and a recitation of Cal's concerns, Judy gave him some pointers. "Wear a suit and tie - dark blue pin stripe if you have it. Get a fresh hair cut. Do you wear glasses or contacts? No? Then get some plain glass ones. Make them ones that look like you're an accountant or a young executive. "Now, if they're really playing dirty, they will make you up to look harsh or pasty or whatever they think will suit their purposes. Arrange for your own makeup person and absolutely refuse to let them touch you." "You mean makeup can do that much?" Cal asked incredulously. "You bet." "But how do I find someone?" "See if someone in your drama department at school has a contact in that town. I might know someone at a TV station there - I'll see. "Now, once you're on camera, there are a number of things you need to do. First of all, always look pleasant and jovial. Smile all the time. Do a lot of chuckling." "How am I supposed to do that if I'm scared shitless? Uh, sorry." "That's not a new word to me, you know," Judy said with a laugh. "Dex says you have the same training he has. You'll work it out. "Now, if they want to do a hatchet job on you, they will try to do it by cutting out things you say or rearranging the order in which you say things." "That's what I'm worried about," Cal said. "What can I do?" "First of all, spend as much time as you can working out answers to possible questions. Launder out anything that sounds at all aggressive. Break every answer down as if you were trying to do what you fear they will do." "Sounds like a lot of work," Cal complained. "Sorry. I'm just trying to give you some tools." "Oh, I know, and I really appreciate it." "There's is one other tactic, and this will really make you work," Judy told him. "The only way they can piece together parts of different answers is if your body position, your facial expression, and your voice pitch are pretty constant." "Ah!" Cal exclaimed. "So, I have to make it hard to put pieces together." "You've got it. Be constantly moving. Keep your head moving as you answer. Use different voice pitches. Take your glasses off for one answer, then put them back on for the next. Push them up on your head for the next. Hold your chin in your hand for some answers. Clasp both hands behind your neck for some. Pull on an earlobe if you want to look thoughtful." "Wow! Honey, did you write any of that down?" Cal asked Cheryl, who was on the other line. "Give me a minute to catch up, here," she answered. "There is one other thing you can do, Cal, but it is more difficult," Judy said. "If the interviewer is really combative or antagonistic, you can be condescending toward them." "In what way?" "For instance, if they get nasty, you could say something like 'Now, really, let's keep this friendly, shall we?'. In other words, establish yourself as taking the high road." "Sort of like taking charge of the interview, you mean?" "Exactly," Judy responded. "I did warn you that it wouldn't be easy. I hope some of this helps." "Oh, it will, I'm sure, if I can just pull it off." They exchanged 'thank you' and 'good luck' and ended the call. After hanging up, Cal started pacing around the room - more stomping than pacing. It was a mood that Cheryl had rarely seen, and it disturbed her. "Maybe you should just tell them to forget it, Honey," she said. "You didn't hear the way the coach talked." "But he can't make you do it." "He made it sound just like covering my zone or kicking a field goal - part of being on the team. I have to." "Maybe you're worried about nothing," she said. "I'm a freshman walk-on who happened to make some good plays. We didn't even win the game. That doesn't get an interview on a national sports network. It's only because I put Renton out. I doubt they want to congratulate me." Sighing, Cheryl admitted "Yeah, you're probably right. Well, we've got some work to do to get you ready." "Uh, no. I'VE got work to do. You can't take any more time from your studies." "It's going to take your time, too, Cal," she objected. "But if I don't get all 'A's, which I won't, it doesn't really matter. For you, it does matter." "But there's so much to do!" "I don't even know when I have to go there until they call. Maybe they put it off until next week. I don't know. I'm going to call Robin and ask her to help. Maybe she has met someone in the drama department. I'll have to go and get a suit tomorrow." "You've got a nice navy blazer. That should be good enough..." The conversation went on that way until he final ordered her to get busy at her studies. The call came right at 8:30, as the coach had said it would. Cal had decided not to raise any objections or set any conditions. He would just try to follow Judy's recommendations during the actual interview. They wanted him Tuesday afternoon, which meant he would miss all classes and practice that day since it was a little over an hour away by air. Thinking about getting ready, he was very uncomfortable with the rushed feeling. He decided that he had would only accommodate the coach so far. "Sorry," he told the caller, "I can't possibly make it tomorrow. How about Wednesday?" "But the show airs Wednesday night!" was the caller's objection. "I can stay overnight Tuesday and be there for a Wednesday morning taping. That way, I don't miss any practice. That's the best I can offer," Cal said firmly. "But it takes a while to do the editing," the caller complained. Despite having decided not to alert them to his concerns, Cal could not resist. "If you plan to do that much editing, then I think I will just forget the whole thing. I thought this was supposed to be an interview." The caller was in the loop enough to realize that he had made an error. "I don't know if we can do it Wednesday morning." "Well, that's all I can do." "But your coach said you would do it," the caller protested. "And I will. It's not reasonable to expect me to be there on one day's notice," Cal answered calmly. "You let me know if that will work out or not." Not waiting for a response, Cal hung up. ------- Chapter 48 "Elaine, this is Cheryl. Hope I'm not calling too late." "Hi, Cheryl. Is there a problem with Cal?" "Oh, no. Sorry. Didn't mean to frighten you. Listen, I'm calling from Claire's so Cal can't hear me. Cal is going to ISN headquarters for an interview." "Really?" Elaine exclaimed. "Wow!" "Well, that's not exactly his reaction," Cheryl cautioned. "He's afraid they're going to try to make him look like a villain because of Renton." "Then why is he doing it?" "The coach really wants the publicity. He pretty much ordered Cal to go. The network just confirmed it for Wednesday morning, and he's going to stay over tomorrow night. Cal insisted that we make all the travel and lodging arrangements, and we've done some other things to make it harder for them to make him look like a bully." "So, I assume you're going with him." "That's why I called. I just can't take off tomorrow, or Wednesday, either. I want to in the worst way, but you know how tight my schedule is. Could you meet him there? Bud is flying him and Robin will go along, but it isn't the same." "Absolutely," Elaine almost shouted. "Oh, Cheryl, thank you for thinking of me." "Here are some of the plans we've made..." They talked for another half hour before Cheryl had to get back to studying. ------- Darlene and Hal had managed to avoid each other pretty well on Monday. Tuesday morning was the earliest that Julia could fit Darlene in, so Darlene arranged to miss a few hours of work and sat in Julia's office at nine. "So, you think you ended the marriage Sunday night?" Julia asked after Darlene had recounted the confrontation. "Are you upset about that? Sad? Terrified? Or maybe relieved?" "Can I be all of those?" Darlene asked. "I would expect some very mixed emotions," Julia assured her. "The question is, what are you going to do? Are you going to file for divorce? Are you going to try to patch things up? Are you going to do nothing and see what he does?" "Doing nothing is not an option," Darlene said firmly, "and I don't know what good it would do to patch things up. If I move back into his bed, I'll still be nothing but a body to squirt his stuff into." "You haven't made any more progress with him, then?" Darlene shook her head in response. "I need to ask you, Darlene: will you be better off with no sex at all. At least now, you get intercourse." "I've asked myself that as I tried to sleep in Cheryl's bed the last two nights. Lately, when he's in me, I feel more frustration than stimulation. I keep thinking about what he won't let me have. I guess I would be better off without that." "I just need to be sure you are ready for what's ahead of you if you separate. You don't have another man waiting for you, and it's not that easy to find another partner." "I can hardly believe I saying this, Julia, but I'm at the place where I won't demand marriage as a condition for sex. I won't break my vows while we're married, but as soon as we're divorced..." "Wow! That is quite a change for you, Darlene. Do you know what was significant in what you just said?" Again, Darlene shook her head. "You mentioned your vows, but you did not mention being faithful to Hal. That tells me that mentally, you no longer consider him you husband." "Oooohhhhh!" Darlene moaned. "Do you think I'm terrible? I know you always try to save marriages." "Yes, I strongly favor reconciliation, Darlene. But I am realistic, too. I know that some marriages cant' - shouldn't - be saved. I just need to be sure that yours is one of those." "Do you still think Hal could be changed?" "Not without professional help - probably lots of help. Since he won't talk to anyone, change seems pretty unlikely. There is one thing to consider. The shock of actually starting a divorce might spur him to get help. If he does change, could you reconcile at this point? Do you still love him?" With her eyes tearing up, Darlene said "It has been hard for me to admit, but I don't think Hal and I ever had real love. At least not like I see all around me. My own daughter; the Banners; the way you talk about your husband; that's what I've missed out on all these years. "My life isn't over, Julia. In some ways, I feel like it's just starting. I want a chance at real love. If I can't get it from Hal, I need... I need to free myself so I have a chance. "I don't know how to answer your question. I guess the best answer is that I never loved him like Cheryl loves Cal or Elaine loves Martin. I didn't know I was supposed to. I didn't know that I could. Now, I want to love someone that way, but Hal won't let me. Does that make sense?" "I'm afraid it does, Darlene. You have been more honest about your feelings than many of my patients ever get. If you want to move ahead with a divorce, this is what I think you should do. It won't be easy, but when it's over, you will feel that you took the high road and gave Hal every possible chance." The rest of the session was spent on plans and strategies. ------- When Darlene gave Matt her car key and asked if they would eat out Tuesday for dinner, he and Shelley knew instantly what was about to happen. They both hugged their mother and Shelley could not suppress the tears. Darlene waited until they had finished a conversation-free meal before she dropped the bomb. "I want a divorce, Hal. I'm sorry, but things just aren't working out." "Why after twenty years is what we had not enough for you?" he demanded, surprising her. She had expected him to say almost nothing. "What we had was never enough," she said softly. "It just took me twenty years to realize it." "Well, if we hadn't let Cheryl live so loosely; if you hadn't insisted on getting a job, none of this would have happened," he complained. "In other words, if you had been able to just keep me in the dark - is that what you mean?" she asked, working hard to keep her voice calm. "That's not fair!" he almost shouted. "None of this is fair to me!" "What's not fair is what we both were taught about sex and marriage. What's not fair is what you learned about what makes a real man and how a man should treat a woman." "So you're blaming my parents?" "And mine." "But why do you have to fall for all these new-fangled ideas?" he complained. "Maybe our parents are right. Who says this 'sexual revolution' business is right?" "It's no revolution, Hal. It's as old as the Bible. Dig out our old copy and read Song of Solomon. You never treated me like that. I don't think you ever thought of me like that. It's not immoral. It's the way it's supposed to be between men and women." Now, he went into silent mode. He was up against something that he had no answer for. "It would be easiest if we worked with one attorney. I don't want us to part as enemies." "Then why part at all?" "Because I want a chance to find what you won't give me. I can't cheat on you while we're married." "What happened to 'til death do us part'?" She gave out a long sigh and nodded. "Part of me says that I should just accept my lot and be satisfied. I've tried, but I'm afraid I will go crazy." "That psychiatrist bitch has got you all screwed up!" "If you knew how hard she tried to keep me from divorce, you wouldn't say that." "Do what you want. You will, anyway!" he snarled as he got up and stomped out of the room. Darlene was still sitting at the table with all of the dinner dishes strewn about when the kids returned. Both of them just started cleaning up, not trying to get her to talk. They were sure the talking and the crying would come later. ------- Cal had insisted on finishing practice before leaving on Tuesday, so Elaine was already waiting in the hotel room when he arrived. Bud and Robin were staying right next door. They went out on the town, but Cal had to get ready for what he expected to be a battle in the morning. "We need to be at the TV station at seven for make-up. Judy Morrison arranged this with someone who owed her a favor," Cal explained. "It's a short cab ride from the ISN headquarters." "Doesn't ISN have makeup people?" she asked, and he explained the concern about changing his appearance. "They almost withdrew the invitation when I insisted I would arrive already made up. For some reason they must really want this. I've dug in my heels several times. Part of the reason I wouldn't let them pay for anything was so I could walk away with a clear conscience if it came to that." By the time he showed her the fake glasses and the classy shirt and tie he would wear with his blazer, she could see that he was really quite worried about the interview. Even though it would be an early call, mother and son lay awake talking for a long time. He was too nervous to sleep, and she was just reveling in the unexpected chance to be his support at a stressful time. She was certainly happy with his great relationship with Cheryl, but a mother never stops looking for mothering opportunities, even at the strangest of times. ------- "I'm going to make him look younger," the makeup artist told Elaine when Cal sat in her chair early Wednesday morning. He was too amazed by the complexity of the process to enter into the conversation. "When I'm done, I'll show you how to do final dusting and brushing. You may have to do that a few times during the shooting. From what Judy said, you may have to be a bit of a bitch and keep their makeup person away from him. Can you act like you're experienced at this?" "Doesn't every woman think she's good at it?" Elaine joked. "But you don't look like you even have to use makeup," the woman complimented Elaine. "Why, thank you! Now, make Cal look like he's about fourteen and I'll feel even better." "Hey, wouldn't that be overdoing it?" Cal protested. "Not according to Judy's recommendations. That lady usually knows what she is talking about. Here's a kit you can take with you." ------- Cal could barely refrain from grinning and Elaine let a giggle escape at the expressions that greeted them when they entered the ISN offices. He looked for all the world like a high school nerd all done up for his first dressy date, 'aw shucks' grin and all. "G... good morning, Mr. Banner. I'm the producer for the show." Cal shook his hand and made sure to bring him just to the point of pain. "If you will step into the prep room, we'll take care of the final makeup." There were several people hanging around, but Cal decided to follow the plan anyway. The producer's attempt to go back on the makeup 'deal' was just what it took to get him in the right mood. The schoolboy disappeared in a flash, to be replaced by a mouthy, belligerent tough guy. "Listen. Don't start any of that bullshit. I told you last night that you don't touch the makeup. What'd you think? Promise the stupid kid anything and you'll get your way when I get here? I will have no problem walking right out of here, and you can run NFL Classics or something tonight. Are we clear?" "But we have to be sure things are right for our lighting and..." "I'll give you one more chance to start over," Cal said with a snarl that made Elaine shiver, though she half expected it. "I know exactly what you hoped to get out of this charade, and I'm telling you now it's not going to happen. Do you want me to stay? My mother has a touch up kit and she will take care of it." "I don't understand why you are being so belligerent about things," the producer whined. "Oh, give it up it!" Cal said, staying in character. "Who is doing the interviewing?" "Angela Reese," the producer answered. "Just great!" Cal spat out, recognizing the woman as working for ISN's parent network. "An info babe who doesn't know shit about sports. She's never done a positive interview in her whole fuckin' career. She's probably got a burr in her ass about violence in football." He and Elaine had had a rather heated discussion about the level of crudity he should employ. He insisted that it was necessary. "How dare you speak about me that way!" Ms. Reese yelled as she walked into the office, obviously having been just outside. Cal had to improvise pretty quickly at this unexpected encounter. Purposely insulting people was totally against his nature. Doing it to someone's face was like a crime to him. "Because I've seen what you do. Since you never bother with normal politeness with your 'victims', I don't feel any obligation." "I'm going to enjoy tearing you a new one, you insolent jerk!" she screeched. It took quite a bit of effort, but Cal managed a pretty convincing belly laugh. Turning to the producer. "Still going to deny you had a hatchet job planned?" The producer was livid, but he could not decide what to say. "This is supposed to be a sports network. How did they talk you into this garbage?" "They own us. They call the shots," the producer finally mumbled. "So, give me one good reason why I should go on camera with her" Cal demanded with a contemptuous wave toward Reese. "Your coach agreed," was all the producer could come up with. It looked like Cal would be going home early, since there was no way he would subject himself to Angela Reese. His confidence in his verbal skills just wasn't that great. Just then, he was surprised to see a familiar face in the doorway. It was the reporter that he had chatted with at Cheryl's game. He had assumed that she was local, but apparently she worked for ISN. He had a sudden inspiration. "You've got two choices. Either you haul out your NFL Classics, or she does the interview." He pointed to the young woman in the doorway. "I'm sorry, I don't even know her name, but I do know that she is easy to talk to and that she knows something about sports." "But... but she's doesn't do on-air!" the producer protested. "I was assigned to do this spot! You can't just give it to some gofer!" Reese shouted almost simultaneously. "You're the ones who tried to make a bully out of me. Don't blame me if you get nothing out of this," Cal said. He turned and took Elaine's arm to lead her out of the office. Over his shoulder, he said. "There's a coffee shop in the lobby. We'll be there for fifteen minutes if you change your minds." Elaine was blown away by Cal's performance, but when the arguing started before they were out of earshot, she broke into laughter, having to hang on to Cal for support. He stopped and waited for her to settle down, then gave her a hug and tried to give her a kiss. "Hey, hey. Don't mess your makeup. I'm really not that good at the touchup." "Doesn't look like I'll be needing it," he said rather cheerfully. "Yes you will. We should probably wait for the producer right here," she predicted. Sure enough, he came out in less than five minutes. Standing in the hallway, in front of the elevators, he said "OK. I'll admit we were planning, uh, an expose. Ms. Reese has agreed to do a straight interview with no agenda." "Not good enough. Having her do any interview on your channel is an insult to college football. I won't be part of it." "You're killing me, here!" the producer complained. "I can't just go against the corporate guys." "You're down to choosing what kind of trouble you're going to be in. It's what you get for agreeing to such a dirty trick in the first place. You either get no interview at all, or you get a good one with the wrong interviewer." The producer groaned pathetically and looked toward Elaine with a pleading expression, as if she could change Cal's mind. "Don't look at me," she said, "I'm just as pissed at you as he is." With another groan, the producer said "Wait here. If I come back with my head still attached, we can work something out." After fifteen minutes, Cal had just decided to give it up and leave when Reese went stomping past and the producer came out, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'll be damned! The boss grew a set of balls! Oh, sorry, Ma'am. None of us liked what was going down. We really do want to be a sports network. He didn't even check with corporate." He continued shaking is head in wonderment. "Pru... that's Prudence Rice, the woman you met, just came in work clothes, and she's all worried about her hair and everything." "Hey, let's keep it casual," Cal suggested. "It's a sports show, right? Have you got some ISN T-shirts around? I'll wear one of those." "Pick a nice tight one, Hon," Elaine blurted out, then blushed brightly. Chuckling, the producer said to Cal "That would be perfect. My boss is on the phone. He wants to talk to you." "Mr. Banner," the man on the phone said, "I'm the general manager of ISN. First, I want to apologize for the shameful way we tried to steamroll you. I see that we had no more luck than those kick returners. Are you sure you want Miss Rice to do it? We have more experienced on-air people in the office?" "I chose her on the spur of the moment. I knew it would piss off Reese, and I did enjoy talking to Miss Rice. She seemed like she was genuinely interested in my answers. As long as I've messed up your plans, let's go with her." Cal had the fleeting feeling that he was running the show and he rather liked it. ------- "God! I never expected anything like this!" Pru exclaimed as she and Cal sat side-by-side getting their makeup finalized. He had decided that there was no longer any reason to be belligerent about it. All of their careful defensive planning had been discarded. The fake glasses would not be used, and he wore a network logo T-shirt that he could just barely get on. It clearly showed the outline of the corded muscles on his torso. "Let's just have fun," Cal told her. "I've got a studio disk with all of my plays on it. We can run that to make some points. Let's do less talk and more action, OK?" "Th... this is like a fairy tale," Pru mouthed, as if she had not even heard Cal. "I thought it would be years before I got on camera, if ever. They let me go out last weekend kind of to throw me a bone." "Hey, don't worry about it," Cal said. "I'm at least as nervous as you are. We'll pretend we're just talking, like at the volleyball game." ------- "The sports media has unanimously referred to you as the man who wrecked Rory Renton's shoulder. How do you feel about that?" Pru asked after a brief introduction. "I wish they'd get it right," Cal said with a dramatic, sad shake of his head. "It was the coach on the sideline who wrecked Renton's shoulder. If that coach had not been too close, there would have been no problem. Actually, he was just the unlucky one. Show clip #1 at the thirteen second mark - there! See all of the coaches and support people right up close? That's not safe." "So, you're saying that if the coaches had all stayed a safe distance back, Renton would not have been injured?" Pru asked. "That's right." "But you up-ended him. Wouldn't he have been injured just from hitting the ground head first?" "OK, let's step the action ahead very slowly until just before Renton crashes into the coach. Look there. See how his hand is extended, reaching for the ground? He would have been able to control his fall and maybe even somersault himself back onto his feet. Remember how he did that one-armed handspring in the end zone last year after an interception return?" "Do you think he really could have done that?" Pru asked in honest amazement. "That seems almost impossible!" "You have to remember what an exceptional athlete he is," Cal said seriously. "I have no doubt that he could have been an Olympic gymnast if he had chosen that sport. Back up the clip to that little fake he made. Show that in real time, please. Again. A human being should not be able to make a move that fast." "If that's true, why didn't it fake you out?" "I baited him a little. I wanted him on the sideline, so I made it seem like I expected him to turn inside," Cal explained. "What if he had turned inside?" "Then we would not be having this discussion. It would have been 7-0, and fans could look forward to watching him next week." "So, why do you think he stayed on the sideline?" "Like I said, I made him think he had faked me out. Besides, for a runner, the sideline is where he can see everything right in front of him. If he turns in, some other defender could be coming up from behind him." "Do you honestly think that is the only reason?" Pru asked in her first show of real confidence. "Don't you think he was determined to show up you, personally?" "Why would you think that?" Cal asked with a great show of innocence. "I have a verified report from three eyewitnesses that Vick Smaak, their star defensive end, warned Renton not to take any chances with you. He actually said 'Cal can put you in the hospital'. Renton laughed him off. Don't you think think Renton wanted to show Smaak that there was nothing to worry about?" "I guess it's hard to figure what's on someone else's mind," Cal commented. "Vick Smaak is your very close friend and high school teammate. You sat by him at your girlfriend's volleyball victory later that day. Didn't he tell you about his conversation with Renton?" "Of course not!" "Why do you say 'of course not'?" "If something like that happened, it would be confidential team business. Vick would never talk about team stuff to anyone without permission, and I would never ask him." "That's strange," Pru said, showing more confidence by the minute. "It seems like many athletes can't wait to run to the media with any little tidbit." "Only those who value their own headlines more than the good of the team," Cal spat out, not having to fake his emotion. "They don't respect their teammates and they don't respect the game." "From talking to you before, I sense that respect is a big issue with you. Did Rory Renton disrespect your team on that kick return? Did he disrespect you? Is that why you hit him so hard? Let me show you what I mean. Let's look at the opening kickoff from the beginning. "There. The ball blew around some, but would have fallen over the end line." Pru was really rolling by then. "Wouldn't Renton's orders have been to let it go out of play?" "Well, that's true on our team. I can't speak for theirs," Cal answered with a little grin that belied his diplomatic answer. "And that fake we showed earlier," Pru continued. "Wasn't that a move designed to make you look bad?" "Even if I had missed the tackle, he is the best return man in college football. I don't think I would have looked that bad," Cal opined. "But didn't you hit him extra hard because he taunted you?" "Show clips three, six, eight, and nine, please. Let's just watch them." When the clips had all been played, Cal said "I think you can see that I hit just as hard on all of those plays." "Oooooh! I see what you mean," Pru admitted. "Why do you hit so hard?" "One day in high school physics class, I stayed awake. I learned that force equals mass times inertia. I'm usually the smallest guy on the field. My mass isn't enough to stop the big guys, so I have to have lots of inertia to bring them down." "So it's just logic that makes you tackle so ferociously?" Pru asked with an expression of obvious disbelief. "You won't let me get by with anything, will you?" Cal replied with a laugh. "OK, I admit it. What I like best about football is the contact. Now, my dirty secret is out." He flashed what he hoped was an innocent grin again. "But it's not just selfish fun. Intimidation is a big part of winning football. You have to convince the opponent that they cannot succeed. I'm little and I'm slow. How do I convince a receive that he should not try to catch a ball in my area?" "It looks like you do it by making him wobbly for the rest of the game," Pru quipped. "Then I've done what the team needs, haven't I? You know, Renton was just doing the same thing on that runback. He was trying to convince us that we couldn't stop him." They talked for a few more minutes about intimidation, then Pru brought up another point. "Why did you upend Renton on that tackle?" "That was his fault, not mine. I was all lined up to hit him on the upper thighs when he tried to vault over me. I ended up hitting him a little lower and it knocked his legs out from under him." "Couldn't you have adjusted?" "I did adjust, but I was only able to change enough to hit him a little earlier. Leaping over a tackler is a very risky move that coaches strongly discourage. He thought it would work against me, and he was wrong. "Leaping does two things. Of course, the idea is to make the tackler miss underneath the runner. The other thing it does is slow forward progress so the tackler might pass in front. I was only able to react enough to make sure I didn't pass in front of him. I wasn't able to hit him any higher." "Did you intend to hit him higher?" "If he had stayed on the ground, I would have hit him on the upper thighs, like I said. If he wants to take a chance like he did, I'm not obligated to protect him against injury." "So after all of the noise in the media about Renton's injury, let me see if I understand your position correctly. You're saying the fault is his for trying that dangerous leap, and the fault is the coach's for being in the way where he should not have been." "I think we have shown that, haven't we?" Cal asked with a smile. No sooner had he said that than he took on a more serious expression. "We're spending so much time talking about that one play that we're missing something else. Our team played a great game. Our defense held their running game probably better than anyone in their conference will. Ricky had two great touchdowns. Except for those two late touchdowns, one on a very unusual play, we played them head to head." "'Unusual play' is a very polite way to put it," Pru said with a shake of her head. "Do you see that game as a turning point for your team." "I think so. We're not a small school, you know. It's just that football has not gotten a lot of notice. We have a great campus in a nice city, good facilities, and a fairly new coaching staff that is committed to making us a power. The next few years are going to be fun." That was a shameless plug, Cal knew, but he really did feel optimistic. Changing the subject, Pru said "You mentioned an unusual play. Talk about that roughing the kicker penalty that you drew on the first punt." "That was not an example of the best of college football. That man was sent out specifically to hurt me," Cal said solemnly. "How can you be sure of that?" "I called time out and asked the ref to take a message to their sideline. I could tell from their reaction to Renton's injury that they were out for vengeance." "What was the message?" "That probably shouldn't be public." "Was throwing the man like you did something you had rehearsed?" "No, I just planned it during the time out." "What did you say to the ref after the play?" "That also shouldn't be public." The discussion turned to his kicking for a while. Pru probed again why he had chosen that school, and she asked about Cheryl and the volleyball team. When the discussion wound down, they were both surprised to see that it had taken almost an hour. When the lights went down and they stood, a sizable group had gathered and they all broke into applause. "Can I keep the T-shirt?" Cal asked the producer. "By all means," he laughed. "No one wants to wash it after you sweated under those lights." "Say, do you have more I could buy? I'd like to give them to my girlfriend and her teammates. They're cool shirts." Laughing, the producer said "How many on the team? We'll send a box to the coach. It's the safest way with the crazy NCAA rules." When Cal and Elaine were finally out in the hall, waiting for the elevator, Pru came running out. Squealing like a teeny bopper, she shamelessly hugged Cal. "Just say the word and I'll have your children!" Having said it, she came to her senses and blushed. When she saw how Elaine was laughing, she said "Guess I can't compete with Cheryl, huh? Seriously, that was the best thing anyone has ever done for me. If you ever need a favor, just name it." "I have to be honest, Pru. I did it mainly to piss them off. I'm glad it helped you, and you did a great job." ------- Elaine's flight was scheduled for mid-afternoon. When they met up with Bud and Robin, she rather timidly asked if she could fly back with them. "I arranged to be gone the rest of the week. Would I be too much trouble if I hung around?" "Of course not!" Cal insisted. "We've got the extra bedroom." "And if it gets too noisy at night, Claire could put me up," Elaine teased. "Really, I'd like to watch the show tonight with you guys." "I'd like that, too," Cal proclaimed. "Um, you know I've got a lot of studying to catch up on, and Cheryl never has any spare time." "I can entertain myself. Don't worry. It will just be nice to see a little of your life at school." Cal detected a note of longing in her voice that he had never noticed before. He had heard of empty-nest syndrome and wondered if he was seeing a little of it. ------- Cal had to leave Elaine alone as soon as he got back. There was just time for him to get to football practice, and Cheryl went right to her practice from her last class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Just before he left, Elaine asked if spectators were allowed to watch practice. Cal thought they were, so she went right out with him. "Maybe you can show me where Cheryl practices and I can watch part of hers, too." After watching football for about forty-five minutes, Elaine decided it was just semi-organized chaos and not really that interesting, so she walked to the volleyball practice site which was nearby. When Cheryl saw Elaine come in, she broke from the drill they were doing and hurried to her. "How did it go? Did the clothes and the glasses work out? Was he able to do all those things to spoil their editing?" "He didn't have to. It's quite a story." "I have to get back, but I want to hear about it as soon as I'm done," Cheryl said. When the team went to the locker room, Elaine introduced herself to the coach who said "If I hadn't already met Cheryl's mother, I'd have thought it was you." "Well, she's been almost like another daughter. She and my Rebecca were great friends since grade school." "Cheryl seems on edge today," the coach said. "What's up." "Oh, Cal had an interview at ISN. They were really worried about it." "Was it OK?" "It's airing tonight at nine." After Cheryl had showered and changed, she and Elaine walked over to meet Cal, who was already waiting. Elaine had already started to tell the story. When Cal tried to enter in, after a very warm greeting from Cheryl, Elaine told him "Let me tell it, Honey. You men always leave out too much important stuff." ------- As seemed to happen so easily, the viewing of the program became an impromptu party, with Claire and Bert hosting. One of Bert's toys was a large screen TV, and fourteen people were crowded around it when the show started. Cal did not know how much of what he had recorded would be shown, and he was very surprised to see that he took up the first half of the hour long show. The head coach had been quite frustrated at practice because Cal could not tell him what would be on the air. As he watched, Cal hoped the coach would be pleased. There was no doubt that he was watching. Apparently, once the ISN folks had given corporate the finger, they decided to play it straight. Perhaps it was a way of apologizing. They obviously could not show everything that was recorded, but Cal could not argue with their choices. The action clips were merged in very smoothly. All in all, he could not believe how good it looked. He and Pru seemed to have a chemistry that made everything seem easy and natural. Elaine watched Cal closely during the show, which meant that she watched Cheryl closely, as well. Cheryl spent the whole time on Cal's lap. By the end, Elaine could tell that the probability of Cheryl studying any more that night was less than zero. If she could have arranged it, Cheryl would have had Cal inside her as she watched, Elaine was sure. As soon as the show went on to a different subject, Elaine went to the apartment and got what she needed for the night. Picking her time carefully so that everyone heard, she said loudly "Claire, I need a bed for the night. I think my presence in the apartment will be a serious disruption." That got a laugh from everyone and extremely red faces from Cheryl and Cal. Cheryl was not about to be cowed, though. She stuck out her tongue at Elaine and dragged Cal off toward home to a chorus of whistles and catcalls. "The T-shirt! The T-shirt! Where is it?" Cheryl demanded as soon as they were in the apartment. "In the dirty clothes. It got pretty sweaty under those lights." "It's gonna get a lot sweatier!" She scurried to the closet and found the shirt. She almost ripped the shirt he was wearing getting if off of him, and he thought she would amputate his ears pulling the tight ISN shirt on. He had to chuckle to himself, though. On a few occasions, she had gotten into this same super-horny, frantic mood. It would be funny except that it was so damned sexy and he knew that he was in some ultra-high-intensity sex. He needed it, too, after the tension of the last few days. "Why do you have pants on?" she demanded as she stood in the bedroom and threw off her clothes. He barely had time to get naked below the waist before she pushed him back onto the bed and climbed atop him. Her single-mindedness and his own anticipation were more than enough to get him ready. She must have been ready for some time because when she impaled herself, she slid down very easily and just kept right on moving up and down. "Funny I didn't smell you while we were watching," he quipped. "I sure did!" she gasped out. Those were the last words for a while. Even as wired as she was, he knew she needed some help to get release. She did not object when he got his hand between them, and within five minutes or so, she had her first. She was panting pretty hard from her exertions and did not resist when he rolled them over. "Pull the shirt off of me," he told her when he was positioned on top. "Not a chance," she said with a shake of her head. "All those women panting over you in that shirt - I'm the one who gets to do this." "I think our little group made up half of all the women watching the show," he told her. "Fewer to fight off," she gasped, and no more was said for quite a while. Later, they were staggering into the shower when he started to pull the T-shirt off. "Hey, what are you doing?" she demanded, then slapped him on the ass. Shrugging, he got into the shower, shirt and all. "Revenge will be sweet," he warned her, thinking ahead to when the shirts for the volleyball team arrived. ------- "Are you jealous of me?" Claire asked Elaine as the two women and Bert enjoyed a drink after the other guests had left. "A little," Elaine admitted. "It's kind of hard when they've always been around, then 'poof'!" "Maybe he'll move back home after school," Claire offered. "I think it depends on where Cheryl ends up," Elaine observed. "But she knows how much Cal loves you guys. I think she does, too. I'll bet she tries hard to get back home. What do you think Cal will do after college?" "I have no idea. Not sure he does, either," Elaine lamented. "You're sure they'll be together, though?" "Sure as anyone can be about college kids." "Well, they have a better 'marriage' right now than most married folks," Bert chimed in. "You know, we can hear them in our bedroom through the wall," Claire admitted. "Do they keep you awake?" "Yup. But that's a good thing," Claire said, leering at Bert. "God, Woman! Have you know shame?" "'Course not," Claire said, "just excess hormones. Shame loses to hormones every time." Elaine was laughing, but managed to say "Maybe I'd better find a motel room." "Oh, don't worry," Claire said. "The guest room is across the hall from the apartment. "But what about the noise from your room?" Elaine teased, and broke out laughing again. Bert managed to stifle his embarrassment and they all touched their drink glasses in salute. ------- There was nothing lighthearted about the mood at the Carson home that Wednesday night. Darlene and the kids stayed up until Hal retired. They had hardly seen him except at the table, and dinner had been eaten in silence. Pretending to watch TV, the three of them stayed downstairs for twenty minutes or so, then headed up. It was Darlene's fourth night in her new, separate bedroom, but she was not getting used to it at all. Telling Hal that she was going to divorce him had to be the hardest thing she had ever done. She did not hate him. She did not really dislike him, either, although she was seeing more and more things about him that she did not like. Her predominant emotion was a heavy sadness, tinged with more than a little guilt. She could not help thinking about what could have been, the kind of love they could have shared, if only... She knew that until the last year or two, she was just as guilty as Hal. Events and people had opened her eyes. Why could not his have been opened, too? Why could they not make these new discoveries together? Why did she have to start over with no one? Why did she have to send him out alone? She believed that Hal honestly loved her as he understood love. It was a crippled kind of love, but it was not his fault. He provided for her and the kids. He was concerned about their health and safety. He did not run around or waste their money. So many women would be happy with just what she had. It was so much more than many had to live with. But she was not so many other women. The burning desires within had been unleashed, and she could not put them back where they had been imprisoned for her whole life. She was angry and frustrated that he could not respond in kind, but she understood. She had suffered the same restrictions and limitations. It was the questions that tormented her. Did he not want to change, or was he just not able to? That Wednesday night when she entered her lonely room, it hit her worse than ever and the sobs overtook her. They must have been anticipating it, because Matt and Shelley were right behind her and they engulfed her in their arms. It was their habit to watch TV in their nightclothes before retiring, so they just led her to the bed and got in with her sandwiched between them. It was just a queen bed so they were crowded against each other, but there was nothing sexual about it. It was just three people who loved each other trying to lessen their anguish by sharing it. ------- Chapter 49 Pat Clancy did not usually watch ISN, but his father happened to be home, and his father was a big fan of the local college team. Pat was in an extended rebellious stage, at the point that many kids left at about fourteen or fifteen. Being a freshman at the U, though, he was savvy enough to realize that some minimum amount of acquiescence went a long ways to getting him the things he wanted from his indulgent parents with the least hassle. Pat had his basketball scholarship, and that had scored him major points with his dad. Still, a little more cheap good will in the bank never hurt. "Hey, Pat, that kicker from the 'U' who wiped out Renton is going to be interviewed on ISN. C'mon and watch," came from the TV room. Pat did not particularly want to study any more, so he went along. As soon as Pat sat down, he almost popped right up out of his chair. The kicker was none other than that hot shooter that had played with those chicks in that pickup basketball game where he got arrested. All of the anger came flooding back on him. The stupid cunt with that guy, the one that had mouthed off at him, almost cost him everything. If his dad had not pulled out all the big guns, he could have lost his scholarship. Of course, there would have been no problem affording tuition, but the basketball coach would not tolerate any kind of criminal record on his team. At the best, he would have had to sit out for a year. Harlan Clancy was so intent on the show that he did not notice his son's poorly concealed anger. Of course, Harlan rarely noticed anything that was not a grade, an award, or a win. When the clips of the tackles were shown, Pat had to admit to being impressed. The kicker was just a little shit, but he hit like a truck. Pat felt no awe, however. What he felt was the return of the rage that had caused him to stupidly expose himself that day. Losing was always very hard on Pat. It was not just a strong competitive drive. His ego, his self-worth, was dangerously attached to whatever contest he was currently engaged in. His absolute fury at the thought of losing had made him a coach's challenge since his earliest days. At the same time, that fury, along with a generous supply of natural talent, had helped make every team on which he played a winner - frequently a champion. That winning ability is what had gained him the scholarship. The horrible embarrassment that summer morning at the park was one of the biggest blots on Pat's life, and it was not the arrest that was the main problem. No matter whom he was teamed with, no team with three - or four! - girls could beat him. If he hadn't lost his cool, he knew they would have caught up, but... After the TV show, the anger just kept building in Pat. By Thursday morning, he had hardly slept at all. He had two classes on Thursday and he hung around the stadium while football practice was on. With no real plan in mind, he wanted to follow the kicker. He had to park a ways from the stadium, but it looked like some of the players' cars were there, as well. Again, just reacting, he waited in his car. Pat saw the kicker, whose name he remembered was Banner, walking out with a Hispanic guy who looked about as wide as he was tall. Since it was not his sport, Pat paid little attention to the names of the football players, so he did not recognize Padre. Even though there was no reason to be on the alert, Cal's training and his experiences were just too deep. He did not notice Pat's BMW parked in the, probably because Pat had crouched below the window level. When he stopped by the gym to pick up Cheryl, who was already waiting, he happened to notice the BMW stopping back down the road. Given that he had just been on national TV, Cal made an assumption. He assumed that someone from the media was following him. Pat could not believe his luck! The bitch who was the main cause of his near disaster was with the kicker. Of course, Pat could probably say with complete honesty that he did not recall purposely bouncing Cheryl off of the basket stanchion. If he had done something like that, it would have been with perfect justification, so it was not worth remembering. Nor could he recall his crack about 'that's how they play it in the NBA - man's basketball' when she complained. Of course, he vividly remembered her crack about 'tiny dick syndrome', and that certainly justified any retaliation he came up with. Who would have guessed there was a cop on the sideline? Why didn't anyone have a sense of humor? Tiny dick - fuck that! As they parked at home and went in to the apartment, Cal noticed the BMW again. It registered as a vehicle he had seen before, but he had no reason for any alarm or even suspicion, once again feeling only irritation at the pesky media. The smoked windows of the car did not let him see who the driver was. Pat was almost beside himself with glee. The girl was the kicker's bitch! They lived together! He could just tell by the way they went into the house. At that point, he had no idea what he would do with that information, but a burning desire for revenge against the girl who had caused him so much trouble began to grow in his gut. ------- Elaine was staying until Sunday. Cal would have to leave Friday afternoon, but it was not a long flight to their game and they would return Saturday evening. It was such a unique chance to be around Cal, and she found Claire and Bert to be delightful company, as well. She was looking forward to Friday night with just herself and Cheryl. She hoped Cheryl would be able to take some time off from studying for a little girl talk. Elaine really enjoyed the times with her probable future daughter-in-law, and Cheryl seemed hungry for any 'mothering' that she could get. Having had her around the house for many years as Rebecca's friend before she and Cal fell in love, Cheryl was very much a surrogate daughter to Elaine. Friday evening, Maddy came home with Cheryl, and Claire was already there with Elaine. Bert had gone out with some friends, and Maddy's sister Rosalita had been asked to leave enough food for the four of them. Sharon did not join them this time. The girls were barely in the door when Claire piped up "We need more sour cream. I can't handle Rosalita's spices without it, and I don't have any more in my fridge, either." "Gringo pansies!" Maddy chortled. "I'll run down to the corner and get it." She had the car that night, so no one argued. Claire, Elaine, and Cheryl were laughing about Maddy's cheekiness as they puttered around the tiny kitchen. They worked with the amazing dance that women always seemed to adopt naturally when sharing a kitchen. The chatter had just died down and they were all carrying things to the table in the living/dining room when there was a knock on the front door. "Did Maddy forget her key?" Cheryl asked. "She couldn't be back already, could she? I'll bet she forgot money! Would you get it, please, Elaine? Claire and I have our hands full." Not having any reason for extra caution, Elaine just opened the door, expecting to see Maddy. Instead, there were three young men standing there, one of whom stuck his foot in the door so it would not close. Elaine had no idea who the boys were, but to her, the placement of the foot was a menacing move. No timid soul, she reacted quickly, slamming the door against the intruding foot as hard as she could. If the kid pulled his foot back, she would be able to close the door. Instead of the reaction Elaine had hoped for, the largest of the boys put his shoulder into the door and sent it back into Elaine, knocking her sprawling. Claire dropped what she was carrying at the commotion. Cheryl looked up and recognized Pat and one other boy. She set her load down and made a dash for the kitchen and the phone. The big kid who had knocked Elaine down saw Cheryl's move and beat her to the phone, grabbing it away from her. One of the other boys had been at the park the day of that basketball game. The big one had not, and he looked mean, so she decided not to confront him right away. Both because of his personality and because of the money he could throw around, Pat collected followers quite easily. Those at the park for the basketball game had all been high school friends, two of them members on his high school basketball team. The big kid that broke into the house with him was actually a cousin, a year out of high school, not at all college material. He was a classic hanger-on, blindly following anything Pat wanted. The other intruder was a teammate and classmate of Pat's, now enrolled at the college, but unlikely to make it in basketball. He was taller than Pat's 6'2" but more slender. While the big cousin was very aggressive, the slender kid was uneasy and uncertain. Claire was a rather small person, but she was feisty. Knowing that there was another phone in the bedroom, she tried to move stealthily in that direction. Pat saw her attempt, grabbed Slender Kid by the arm, and almost threw him toward Claire. "Stop her!" Pat yelled. "Claire! Just stay still!" Cheryl snapped. The last thing she wanted was for the older woman to be hurt. After her initial shock, Cheryl was starting to think about the things that Master Jessy had taught them. The first thing she had to do was try to talk them out of the situation. Part of her wanted to let the jerks have it. She was pretty sure that she could take them out, unless one of them was a trained fighter. But what if one of them was trained? She could not risk either of the women getting hurt. What if rape was on the guys' minds? No, she had to buy time. Cal would not be showing up, so it was up to her. Somehow, they had to break someone away to the phone. That was what she had to stall for, maneuver for. Maddy! She would be coming back soon. Cheryl could not put Maddy in danger. How could she warn her friend away? Would Maddy be able to go for help? Elaine was stunned, sitting on the floor and holding her head. Cousin was in the kitchen and Cheryl was between him and Elaine, so she went over and helped Elaine to her feet. The priority was to watch for Maddy and warn her off to get help. Helping Elaine was a natural thing to do, though, and it bought a little time. Cousin was just coming out of the kitchen, holding the phone. Slender Kid was in front of the door to the bedroom, just blocking the way. Pat blocked the front door. As Cheryl helped Elaine up, she whispered in her ear. "Go be with Claire. Tell her not to say anything. We need to get to the bedroom phone. Watch for a chance." "What are you yappin' about?" Pat demanded loudly. "Just seeing if she's OK," Cheryl said, surprising herself with her calmness. As she guided Elaine toward Claire, walking very slowly, she deliberated about what attitude to take, what to say, and how best to stall for time. From Master Jessy's teachings, there were at least two ways she could play it. One was to be very passive and say little, making Pat take the initiative. That was probably the best way to kill the most time. Another option was to try to goad the guys into taking some action that would give Claire or Elaine a chance to get to the phone. The downside was that any action on the guys' part had great potential for injury to one or both of the women. Also, once they got their adrenalin up, they might start thinking rape. When Maddy returned, everything would be up in the air, Cheryl decided. Until then, the less action, the better. If there was no customer backup at the little market, Maddy's whole trip should take less than ten minutes. If the store was out of sour cream... that was not worth thinking about. Cheryl slowly edged over so she was in front of the little cluster of the two women and Slender Kid. She was facing Pat and Cousin. Exerting every bit of self-control that she had, she stood with her hands loosely at her sides, staring impassively right in Pat's face. While waiting for something to happen, Cheryl had a weird thought. The bastards could honestly claim that they were never asked to leave. "Please leave. Now!" she said as calmly as she could. With a laugh, Pat demanded "Now, why the hell should we do that?" "Because if you do that right now, you might get by without going to jail. I'm asking you. Please leave. You heard me ask twice, right, Ladies?" Both nodded." This was more conversation than Cheryl had wanted at that point, but she thought she had better get the demand on the table. "Now, if you don't leave, it's breaking and entering." "But you opened the door," Pat said. "But we never invited you in. In fact, she tried to close the door," Cheryl pointed out. This was stupid, kid-type arguing, but it was killing time and no one was getting hurt. "You broke in. That's a crime." As nervous as she was, it was hard to move. Nevertheless, Cheryl somehow got herself bouncing on her feet and shaking her arms. "What the hell are you doing, bitch?" Cousin laughed. "My sensei taught me to get ready this way if I think I'm going to have to fight." Cheryl replied almost gaily. Elaine and Claire were both staring at her in open-mouthed wonder. Elaine was not open-mouthed for long, though. "I almost forgot that!" Elaine said as she mimicked Cheryl's bouncing action. She hoped her shaking was not too obvious. "Sheee-ittt!" Cousin swore. "What you gonna fight with, huh? You hear that, Pat?" "Well? What did you expect us to do?" Cheryl asked in a sarcastic voice. "We expect you to just enjoy it," Big Kid snarled. Cheryl had to work very hard at sounding calm when she said "Oh, so you came to rape us, huh?" "Thought you were alone," Pat said quickly, showing some nervousness. "So, you figured it would take three to do me?" Cheryl sneered, still bouncing and shaking her arms. "Come on, Pat! Why are we standin' here jawin?" Cousin snarled. At just that moment, they heard the key in the lock. Pat spun toward the door, and both the other boys looked there quickly. Cheryl had decided that Maddy's opening the door would be the signal for action. She would tell Maddy to run for help, then she would take out Cousin first. Pat spoiled Cheryl's plan by reaching through the partially-opened door, grabbing Maddy's arm, and yanking her inside. Maddy, caught off-guard and off-balance, was unable to resist, and ended up sprawled on the floor. Cheryl wanted to go to her friend and help her up, but she sensed that it was more important to maintain the illusion of being in charge of the situation. "Well, now you've done it, Pat! Both you and your pet gorilla here are guilty of assault. We'll still let you leave now, and you can avoid attempted rape charges." "What attempted?" Cousin snarled. "If we want some, there's nothing you can do about it. I think some mother-daughter action would be just the thing. What do you say, Pat?" He apparently thought that Elaine was Cheryl's mother, an easy assumption to make. By this time, Maddy was on her feet. Initially, she had felt panic, but when she saw Cheryl's remarkably calm demeanor, she remembered what she had learned along with Cheryl at Master Jessy's. She was not sure what to do, but she sensed that reinforcing Cheryl's command of the situation was important. Divide and conquer! The situation was at a bit of a standstill, and Cheryl decided to work on Slender Kid. From what she remembered of him at the park and from his demeanor at the moment, she could not believe that he was a threat. She believed that he would take any opportunity to get out of the situation. He was the weak link. Purposely turning her back on the other two, Cheryl said to him "I don't know who you are. So far, the only thing you've done wrong is to follow this asshole and break into the house. If you walk out right now, we'll forget that. This is your chance to keep from screwing up your life big time." They could all see the fear and confusion on Slender Kid's face as he thought about Cheryl's words. Not wanting to give him time to reconsider, she snapped "Go now, or you take your punishment with these two." She had guessed right. Slender Kid was not of the same ilk as Pat and Cousin. "S... sorry, Pat. I don't want any part of this," he mouthed as he headed for the door. The desertion by their young cohort did not please Pat and Cousin at all. Both of them lunged to stop Slender Kid from leaving. Cheryl had not planned on the action starting that way, and she was inclined to just let the three sort things out among themselves. Maybe they would all leave. Pat's and Cousin's attention was not on Slender Kid for long. As soon as Slender Kid moved out of the way, Elaine nudged Claire, who head for the bedroom and the phone. Cousin saw what Claire intended and shouted "Stop her, Pat!" As Pat moved toward the bedroom, Slender Kid shouted "No, Pat! That's enough!" and reached out to grab his erstwhile hero. Reacting instinctively, Pat swung his elbow back hard, connecting with Slender Kid's temple and knocking him senseless. Cheryl's shock at the sudden action was short-lived as she saw Cousin closing on her, intent on heading off Claire before she could call 911. Cheryl had hoped to avoid a physical confrontation with the big guy, but that was no longer an option. Master Jessy had drilled the girl's over and over on the ways to stop a larger, stronger opponent. One of the potentially deadliest ways was a blow to the throat. It could stop even the most dangerous threat if delivered properly. The downside was that it could cause asphyxiation by completely cutting off the air passage. There was no time for Cheryl to deliberate. No other 'certain stop' target area of Cousin was exposed. He was straight on to her and his neck was exposed and unprotected. She struck, having to stretch upward to do so, thinking only of hitting hard enough to protect her friend. As Cheryl was dealing with Cousin, Pat was back in motion toward the bedroom. Without either one knowing what the other was doing, Maddy was about to attack him from behind and Elaine was steeling herself to keep him from getting to Claire. Elaine was very afraid, but she was also angry enough to provide the courage to hold her ground. Maddy scored first, delivering a hammer-like blow to his kidney with side of her closed fist. Just as he reacted to the pain, arching his back and reaching his right arm behind himself, Elaine caught him in the groin with her knee. Pat's body had just begun to reverse itself and double over forward to protect its wounded jewels when Maddy grabbed the arm that had reached behind his back. She pushed it upward with all of her might. Considering the difference in their heights, she had to reach high. Still, she felt a 'pop' and heard a scream that was perversely satisfying. At the point, she did not know that he had two sources of severe pain to scream about. Cousin was still collapsing to the floor when Cheryl picked up the phone that he had kept in his hand. When she pushed talk, she heard that Claire was already dialing 911. "We'll need an ambulance, Claire. Tell them it may be life-threatening," Cheryl said. Pat was curled into a ball and moaning pitifully. His right arm flopped around as he writhed on his left side and an acrid urine stain spread over his shorts. Cousin was having great trouble breathing. Slender Kid was slumped against the wall, conscious but disoriented and holding his head. The instinctive healer part of Cheryl hated the thought of inflicting damage as she had done, and she began to feel nauseous at the thought and at the ebbing of the adrenalin rush. Elaine reached Cheryl as she was starting to wobble and kept her on her feet. "Hang in there, Honey. You did what you had to. I'm proud of you!" That bit of reassurance seemed to help a lot. By the time they heard distant sirens, she had regained most of her composure. "What was this all about - who are these guys?" Elaine asked. Seeing that Cheryl was still unsteady, Maddy explained. "One morning, we were shooting baskets at the park and these guys game up and wanted a game. Pat - the one you castrated - and the tall kid were two of them. Well, Call, Bud, Robin, Sharon, and the two of us were kicking their butts, with quite a few people cheering on the sidelines. "Pat got pissed one time and shoved Cheryl into the stanchion. She complained and he made some crack about a man's game. Sharon asked what was the matter with him. Cheryl said, loud enough for everyone to hear that it was 'tiny dick syndrome'. He dropped his pants and an off-duty cop on the sideline arrested him." "So this was some kind of revenge, huh?" Elaine asked. "What kind of revenge is he going to want after this?" "Never had time to think about that," Cheryl entered in. "The big guy was pretty scary. I didn't know if I could handle him." "You didn't have much trouble," Elaine commented. "Yeah, but I could have really hurt him. I wish I knew how to help his breathing." The paramedics actually got there first, barely four minutes after the call. "Damaged larynx - serious!" Cheryl said, pointing to Cousin. With only a brief check of the other two, the EMT began making sure that Cousin had an airway. The responding patrol had listened to the 911 operator, so they knew that the victims were women. With two of the intruders incapacitated and one having never really been a threat, they had sorted in just a couple of minutes. Of course, that was only the start of festivities. Each of the women was interviewed by three different people. Cousin and Pat were both transported in the ambulance right away. Cheryl explained to the lead officer how Slender Kid had decided to leave and had even tried to intervene on their behalf. All of the women urged the police not to charge him. The officers put Slender Kid through three interviews as well before releasing him. Dinner was very, very cold before the last detective pulled away. ------- As all four collapsed into chairs, Elaine was the first to speak. "I didn't know you could do that stuff." "You did all right yourself," Cheryl answered. "Well, I didn't even get to hit anybody," Claire complained before breaking into a giggle. That started a fit of laughter. In retrospect, it was a much better release of the stored up tension than would crying have been. The laughter went on for a few minutes before Elaine sobered up and said "I don't feel very proud of hurting that kid." "Well, I was afraid I had killed the big one," Cheryl said, no longer even smiling. "That's not a good feeling, at all." "God! What must Cal have felt like those times?" Elaine said in a hushed voice. "You know, the two guys didn't bother him. The nightmares came after Greg," Cheryl explained. "Two guys?" Maddy asked, puzzled. The other three looked at each other, and when Elaine nodded, Cheryl spent several minutes explaining first about THE DAY, then about Greg. Maddy just sat, wide-eyed, for quite a while before she could say anything. "No wonder he seems so... so..." "Unflappable?" Cheryl offered. "Yeah. I guess when you been through something like that, not much about school or some game can shake you up, can it?" Maddy said. "Is that why you were so cool, Cheryl? Because of Cal's influence?" Cheryl hated to keep secrets from her good friend, but knowing how strict Maddy's upbringing was, she had been reluctant to talk about her time with Greg. "Um, Maddy - I've done some stuff I never told you about. Stuff that you wouldn't approve of." "You were afraid I would think badly of you?" Maddy asked in disbelief. "Well, I know how your family lives," Cheryl said, looking at the floor. In a flash, Maddy was beside Cheryl, hugging her. "And I know how you live - how you treat people! There's no way I could think badly of you." The two friends hugged, and then the tears came. After a couple of minutes, Cheryl told her story, through more sniffles than she had ever dealt with before. ------- "I sure don't want Cal to find out some other way," Cheryl insisted. They had heated up and devoured dinner and were debating whether to call Cal and tell him what had happened. "Elaine, why don't you get on the other phone. You can call Martin when we're done." Cheryl had the humorous thought that it was a good thing that Maddy was not on the line as she and Elaine recounted the story to Cal. It would have completely destroyed her image of him as unflappable. With his mother having been slightly injured and both she and his lover having been threatened, he was about ready to fly home unassisted and finish the job on Pat. It took a good twenty minutes to get Cal calmed down, but he was eventually able to ask some questions calmly. He finally agreed with their decision to let Slender Kid off easily. He congratulated both of them on handling a potentially dangerous situation. "I don't think Pat really intended to rape me," Cheryl said. "In fact, I don't think he had really thought about what he WAS going to do. That big guy was scary, though." "Well, you know from experience, and from Master Jessy, that any situation like that can turn ugly very quickly. You did just what you had to, Sweetheart. Try not to feel guilty about hurting that asshole." Cal said "You know that's impossible, don't you?" Cheryl pointed out. "Yeah," he agreed. "Mom, you didn't have many choices. He could have really hurt you." "I know," Elaine said softly. "What is it with you two? How come these things keep happening to you?" "There was no way to know that an innocent pickup game could lead to this," Cal declared. "We sure weren't about to throw the game." "Talk about your sore losers!" Elaine exclaimed. "Here, Maddy wants to talk." "I knew your girl was special, Cal, but WOW!" Maddy said. "Well, it sounds like you were paying attention to Master Jessy, too," Cal replied. "I was. I was," she assured him. "He would not have been very proud, though. I want to rip the assholes arm off." "Sounds like you almost did!" Cal shot back. "Nobody would blame you, though." "But what about 'minimum necessary force'?" "These were big guys," Cal said. "A lot of force was necessary. Say, hold the phone for a couple of minutes. The wait actually stretched to almost five minutes. Cheryl suspected what was happening, but Maddy apparently had not a clue as they filled the wait with idle chatter. When Hector's voice came over the line demanding "Are you really OK, Maddy? Wait 'til I get my hands on those guys!" Cheryl hung up to let Maddy and Hector talk. Since Maddy was in the bedroom, Claire closed the door so they could have some privacy. Everyone was rooting for that fledging romance to flourish. ------- On a far away football field the next day, Cal and Hector set about amazing the defensive coaches with the ferocity of their play. Both of them vented their frustration and helplessness at the girls having to go through that trauma without them. Cal was more used to dealing with dangerous situations, but he was definitely affected. Hector had never really had a serious girlfriend and he had barely known Maddy a week. Still, the strong feelings were there. Several running backs and receivers were left wondering where the madman had come from as Hector literally growled at his victims on several plays. The play of Cal and Hector was by no means wild and undisciplined, though. By the opponents' second possession, the rest of the defense began to pick up on the new level of intensity. The other team was considered much stronger and was favored by two touchdowns. Their offense was their strength, and they were able to move the ball. A penalty had killed their first possession, but it looked like they would score on the second drive. On a first down for the opponents, deep in Cal's territory, the secondary shut down all of the receivers and Hector broke through into their backfield. Later, there would be some debate about whether the quarterback just fumbled the ball as he tried to dodge away from Hector or whether he just dropped it to run for his life. At any rate, Hector picked up the bouncing ball and plowed all the way to the other twenty-five, carrying three guys the last ten yards. The offense literally stormed onto the field, reflecting the attitude of their defensive counterparts. On the very first play, Ricky ran the same end-around that had scored the previous week, with the same result. The first game, even if it was a loss, had been a tremendous confidence builder. Now, getting the first score against a supposedly superior opponent enhanced that confidence even further. The opposing offense was still formidable, but Cal and his companions gave nothing away. The other tacklers seemed to have decided that it was a hitting contest with Cal and Hector, and by the end of the half, everything was going wide to the sidelines. No one wanted the kind of pain they could expect from being tackled up the middle. Superior talent and depth are hard to overcome, but not impossible. With only three minutes remaining in the game, the opponents were up by one point and driving. On third and short, they tried a quick inside pass to their big tight end. Hector timed his hit perfectly and the ball popped into the air. Cal had been playing shorter coverage than normal, assuming that the other team would go for the first down to run out the clock, rather than trying anything long. Seeing the ball pop into the air, he began a desperate sprint to try to catch it. Hector had gone down with his man after the hit. All of the other backs or linebackers were facing away from the play, defending their own receivers. Cal was the only one with any chance at all at the interception. Possession was critical. The opponents were close enough for a field goal and they had a reliable kicker. That would have meant a touchdown was needed for the win, a very difficult task. Cal could only get close enough to dive and reach for the ball with one hand. He actually had a brief mental image of Maddy and one of her impossible off-court digs as he stuck out his hand and managed to get it between the ball and the ground and flip the ball a couple of feet into the air with his fingers. He was able to turn his body so he rolled toward the ball. When it came down, he pulled it to his chest and wrapped it up securely. He made no attempt to get up and run. By all of the rules of drama, the game had to end with a field goal by Cal, and it did. His team ground out enough first downs, using all remaining time outs, to get him close enough for a forty-seven yarder at the final gun. The victory was positively intoxicating. Between the previous 'moral victory' and the current actual triumph, the team was beginning to get a taste of big time football. The first game had had elements of surprise and unusual circumstances. This victory had been earned by sheer kickoff to final-gun superior effort. For Cal and Hector, it had been an especially sweet win because it was cathartic. But now, there was a new challenge on their minds. They were flying home immediately, and it was a toss-up whether they would reach the gym before the end of the volleyball match. Cal called Cheryl as they headed to the airport on the bus and let her know about the win and about Hector winning the game ball. She promised that they would wait at the gym after the game. ------- Cheryl and Maddy felt the same excess adrenalin phenomenon that had spurred on the guys. With Elaine joining their usual cheering section, they pulled off their signature quick set and slam on the first reception of the ball. When they repeated it on the next two opportunities, the entire team elevated their play to the next level. As might be expected with a home game that early in the season, the opposition was not a strong team. Even with the regulars on the bench a good deal of the time, the match ended in three straight. That meant there was no chance for the guys to see the end of it. The wait after showering was less than a half hour, and was well worth it, given the intensity of the greetings. Actually, Cheryl and Cal greeted each other rather quickly, then watched in astonishment as Maddy flew at Hector, jumped up into his arms, and wrapped her arms and legs around him. He has grasping her just as tightly as they hugged. Traumatic events can cut through many layers of shyness and reserve, and that is exactly what happened to Hector and Maddy. She pulled her face back from where she had buried it against his neck and smashed her mouth against his. She was unable to use her hands to position his face and it was clear that she was not an experienced kisser. That mattered not a whit to either of them as years of seeking and patient loneliness were wiped out in a matter of seconds. Cheryl and Cal purposely turned away to prevent any chance of spoiling the watershed moment through embarrassment. They did not know what else went on as they greeted Elaine, who had waited with the girls. They were elated for their good friends. The two couples plus Sharon were invited back to Claire and Bert's afterwards, where Robin, Bud, and Bud's parents would join them. After everyone had settled in with some food, Sharon said "OK, Cheryl, Maddy. You said something happened last night that you didn't want to talk about until after the match. It must not have been anything bad 'cause you guys rocked tonight. Spill." With contributions from all four of the women involved, the story was recounted in detail over the next twenty or thirty minutes. "I can't believe that tall guy was involved," Sharon said. I thought he was the nicest of those we played against that day." "I think he was sorry he was there from the minute he walked in the door," Cheryl said. "That was my impression during that game, too. He just didn't seem to fit with Pat." "You never know what can make a kid attach himself to someone else," Bud observed. "It sounds like you did the right thing calling the cops off of him. Do you know anything about this Pat?" "Only his first name," Cheryl answered. "I guess the rest will be in the police report." "He was a good player," Bud added. "Too bad something like this could screw up his life." "But with an attitude like that, we wouldn't be doing him any favor letting him off," Elaine stated. "I'm not sure you would have any say in it," Cal opined. "The assault part, maybe, since it was almost incidental." "This goose egg on my forehead from the door isn't incidental," Elaine complained. Then she laughed and added "It took an awful lot of makeup to get ready for the game." "What I meant is they didn't intentionally strike you," Cal backpedaled. "Guess that's a pretty subtle difference. Anyway, I don't think you can dismiss the breaking and entering part, even if you wanted to." "I suppose a good defense lawyer could build up quite an argument against that," Claire said, "since we opened the door." That started a discussion that went on for quite a while. It was after ten thirty when there was a knock at the door. Bert went to answer it and found a tall young man and a very worried looking woman standing there. "Do you know where the people who live in the other part of the house are?" The boy asked. "We've been waiting for them to come home." Bert made a quick assumption that this was the boy the women had been talking about, the one who had not wanted to be involved. He also assumed that the boy was there to apologize. If that was true, he would see just how sincere the kid was. He would make him run a veritable gauntlet. "They're here. Come on in," Bert said. When the boy walked into the family room and saw the assembled crowd, they could all see his knees buckle a little, and they heard the woman gasp. It took ten seconds or so, but he straightened up and began speaking. "My name is Ryan Ulrich. I came to apologize. I see all four of the women are here. I am so sorry that I got involved with Pat. Please believe me that I would never have hurt any of you. "I also want to thank you for convincing the police to let me go. It was the worst mistake of my life, and it almost ruined everything for me. If it is any consolation, I have learned a very important lesson. "This is my mother, Glenda. She insisted on coming along when I told her I had to come over to apologize and thank you. We'll be going, and again, I'm so sorry." As Ryan turned to leave, Claire jumped to her feet and took both Ryan's and his mother's arms. "Bert, find a couple more chairs. Please, folks, we have more snacks and drinks. Stay a while and talk. I think it would be better if we tried to part as friends. Ryan, we know you tried to help when things got rough, and we appreciate it." Ryan and Glenda stood uncertainly, looking around at the group. It was not until Cheryl got up and came to introduce herself that they agreed to join the crowd. Things were very strained for a few minutes until Cal found the perfect ice-breaker. "We don't know anything about Pat but his name. Tell us about him." Ryan and his mother took turns telling about Pat and his family. "I got sucked in by all of the things I could get hanging around him. Stuff we just couldn't afford," Ryan admitted. "I guess picking the right male friends is something only a father can teach a boy well," Glenda observed. "Ryan and I have been alone for most of his life." "You said it almost cost you everything," Cal said. "What did you mean?" He was not able to talk in a kindly manner, but her kept open hostility from his voice. "I'm on a scholarship. I'm a freshman. I could have lost it," Ryan explained. "Basketball?" Sharon asked. "No, academic," Ryan answered. "Oh, it looked like you could have played ball," Sharon complimented him. "Thank you, but I'm not so sure I could have made it. Anyway, I was not recruited, so I would have had to walk on. We couldn't afford it without the scholarship. When the academic offer came, I took it. "Even if I made it playing basketball in college, that would be the end of it for me. I thought it was more important to work toward a good, solid career with the money I could get." "That sounds like very realistic thinking," Claire told him. "With brains like that, how did you get sucked in by the likes of Pat?" Ryan hung his head for a moment before answering. "I guess I didn't always think with my brain." Even though it was getting late, the talk went on. Everyone could feel attitudes changing. Ryan and Glenda were good, solid, likable people. He had made a serious, almost destructive mistake, but each person in the room could sympathize. "Pat will probably lose his scholarship, won't he?" Cal asked. "For sure," Ryan answered. "He almost did after the game in the park. His dad used all of his influence to get him off. The basketball coach pulled a few strings, too. This time, he's toast." "What will that do to him?" Elaine asked. Ryan just shrugged at first. Then, he said "There's no way to tell. Nothing has ever gone wrong for him in his whole life. Even when he lost his temper or did other dumb stuff, Daddy or the coach always bailed him out. This may be the first thing he can't get out of." "What was he planning when you came here?" Elaine asked. "I don't think he really had a plan. He must have said something to Brent about, uh, getting some... sex, but he never mentioned it to me. He knew I wouldn't have come along. I shouldn't have anyway." "It's a first offense, and there were no injuries," Cal thought out loud. "There's no chance of jail. But you think the coach will kill the scholarship, huh?" "No doubt. He's a real stickler for discipline and behavior. Pat won't even be able to walk on." "Well, I can feel sorry for him losing a chance to play," Cal stated, "but after what he tried to do, I can't see giving him a pass." The others all voiced their agreement. When Glenda and Ryan stood to leave, she broke into tears. Claire gave her a quick hug and Glenda said "Sometimes I feel like there aren't any good people left. It's great to meet a whole roomful of them." When mother and son had left, Cheryl voiced an opinion shared by all of them: "Sometimes there are better choices than punishment." ------- Chapter 50 Sunday morning brought a sobering conversation. "Before I fly home, we'd better talk about the other two boys," Elaine told Cheryl and Cal when the couple returned from their reduced 'day-after-game' early workout. "To tell the truth, I'd just as soon never hear about them again," Cheryl responded. "I lost all of Friday night for studying and I had trouble concentrating yesterday. I don't want to be rude, Elaine, but I really have to hit the books today." "I'm afraid you may not have the choice to just ignore them," Cal warned. "The big one could sue you." "That's crazy!" "Absolutely. But that won't stop him," Cal told her. "I'll stop him," Elaine said. "I'll sue him first. I was the one he injured. I hate to play that kind of game, but it's the way the system is set up, I'm afraid. We'd better have Maddy sue Pat, too. It's preemptive." "This is crazy!" Cheryl moaned. "This was the year we were just going to be normal college students, relax, and enjoy ourselves. Are we cursed, or something?" It had taken a day and a half, but the need for tension release had finally hit Cheryl. Friday night and Saturday, the anticipation of the games had centered her thinking. Saturday night, it was the party and Cal's return. She might have gotten by without a breakdown, but when Elaine brought up the subject, it broke through her defenses and the tears came. Elaine and Cal bracketed her and did their best to comfort her, but they realized that she just had to cry her way through it. The effect of the 'break-in' on Cheryl was made even more clear when there was a knock on the door after she had barely regained her composure. She recoiled and gasped before Cal got up to see who was knocking. Through the peep hole, he could see a man and a woman waiting on the step. As he opened the door, he assumed they were soliciting, probably from some religious organization. By the time it registered that that was unlikely on a Sunday morning, a look of surprise had taken over the man's face. "You... you're Banner!" the man stammered, obviously knocked off balance for whatever his intended mission was. "That's right," Cal answered. "How can I help you?" Taking a breath and straightening up, the man said "I'm Harlan Clancy and this is my wife Marge." "Yes?" Cal's questioning reply set the man back. He had obviously expected the name to mean something. "We're Pat's parents," Harlan explained. Cal just stood motionless and expressionless for a long moment. "Oh, we didn't know his last name," he finally said. Then he added "I don't think it's appropriate for you to be here." "Not appropriate? Why?" Harlan asked. "My girlfriend and my mother were victims in a criminal act, and your son was one of the perpetrators," Cal explained. "But that's why we need to talk to you," Marge pled, almost in tears. "We don't understand why Pat was even arrested. And his shoulder was hurt, too." "You don't understand?" Cal said in disbelief. By this time, Elaine and Cheryl had come up behind him, but they decided to let him handle it. "Obviously, you don't know what happened here." "Pat told us," Marge insisted. "It seems like just a big misunderstanding. Then his cousin Chad was badly hurt." "Until you get the true story of what happened, and until we can have a lawyer present, we can't talk to you. I'm sorry." "How long before you can get a lawyer here?" Harlan asked. "How long before you can read all the statements?" Cal shot back. "I thought we could settle this without all of that red tape," Harlan said. "As long as you don't know what happened, that's not possible." Cal stated firmly. "You'd better get the truth about the first arrest, too." "You weren't even here Friday night," Harlan said belligerently. "Who are you to set the terms?" Cal just stepped aside. Eyes still red from here crying session, Cheryl said "Well, I was here. Cal was much too polite for my liking. Now, leave!" She closed the door firmly. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Cheryl swore, stomping around the room. "That asshole is stealing time I don't have to spare! What gives him the right to mess up my life?" Cheryl was still agitated when Elaine picked up the phone and dialed Martin. She told him that it would be best if she stayed another day or two and he said he would cover it at her business. After chatting with Martin for a while, Elaine called Marty at home. She hated to do it, but she was more concerned about preemptive action after the attempted visit by the Clancys. After briefly telling Marty the situation, Elaine said "Is there someone here that you can recommend?" "I'm licensed in four states, including that one," Marty revealed. "I'd like to handle it." "Really?" "Yes. I don't know how your family and friends get in all of these situations, but once again, you did nothing wrong. I like your idea of filing right away. I will have to get a correspondent firm to actually submit the documents for me, but that should be no problem. "One other thing. I should sit down with the boy's parents alone. You told me that Cheryl is concerned about demands on her time. This would keep her out of it. You shouldn't have to go back there, either. Let me lay out some options of what you could ask for if it comes down to a bargaining session. "One other thing," Marty said. "It would be good if I represented all four of you women. Can you arrange that?" "I sure can," Elaine enthused. "Good. I'll arrange to get all of the police reports and witness statements. I will also take care of arranging a meeting with the Clancys. I'm sure you know that this will cost you a bit. For that, you should be able to almost forget about the whole thing. Tell Cheryl to just concentrate on her studies. And on winning." ------- Cal really liked what he felt at practice on Monday. It was not that anything had been wrong before. It was just that certain feeling had not been there - that confident feeling of a winner. Both of his high school teams had been consistent winners and the feeling had always been there. This college coach was trying to build his team into a consistent winner, and attitude was an essential attribute of a winner. The team might only be one and one for the year, but the attitude had taken a quantum leap. Last year had been the first time in many years that the team had exceeded .500 in conference play. Cal had followed their progress last year, at least as much as he could from a distance and with his own busy schedule. He could see them as legitimate contenders for the championship. Even though he had had two exceptional games, Cal was still the new kid. Padre, however, was a veteran, well known by all of the defensive squad. "You're the leader of the defense, my friend," Cal told Padre in the locker room after practice. "I don't want to be a leader," Padre protested. "I just want to play." With a grin, he added "... and hit people. Hard." "Then just keep doing that." "It doesn't seem like much," Padre complained. "Hey! What happens when Maddy makes one of those unbelievable digs of hers?" Cal asked. "Well, the others get pumped up," Padre answered. "And when you knock some poor runner right into next Tuesday?" "Oh. I see what you mean. As long as I don't have to make speeches or anything." "Nah. Just keep doing that growling bit." Cal had to duck as Padre took a playful swipe at him. ------- At volleyball practice, Cheryl faced a different problem with Maddy. For the first time Cheryl could remember, Maddy's concentration was erratic. "So, you saw Hector yesterday?" Cheryl asked. "Mama let me invite him for dinner," Maddy said with a big smile. "What did your family think about him?" "I never got to talk to him," Maddy answered with a pout. "First, my brothers were all over him. Then Mama and Daddy started working him over. I felt sorry for him." "Did you get any time alone with him?" "Not at the house. But he took me out later." Maddy's grin told Cheryl all she needed to know about the date. "So, you gonna get back to concentrating on volleyball any time soon?" Cheryl prodded. "Cheryl!" Maddy complained before the two broke into giggles. ------- That evening, Marty called to talk with Cheryl. She had Elaine, who had taken her scheduled flight, already on the line. Marty asked Cheryl to get Claire on the other line, then asked for Maddy's home number. She wanted to discuss bargaining options with the four of them. Within ten minutes, they were all on the line. "Here are what I see as options," Marty started out. "First, you can just let the case take its course. My guess is that it will get bargained down to a misdemeanor and Pat would get probation - probably six months. They might throw in some community service." "That would mean he would lose his basketball scholarship, wouldn't it?" Cal asked. "He was listening in with his ear to Cheryl's phone. "That's up to the coach," Marty replied. "That's something I was not able to investigate. The question is: do you want him to lose it? Do you consider that an important punishment?" "What are the other options?" Cheryl asked, dodging Marty's question. Marty decided not to push for an answer. "If you decide that all you want is to be protected from any further trouble from Pat, I'm confident that you could get an injunction in exchange for dropping charges." "But all that does is automatically punish him if he tries to hurt her again," Cal objected. "That's true," Marty agreed, "but don't you suppose his parents would pressure him pretty hard. And wouldn't he be kicked off of the team if he violated it?" "I guess I should leave it up to the women," Cal said. "I'd like to throw away the key." "You should hear what Hector says about Pat," Maddy said, entering in for the first time. "He's never met the guy and he's ready to beat him to a pulp." "Does he feel bad that you took care of it for him?" Cal teased. "I kinda did, didn't I? With Elaine's help." "Of course, there is always the option to just forget the whole thing," Mary said, trying to get the discussion back on track. "You could consider the injuries and the ego damage to be enough punishment." Elaine spoke up at that point. "What would you suggest, Marty?" "If I sensed any remorse, particularly if I sensed that his parents understood what he was like, I would suggest option two or three," Marty stated. "I've got an idea," Cal said. "How about they drop all charges if he enlists in the Marines." "Woah!" Marty exclaimed. "What's your reasoning on that?" "Unfortunately," Cheryl answered for Cal, "we've seen Pat before. At least someone a lot like him. What if he shows no remorse and his parents refuse to acknowledge that he did anything wrong. Would you say that is a criminal in the making?" "So, let the military make a man of him, huh?" Marty mused. "Actually, it is brilliant. Extreme, but brilliant. Cheryl, you've emphasized that you did not want any more of your time taken up by this. That effectively eliminates the first option." "Yeah, I guess it does," Cheryl agreed. "Look. I don't know how the others feel, but as I get farther from it, I feel less anger. I would like to pretend that it never happened." "But you can't, Honey," Cal pointed out. "Look how you reacted when his parents knocked on the door." "I'll get over that," Cheryl insisted. "I'm tired of having enemies. I'm tired of uncertainty. My family is in a shambles, and that's enough." "How do the rest of you feel?" Marty asked. "I don't want enemies, either," Maddy said. "I was the least affected," Claire said. "I'll go along with Cheryl." "Pat's a long ways from where I live," Elaine said. "I got in my punishment." "If that's the general feeling," Marty said, "here's what I would suggest: an injunction covering all four of you plus all of the others involved in that game. In addition, a court-sanctioned agreement not to pursue any civil action against any of you." "Does that include the big guy - I guess his name was Chad?" Cal asked. "Definitely," Marty said. "I should point out one thing. This solution does nothing to try to straighten out Pat if he is indeed troubled or borderline psychotic." "I guess I should be concerned about him," Cheryl said, "but I just can't spare the time or the energy." "I think that is wise," Marty agreed. "I think this can be done without me coming out there. I'll talk to the DA tomorrow and let you know." ------- When Marty called on Thursday to tell them that the deal had been completed, Cheryl and Cal had very mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, there was definitely relief that the episode was over. Both of them had felt anger that Pat had stolen something from them. He had stolen part of the disciplined, focused lives they had worked hard to build. Now, they could forget him and get back to what was important. Forgetting was probably not possible, though. Thursday was a day they both had the late morning open and normally came home to study for a few hours. They had barely gotten in the door when the phone rang and it was Marty with the news. No sooner had they hung up from Marty's call when it rang again. This time it was Julia Waxman. "This is an official appointment, paid for by Elaine, so don't hang up," Julia told Cheryl, who had answered the phone. "Get Cal on the other line, and let's talk." Cheryl was getting rather tired of interruptions to her tight study schedule, but she could not be irritated with Julia. Or with Elaine, for that matter. The hour did prove to be beneficial. In her usual fashion, Julia seemed to be reading their minds. "Cal, this is not the way you like to solve problems, is it?" Julia probed. "It bothers you that Cheryl is just walking away and Pat is essentially getting a pass, right?" "I'm not even going to ask how you guessed that," Cal quipped. "How many stressful situations have we been through together over the last seven years?" Julia countered. "And Cheryl, you see Pat as a young man badly in need of 'fixing'. Walking away like this won't help him get fixed. Is that about right?" "The first thing I'd like to fix is the insolent smirk on his face," Cheryl spat out. "But, yeah, you're right." "Elaine, Marty, and I talked about that," Julie revealed. "Marty suggested demanding treatment as part of the settlement. My problem with that is his parents. If they send him to treatment, fine. It will help him. If they take his side against an unjust punishment, it will be worse than useless." "I hadn't thought of that," Cheryl admitted. "And don't think he is getting off with no punishment," Julia cautioned. "Being beaten by a team of women was disastrous for him. Being injured by two women was even worse." "He wasn't really injured, was he?" "More than we suspected," Julia told them. "Besides a dislocation, something was torn in his shoulder. He is very worried about having full motion in his shooting arm by the time basketball practice starts. Not being able to shoot beforehand will set him back for sure. "His parents were stupid not to insist on a gag order as part of the agreement. I'm sure word of how he was injured will get out. Can you imagine what that will do to him?" Julia sounded almost gleeful. "What about the other guy, the big one?" Cheryl asked. "I assume you knew how dangerous that blow could be," Julia said. "I did. But I couldn't let him hurt Elaine or Claire," Cheryl protested. "No, no! I wasn't being critical," Julia hastened to explain. "You did what you had to - you used your training. He was big, strong, mean, and dangerous. What I was getting at was the terrible scare you put into him. I'm sure there were several minutes when he thought he was going to die because he could not get his breath. They did not have to intubate him, but it was close. Have you had any nightmares?" "A couple, but it hasn't cost me much sleep," Cheryl answered. "What I did to him was really part of them." The talk went on for the rest of the hour. At the end, Julia dropped her professional demeanor a little. "You need to realize that the two of you are more than just patients to me. I feel some of the same pride that parents must feel about their children. Please, don't let this episode knock you off track. I'm proud of how you responded, both during and after. Let it go. Don't let Pat steal any more from you." ------- About dusk on Thursday, Cal was afraid that the benefits of the conversation with Julia would be undone. Another knock on the door revealed Pat's parents on the doorstep once again. "Could we come in?" Harlan asked. Cal noticed that Marge was standing back, looking very stiff and unhappy. "Wait just a moment, please. Let me alert Cheryl," Cal said. The real problem was the ultra casual state of dress that often characterized their evenings. He also did not want her to be confronted by them with no warning. "What do they want?" she hissed from the bedroom where she had fled. She was stepping into some sweats. "I have no idea. I'll send them away if you say the word." "No. I guess we'd better talk to them. Closure, right?" Cheryl said with a forced smile. As they sat down, Harlan looked rather beaten down while Marge looked stiff and angry. "What we read in the police reports and the various statements was not what we had heard from Pat. That goes for both incidents," Harlan said softly. "We came to thank you for being so lenient. It could have been very bad for Pat," Harlan went on. Both Cheryl and Cal noticed how Marge's face reddened at that comment. "It is hard for a parent to admit that he may not know his child very well. It is worse to think that his child has fooled him. I am sorry that our son's actions have disrupted your lives. I sincerely hope that it will not detract from your athletic performance - either of you. "At my insistence, Pat will begin seeing a counselor. I am hoping that the effects of our parenting mistakes can still be undone." When Harlan said that, it looked like Marge was going to attack him, but she stayed in place and just flushed dangerously. The visit was over that quickly. When the Clancys were out the door and safely out of earshot, Cheryl doubled over with laughter. "Can you imagine the battle that must have happened before he dragged her over here? If looks could kill!" "Maybe I should send him some porn tapes. I'm sure he's going to need them for quite a while," Cal managed to gasp out as his own laughter took him over. He was still standing in the middle of the living room, laughing hard when Cheryl tackled him. It caught him off balance and he went down. She was on top of him in a flash. He thought at first that she wanted a wrestling match or a tickle fight to finally wash away the tension. Her mouth smashed against his and her hand down inside his shorts quickly revealed her true intentions. Cal could not help remembering a few of Cheryl's sexual 'fits' from the past, and he wondered if another was building up. They had been awesome experiences, if a little frightening at first. This time, though, she showed no signs of losing control. As had happened numerous other times, they were soon naked without remembering how it had happened. How was on his back on the living room floor and she was astride him, bouncing on his cock with amazing energy. During the Greg years for Cheryl, tender, considerate love-making had been what she had needed from Cal. The more those years faded into the past, the more the couple enjoyed the joyous, energetic celebrations of pure sex. That did not mean there was not love involved. Just the act of meeting that particular need of their partner was very much an act of love. That Thursday night, they had just achieved closure on a stressful episode. They were young. They were in top physical condition. Their libidos were strong. They loved each other. They trusted each other. They could use each other for pure, animalistic release and experience love through it. They could heal each other with their exertions. Cheryl spent herself in the superior position and eagerly accepted his rolling them over for a vigorous second round. It took many minutes, but eventually, they were equally spent. When she got up, he could only admire her wonderfully tight, erotically shaped backside as she walked away. Instead of returning with a rag and a towel as he had expected, she came back with both phones. She set them down and began caressing his exhausted penis. "Uh, Baby, I think that's a useless battle," he warned her. "No way!" she proclaimed. "I'll get it going again. I want to call your Mom and tell her about the visit, but I want you in me when we talk. Do you think she'll be able to guess what we'll be doing? "Then we'll cal Maddy. Sweet, innocent Maddy. Wouldn't she be shocked if she could see us as we talked? "Instead of calling Claire, why don't I just invite them over. I'll bet they'd love to see what they've been hearing through that thin wall all of those times. What do you bet he's chasing her around right now, just from hearing what we just did." Cal gave a derisive snort. "Who do you think is chasing who?" "Well, I don't care," she insisted. "See, I told you I'd wake it up. Now get it me so we can call your Mom." Elaine, Maddy, and Claire could tell by the tones of Cheryl's and Cal's voices that they were recovering from the break-in. Only Claire guessed at the real reason for their current light-hearted mood. She had the benefit of the sounds from earlier. ------- Robin did not have to talk very hard to convince Bud. They both felt badly about the trouble Cheryl had been through the past week. Flying Darlene in for the weekend seemed like a perfect way to get Cheryl's mind off of the encounter. Since Bud could almost always find a business reason for the trip, it was not any real sacrifice to fly over and pick Darlene up. For once, Robin did not accompany him, since she had more and more responsibilities on campus. Getting someone to cover her one weekend shift was not Darlene's biggest concern. She was very reluctant to leave the kids in the house with Hal. There had never been any concern about him being violent with them, but it would almost certainly be stressful. At Shelley's request, Darlene agreed that she could fly along. She almost convinced Matt to join them, but when an invitation came to stay with a biking friend, he took it. Darlene felt good that it would give him some time with his girlfriend Chelsea. When Darlene thought about Matt and Chelsea having sex, as she knew they did as often as possible, it was with very mixed feelings. There was predictable motherly concern about the appropriateness of their intimacy at that age. There was an undeniable twinge of jealousy that her son was experiencing a level of pleasure denied to her. Most of all, though, she felt relieved that her son would be spared the years of ignorance and denial that she had lived through. She loved Matt dearly and honestly wanted the best for him. The best was certainly not what she and Hal had been brought up with. Robin took a chance and did not tell Cheryl that her mother was coming. It turned out to be a wonderful surprise, with Shelley's presence a bonus. It had taken a lot of mental discipline for Cheryl to push worry about her family's situation to a place where it did not interfere with study or sports. Being able to see, touch, and talk to her mother would go a long way toward easing her mind. The surprise arrival of her mother and sister Friday evening did one other healing thing for Cheryl. Ever since the previous Friday, a knock on the door had been cause for a flash of alarm. Cal had taken to making her open the door, although he stood very close by just in case. When she saw her mother and sister, the joy expressed by the expected hugs and squealing was sure to reduce the fear of a knock on the door. After happily accepting the effusive 'thank you's, Robin and Bud took their leave and Darlene and her daughters seemed to forget that Cal was there. Besides giving him time for some undisturbed study, he was delighted to see the effect on Cheryl. He wondered briefly what the sleeping arrangements would be with only two beds, but decided that he would have nothing to say about it, anyway. After studying for an hour, Cal got some soft drinks and nuts and brought them to the women who were still huddled together on the couch. "So, are you really stressed out?" he heard Cheryl ask. "It depends on what I'm doing," Darlene answered. "And I don't know if stressed is the right word. Part of me is just sad. Part of me is relieved. I hate to admit it, but part of me is excited." "Oh, why do you hate to admit it?" Cheryl grabbed a glass as she said that, not acknowledging Cal's presence. He decided to listen to the conversation, so he sat on the other side of Shelley, who promptly climbed onto his lap. Then Cheryl noticed him and the little smirk on Shelley's face, but responded with just a grin. "Well, I'm throwing out the 'til death do us part bit' by my own choice. It just seems wrong to be excited about that," Darlene explained. There was a protracted silence for the first time after that admission. Cal decided to enter in. "Do you believe you have done everything you could to change his behavior? Have you given him every chance?" Darlene looked uncertainly at Shelley and did not answer. "I think Shelley can be treated like an adult if her home is going to be broken up," Cal said, realizing that he was probably overstepping his privileges. That earned him a tight hug from Shelley and a nod and a smile from Cheryl. With a sigh of resignation, Darlene finally answered. "I... I have done everything I can think of to... to seduce him. Seduce my own husband, for God's sake! Julia and Cheryl have been giving me ideas. It's hard not to think that I'm just unattractive and not sexy." Cal reached out his hand, took her chin and turned it toward him, and assured her "You are definitely attractive and sexy. Take my word for it." "Maybe you're just a sucker for tall, athletic women," Darlene accused. She was fishing, no doubt about, but that was OK. "Well, I'm in very good company. My dad, Bud, and Arnie all agree with me. Darlene, your daughters are very much younger copies of you." This was not the kind of discussion that Cal enjoyed, by her mother's problems were a big part of Cheryl's life. Anything he could do to help was worth some discomfort. In somewhat of a surprise, Darlene started cry. "I certainly don't feel sexy at all. I mean, I know I've never learned all the sexy moves and everything. Sometimes, when I'd be... I'd be..." she stopped and looked uncertainly at Shelley before going on. "... I'd be naked in front of him, he'd either not look at me or have no expression. Usually, he wouldn't even get ha..." again she looked at Shelley before she said "... aroused. How do you think that made me feel?" "I know what 'hard' is, Mom," Shelley said after an embarrassing silence. That broke the tension a bit and produced some nervous laughter. After several seconds, Darlene scooted over close to Cal, pulled Shelley off of his lap onto her own, and hugged the girl tightly. "Without my kids, I'd be crazy by now," Darlene said through renewed tears. "We see how he is, Mom," Shelley said, returning the hug. "We're so glad that you've changed, but it's sad that he won't." "Do you think he just won't, or is it that he can't?" Cheryl asked. "Even Julia can't figure that one out," Darlene said through sniffles. "I can't wait until someone finds out. I'm finally convinced that he won't change. Or at least that he won't change for me." "You going to have Marty do it?" Cheryl asked. "Sure. I'm trying to get him to work with me to keep the cost down," Darlene said. "When he won't talk about it at all, though..." "So, he's trying to deny that it's about to happen, huh?" "Honey," Darlene answered with a shake of her head, "it's worse than that. Somehow, in his mind he has made it unreal. Since it's not real, he doesn't have to deal with it." "What happens when he is served papers?" "I worry about that," Darlene admitted. "I really have no idea. I would rather we sat down together with Marty and not go through that serving bit." "You must realize that he sees himself as the victim, don't you?" Cal interjected. "Oh, yes. He has made that very clear by his actions," Darlene assured him. "When?" was Cal's next question. "Being here, feeling your support is what I needed to take the next step. I'll see Marty as soon as I get back." ------- The home stadium was nowhere near the size of the two that Cal had played in so far. It was a lot larger than any he had played in in high school, though, and it was packed and energized. Local fans had always been loyal, but there had never been much to engendered real excitement and anticipation. A strong game against a ranked opponent and an unexpected win had given them all the reason they needed. The team could feel the buzz as they warmed up and they fed on it. Since they had won the toss and chosen to receive, Cal sat out the beginning of the game. Ricky was beginning to look like a potential star. He rewarded the coach's decision to let him receive kickoffs by taking the opening kick just inside the end zone and bringing it out to mid-field on sheer speed. The crowd was on its feet and howling. The first play from scrimmage was a run that netted seven, enough to keep the excitement alive. Ricky had rested during that play, but was lined up wide for second down. The other team was a conference school with which they had traded home wins for the last several years. A win was expected, but everyone anticipated a struggle. The other coaches must have slacked off on game film analysis, for they were caught completely off-guard when Ricky ran the same reverse that had been so successful in the first two games. He made it to the eight-yard-line. From there, it was impossible not to drive in for the score, just because of the crowd's intensity. Cal's kickoff was too deep for a return. The defense was certainly not going to be upstaged by the offense. After all, they were the ones that had started this new surge of confidence. The first play was a run. When Padre downed the runner with extreme prejudice after just a yard gain, the stadium probably set an all-time decibel record. Second down was no more successful, leaving a pass on third and seven a certainty. The game film analysis had shown their deep passing game to be weak, so the defense pulled in close to prevent a first-down catch. The pass play was well designed, employing a criss-cross pattern that few refs found the courage to call a pick, which it definitely was. Cal saw the cross coming and had to guess which receiver would be left free. Since one of them was the big tight end, the odds would normally be on him doing the screening for the faster man. By some instinct, Cal decided, correctly, that the tight end would come free and he began his charge. Although outweighed by almost sixty pounds, Cal had the momentum and the tight end had to turn inward to catch the ball. Cal was able to deliver a perfectly timed smash that sent the ball to the ground in one direction and the receiver to the ground in the opposite direction. After a collective gasp, the fans tried for yet another decibel record, and the game was over, for all practical purposes. The opponents managed one touchdown after a turnover and one field goal. Cal only had to punt twice and only kicked one field goal. He was kept busy with seven kickoffs, though. The five extra points were delegated to the backup kicker. Local fans had not seen a rout in many years, and they stayed for every brutal minute of it. Even when they ground it out with the running game for most of the second half, the fans cheered every play. The only slightly negative note for Cal was being substituted for at safety midway through the third period. In a bit of a surprise, the head coach came over to tell him "Your kicking and your hitting are too valuable to risk at garbage time, and we're already in it." Padre was so wired he could hardly stand still enough to strip off his uniform. Cal had the thought that it was too bad Padre's relationship with Maddy was still at such an early stage. He could imagine Maddy becoming a very happy girl by the time she had calmed Padre down. Watching his friend go through the whole 'rah-rah' business with other teammates, Cal was bemused by the differences between them. He did not think of himself as cold or unemotional, but compared to Padre, he certainly seemed that way. The big linebacker could channel that wealth of emotional energy into exceptional play. Cal knew that for himself, excess emotion too often led to mistakes. Cal knew that he was witnessing the start of a wonderful tradition when he and Hector emerged from the stadium. Just as after their return from last week's game, Padre was hit by a flying bundle of Maddy as soon as he came into the open. If he was surprised, he certainly recovered quickly, spinning her around in his arms several times. Cheryl's greeting to Cal was by no means reserved or impassive. Still, she joked to him "Makes us seem like stuffy old married folks, doesn't it?" "I know how strong both of their beliefs are," Cal observed, "but how are they going to stay out of bed when their feelings are that strong?" "Well, I'm not starting a pool or anything, but some kind of compromise between beliefs and hormones will have to happen soon. A love-struck, unfulfilled Maddy will hurt our team," Cheryl said as they stood and watched their friends. "She's got it pretty bad, huh?" It was a rhetorical question from him. "Never seen it worse," Cheryl replied. "Be sure to let her know that our other bedroom is always available to them," Cal said. "We can even go and study next door for a while." "But we can hear almost as much from there! The second bedroom is closer," Cheryl pointed out. "You don't have to tell her that," he said as they both broke into laughter. ------- The girls barely had time to congratulate Cal and Hector before they had to join the volleyball team for early preparation for their evening match. The athletic enthusiasm generated by the football team carried over to a larger than normal volleyball crowd. As usual, Cal, with Hector, was there early and saved a block of seats. As their other 'regulars' were trickling in near starting time, Cal was surprised to see Ryan and his mother walk in and look around uncertainly. Cal waved them over and made sure that all of the introductions were made. Then it was time for the match to start. It was a conference match, and the other team was not considered a contender. It was about as easy as had been expected, but there was no question to Cal's practiced eye that Maddy was not playing at her normal level. During a break between games, Cal asked Hector to join him in the hallway. "Padre, I know how strong your beliefs are - Maddy's too. But if you don't take her to bed pretty soon, it could screw up a great volleyball season." "Huh?" "Maddy has never had a real boyfriend. She has fallen for you, and hard. Right now, her hormones are getting in the way of her playing as well as she can." "Maybe I shouldn't come to the games," Hector suggested. "Oh, no. I don't think she would understand that. Seriously, she needs to get laid. Wouldn't hurt you, either. I don't mean to offend you, but that's the way we see it." "I'm not offended, and you're probably right," Hector said quietly. "But we just can't do what you and Cheryl do. Our families are too important to us, and they wouldn't understand." "Maybe I'm assuming too much," Cal said. "Maybe you don't feel as strongly about her. I know it has only been two weeks." "Oh, I do feel strongly. I'm, uh, just as inexperienced as she is, you know." "I hope I haven't offended you, Hector. I know that Cheryl is a little worried. Maddy is the emotional leader of the team, and she is amazingly consistent. She's never anything but right at the top of her game - except the last two weeks." "Other than, uh, your suggestion, do you think there is anything else I can do to help?" Hector asked. "Well, maybe if you make sure she knows how you feel about her it will help. Maybe it's not just hormones that have her off the track. Maybe she's worried. I don't really know." "It sounds like the next game has started," Hector said. "Um, thanks for the heads up. This, uh, romance stuff can get complicated, can't it?" "You have no idea," Cal answered with a laugh. ------- When the girls left the gym after winning the match, Hector reversed roles. He raced up to Maddy, picked her off the ground in a tight embrace and swung her around. "Can we skip the party?" he asked her. "We need to have a good talk." When she looked at him with concern, he hurried to say "Oh, it's nothing bad - it's good, it's good. But we need to talk about it." Once again Claire was hosting the Saturday night party, a 'chore' she had taken to with great relish. By agreement, Maddy and Hector had the apartment to themselves. He sat on the sofa, but when she started to sit beside him, he pulled her onto his lap. She showed a little surprise, but not a word of complaint. "So, what do we need to talk about?" she asked. "Us." "Okay. What about us?" "Maddy, what do you want 'us' to be?" "We... we only met two weeks ago," she said uncertainly. "So you don't know how you feel, yet?" He had hoped to get a more positive statement from her, but it looked like he would have to be the aggressor. It just seemed strange, as hard as she played, and as much in charge of her life as she seemed to be. The thing that bothered him the most was that she might not be as smitten as he was. From the after-game greetings, he thought she liked him. When they had visited each of their parents homes, she seemed to treat his hand as a lifeline. Well, he knew how he felt, and his dad had instilled in him that the man had to take charge. He just had to risk it. "Maddy, two weeks is enough for me to know that I've found the girl I've always been looking for." "Really! How... how can you be so sure? We've only seen at other at our homes, at these parties, and at the games. And just one 'date'." "But since the plane ride, every minute I'm away from you, all I can think of was being with you again," he blurted out. "Even when you're playing football?" she teased. "Well, I manage to concentrate on the game - barely," he admitted. "I... I haven't been... been able to, very well. Cheryl's been on me a little," Maddy said softly. "I know," Hector told her. "You looked awesome to me, but Cal said you weren't as sharp as usual." "He could see that?" "He doesn't miss much, you know. So, you feel the same way about me as I feel?" "I... I went to the doctor Tuesday after the plane ride," she said, afraid to look at him. "I hope you don't think the pill is wrong, but I don't want..." "So, you're thinking about even... I mean..." that really floored him. He could feel his 'taking charge' slipping away. "You see what Cheryl and Cal have," she said, squaring her shoulders. "Well, I've lived around that for over a year. I know what we've been taught and everything, but seeing those two... it's hard to believe it's so sinful. "Cheryl works so hard, but it's like she's contented... I guess complete. And he's like he worships her. You make me feel that way." She stopped and stared into his eyes. "I know what the church says, and I know what Mama and Papa say, but my body..." at that point, she dropped her gaze and sniffled. "It's hard to think about volleyball, or homework, or anything when my body just..." embarrassment cut off whatever else she wanted to say. And he had worried that she did not feel the same way he did! There was another worry, though. If he was her first boyfriend, was it just hormones? He was sure it was much more than that for him, but what about her? Could they know in just two weeks? This may be new to him, but he could sense that she needed reassurance right then. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her as close as he could. He did not say anything, but just rocked her gently. "I haven't know Cal as long as you've known Cheryl, but I know what you mean. He just has a different attitude than all of the other guys," Hector observed. "Well, there's other reasons for that besides just Cheryl, but she's a big part of it. He'll have to tell you the other stuff." "I want to have what Cal has, too," Hector said. "I've never gotten close to any of the other players. They just seem so..." "Horny?" "I guess. Mostly childish about girls. I never liked that." "Cal told me they called you Padre, and why. How come you wanted me?" He gave a big shrug that she could feel. "First, I saw you play, and I was like in a trance. When you almost fell in my lap that time, I wanted to hug you and not let you back in the game. Except I get so excited watching the way you play, that... uh..." Maddy's sniffles were overcome by a giggle. "Cheryl says Cal gets, um, turned on when he watches her play." "I guess Cal and I have a lot in common," Hector admitted. "Will it help you concentrate to know that you're the woman I want. After two weeks, I'm falling in love with you. When I think about the future, the only thing I'm sure about is that I want you there with me." Maddy could not respond for quite a while. She was too busy delivering a slightly clumsy but unbelievable intense kiss. When she finally came up for a gasping breath. "It... it will help. I was worried that you didn't feel like I do. It won't stop what my body wants, though." "I can hardly keep from taking you in that bedroom right now," Hector said. "But we both know that would be bad for us. We need to think about our families. I probably should at least take you on a couple more dates, first," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Dates! Oh, no!" she said, feigning drama. "I don't have any dating clothes. I only own one dress and two skirts. How are you even sure I'm a girl?" "Woman," was all he said. This time, he initiated the blowtorch kiss and he let his hands explore down her back and over her hips. It took an effort of will from both of them to separate and join the party next door. ------- Chapter 51 Where is the boundary between grief and hate? Between hate and insanity? Had any professional been aware of the importance of these questions in regard to Penelope Overland, she could have been the basis of a fascinating study. The fact that no one suspected anything deeper than the difficulty of recovering from the death of a child told a lot about Penelope's makeup. Genetically and culturally, she was imbued with some very strong traits. First of all, she was undeniably intelligent. Second, her intelligence was the devious kind, adept at scheming and manipulation. Third, with one glaring exception, she was blessed with strong self-awareness and self-control. That one exception was her son, Greg. Although it was never manifested physically, Penelope was deeply, romantically, lustfully, obsessively in love with her son. His death was to her the loss of the dominant passion of her life. For all of her intelligence, her deviousness, and her ego, she was not spared the consuming, incestuous love that would never be consummated, nor even returned. When the object of that obsession was tragically removed from her, the hopelessness of her infatuation was the part that she never remembered. She was a woman whose lover had been wrongfully taken from her. The New Years eve that Greg lay naked and exposed on the floor in a drunken stupor had been the supreme test of Penelope's will power. The sight of his genitals, long a source of curiosity and fantasy, had her so aroused that she could barely refrain from kneeling in worship. She had cursed the breeding that held back. Even though it was apparent from many incidents that Greg had no respect for his mother, let alone any love, Penelope either never noticed or refused to acknowledge that fact. None of the things that she had done to spoil him did anything to improve his attitude toward her, but her devotion to him was undiminished. Greg was the quintessential alpha male, possessed of all of the looks, intelligence, athleticism, and animal magnetism expected of a 'herd bull'. Penelope knew without a doubt that it was her DNA that had produced her amazing offspring. There was nothing about her husband, Brandon, that hinted at those attributes. Of course, Penelope completely discounted the fact that her mother-in-law, Genevieve Overland, was a female version of Greg in many ways. Marrying into wealth, even while bringing along her own massive fortune, was not an easy thing for Penelope. She was the outsider, always under scrutiny. But HER son was the Overland future, and that would change everything. Penelope's ego was monumental, and everything about her life had reinforced her exalted view of herself in relation to everyone else as being realistic and perfectly justified. The worth of any human being could only be judged by their socio-economic standing, in her mind. Those with no worth deserved no consideration of any kind from her. She was a startling throwback to the royalty of feudal days. When Greg died in the crash while fleeing the police, Penelope had been sent to a treatment center. Her stability had already been in question because of her unwavering belief that her son was totally blameless in all of the things that had happened to him. Penelope knew that her true feelings, her true state of mind could never be revealed. She also knew that revenge could be purchased. As soon as she was back home and the close surveillance of her had been eased, she began accumulating a large horde of readily available funds to buy that revenge. Nothing could dissuade Penelope from her certainty that those peasant teenagers, Rebecca, Bobby, Cheryl, and Cal were the offenders and her son Greg was the innocent victim. Their actions had led directly to his death, but they had never been punished for their crimes. It was a matter of honor for her to rectify that travesty. Her life could never be right again, but revenge would help. The crafty part of her knew that she must appear to have mellowed, but in her heart and mind, that would never happen. Those four were nobodies, nobodies who had caused her treasured son harm, leading to his death. No amount of legal opinion or counseling could dent her certainty. Nobodies could not be allowed to harm the nobility in any way, and those four must be punished. They had harmed her in the most grievous way imaginable, and her life could not continue in its appointed fashion until that wrong was avenged. Penelope's cash supply had grown to $1 million by the time Cal was achieving national attention for his first college football play. It was a modest sum in the vastness of her family's fortune, but converting it from established funds, accounts, and properties without causing suspicion required the best of her guile. Having limited knowledge of the dark side, she believed that cash was the way payments for illegal services were best handled. When Penelope became aware of Cal's fame, it forced to her to move. In her mind, that was the fame that should have been Greg's. Cal had stolen it. That brought her to a difficult point. She knew what she wanted done, but she did not know how to find someone to do it. She had no doubt there would be someone willing for the right price, but who were they? How did she tell them her needs? ------- After the brief flap over Pat Clancy, things actually settled down for Cal and Cheryl. It was hard to categorize their lives as normal, even though that seemed to be what Cal longed for most. Both of them were first-string college athletes. She was a straight 'A' student, and both were on track to finish in three years. They were living together as if married. That probably did not fit anyone's definition of normal. Still, for a couple whose teen years had been punctuated by frequent danger and tension, the rest of that autumn was relative bliss. Both of them were elated over the exploding romance between their good friends and teammates Maddy and Hector. That elation was punctuated with doses of humor at times, as both of the newly lovestruck tended to act like pre-teens going through their first crush. More than amusement, though, the big reaction from all who knew Maddy and Hector was admiration. Although obviously madly in love, what they did together was always influenced by the beliefs of their families. "That's not so different from you," Cheryl pointed out to Cal when they were discussing it one evening. "Sure, we were sleeping together at a pretty young age. But with your parents, life-long commitment and monogamy are the big things." "What about when it was both you and Tessa?" he objected. "Don't you think they knew you weren't going all the way with Tessa? And don't forget the way they accepted me, even with what I was doing with Greg." "So, you're saying we respect our parents just as much as Maddy and Hector?" "They just have different expectations," she asserted. "Cal, are you feeling guilty about how we live?" "No way! I feel like the luckiest guy on campus. I wouldn't change a thing." "Maddy and Hector just have to sort things out on their own, you know." "You're right," he agreed. "And I shouldn't feel sorry for them." There was another possible romance developing. After his unexpected acceptance by the group of volleyball friends and family, Ryan had been appearing regularly. The others could tell that his guilt over his involvement with Pat weighed heavily on him, but his need for friendship brought him out anyway. At first, there was no particular connection between Ryan and Sharon, and he was probably not even considering one. Apparently, Sharon was. Being as tall as she was, the pool of males reasonably available to her was restricted. With the relationships she saw within the group, it was not surprising that she would be motivated to seek a parter. She was definitely hetero. Certainly, Ryan's initial contact with the group was anything but compelling to a potential girlfriend. Sharon, however, had not been involved in the original incident. When she met him, he seemed like a different person than the one who broke into the apartment with Pat. Following the second after-game volleyball party, Sharon pulled Cheryl aside and asked her "Why do you think Ryan comes to our games?" "I think he really needs some friends." "But what about, you know, when he came in with Pat?" "Sharon, I think that was just a case of him hooking up with the wrong friend." "Do you think that's a, um, personality defect?" Cheryl could not resist pulling her friend's chain a little. "Do you mean is it incurable? Would it make him a bad boyfriend? Is that what you mean?" The teasing did not work, and Cheryl was immediately sorry she had done it. Sharon's face fell and it looked like she was near tears. Backpedaling as fast as she could, Cheryl explained "I think Ryan just made a bad choice of friends. Even from that game that Saturday morning, Ryan did not seem like he belonged with Pat. You've met his mother, and you know how distraught they both were over the attack. Sharon, I think Ryan is a really nice guy who made a mistake. He's obviously smart and should have a bright future, too." "Well, I don't know if he's even interested in me, but I think he's nice," Sharon admitted. "I just hope he keeps coming to the games." "Tell you what," Cheryl said. "You make friends with his mom." "You mean, you think he's a mama's boy?" "No, it's not that. I think that right now he realizes that some things his mother has been saying all along should have been listened to. Right now, her advice is golden, as far as he's concerned." "So if she encourages him to ask me out, he would?" Sharon asked hopefully. "Couldn't hurt." ------- Both Cal and Cheryl had more than enough to occupy their minds as their respective seasons entered the heart of their schedules. The volleyball team was expected to win their conference, as they had quite regularly over the past several years. The football team was starting to believe that they could contend. Maddy's and Hector's mutual declarations of their feelings for each other brought her out of her temporary distraction, and by the next game, she was her usual dynamic, dominating court presence. Apparently, it had not been hormones that were the problem as much as the need for assurance and affirmation. Cheryl was greatly relieved to have her partner back at full force. The football team's next game was on the road again, the third time in four games. The opponents were perennial second or third place finishers in the conference. Cal's team had not won on their field since any of the current coaching staff had been in place. It was to be the last game in which they were able to surprise their opposition. From that point on, word of their new strength and of the ferocity of their defense would have reached all of the other schools. The game was very good for the team because they were able to achieve a resounding win without any particularly dramatic events occurring. Cal, Hector, and the rest of the defense played with their now-accustomed ferocity, and the opponents were visibly battered at the final gun. That, however, was no longer noteworthy. The seventeen-point victory margin sent a clear message to the rest of the conference that a new power had arisen. The next two football games were at home. The first was against a weaker team, and the coach was able to use it as a great teaching aid. The team won, but their play was lackluster. Playing down to the opposition is something that coaches always dread, and that dread translated to a brutal week of practice. The lesson took. The next game was against a team that usually finished above them, and it was a legitimate rout. The players showed no mercy, and neither did the fans. It would be a long time before their long-suffering supporters could be unaffected by a lop-sided win. That brought the season to its climactic point. The fifth conference game was away, at the three-time champion. The coaches had all refused to even mention that game earlier in the season, but the local press had no such restraint. It was the biggest sports news in town for a long time, and even the national sports press took notice. Cal's hit on Rory Renton and the team's surprising showing in that game had been the first thing to draw national attention. The upset win in the second game had brought further notice. Even though theirs was a lesser conference, a legitimate struggle for supremacy made for good copy. As for the team, tension was the main reaction. Most of the players had come from successful high school programs, but the upper-classmen had been through some tough years at college. They were all excited about what was happening, but their new-found confidence was still fragile. Cal and Ricky, who was also a freshman, had not lived through any of the bad years. They still expected to win, just as they always had in high school. It was not Cal's way to be the life of the locker room, and he did not naturally clown around during practice. It was Hector who sensed what was needed. "Cal, some of these guys are so tight they twang!" he said part way through Monday's drills. "We've to to do something or they won't be worth shit on Saturday." "Hey, I'm not the rah-rah type. You know that," Cal objected. "Yeah, but this stuff doesn't seem to phase you. You and me and Tank and Deke are going shopping tonight," Hector said in a voice that left no room for discussion. Tank was a guard and Deke was a blocking fullback. "Shopping? What for?" Cheryl demanded when Cal told her of Hector's ultimatum. Maddy was just as incredulous, but she was willing to come along and help, while Cheryl just had to study. As it turned out, Maddy helped out with some great ideas. They ended up spending some money and taking up most of the evening, but the four were convinced that their ideas would help at practice the next day. On the very first run-through in the offense drill the next day, the center seemed to sleep-walk through the play. Deke ran to the sideline and minced back with one limp wrist held out from his body and a spray bottle of cheap perfume in the other hand. He doused the center in the perfume to huge response from the rest of the offense. Other less-than-full-intensity efforts in both offensive and defensive drills were greeted with pink wigs, leis of fake flowers or thrown handfuls of marshmallows. One defensive back was handed a disposable camera after a receiver toasted him with the comment that as long as he would never see the guy up close, he might as well get a picture. When the quarterback threw a pass that came up short, he was handed a slingshot. A defensive end who made a leisurely charge was rushed by two teammates pushing a wheelchair. There was some positive reinforcement, as well. Stick on bulls horns, gorilla masks, a superman cape, and a boxer's robe with 'Stud' clumsily sewn on the back were awarded for exceptional plays. The whole attitude of the team turned around and the effect endured for the week. It was a loose, confident crew that boarded the plane on Friday. This was another week when the football and volleyball schedules coincided, so the two teams flew together. The opposing volleyball team was always a threat for the conference title, so the weekend was important to both squads. The opponents' local media had focused on the fact that Cal's defensive squad was a bunch of thugs. Admittedly, at least one opposing player each week had been knocked out of the game, but as a squad, they were the least penalized in the conference. Because of his hit on Renton, Cal was a natural target of the media. Because his reputation for growling had spread, Hector shared the limelight. Some enterprising photographer had snapped a 'mug-shot-like' picture of Hector that accompanied one article. Rather shamefacedly, he showed it to Maddy. She promptly had the picture laminated and wore it around her neck constantly. The coaches of both the football and volleyball teams were strong on team decorum and conduct on the road. However, on their arrival that Friday, they all had to work to restrain their glee as they looked the other way. Hector was immediately accosted by a gang of reporters shouting inane questions at him. At first confused, then angry, then amused, he suddenly assumed a gorilla pose and let loose with a growl that was louder than any he used on the field. The stunned media people fell back a step or two as Hector's teammates roared with laughter. Without a thought, Maddy jumped onto Hector's back, and he carried her down the concourse toward baggage. Several times, Maddy saw someone she thought was being disrespectful. She would point and say 'Hector! Kill!'. Obediently, he would lunge toward the designated victim and let loose with another roar. The press people were scrambling after them, getting it all on film. It must have been hard for the media to reconcile when the team arrived at baggage. Hector casually swung Maddy around to his front and held her almost like a small child. As she cuddled against him and he patted her back, he was hardly recognizable as the growling menace. Had it been anyone but Hector, always the perfectly behaved team member, the coaches might have thought discipline was necessary. After a quick conference, they decided it had been the perfect response to the media's harangue. They all knew that nothing like it would ever happen again. ------- From the opening kickoff, Cal knew that there was more than just football on the agenda that day. As soon as he had kicked off, he saw that two opponents had abandoned the wedge and were headed for him. He understood the psychological importance of intimidation and response. Ken Yokata had emphasized it over and over. He knew that his own fierce tackles were an intimidating factor and he understood that the opposing coaches had to nuetralize that intimidation somehow. That they would essentially sacrifice field position on the opening runback just to diminish him in the eyes of their players was a shock, though. His surprise at the impending attack did not last long as the years of multi-attacker training took over. First, he had to make sure that there was no threat of the return man breaking loose. Probably due to the loss of the two blockers, the return was stopped at the fifteen, so Cal was free to deal with the two who were intent on hurting him. By the time the whistle blew the play dead, the two men were into their charge at Cal. He doubted that they would have stopped, no matter what happened. He knew that these were 'sacrificial lambs' - third or fourth string players whose loss, should it occur, would have no effect on the team. Without thinking about it, Cal sensed that one man would come in high and the other low. It was important to protect his legs, so as soon as he could tell which man was going low, he stepped toward the other. To gain the expected penalty, he would have to allow contact. He just had to manage it so that he was not injured. Rather than trying to roll backwards with the blow, Cal chose to move out obliquely from the charge. He was bent over with his head lower than his waist when he took the impact. He had rolled to one side and was on his feet again almost before the man came to rest where Cal was supposed to have been. There had definitely been contact, and it was definitely after the whistle. Even if there had not been contact, the referee understood the opposition's intention, and might have thrown the flag anyway. The end result was that the opponents had to start their initial drive from their eight yard line. "Watch yourself, Hector," Cal said in the quick defensive huddle. "I'm pretty sure they'll come after you." "Bring 'em on!" Hector replied. The opposing coach had at least some restraint. He was unwilling to risk any more problems so close to their goal line, so he played it straight. So did the defense, and the opponents had to punt from their thirteen after three plays. The three straight conference championships for the opposition had not been flukes, and Cal's team knew they were up against it. They exchanged punts and the other team ended up with the ball at their own forty. Apparently thinking that they were far enough out of danger, the other coach chose that time to go after Hector. It was obvious, as two lineman who were not on the depth chart were brought in on Hector's side. On two consecutive plays, they targeted Hector and did manage to hit him hard and get him down. There was no real damage, however, until one of the subs jammed his hand through Hector's face mask and cut a gouge down the side of his cheek. The ref saw the move for the deliberate attack that it was and ejected the player, along with the penalty. Hector left the field under his own power, but blood could be seen streaming over the hand that he held to his cheek. He had removed his helmet. In the stands, Maddy showed remarkable calm in the face of her beloved's blood. There was no gasping or screaming. She simply said "They're in big trouble, now!" During the injury timeout, the defense huddled on the sideline. Before the coaches could say a word, Cal stepped up to the two lineman on the quarterback's backside. "They have third and six, so they have to pass. Can you clear a path?" When they assured him that they could, Cal turned to Hector's replacement and said "Put the fullback down, but don't get a penalty." The coaches decided that they would be wise to let the players handle the necessary revenge. Hector had become the leader of the defense. He was liked as much as he was respected, and steam could almost be seen rising from the rest of the squad. If Cal had asked them to knock down a wall, they would have given it all they had. It was his idea to knock the quarterback out of the game in retaliation for the attack on his friend. He would make sure that it was a legal hit, just a very, very hard hit. It bothered him somewhat that the quarterback was not the one who had ordered or executed the attack, but that was one of the risks of being on a team - suffering from the actions of teammates. The quarterback was the heart of their offense and a legitimate pro prospect. The play developed as if Cal had written the script. The two lineman opened a hole. The backup linebacker charged through with Cal literally on his heels and occupied the fullback, the only protection against a blitz. The defensive backfield smothered all of the receivers, causing the quarterback to take an extra count before cocking his arm to throw. Cal was in perfect position to drill the quarterback hard before he could bring his arm forward in the throw. That had been his intention all along. In the last possible instant, though, he saw the ball drawing back and he changed his plan. A possible touchdown was there for the taking. Beating up the quarterback could wait until another play. It turned out that Cal could have it both ways. When he grabbed the ball with both hands, he got the quarterback's hand as well. All it took was a quick twist and he would not throw any more that game and possibly for several others. Cal's lack of great speed was not a factor as there was no one in position to pursue him once he had wrenched the ball away. One wide receiver made a show of running him down at the goal line, but he wisely decided that one more penalty would not benefit his team at that point. Cal put the kickoff deep into the end zone, and there was no hit squad sent for him that time. Somehow, the staff had gotten Hector patched up and a face plate attached to his helmet during the time out, and he was back for the first defensive play. He did not say a thing, which was unusual for him. Instead, the others could see him almost vibrating with rage and determination. The replacement quarterback was more of a runner than a passer, and nothing could have suited Hector more. Cal already had a lot of respect for his friend, but it increased a lot during that game. Hector channeled his rage into fierce, smart, relentless play that earned him Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors. He spent more time in the opposing backfield than most of their own offensive players. He said no words the entire game, but did he ever growl! Along with eighteen tackles, he had an interception and both caused and recovered a fumble. The game turned into an absolute drubbing. The reserves were put in mid-way through the third quarter, but the beating never subsided. Of course, there was no way the coaches would try to take Hector out, injury or no, so he was still committing legal mayhem on the last play of the game. All of the antipathy of the crowd had been drained out by the beating. Hector's late-game muggings were greeted with nothing more than groans. Once more, Maddy was a surprise as she greeted her hero after the game. The were several reporters waiting outside the locker room, but he pointedly ignored them for her traditional after-game 'attack'. After he put her down, she held up the laminated picture of him. She had found a grease pen and blackened his eye. She had also put a piece of tape in the approximate location of his actual bandage. "What got you so worked up?" was the stupid question yelled out be one reporter. "First they purposely attacked Cal, then they came after me," he answered. "Well, you've hurt lots of other players," another reporter shot back. "Only as part of the game. Never just to hurt someone," Hector replied evenly. "What did you do to our quarterback?" one reporter asked Cal. With a dramatic shrug, Cal answered "I took the ball away from him." "But you hurt his hand!" "He didn't want to let go. What could I do?" Cal asked with another shrug and a grin. A female reporter had been watching Maddy and Cheryl greet their guys. "Do you two follow the team everywhere?" she asked. Maddy was quick to answer. "Oh, no! This is a real treat. We're on the volleyball team and we play at seven." It was always hard to say 'no' to Hector, and particularly that day. Thus, well over half of the football team was there to cheer the volleyball team, and they were not at all restrained. The match was competitive, but the outcome was never really in doubt as Cheryl, Maddy, Sharon, and company won in straight games. ------- Tuesday evening, after the big win, there was again a knock on the apartment door. Cal answered and was surprised to see the head basketball coach. After a few moments of social niceties, the coach got right to the point. "I've talked to your high school coach and I've been watching as you played in the park. I'd like for you to try out when practice starts. We could really use someone who can shoot like you." Cal had thought that the basketball issue was all settled. He was truly looking forward to spending the second half of the year just being a student. "I appreciate your stopping by," Cal said, but we've decided to just be students after the fall season. We're both trying to graduate in three years, and that puts a lot of pressure on." "But you're a competitor," the coach countered. "You could compete at this level. How can you turn down a chance to do that?" Cal nodded in response to the coach's statement. "How can I put this?" he said thoughtfully, then dove in. "I love basketball, but I love it when it's fast and free-flowing, when you never let up. That's, uh, not the way you coach." "But this is college ball!" the coach objected. "You can't win with racehorse ball." Cal shrugged. "Then maybe I wouldn't like playing college ball. I'm going to try for an intramural team or maybe a city league team where they play the way I like." Cal saw Cheryl standing behind the coach with a strained look on her face and he knew what he had to say in support of her. "There's another problem. I have a serious personal issue with one of your scholarship players. If he can be selected for the team, I would not be happy playing on it." The relaxation of tension in Cheryl's face told him that he had said the right thing. He had not had to make it up, either. "One of my players?" the coach asked in honest puzzlement. "Did one of them do something to you? Is this something left over from high schools days? Who is it?" "Look, regardless of him being on the team, I was not going to play, anyway. It's best that I don't say any more." The coach did not like that response, but he could see that he was not going to change Cal's mind. "Well, I'm sorry that I can't interest you. Thank you for your time." "Thank you for considering me," Cal responded as he let the man out the door. "Was that hard to do?" Cheryl asked as the coach left. "Not really. Saying the reasons convinced me that I was right." "I appreciated what you said about Pat. I, uh, hope you didn't violate the agreement not to talk about it. If the coach gets curious, it could cost Pat his scholarship," Cheryl said. "And would that bother you very much?" he asked. "It wouldn't bother me that he lost it," she answered quickly. "I don't think he deserves it. But it would bother me if it was because we did something that we agreed not to do." "Well, I thought I needed to be honest with him about the reasons I wouldn't try out." "And you really meant that about Pat?" she asked. "Absolutely. I would want to kill him every time I saw him." By that time she had her arms around his neck and was kissing him heatedly. ------- After the big win that had put the football team in position for the conference championship, a reporter in their home town had done a very nice article on Cal and Cheryl and the success of their teams. Penelope had never read the sports section since Greg stopped playing, but her daughter happened to see the article and showed it to her. Ever since Cal's initial notoriety from injuring Renton, Penelope's rage had been building. She was determined to get her revenge, but she had been unable to find a way to achieve it. She knew that she could purchase whatever she wanted, but she had no clue where to find the right people. The latest article fueled her psychosis to the point where she had to take action. None of the family's lawyers nor her personal lawyer would do. Certainly, their confidentiality would be important, but they just did not fit. Besides having to face them afterward, would they even know of anyone? One of her acquaintances at her exclusive spa was the wife of one of the nouveau riche who purportedly had not acquired all of his wealth through strictly legal means. Despite the woman's definitely declasse status, Penelope liked her and talked with her often. "Please don't be offended, Betty (how did a 'Betty' get into HER spa, anyway?), but when meeting with my lawyers, I got to thinking. If any of what I hear is true, your lawyers must be very, how should I say, creative?" Betty liked nothing more than puncturing the stuffy patrons of the place. In fact, it was one of her major recreations. "Who do you want killed, Penny?" (Penelope was all anyone was allowed to call her since 'Penny' went out with college graduation. Betty was making a point very loudly.) Betty was trying to shock her with a joke, of course, but it took one of Penelope's all-time greatest efforts of self-control to laugh it off. "Betty, don't even joke about such things! My word!" "Well, Guitterez is probably your man." "Oh, I have more than enough lawyers, thank you." But the name stuck. It was a different experience letting her own fingers do the walking, but Penelope knew instinctively that she had no choice. It was also difficult to meet with the man face-to-face. She chose a restaurant bar within a major shopping mall, thinking it the most anonymous, pleibian spot around. When she went to her favorite boutique to get some 'downscaled' clothes, the consultant's reaction was such that Penelope left and actually visited a ready-to-wear store. As she instinctively did for any occasional, Penelope had deliberated about how to dress to meet Guitterez. It was a conflict between seeming relatively anonymous and making the possibility of serious money seem credible. In her normal attire, she knew she would stand out. The more she stood out, the greater the chance of being recognized. She was a driven woman, but it had not caused her to abandoned her skills. Upon first meeting, she could tell that he was a man who recognized the signs of wealth. It was evident that he was a little puzzled. Her average-looking clothes did not square with her immaculate hair and makeup. To ease his skepticism, she moved skillfully to allow her necklace and earrings to come into clear view. "A disguise of sorts," she said by way of explanation. "Your name was mentioned as someone who could refer me to the right people." "The right people for what?" he asked. "For performing a rather specialized, out-of-the-ordinary task," was her cryptic answer. "That could cover a number of possibilities," was his equally oblique reply. "Might that be removal, relocation, or perhaps persuasion?" After a moment's consideration, she told him "Relocation, I would say." "I believe I know someone who has access to such services," he said with a smile. At that point, Penelope was out of her depth and saw no point in trying to hide that fact. "How does this work?" "You will meet no one but me. There will be one or two people between me and the people performing the task. All money will pass through me. I would prefer that you give me written requirements to pass on so that I might remain truly ignorant of what is to happen. Likewise, I do not wish to know the financial arrangements - except my own, of course. Would you care to write out your requirement now? I have paper and an envelope into which you can seal them." ------- "Viktor? Guitterez, here. I have a strange one, but I think the money will be good." "Strange? How?" "You know I make it a point not to know the details, Viktor. I have written requirements that I have not looked at, nor will I. It will be in the usual drop." ------- That first submission of requirements triggered several additional exchanges to clarify the demands and negotiate a price. An anonymous phone connection was set up so Penelope and the leader of the team could converse directly. "I don't want to wait until Thanksgiving," she insisted on the first call between the two. "It is too risky, moving four people across country from two different locations. They will all be in the right place if we just wait," the leader's accented voice answered. "I'm willing to pay any extra cost," she told him. "It's not just the money, Lady," the voice said as Penelope cringed. "The risk of being caught goes way up. Neither of us want that risk. You are paying me to do a job that is not time critical. Let me do..." "But it is time critical to me!" "The earliest we could possibly get everything organized is the the second week in November. You would only have to wait another week or so for much less risk." "I suppose you are right. But no later than that. You understand that it must be all four of them in one place or no payoff?" "Understood. I will let you know when we will carry out the snatches." ------- "Momma, Papa, I know you are not going to like what we tell you. We don't want to go behind your backs, but I cannot wait any longer. Hector and I will be married as soon as it is possible, but we are not going wait any longer to make love." It had taken everything Maddy had in her to make that statement. She and Hector had discussed the issue endlessly. She was now safe on the pills and her body was demanding fulfillment. Hector had declared again and again that he would wait as long as it took. She was the one who declared again and again that she could wait no longer. They had agreed that it was time, but they had also agreed that they would do their parents the courtesy of telling them what they were about to do. For the couple, it was a moral dilemma of the first order. As November arrived, they were absolutely certain that they would spend their lives together. By and large, they accepted their parents' religion, but when it came to sex, marriage, and contraception, their acceptance broke down. Both were virgins, and neither would have engaged in sex with anyone but their life partner. Now that they had found that partner, hormones superseded ancestral beliefs. "But Madelina," her mother complained through her shock, "what about your scholarship, your volleyball, your degree?" "I will finish my degree, Momma. We both will." "But with babies..." "There will be no babies, Momma. Not until we are ready." "Ohhhhhhh!" Momma groaned. She realized that her daughter was going to sweep the table of the Church's major moral sins. "Momma, Papa, we will marry right now if that is the only way you can live with this. But we will not have babies yet. We just cannot believe what the Church says about birth control. I would never do an abortion, but I will choose when to have my babies." "You... you would marry now?" her father asked. "You would agree to that, Hector?" "Yes, we have talked and we agree. I would rather wait until I can support us, but we need to be together now. If we have to live on little, we will do that." Momma and Papa looked at each other for a long time. Predictably, it was Momma who spoke. "Will you wait until Christmas? A Christmas wedding?" "Thanksgiving, Momma," Maddy said with a sigh. "Hector will go to a bowl game, and he will have to practice two weeks before. He might have to practice early in December. We will be in playoffs after Thanksgiving." "So you will not have a honeymoon?" Momma asked. "That is not as important as being together and pleasing you," Maddy said. Later that evening, there was a similar discussion at Hector's parents' home. When told of Maddy's parents' preference for a wedding, his mother nodded. "It would please me to obey the Church on this. We will help until you finish school, yes, Husband?" "I know of a good apartment near school," his father said. "You can work for me whenever you have time. Will you finish your degree? What if the NFL wants you?" "Dad, you are asking things we have not thought about," Hector said. "If I can make good money in the NFL, it would be hard to turn down. But Maddy wants to play all four years and we both want our degrees. It would be a hard choice. I don't know if I am good enough for the NFL." "That is very soon for a wedding," his mother complained. "It cannot be large or fancy with so little time to prepare." "Large and fancy are not important, Mrs. Cortillon," Maddy said quickly. "We will marry so we can be together and still please our parents and the Church." "Won't your mother feel cheated out of a nice wedding for her daughter?" "It will be a nice wedding. All of the people we love and respect will be there," Maddy insisted. Mrs. Cortillon had tears on her cheeks as she came over to Maddy and gave her a hug. "Yes, it will be nice, Maddy." Mr. Cortillon pulled Hector aside as the women chatted. He insisted that Hector get Maddy a proper diamond, not just the simple wedding band that he had planned on. "We are not poor, Hector. I know that you will someday pay me back. Even if you do not, I will be happy. She is a good girl and you honor us by considering our wishes." Later, as Hector took Maddy back home, they sat in the car and talked. "I'm glad we had the wedding all planned out," Maddy said, "although I did not think they would ask for it." "I know it's longer to wait," Hector said. "But then I can sleep with you every night," Maddy retorted, giving him a vigorous hug. ------- Both teams finished out the season with no more losses. The volleyball team was headed for the NCAA sub-regionals again. The football team got a bowl bid, the first in over twenty years. It was a minor bowl, to be played on December 20. That did nothing at all to diminish the team's joy and the local enthusiasm. The attendance of a team's supporters was always a major factor in bowl invitations. From the early indications, Cal's team would be a very welcome participant in the future. It seemed like everyone in town was planning to go. The bowl opponent was a major state university with barely a winning record. It would be an interesting test. The wedding of Maddy and Hector was scheduled for the Friday morning of Thanksgiving, the only day they could get the church on short notice, and they were very fortunate to get that. ------- "What do you mean you can't do it at Thanksgiving?" Penelope demanded angrily. "Two of them will be staying at school for a wedding," the leader of the kidnapping team explained. "I am willing to pay what it costs to bring them here," she insisted. "I told you before, Lady. We just will not take the risk of moving them that distance, especially across state lines. You will have to wait until they all come home for Christmas, or find someone else for the job." She knew that the man was right, and with a sigh of resignation, she agreed. ------- Chapter 52 The Friday morning after Thanksgiving was not a common time for a wedding, but with the short notice, that was the best that Maddy had been able to schedule. She wanted it to be in her parents' church, and she knew that the traditional morning time would be most acceptable to her mother. She and Hector had tried very hard to do everything to please their parents, especially hers. They would not compromise on the timing, and they would use birth control. Outside of those givens, they would be as accommodating as possible. Not that their parents knew everything that was going on. They would not have intercourse until their wedding day, but that did not mean they would be totally chaste. As the wedding date approached, Maddy began to be concerned about whether Hector would be disappointed in her body. Cheryl sensed the rising anxiety in her friend, especially when her concentration at practice began to suffer again. "OK, what's the problem now, Maddy," Cheryl demanded. "Are you getting cold feet?" "Oh, it's nothing, really. I just... it's nothing," Maddy insisted. "Hey, who do you think you're talking to, girl? This is me! Your best bud. Maybe a shrink someday. Cut the bullshit and tell me!" Maddy's lip was quivering when she was finally able to reply. "He... he's never seen me naked. I'm worried that he won't like me. I mean, I'm not gorgeous like you." Cheryl had half expected something like that, so she was able to refrain from laughing - only just. With a flash of inspiration, she asked "Wanna trade boobs?" "Whaaaat?" "I've always worried that my little ones wouldn't keep Cal interested. Yours are so much bigger." "But... but Cal doesn't care, he loves you. Anyone can see that," Maddy insisted. "Uh, huh." "Oh," Maddy breathed after a pause, realizing the point Cheryl was making about how Hector felt. "You met Tessa, right?" Cheryl asked and Maddy nodded. "Well, she'd win any 'best boobs' contest she entered. Cal went with her before we got together. Think that didn't give me a confidence problem?" "The point is," Cheryl went on, "Cal knows I'm not secure with my little ones, and he does everything he can to boost my confidence. So, what are you worried about Hector seeing?" "Well, I'm just not that sexy looking," Maddy complained. After a pause, she grinned a little and said "I guess he will like my boobs, though." "The point is, he loves YOU, Maddy. The parts that you're worried about won't bother him at all. Besides, guys are so easy to distract, you can always get their minds off of your shortcomings." The two laughed together at that. "Maddy, please don't be offended by what I'm going to say. I know you want to be a virgin at your wedding, and that's wonderful. But there's a lot of other things that you can do. If everything is going to be brand new that first night, how can you relax and enjoy your wedding? I mean, look how nervous you are already." "You're right, Cheryl. I'm really nervous about that stuff." "I don't want to go against your beliefs, but consider this: why don't you do everything but intercourse before the wedding. That will leave only one new thing to worry about." Maddy's jaw dropped and she just stared at Cheryl for the longest time. "That would be sticking to the 'letter of the law'," Cheryl explained. "Maybe that's not enough for you guys, but it's something to think about." "Wh... what all are you talking about," Maddy asked. "Well, you should spend some time naked together. You should masturbate each other. You should shower together. Maybe even oral." "Ohhhhh!" Maddy exclaimed. "What if he doesn't even try to do those things with me?" "Maddy, Maddy. Hector loves you so much, respects you so much, that he will probably go too slowly." "Yeah, I'm the one that said I couldn't wait," Maddy agreed. "So, if you want to experience those other things, if you want to be more relaxed at your wedding, you've got to take the lead. Besides, guys like their wives to be aggressive sexually." "Really?" "They're no different than us that way. How does it feel when Hector is so aroused that he can't stop kissing you, hugging you, caressing you?" "God! I about turn into a puddle! He knows that, and I think he kinda holds back." "Well, don't you think he would feel the same way if you attacked him?" "The problem is, Cheryl, we don't have anywhere we can be together like that. My little house if full of people, and even though his is bigger..." "You just say the word and Cal and I will go to the library to study." ------- Cheryl thought briefly about having Cal talk to Hector, but decided that she had better do it herself. What she had to say was not really a guy-to-guy subject. Getting a few minutes alone with Hector was the hardest part. "Maddy has a lot of concerns, Hector. She is suffering from a lack of confidence." "Why? Did I do or say something to cause that?" "No, not at all. It's just a natural thing for us girls to worry about our sex appeal." "But I love that girl so much it hurts," he protested. "Oh, I know that. Everyone knows that, believe me. She needs to know that you lust after her, too. You do, don't you?" "Cheryl! I respect Maddy. I don't want her to think..." "She needs go know that she excites you, Hector. It's no disrespect to show passion and arousal for your life mate." "I guess I never thought of it that way," he mused. "You guys would enjoy your wedding a lot more if there weren't as many new experiences to worry about that night." "We've agreed that we won't have sex before. That's a done deal." "But why not do everything but that? Would that violate your beliefs?" "I don't think she would..." "If she did, Hector, you need to go along with it. You need to let her know that you are aroused, that she excites you." "Why are you saying these things, Cheryl?" "Because you two are my great friends. I'm thrilled that you are together, and I'd like for your wedding to be the happiest day of your lives. If you're both nervous about what's coming up, it might not be as good. "I guess the main thing I wanted to say is that Maddy needs your approval. She is a lot less confident and secure than she seems, at least about her body and about sex. If she initiates something, please, PLEASE don't do anything that she could see as rejection. What you might think is being respectful, she might read the wrong way." "God! This romance stuff gets complicated," he complained. "You have no idea," Cheryl warned him. ------- Maddy had arrived first at the apartment, and she opened the door for Hector. He did not know that they would be alone, that Cheryl and Cal had gone out to study. He thought it rather strange that she stood behind the door, with just her flushed face showing. Normally, she would have greeted him with a vigorous hug and kiss, leaping into his arms to reach his face. Assuming that she must have been restraining herself because there were other people present, he walked into the room. She had closed the door before he turned around, and it was a good thing. It would not have been good for anyone outside to see him stumble from the shock of seeing her standing there naked, blushing from head to toe, even through her naturally tawny skin. The lovers just stared at each other for some indeterminate time. Maddy was almost shaking with fear for his reaction. Hector was at first too stunned to think, but somehow, Cheryl's admonish registered: "Don't do anything that she might see as rejection." "Where's my hug?" he said, holding out his arms in clear invitation. With a little squeak, she dashed the few feet between them and jumped into his arms in her usual fashion. He had gotten into the habit of holding her up by her bottom when they hugged like that, and he did it instinctively then. The sensation of holding her bare bottom for the first time almost made him drop her. It was fear of hurting her, more than anything, that made him keep a firm hold. Hector did not consider himself at all glib or smooth. In fact, he tended to be rather tongue-tied around Maddy. As they kissed, though, he came up with the perfect line, right from his heart. "Promise me?" "Huh?" "Promise you'll greet me like that every time after we're married?" That caused Maddy to shudder. She was not sure if it was a tiny orgasm or not, but she really did not care. The important thing was that he wanted to see her body. Her short legs, her muscular thighs and butt, her less-then-waspish waist, her solid shoulders - they didn't turn him off. The feeling of relief and exhilaration was enormous, and she could not hold back the sniffles and the tears. Still holding her, he walked to the couch and sat down with her still straddling him. "Did I say something wrong?" "Oh, no! God, no! I was so afraid you wouldn't like me when you saw me naked." "Oh, Honey! How could you think that? I love your body! I love every part of you!" "I... I knew that, but..." Through her stammering, a lustful look took over her face. She reached behind her to grab one of his hands and brought it to her breast. "You don't know how much I've wanted that feeling," she breathed out. "Not nearly as much as I wanted it," he retorted, his large hand caressing with the gentleness that always amazed her. "Baby, it's just awesome!" She could tell from his voice and his touch that it was no line. He meant it. Almost lost in the wonderful sensations, Hector still managed to remember the admonition from Cheryl. How could he reassure his beloved even more? He was not sure, but he knew what he very much wanted to do at that moment and he let himself go. Bending down, he used his hand to lift her breast so he could take her distended nipple in his mouth. Maddy's emotions were already cranked up to maximum gain. It had been unbelievably hard to expose herself, and her uncertainty about his reaction had almost made her ill. Then, his eager acceptance and his comment about her greeting him that way all the time had almost incapacitated her. From the first meeting, when she had almost fallen on top of him chasing an out ball, his massive strength had thrilled her. Every time he picked her up and held her like a small child, she was ready to forget vows of virginity and become a woman right on the spot. Now, feeling his mighty hands on her bare body had made that combination of strength and tenderness even more arousing. Maddy was passionate. Her emotions always ran a couple of notches higher than even most other woman. It was what made her such a force on the court and what drew people to her like a magnet. Her emotional intensity had never been as high as at the moment when Hector took her nipple into his mouth. It is not inaccurate to describe an orgasm as an emotional short circuit. That is what happened to Maddy when Hector's tongue instinctively flicked over her nipple. The accumulated sensations were just too much and she erupted into a climax far stronger than any she had been able to give herself. Emitting a combination squeal and groan, her body jerked and heaved in his arms. Her ecstasy seemed to go on and on, and when it finally subsided, she was left trembling, panting, and sweaty. She was embarrassed, and had just enough strength to bury her face in his neck and shoulder, terrified of what he must think of her. They had done some pretty heavy petting, but always over clothes, and they had never come close to getting each other off. His shock was at least equal to her embarrassment, but that was not his only reaction. He had hardened the moment he saw her standing naked, and holding her bare body had only increased his excitement. As she convulsed in orgasm, her crotch had bounced rhythmically against his upright erection. Somehow, he had held off from losing it right then. When she subsided, he relaxed, thinking he had avoided soiling his shorts. In her embarrassment, Maddy did not just hide her face. She tried to crawl right inside Hector. In doing so, her little wiggles and squirms caught him unprepared, and he erupted. He did not just sit still and spurt. Instead, his whole body lurched with the force of each jet, and he could not stifle the accompanying grunts. By the third spurt, Maddy was fully aware of what was happening and her own embarrassment was washed away by a tide of wonder and excitement. She pulled her head back and watched his face as he finished. Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, she just stared at him until he finally opened his tightly-closed eyes. Then, she broke into an ear-to-ear grin, backed off of his lap, grabbed his hand, and tried to pull him to his feet. Hector was no more ready for the force of his orgasm than Maddy had been for hers, and standing was momentarily impossible. "Come on! We need to shower!" she urged, all the while, tugging on his arm. For a few seconds, he wanted to shake off her insistent pull and catch his breath. Then, when he was seeing more clearly, he was ready to do anything she wanted. The sight of her child-like excitement and what her impatient bouncing did to her very un-child-like breasts cleared the fog from his brain in a hurry. It was no mystery to Hector how Maddy could dominate the volleyball court the way she did. At that moment, he was perfectly willing to be led, particularly because the view of her flexing leg and butt muscles as she pulled him along was so enticing. He should have been mortified by the way he had lost it, but in the face of her reaction, how could he be? Seeing her happy, alive, and excited had always thrilled him, but now, naked and sexually aroused, she was the most wonderful sight he could imagine. In the modest bathroom, she wasted no time getting at the object of her lust. She was unfastening his pants before they were through the door. Somehow, she had enough restraint to wait for him to kick off his shoes. She also let him get the pants completely off before attending to his messy shorts. He was about to take off the shorts himself when she came out of her frenzy and said "Wait! Wear them into the shower and rinse them out. We'll put them in the dryer later." Rather than spoiling the mood, her little casual attention to something embarrassing but necessary just endeared her to him even more. Once in the shower, she did not wait long before removing his shorts. He just knew that she needed to do it and did not try to stop her. After pulling them down, she remained on her knees in the small space. She took his once again rigid cock in both hands and just explored its shape and its texture. When her exploration had gone on for a few minutes, Hector became concerned that he might come again. "Maddy, if you keep that up, I'll lose it again," he warned. "Tell me how to make it happen," was her response. She did not need much instruction, and it did not take long before he came all over her face and her hair. When he regained his breath, he told her "Let me wash you, then let's get on the bed. I owe you." Cal and Cheryl stayed at the library until eleven, well beyond when Maddy and Hector had planned to leave. They thought it would be best not to meet their friends after their first exploratory session. They had made arrangements to check in with Claire and Bert, even if it was late. Perhaps deviously, they had not told Maddy and Hector how well sound traveled from the apartment's spare bedroom to the house. When Claire opened the connecting door to Cheryl's knock, Cheryl started laughing so hard she had to sit down. Trying to look stern, Claire said "Someday, girly, you will want to brag about that well-fucked look, too. It won't always be an everyday occurrence, you know." "I suppose Bert was in no shape to open the door," Cheryl chortled. "Honey, right now, Bert can't even open his eyes. Would you believe twice?" "So, Maddy and Hector seemed to do all right?" Cheryl queried. "It was sexy as hell," Claire responded. "The only problem was, sometimes it was so sweet it almost made us cry. They are just the nicest kids." ------- Five more times in the weeks before the wedding Cheryl and Cal surrendered the apartment to their friends. Cheryl made it a point not to ask Maddy anything about their sessions. She knew that Maddy was somewhat conflicted about their activities. One night, Maddy was back at the apartment waiting when they returned from the library, Hector having taken her home and gone on to his place. Cal was aware enough to decide that he should go get gas and pick up some groceries. "Cheryl, thank you so much for talking me into this. You were right," Maddy said. "The only problem is that it's even harder to wait for, you know. But it's worth it. I thought we were in love before, but I... I didn't know it could be this wonderful!" Hugging her friend, Cheryl said "And believe it or not, it keeps getting better the more things you go through together." "Why don't you and Cal just get married? It doesn't seem like money would be a problem." That was something that Cheryl had honestly not considered. "Oh. That's... that's an interesting question, Maddy. I guess with med school coming up and everything, we just have a lot of things that might keep us apart." "But you'll never really be apart, will you? I mean you'll for sure be married someday, won't you?" Maddy asked. "You're just like me and Hector." "Yeah, we'll be together. You know, Cal could end up as an NFL kicker," Cheryl mused. "He doesn't seem to like that idea right now, but that could change. If he was on a pro team and I was in med school, it could be a long time between when we saw each other." "Would it be any easier because you weren't actually married?" Maddy asked. "You're just trying to make an honest woman out of me, aren't you?" Cheryl teased, trying to change the subject. It was a subject that disturbed her. The next day at practice, Cheryl suffered one of her rare off days. Her concentration just wasn't quite there. Maddy's question about marriage had cost her a restless night and opened up a number of other questions. Up until then, there had always been an exciting next step to look forward to in her relationship with Cal. Her first year at college, it had not really been an exciting step, rather something to get through. Still, there had been something romantic about enduring until the separation ended. And she had endured. Living with Cal full time had definitely been exciting. It occurred to her that she had been enjoying her present life so much that the future had just been a glowing something up ahead. Maddy's suggestion had laid bare a lot of questions. Where would she go to med school? Would Cal finish in three years? Would he follow her? Could he make it in the NFL as a kicker? Would he stay and finish his degree? After living with him for two years, how would she stand whatever separation there was? Would getting married make anything easier? Harder? "Cheryl, I hope I wasn't the one who put you in this funk," Maddy said as they dressed side by side in the locker room. "Well, your question about getting married brought up a lot of other questions," Cheryl admitted, "but don't feel bad. It was something we should be thinking about. Say, the NFL is kind of a threat to you guys, too, isn't it?" "I don't think so," Maddy said. "We've talked about it a lot. You know, in both of our families, a college degree is a rare thing. With what our parents have done, even helping us live as a couple until we graduate, he doesn't think he could live with himself if he left school early." "Yeah, but we're talking some serious money they might wave at him. That could pay back a lot of things for your parents." "Believe me, we've gone around and around on that. He doesn't think he's good enough to be drafted very high, if at all. That means the money will be good, but not awesome." "Maddy, he's almost leading the nation in tackles!" "I don't know what's going to happen, Cheryl, and we've agreed not to waste energy worrying about it right now. The only sure thing is that we'll be together, whatever happens. You know, if you graduate early, it won't be as much fun for me to play a fourth year." "That's crazy, Maddy. Coach is getting better recruits every year. Who knows? Even next year, I might not get much playing time. I'm the shortest hitter in the conference, you know. There'll be plenty of great hitters for you to set for. Sharon, for instance." "Yeah, she's really improving, isn't she." That was the perfect bail out for an uncomfortable conversation. ------- "Cal, Honey, I've been thinking." They were lying in bed in their favorite face-to-face position with her leg over his thigh. "Maybe you should rethink basketball." "Huh?" "Maybe I'm being silly, but ever since I've known you, you've always been on a team. Well, not for a few months in the spring, I guess. Selfishly, I'll miss being able to watch you play." "But you know I don't like the style they play." "Maybe because you associate it with Hall. His style was extreme and mindless. These guys do fast break sometimes, you know." "Why are changing your mind? Don't want me around all the time?" he teased. "That's part of it," she said, poking him in the ribs in response to his tease. "The main thing is what the coach said. You're a competitor. I'm afraid you won't be happy knowing there are guys out there screwing up something you could do much better." "Boy, it's great knowing who my biggest fan is," he said before kissing her soundly. "What about Pat." "I've changed my mind on that. The best revenge is to beat him out of a job." "I don't know," he demurred. "He's got four inches and a lot of speed on me." "But you can make the team better. I'll bet he just plays for himself. The coach must have seen that already if practice has started." "What about our goal of just being normal students?" he asked. "I guess the best 'normal' for me is watching my lover play," she answered seriously. "And the best 'normal' for you is always competing in something." "I don't know, Cheryl. I think I would just get frustrated not being able to run enough." "Let's look at it analytically," she said. "What is you biggest strength in basketball?" "Shooting, I guess." "Guess nothing. One thing I remembered from Coach Hall was that you could have scored fifty points a game because his offense depended on accurate outside shooting. The coach here knows he needs that, too. You could make a difference. You could help make the team better. Will you at least think about it?" "We will be in a bowl game between Christmas and New Years, so it's a moot point until then. I'll think about it, though." ------- Cheryl's funk did not last long. What really brought her out of it was all of the wedding preparation. Cal just watched in amazement as a Cheryl that he had not really seen before emerged. At times, when involved with Maddy in planning or fittings, they were both as giddy as little girls. At other times, when she watched Maddy and Hector together, she went starry-eyed and mushy. In a call home, Cal mentioned Cheryl's behavior to Elaine. "And just why are you surprised?" Elaine asked with a chuckle. "Didn't she get pretty much the same way for Robin's wedding?" "Well, yeah. But, I guess I just didn't notice it as much," Cal answered. "With Maddy's wedding, she's right in the middle of it," Elaine pointed out. "It's completely normal, Honey. Weddings always affect women that way." "Oh, I'm not complaining," Cal said hurriedly. "It makes her even more, um, affectionate." "Horny, you mean, don't you?" Elaine said with a giggle. "Say, Hon, have you planned anything special for you two after the wedding?" "Huh? No, I never thought of that," he admitted. "It's not that you need to score points with her, or anything," Elaine told him, "but it never hurts to take advantage of a romantic occasion. Her life has been just as hectic as yours, lately." "Worse," he opined. "Her class load is unbelievable, and she'll never settle for anything less than an 'A'." "All the more reason for something special. How about a fancy hotel suite for a couple of nights? You know, en suite jacuzzi, the whole bit?" "Great idea. Thanks, Mom!" ------- The wedding schedule actually worked out very well for the volleyball coach. With the sub-regionals the following week, she wanted all of the girls to stay at school for practice. Because they all wanted to be at Maddy's wedding, it made the sacrifice of a trip home much easier. When Robin heard that the whole team would be in town, she got busy. Bud's parents had a big place and not much family around. It did not take long to convince Bud's mother to do a Thanksgiving dinner for the whole team. Of course Claire quickly enlisted herself as a helper, as well. Maddy's mother was quite distressed when Maddy said she wanted to be with her teammates, especially the day before her wedding. It did not take long to work out a solution, though, by staggering the meal times. Everyone ended up reasonably happy. The traditional bachelor party for the groom was held the Sunday night before Thanksgiving because many of the football team would be heading home as early as Tuesday. There were six of Hector's closest friends on the team who would be staying, and a few who lived in town, as well. Maddy did not have a bachelorette party. When she had mentioned it once to her mother, the negative reaction was just too strong. Hector's party was different - an established tradition, but there was no such tradition for the bride, at least in her mother's mind. It was a small concession, given their determination to honor their parents desires as much as possible. In that vein, Hector disappointed his teammates by the restrictions he put on the activities at his party. They, of course, knew of his moral stand, having given him the nickname 'Padre'. Those who bothered to stay for the wedding were more than happy to honor his wishes. ------- Thanksgiving at Genevieve's mansion was an Overland tradition. A week before the day, however, Penelope announced that she was staying home. Everyone in the extended family, which was not large, understood Penelope's grief, and those who were closest knew how deep her love for her deceased son had been. Only Genevieve understood it for the obsession that it truly was. It was not just Penelope's inability to generate anything resembling thankfulness that kept her at home. She was intelligent enough to understand that her growing hatred of the four young people she blamed for Greg's death made it difficult for her to act appropriately in any social situation. On top of the hatred was the frustration of having to wait for the revenge that she was convinced was her due. When she had first conceived her plan, she had anticipated that the two couples would quickly be 'apprehended' and brought to her. Almost daily, she considered calling off the plan and trying another approach. Her intelligence would always kick in enough to reason out that there really was no workable alternative that would satisfy her. One effect of the enforced delay in the implementation of Penelope's plan was the intensification of her obsession. Such a delay could very well have allowed some rationality to intrude, but it her case, just the opposite occurred. Her obsession for her son had simply been re-directed into another direction. After the traditional feast that had been somewhat dampened by Penelope's absence, Genevieve summoned her son Brandon into her study. "Do you think Penelope needss more help?" she asked, meaning psychiatric help. "I don't know when things are supposed to get better," Brandon answered with a sigh. "She does need help, but what can I do? There has been nothing that I could use to have her committed. "I might as well not have a wife," he admitted. "She acts quite normal when there are people around, but when we are alone... Actually, we aren't even alone very often. Any attempt to be comforting is just ignored." "Do you still see it as grief that has not been dealt with?" Genevieve asked. "I supposed there is a lot of grief," Brandon responded, "but the main problem is distractions, a kind of detachment. And anger - she flares up at the smallest things." "How about her schedule? Is she involved in all of her usual activities?" The discussion went on for several more minutes before Genevieve sent her son off with some unusually warm encouragement. Not at all encouraged by what she had heard, Genevieve scheduled an appointment with two of the panel of psychiatrists who had worked with Penelope before Greg's death. She relayed what she had learned from Brandon, plus her own observations. She had considered having a talk with Penelope, but she was not at all optimistic that Penelope would reveal anything important to her. The mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship was no worse than average. That is, it was quite normal until Penelope learned that Genevieve had hired Cheryl. One of the psychiatrists asked Genevieve to meet privately and expressed her opinion that Penelope might be fixated on revenge. That was disturbing to Genevieve because it echoed a fear that had been troubling her for some time. She was obviously concerned about the effect of Penelope's problems on the family's image. In addition, though, she had to admit to some concern about Cal and Cheryl. Through her dealings with the two young people, she had developed quite a respect for them. The next day, she would call her investigative agency. There were a lot of things she needed to know. ------- In one way, having to stay at school for practice was a relief for Cheryl. The wedding provided excellent distractive therapy, as well. She knew that Thanksgiving at her home would be a solemn affair if it was observed at all. Hal was still living at the house. Moving out was an admission of the situation that he was unwilling or unable to make, even though the papers had been served. Darlene could not bring herself to take the legal action necessary to force him to move. He was using Cheryl's old room, but the rest of the family hardly saw him. Even so, his presence emphasized how bad things were and cast a pall over everything that happened. Cheryl ached for her family and the trauma that they were living through. In the heart of the volleyball season, though, after much encouragement from Cal and several phone sessions with Julia, she had gotten to the place where she could isolate herself from the breakup enough to focus on the essential things at school. Darlene understood and constantly admonished Cheryl not to be distracted by the mess. Easier said than done, but her mental toughness had allowed Cheryl to cope. From the earliest days of her relationship with Cal, he had been Cheryl's emotional anchor. In the midst of her 'contract' as Greg's girlfriend, at a time before Darlene's metamorphosis, when there was no family support, Cheryl had come to rely on Cal as her rock. His role had only deepened as she struggled to maintain her insane schedule at school while her family crumbled. Not that she was in any way a weak or dependent person. Far from it. Sharing hurts and providing support were just the things that true mates did for each other. Maddy's question about Cheryl and Cal marrying had made Cheryl realize that their lives were already more interlinked than those of many married couples. ------- Cal had a ball at the wedding. He took great delight in surprising some of the attendees with his Spanish, and he earned a lot of good will. Most of the men, at least, knew who he was, but he had to compete for attention with several other players, a few quite well known. A few times, he did reflect on how little recognition the volleyball players received, but there was really nothing he could do about that. He knew them all, of course, and he made an effort to spend some time with each of them. Watching Maddy and Hector, he had to think that they represented what weddings were supposed to be about. At the few weddings he had attended, the bride was always... glowing. But Maddy! She was radiant... incandescent. Cal liked to think that his and Cheryl's small sacrifice of some evenings at the library had helped to make this a joyous, rather than a stressful ceremony for Maddy. She certainly was not showing any stress as she circulated among the guests. Of course, a lot of Cal's attention was on Cheryl, and she was only marginally less radiant than Maddy. He loved her in shorts and tee, or even less. With hair and face done up and wearing the flattering bridesmaid dress, he was reminded how fortunate he was. He could easily have loved her just for her personality and her brain. It was a wonderful bonus that she was so attractive and sexy, as well. Knowing her as well as he did, he could detect one small gap in her overall ebullient mood. There was occasionally a bit of wistfulness, perhaps longing, in her expression. Remembering the conversation with his mother, he wondered if his lover was wishing for her own wedding. It was a subject they had not really talked about. They knew they would marry, but particularly with med school looming for her, it was always something for the rather distant future. He decided it was a subject that they should talk about later. Cal had a little trouble dancing with Cheryl as many times as he would have liked. His teammates had apparently been waiting for their chance and were not bashful about taking it. That was not all bad, though, as it gave him a chance to further impress her teammates and Maddy and Hector's relatives with his dancing skills. He made a mental note to thank Ken and Ismi for making him learn all those years ago. When he did dance with Cheryl, he was amazed at how she carried on about how romantic everything was. She was in an intriguing mood that was unusual for her. As if Maddy and Hector weren't enough stimulation for her, Randy had come to the wedding, and he and Sharon seemed to dance every number. Cheryl ooohed and aaahed and giggled about how close their friends were dancing. The volleyball coach had scheduled practices for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Thanksgiving weekend. The Friday practice was set for late afternoon to give the wedding attendees plenty of time. In typical Maddy fashion, the coach had to forbid her to come to the Friday practice. There was no way to keep her away for Saturday and Sunday, however, nor did the coach try very hard to convince her. The fact that she was denied a true honeymoon made no difference at all to Maddy. She was so thrilled at the prospect of being able to live like Cheryl, enjoying all of the privileges of married life, that even the wedding ceremony was primarily done for the benefit of the parents. Hector did not try to influence Maddy in any way regarding the team. Without her fierce competitive spirit and the dedication to 'her' team, she would not be the Maddy he loved. Had the football bowl game been closer, he might have been in the same situation and he knew he would have made the same decision. Cal's plan was complicated by the afternoon practice, which he could not reasonably ask Cheryl to skip. It would have been perfect to leave right from the church, but he had to adjust. Fortunately, Cal had a more than eager accomplice in Claire. While Cheryl was at practice, where Cal had dropped her off, Claire helped prepare a bag with clothes and necessities plus a hanger with a new, nice dress. Knowing Cheryl, he included her book bag, just to fend off any serious objections. He also needed Claire's connections to get some late hour service. His goal had been to emulate the wedding couple's romantic weekend, but his plan suffered the same limitations as Maddy's. In addition, Cheryl considered the weekend a perfect chance to get ahead on her studies. He had to balance his desire to give her something special while still respecting the discipline and determination that he admired so much. Having the books along gave her the choice. He was hoping that she would opt to leave them alone at least until Sunday. Just to make sure that no caution on Cheryl's part sidetracked the plan, Cal enlisted Sharon's help. Her job was simple but important. When Cheryl walked out of the gym, looking for Cal's car, she instead saw a limo at the curb with the female driver holding a sing that said 'Cheryl Carson'. Sharon was right there to assure Cheryl that it was legit and that she should go along. Cheryl was not a genius for nothing, and it did not take long for her to figure out that Cal had something planned. Her slight irritation at being caught by surprise lasted only a moment, and by the time she entered the limo, she was grinning. The driver would not reveal their destination, but it was no shock to Cheryl when they pulled up at the same salon where she had had her hair done for the wedding. No hairdo can survive a tough practice session, so the wash and set were very welcome. What came afterward caught Cheryl completely off guard. Claire had been courageous, taking one of Cheryl's two nice dresses to a boutique and matching the fit as closely as possible. Again matching sizes, she had gone to Victoria's secret for lingerie and a sleep teddy. New shoes would not have been a good idea after a long day of wedding and practice, but Claire had gotten Cheryl's best low heels conditioned to look like new. Cal had chipped in with some new jewelry. All of her outfit had been brought to the salon while she practiced, and the operator was more than happy to spring the surprise on her. Fortunately, the dress fit perfectly. Cal had been waiting in the limo for the call from the operator. Though it was not really his style, he hammed it up a bit as he met Cheryl at the door of the salon and escorted her to the limo, dressed in his own best finery. Cheryl was more than willing to just go along and enjoy the experience. She quickly realized that Cal had sensed her excitement about the wedding and was responding in the best way that he could. It probably was not possible for her to love him any more deeply, but his thoughtfulness certainly did not hurt their relationship. Dinner she had expected, but when they arrived at the same hotel where Maddy and Hector were staying and checked in, she showed a bit of concern. When assured that he had her books, she looked a bit ashamed, but still relieved. As usual after practice, she was very hungry, so they went right to the hotel's best dining room without going to the room. Her hunger did not prevent her from enjoying the ambience and the special occasion, though. It pleased Cal that she did not ask why he was doing the outing. Their relationship had matured to the point where she understood his reasons without asking. Nothing prevented her from thanking him profusely. They had finished the main course and were deliberating on dessert when a female sports reporter from the local paper came up to their table. This reporter had made several mentions of Cheryl and Maddy and the volleyball team previously, and had written quite a bit about Cal and Hector and the fearsome defense. She had also appeared briefly at the wedding reception. "I see you've chosen the same hotel as your newlywed friends," the reporter said after unnecessarily introducing herself. "Does this mean you're planning to follow them down the aisle soon?" She said it gently with a smile, so they did not take it as a sarcastic question. "Oh, that will happen," Cal answered quickly. "We just haven't talked about when. Cheryl has a lot of big plans ahead of her." Shifting gears quickly, the reporter asked "Mr. Banner, how do you feel about the bowl matchup? Are you disappointed that you will not get to face a stronger team?" Standing up and gently grasping the woman's elbow, Cal turned her and led her a few feet away. "Look," he said, "I appreciate the nice things you have written about me and the team. Tonight, though, is for Cheryl. If you want to talk about Maddy and Hector, or about Cheryl and I as a couple, that's fine. Cheryl puts just as much into her team as I do, but they get zero recognition. She is a straight 'A' pre-med student, and will finish in three years. Can tonight be about her, please? No football talk?" The reporter smiled a little sadly, but she agreed. She spent a few more minutes asking about Cheryl's plans, their high school experience, their relationship with Maddy and Hector, and several other personal details. "Cheryl, from what I can find out, you are the shortest hitter in the conference, and possibly in all of Division I volleyball. How do you compensate for that." "I guess I am blessed with good jumping ability. The biggest thing I try to do is hit quickly, not taking a long windup. I also try to disguise where the ball is going. You know, the secret to being a good hitter is having a great setter. Maddy is the best, and she and I have really good timing together. Say, you're not going to bother Maddy and Hector here at the hotel, are you?" "Oh, no! I wouldn't do that. Believe it or not, I came here to have dinner. I just saw you eating and I couldn't resist. I need to get back to dessert." "I appreciate that," Cheryl said. "For your information, Maddy will be at practice tomorrow afternoon." After dancing at the reception and going through practice, Cheryl had no desire for more dancing, as Cal had expected. He was glad, because he wanted to surprise her with the luxurious suite. He succeeded. For a few minutes, she just wandered around checking everything out. Then she kissed him soundly, holding the kiss as she began pulling off his coat, then removing his tie. He quickly picked up the mood, finding the zipper down the back of her dress. From that point, it was not all graceful, but it was all fun and erotic. They did take time to hang up their good clothes when they were done. Naked, Cheryl wanted to get right to a blow job, but Cal insisted on starting to fill the Jacuzzi first. He really did not want to come yet, preferring to save his shots for what he hoped would be a night filled with lovemaking. Cheryl had other ideas, though. As he bent over to test the incoming water temperature, she reached between his legs from behind and fondled his balls. She did not resist, but let go when he tried to turn around. The look of combined lust and mischief on her face was unmistakable. Reaching between her legs, he found her already moist. "Romantic things do that to me," she explained. "What you gonna do about it?" The tub had a wide edge. Pulling her along with him, he backed up to sit on the edge. This put his face just above her crotch, and he bent over to begin licking her. She had other ideas. Instead, she hugged herself tightly to him and straddled him, her feet in the filling tub. Seeing her struggling to find the proper leverage to get him into her, he got his hands under her bottom and raised her enough to allow entry. Once he was fully inserted, she had the same leverage problem and was unable to move herself up and down. Grabbing her hips, he started moving her back and forth. This gave both of them wonderful feelings. With her legs spread, though, the friction was less than usual. It was the kind of pleasure they could enjoy as long as their strength held without building to orgasm. After several minutes of stimulation, Cal moved a hand to her crotch to work her clit. "Let's get in the tub," she said softly. "It's full." She was leaning back against his chest as they sat in the tub when he turned on the jets. He had the thought that the tub was designed for just what he had in mind, for there were several jets on the bottom surface. Moving forward several inches, he was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath followed by a long moan as the force of a jet hit her directly on her pussy. She did not try to move away from the jet as he slipped a hand to her crotch and with the other began teasing a nipple. As he found her clit and began circling it, he could feel her arousal building already as her little twitches, jerks, and gasps started. Nibbling on her ear always got a reaction from her, so he added that stimulation. In repose, in intense competition, interacting happily with friends, in the throes of orgasm: Cal would be hard-pressed to decide which view of her he treasured the most. At the moment, she was definitely heading for a climax, and that was the view he was determined to enjoy. The pounding of the water jet against her crotch, the finger circling faster and faster around and over her clit, the borderline pain from the pinching and pulling on her nipple, the automatic shivers from the nibbling on her ear, the comforting feel of his taut body surrounding her, the sumptuous surroundings - it was an irresistible combination. To a woman with absolutely no wish to resist, it was a certain prescription for a rapid, crashing climax. Cheryl tended to stiffen and try to straighten her back and her legs when she came. It was such a strong one that there was no way he could keep her pussy pressed down over the jet. He concentrated on her clit, wanting to keep up the stimulation for just the right length of time. He used his other arm to support her as she arched up off of the floor of the tub, the pinching of her nipple no longer needed once she went over the edge. For many seconds, she jerked and heaved. When it was finally over, she collapsed against him and panted hard, too out of breath and too weak to snuggle, murmur endearments, or do anything else but try to regain control of her body. Finally, she was able to exclaim "Wow! That was fast! And strong - for a first one." "I think you've been building up to that all day," he said, both arms wrapped tightly around her. "Hmmm." Was the her only response, having exhausted her breath with the previous exclamation. After five minutes or so of silent cuddling, she had recovered. Without saying a word, she got up on her knees with her arms on the tub edge and her ass above the waterline, pointed at him. It was an obvious invitation that he could not possibly refuse. Seeing and feeling her in orgasm was guaranteed to get him to maximum arousal. During the few minutes of her recovery, holding her close was enough to keep him from softening completely. Her current pose and the smoldering look she threw him back over her shoulder got him back to full hardness in nothing flat. Because of her interest in psychology and psychiatry, perhaps Cheryl knew about the effect of a woman's body language and facial expressions on a man. At that time, however, it was just instinct, the natural behavior of a very horny woman, without thought or planning. The effect on Cal did not require any thought or planning on his part, either. Ordinarily, Cal would have made sure that she came again when he was inside of her. Because they were already so in tune as lovers, though, he could sense that she did not want him to worry about her, except for giving her a vigorous pounding. He did just that. It was one of those special times when he did not shrink after he came. It always took a great deal of willpower to keep going because of tenderness, and the pain was almost enough to cause him to wilt. He had done if before, though, and he just kept on thrusting. Before long, new blood was flowing to his erection, the tenderness diminished, and he was in the wonderful zone where he felt like he could go on forever. Her body was in control of his 'forever', though. It took several minutes, but she was driven over the edge into another orgasm. He could not remember a time when the rippling and spasming over her vaginal muscles did not carry him along, and this was no exception. Cal had barely enough strength to reach the hot water tap to warm the tub and to help her back down into the water. They sat cuddling silently for a few more minutes until she told him "Any more of that and I won't be worth shit in practice tomorrow. Let's get out and cuddle in bed. It's been a long day." ------- Chapter 53 Cal had told Hector that they would be at the same hotel, leaving it up to the groom if they wanted to get together. Hector mentioned the fact to Maddy when they managed to get out of bed mid-morning on Saturday, and she immediately got on the phone to Cheryl. The four ended up sharing a large brunch, giving the girls time to recover before heading for practice. Having discussed it beforehand, Cheryl and Cal made no remarks about the newlyweds' first night, nor did they ask any questions. There were plenty of other things to talk about. The mood for the entire meal was so upbeat that just before they stood to leave, Cal said "Isn't it great to know you've found the right person for you?" Cheryl almost attacked him right there, and she forgot all about being sore for practice when they got back to the room. After a vigorous interlude, she said "I'm not even going to shower. I hope the girls can all tell what I was doing from the smell." Cal had arranged for Claire and Bert to drop his car by when it was time for the girls to go to practice. Naturally, the guys went with the girls, planning to watch practice for a few minutes, then work out. As might be expected, the team was all set to give Maddy the hazing of her life. The only problem was that she was bulletproof. The most inventive gibes did nothing but widen her smile, and the attempts died down very quickly. Seeing Hector's bulky frame watching from the stands at first probably dampened the would-be tormentors' enthusiasm a bit, as well. Cheryl was her usual intense, aggressive self. Maddy was a dynamo, even more active and vocal than usual. The team was excited about the tournament, but more than a little upset at the seedings. Being undefeated, having beaten some very good teams, and ranked twelfth nationally, they felt they should have headed one of the sub-regionals. Instead, they were in the same grouping as the number three ranked team, and had to play at that team's gym. That happened to be the one team from whom Maddy had received a scholarship offer. They were rather notorious, even within the heavily lesbian women's athletic world. Their hitters were tall and muscular, and the entire team was mouthy and vulgar. Maddy would never have fit in there. Actually, the slight in the seedings gave the coach the extra incentive that is often so valuable in preparing a team. The 'we'll show them' attitude guaranteed that no one's mind wandered from the drills, even Maddy's. Cal and Hector worked out without a lot of conversation. At one point, Cal did ask "No regrets?" "Not even close!" Hector answered emphatically. "Waking up with your lover is unbelievable. I'll never get tired of it." "No argument here. Going to bed with her's not too bad, either, huh?" It was the closest thing to suggestive that was said the whole weekend. Cal was berating himself that he had not made arrangements for another wash and set for Cheryl. She did not seem to mind, though, and they chatted lightly as he watched her work on her hair. As with most athlete's, she had chosen a style that was easy to maintain through all of her showers. They both dressed up again, and this time Maddy and Hector joined them in walking to a nearby nice restaurant. "I can't believe you're giving up your scarce honeymoon time to eat with us," Cheryl teased her friend. "We look at the rest of our lives as our honeymoon," Maddy came back quickly. What can you say to that? On the way up their room afterward, Cal sensed a bit of tension in Cheryl, but he did not try to ask about it. He was certain that he would find out before too long. Sure enough, in the afterglow of a tender and lengthy session, they were lying in their preferred face-to-face position with their bodies pressed together and their limbs entwined. "Have I got you in a good mood?" she asked. "So, I'm going to find out what's been bugging you since dinner, huh?" "Um, yeah. Promise to listen and not get upset, OK?" "OK." "I talked to the basketball coach last week," she told him. "You're going to try out?" he asked in amazement. "No, silly! The men's basketball coach. He still wants you." "Why is this so important to you?" he asked, not upset, but more than a little puzzled. "Look, don't take this as criticism, please, but you haven't found anything that makes you want to go for it, as far as a career, right? You could work for your dad, like Pete is doing. You've got the brains to be a lawyer if you decided to. Maybe an MBA? None of those things have really gotten you excited, have they?" "I thought it took a lot of years to get to be a shrink." "Funny. Honey, you could do one thing that only a small, small segment of the population could do," she told him. "And that is?" "Be an NFL player. You could have a fifteen year career and make enough money to do anything else you wanted." "I could only be a kicker. Too slow for a DB." "So? Have you looked at pro kickers' salaries? Tell me what other job you could get right out of school that pays like that and let's you compete." "Hmmm." "I know, you don't want to go through all of that time and work to just get in on kicking plays. But think of the hourly pay rate? No, forget the pay rate. The important thing is that sports is where you belong. Competition is the one thing that always gets you interested." "You're talking football, now, but you started talking about basketball," he pointed out. "It's competition - competition where you could excel. Someday, I can see you as and NFL coach, or maybe an NBA coach. I think the more high-level competition you can be involved in, the better will be your resume when you want one of those coaching jobs," she said earnestly. "Hmmm," was once again his only reply. "Now, here's where you might get mad at me," she warned. "If not for football, would you really see any reason to be here at school?" "You forgot the number one reason - you," he said, thinking he had scored a point. "I knew that, and it just proves my argument," she proclaimed. "I don't see my man as the kind who just follows his girlfriend around." "Ouch!" he exclaimed. "If I didn't love you so damn much, I WOULD get mad right about now." Just in case, she was fondling his cock, hoping to drain off any anger that way. "So you think I should work toward a career in sports because competition is the only thing I really get excited about?" "Can you tell me I'm wrong?" she challenged. "Actually, I can barely think with you doing that," he said, trying to deflect the seriousness of the conversation. After a lengthy pause, he said and admitted "No, I can't say you're wrong. "The problem is, competition has always been for enjoyment. I don't know if getting serious about it as a career would spoil the enjoyment," he complained. "Face it. You will have to get serious about something within a couple of years. Like I said before, I can see you as a trial lawyer, maybe a DA. That's competitive. I can see you as a cop or a soldier because it meets your need for significance," she explained. "Significance? How did you know about that? We haven't really talked about it." "Maybe not directly, but I know," she assured him. "Coaches can have to move around a lot," he stated, looking for anything to weaken her argument. "That's OK. Doctors can be pretty mobile, too." "Won't you feel bad if I'm competing and you're not?" he said, trying to find another chink. "Nope. I love to compete. You know that. But I've always had my dream, my long-term goal. Sports is great while I'm on the way to that goal, and it's helping me get there. You don't seem to have a goal like that. I'm saying that you should make sports that goal, and do everything you can to build your resume." "Why didn't someone warn me about the problems of living with a genius?" he groused. She chose to ignore that comment and plunged right ahead on a different tack. "You don't know how wet my pussy gets watching you on the field or on the floor. A big part of the reason I want you to go out for basketball is so I won't have to wait until next fall for that tingle." "But I won't be able to get hard watching you!" "Sorry. Realistically, I'm not good enough for basketball. This fall has been so tough that I can't think about another sport, anyway. It would be crazy. My big dream is too important to take any more chances on not getting there." The stimulation from her 'anger prevention' was getting to him, and the last few exchanges had cranked up the emotional level. He also needed a break from the conversation, and he knew just what kind of break he wanted. Rolling her over, he moved into position to enter her. It was unusual for him not to work at arousing her first. She understood, though, that he might have felt somewhat under attack and needed to take the lead. Not that she had any objection. He did not 'take' her in an aggressive way, though. Once inside, he started talking as he took long, slow strokes. "I think you want me on the team just to beat Pat Clancy out of a job, don't you?" He thought he was teasing, but her expression quickly set him straight. The subject of Pat was still an open wound for her. "I want you to embarrass that bastard!" she hissed. "But really, Honey, that's just the start. Every time you swish one of those three pointers, it feels almost like what you're doing right now. Unhhhhh!" The grunt followed a hard, quick thrust that broke his slow, gentle rhythm. "Do that! Do that while I think about long shots dropping through the hole!" It was wonderful the way she could let herself go from an intense discussion to outright horniness. Just one of the many things that he loved about her. All of his training had conditioned him to be an opportunist, and this was a most enticing opportunity. Because of their earlier session, he knew that he could go for a while, probably until his arms gave out. There was something he had to be sure of first, though. "Baby, you're not trying too make up for upsetting me, are you? You didn't, you know. I love you for saying those things. I needed to hear them." "I wasn't worried," she assured him. "It's just that thinking about you scoring all those long shots... honestly, it gets me going. Now, YOU get going. Enough talk!" Opportunity - invitation - plea - demand - who cared what it was? Beneath him was her sleek, taut body, every muscle seeming intent on drawing him inside of herself and wringing him dry. Her intimidating mind, her competitive fire, her caring spirit - all of that would have been enough. To have it all in such an erotic package made him the luckiest of men. The wringing dry part would take a long, lovely while. One way or another, he would make sure that she got there, too. Of all of the wonderful things about her, the privilege of seeing her in orgasm was worth any amount of self-denial or discomfort. As had often happened before, Cheryl converted any type of emotion into arousal. Apparently, she had gotten herself to quite a high level of anxiety before broaching the subject with him. In an amazingly short time, she was showing all of the signs. He knew, though, that the signs did not guarantee completion, so supporting himself on one arm, he moved the other hand down between them to her crotch. He had learned that once he got her over the edge during intercourse, his hand was no longer needed. By thrusting strongly and rubbing their pubic bones together on each downstroke, he could provide plenty of stimulation to keep her orgasm going. That time, it all worked beautifully. After rolling over, panting their way back to speech capability, and sharing endearments, Cal asked "So, the coach is OK with me not showing up until New Years?" "He can't wait. His only good outside shooter is a strong forward that he needs to keep inside. He says he has no decent court leadership. Cal, you could be starting right away!" "You were pretty sure you would convince me, huh?" "I knew you would see the logic. And I knew you wouldn't have an ego problem listening to what I had to say," she told him. They cuddled silently for a while, then he asked "Do you think I should go pro after next year - after you leave for med school?" "You have to get your degree," she insisted. "But the pro season still leaves half a year for school," he pointed out. "What if I go to med school here?" "Is that a possibility?" "More so than I thought it was." "Then maybe I would play for four years here," he stated. ------- Cal managed to catch the basketball coach on his second stop by the basketball office early Monday afternoon. Because he had a football schedule, he had only two afternoon classes, and they were early on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He almost turned around and left when he saw the man's mood. The coach was definitely not happy. At Cal's questioning look, the coach asked "Did your girlfriend talk you into it? I sure hope so because I need some good news right now." "Yes, she talked me into it. Did you doubt that she would?" Cal said. "Well, that's one smart woman, and I was hopeful. You seemed dead set against it, though," the coach responded. "She's thinking of becoming a psychiatrist, you know," Cal explained. "It sure worked on me. You, uh, seem to have gotten some bad news." Waving a paper, the coach said "I just got notice that I will be losing two scholarship players at the end of the semesters, both starters. One's my point guard, such as he is. The other is a power forward, but the only decent three point shooter we have." "Academics?" "Yup. They don't have a chance of making it, now, the dumb shits. They both had good years last year, so they think they can get rich in the NBA and not have to study. They'll end up playing semi-pro for fifty bucks a game. Anyone on the football team who can play? How about Hector. If we just put him under the bucket, no one could get close." Cal had to admire the man's spirit for joking when he had just gotten such devastating news. "I'm afraid basketball is not Hector's game. I know one guy, though. His name is Ryan Ulrich. He's six-five and slim, but he has been working out hard for a couple of months now. He was Pat Clancy's high school teammate." "Not sure that's a good recommendation," the coach grumbled. "Oh?" "Let's just say I'm not sure I'll get my scholarship money's worth out of that kid," the coach replied. "I'm not sending his high school coach a Christmas card, either, after the sell job he did." "Maybe Ryan made Pat look as good as he did in high school. I've seen them play together, and they are opposites. Ryan is controlled, heady, and smooth. He's on an academic scholarship, so he won't be flunking out on you." "See if you can find him and bring him to see me. I don't want to waste any time, here." Just like that, Cal was set to move right from football to basketball. He had not shot a basket since their summer Saturday morning pickup games. There was an open gym that was not crowded very early or very late, so he would have to modify his schedule for the next month. Being in shape was not a problem. If he could sharpen his shooting, he felt that the other basketball moves would come back to him quickly. He knew that Cheryl was in the library right then, so he hurried to see if she knew how to contact Ryan. That started an almost comedic scramble. Cheryl did not know where Ryan was, so they called his home. His mother was at work, so they called Claire and asked her if she could somehow find Glenda Ulrich. Claire seemed to know everyone in town, and less than twenty minutes later, Cal's cell rang with a call from Glenda. She knew Ryan's schedule, and Cal tore off to meet him after his current class let out. Though it was not his usual style, Cal decided to steamroll Ryan. As Ryan left the classroom, Cal just told him "Come on. I'm taking you to the coach's office. "Coach? Why? I don't play football." "Basketball coach. You're trying out for the team. So am I." "Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Ryan protested. "I've got a class. And besides, I already decided to forget about basketball. And... and Pat's on the team." "You're about to skip your first college class ever. You can't just forget basketball. I know. I tried, until Cheryl straightened me out. And Cheryl told me not to let Pat steal basketball from me. We'll run his ass right off the team, OK?" "What makes you think I can make the team? Tryouts were a while ago." "I convinced the coach that you're the next Bill Bradley," Cal insisted. "Think how impressed Sharon will be." That was fighting dirty, but it was for a good cause and it worked. Within minutes, Cal was making the introductions. The coach wanted them at practice, which started in an hour and a half. With Cal never letting up, they got to his car, picked up their clothes, and hurried back to the gym. The coach had arranged for them to get into the gym early and provided a bag of balls so they could shoot for a while. All of the time in the car, Cal had been talking to Ryan about Pat and not letting Pat be a factor in how he played. "Look, he almost sucked you down with him, right?" When Ryan grunted in agreement, Cal went on "Well, you're big time pissed at him, right? Just show it by playing better than you ever have before." "But I'm rusty!" "Same here. How much weight have you gained since you started working out with Sharon?" "Twelve." "And how much have your weights increased?" "A lot. But what if I shoot bricks?" "It'll come back. Coach knows you're rusty. Let's have ourselves a ball. Your mom doesn't even know you're doing this. I only told her I needed to find you. Think how proud she'll be." "Not if it screws up my grades." "After a bad introduction, I think I know you well enough to know that will never happen," Cal assured him. Neither Cal nor Ryan could resist keeping an eye on the locker room door as they shot, wanting to see Pat's reaction when he saw them. It was worth waiting for. Pat actually took a small step backwards, then stood stock still. Unknown to Cal and Ryan, the coach had been watching through a one-way window as they shot. He had found out all about Pat's brushes with the law and had come within an ace of booting him from the team. In the end, he had decided it would be hypocritical to cut Pat, considering some of the legal scrapes a couple of his other scholarship players had been through. Further, he had gone straight to Harlan Clancy and learned the terms of the agreement. The coach had indirectly found out about Pat from Cal's remarks, and he realized that using the incidents as a basis for kicking Pat off of the team would make Cal in technical violation. At the time, he still had hopes that Cal would change his mind and join the team. He was a good coach, and had been doing working at the college level for eight years. In that time, he had usually taken his teams to winning records, but no championships or tournament appearances. The school did not have a strong basketball tradition, and he had been unable to build one. The last few years, in particular, he realized that he had fallen into the talent search trap. He had gotten some highly regarded recruits who were indeed exceptional athletes. What he had not gotten, though, was discipline and leadership. He also had the fear that his players were too often in it for show, rather than a true competitive drive. Add to that the number of top players that went pro after only a couple of years, and his job had provided more frustration than satisfaction. Those fears were what made him so interested in Cal. He was good friends with the football coach. The football coach would never say it to Cal's face, but he credited Cal with being the competitive spark that changed the whole character of the team. True, Hector was also very responsible, but Cal was the one who had 'ignited' Hector. If Cal regarded Ryan highly, the coach was willing to accept that assessment. The coach was very interested in seeing how the three men handled their meeting and the subsequent presence on the same team. He knew of Ryan's involvement at the apartment. How each reacted would have a big affect on the allotment of playing time for the season. Pat's initial reaction was near-catatonia. That changed to anger after several seconds. The coach had come out into the gym and Pat literally charged at him. "What are they doing here?" Pat demanded. "I invited them," the coach said, purposely not reacting to Pat's anger. "Why? B... Banner's a football player, and Ryan can't make it at this level." Pat declared. "I need outside shooting and I need floor leadership. Banner can give me those things. As for Ryan: it seems he may have helped make earn you a scholarship. Maybe he can help you make this team. Or maybe he's the one I should have given the scholarship to." That was the strongest thing the coach had said to a player in a long time. He had been on Pat's case from the very first practice, knowing something of his reputation, but he had never been so openly critical. Like just about any job, the coach's job was not just about basketball. Having a local star on the team was a nearly essential factor in generating decent fan support. He had decided that Pat was the best local player from the previous year's crop. Pat's high school coach had talked only about Pat, never mentioning Ryan. The boy's selfishness and low flash point had showed up immediately and would be nothing but trouble in the college game. He already had more than enough selfishness before Pat came along. Point guard, which was what he had in mind for Pat, was the one place where selfishness could be least tolerated. If he made it at all, Pat was at least a year from being ready for significant playing time. The coach was not thrilled with the way his current point guard was playing that year, and he was losing him any way. For better or worse, Cal would be starting as soon as he was done with football. After delivering his statement, the coach stared calmly and steadily into Pat's eyes, waiting for a reaction. Pat already understood that the coach was not one to talk back to, having gotten that message quite painfully in the first week. All he could do was stomp angrily away, which he did with the maximum drama. When all of the players were assembled, the coach informed them. "This is Cal Banner, whom most of you recognize." Cal nodded. "He will be joining us after the bowl game. This Ryan Ulrich, who will be working out with us on a tryout basis. Let's get to work." That first day, Cal and Ryan went through all of the drills, but were held out of the scrimmage. As they watched the final minutes of scrimmaging, the coach said to Cal "I'll get you in scrimmages soon, but you have to be careful. If you get hurt, the football coach will have my ass." Wednesday, the coach pulled the two who were about to be ineligible from the first team and sat them down, moving two from the second team into their spots. Cal and Ryan were sent in on the second squad. Pat was left as a sub on the second team. Nothing dramatic happened. Cal hit both jumpers that he tried. Ryan made a nice follow shot and pulled down three other rebounds. "Wow!" Ryan said afterwards, "I should have been working out like this years ago. I can feel the difference. There are big dudes under there, but they couldn't push me around." ------- The girls were paired against the host team in the first round, another gross show of disrespect. Cal could not help wondering if the coach had made an enemy somewhere in the NCAA's volleyball hierarchy. He and Hector were flying out Saturday morning, since the games were Saturday and Sunday. An encouraging group of regulars would be joining them, including Glenda, Claire and Bert, and Bud and Robin. Acting on faith, Cal bought Ryan a ticket for a late Saturday flight, assuming the girls could pull the upset and make the Sunday game. Cal's gift to Ryan had gotten another wonderful reaction from Cheryl. They had kept up a little friendly banter about him usurping her natural prerogative when Cal introduced Hector to Maddy. Sharon and Ryan were her turn to 'even the score' on matchmaking. The week of practice for the volleyball team was the most intense ever. One of the team parents had gotten news clippings from the host city. The fact that the only thing talked about for the host volleyball team was speculation on who they might face in the regionals made ideal motivational fodder. Making it through 'their own' sub-regional was assumed by the reporter. If the volleyball team made the regionals, both Cal and Hector would have an issue with the football coach, but they expected that they would get his permission. As the girls warmed up for their game in the second slot on Saturday afternoon, they were tense, and it cost them the first game, 21-13. The opponents had been boisterous and swaggering from their first appearance, and the victory made it worse. In the huddle before the second game, Maddy was trembling with rage. Keeping her voice low so the other team couldn't hear, she snarled "I don't know about the rest of you, but I AM NOT LOOSING TO THESE BITCHES. I turned down a scholarship from them to play here. Don't make me sorry. "Now look, they're too big up front and they block too well. Our hitting percentage is way down. The only weakness I see is that their back court is a little slow and doesn't like to get on the floor. "Sharon, I'll set to you if I get the first bump. Fake a hit but tap it back. Cheryl, drop back enough so you can hit it hard over their blocks to the gaps in the back row. Midge, if you get the first bump, set it for me and I'll do just like a serve." Maddy had a vicious serve that curved sharply downward from the top of its arc. It helped just to have some kind of a plan. The coach had been listening, but she had no better suggestions, so she let Maddy direct things. They worked out signals for the various options, and they were all much looser to start the second game. It showed, as they ran off three straight points. Maddy's deep hit strategy worked very well as they built a lead of 15-11. At that point, the other team called time to try and adjust. The adjustment was to have the hitter away from the play drop back to cover the mid sideline and the back row to reposition. That left a much less daunting blocking presence, which Cheryl celebrated with a classic quick hit into the vacant front row position on the first point after the time out. The other coach stayed with the new alignment and the girls were able to play their usual style to a 21-17 victory. One rather close loss was not enough to dent the opposition's arrogance, and there were a lot of taunts and challenges as the third game began. No one could guess at the beginning that it would becoming something of a marathon. When it ended, the girls had lost 31-29. "We've got 'em right where we want 'em," Maddy chortled in the huddle. "Look at 'em! They're all dragging. I feel great! Let's run 'em out of here!" "Hey, guys," Sharon piped up, "I can get almost another foot higher on my hits. Let's try that and I'll go for the back row when Cheryl is covered." Cheryl was always the designated first option. It was up to Maddy to decide which hitter to set on a given exchange. The girls were indeed in much better shape than the opponents. With her usual precision, Maddy gave Sharon an extremely high set on the first exchange, and Sharon looped it over two blockers. Neither of the two closest back row defenders got a finger on it. Cheryl was the beneficiary of that play and a few others like it scattered through the game. The blocking pressure on her decreased noticeably, and she got into a zone. Cal had seen her on some impressive streaks before, but even he was in awe as she pounded hit after hit for winners. They won going away at 21-11. That was a drubbing the likes of which the other team had never experienced. The arrogance and taunts were replaced by anger and much cursing. The faces across the net at the start of game five were sullen and menacing. Cheryl, Maddy, Sharon, and the others hardly noticed. They still had a big advantage in conditioning and a strategy that seemed to be working. Cheryl was still in the zone. The other team had no clue exactly where she would position herself or just where Maddy would put the ball. Nearly every set was a quick set, and their reactions were just too slow. The anger and frustration across the net was at a boiling point as the score reached 15-9 in Cheryl's favor. The other team called time out. Maddy was on the court a little early and saw the other coach call their big hitter back for a quick comment that Maddy thought was suspicious. When Cheryl came onto the court, Maddy told her "I don't know what it is, but watch out for some kind of dirty trick." Three plays later, Maddy set for Cheryl. As she looked down after the ball was away, she saw the suspect opponent fake a stumble. On instinct, Maddy rushed toward Cheryl, who was still coiled for her leap. The offender went down, with her leg stuck well under the net, right where Cheryl would come down. With the height of her leap, Cheryl was in great danger of twisting her ankle by coming down on the other girl's leg. Maddy got to Cheryl before she came down. She threw a body block into Cheryl and actually took a lot of Cheryl's weight on her sturdy back. Cheryl's feet never came down, so the intended ankle sprain was avoided. Unfortunately, the impact caught Cheryl on the side of the thigh, where the nerve is most vulnerable to impact. Between pain and deadness, she was unable to stay in, so the coach called time. During the time out, the coach asked the ref why the offending player was not tossed out, but got back a response that it was accidental. "Sorry, Cheryl," Maddy said, almost in tears. "She was trying to sprain your ankle. I had to do something." "Thank you, thank you," Cheryl said. "I'll be all right, but it will take a few minutes." "Remember last year?" Sharon asked. "Remember when I wimped out and I promised never again? Well, it's never again time. We are not losing this. I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!" "I think that bitch needs a facial," Maddy snarled. "Damn! Great idea!" Sharon agreed. "Extra high sets, every time, OK?" On the preceding play, the opponents had served, but because of the net violation, it was side out. By luck, it was Maddy's serve. Reacting to her anger like a pro, she dropped two extraordinary curves into gaps in the back row. The first was an ace. The second was dug out, but there was no chance for a good set, and it was pushed to the back row. After a perfect first bump to her, Maddy lofted a high set to Sharon, but slightly lower than what they had been doing. Sharon had moved opposite the offending opponent. Going higher than anyone thought possible, Sharon got so high that she could strike the ball straight down if she chose. The blocker, the intended victim, was looking up to try to react to the ball. Perfect. A second later, she was crouching, holding her nose and swearing vehemently. Now trailing 17-9, the wounded opponent somehow had the composure to get back into play. Unbelievably, Sharon was able to repeat the facial on the next exchange. 18-9, and Maddy was still serving. The next exchange looked like another repeat, but this time, the blocker pulled her hands down to protect her face. With a little dramatic flip of the wrist, Sharon dropped the ball straight down, just over the net, with no velocity at all. 19-9. The offender lost it. Screaming profanity, she charged under the net. Maddy beat her to Sharon, and pushed Sharon bodily off of the court, shouting "We've got 'em. Let it go. Don't fight back." For her trouble, Maddy caught a hard kick in the back of her thigh. The offender was going for Maddy's hair when two more rational teammates restrained her. When everything calmed down, the ref signaled a point for Cheryl's team. "Ejection, net violation," she called out. 20-9. Almost listlessly, the other team watched another vicious Maddy serve bounce through the back court untouched. The whole team gathered in a celebratory hug - except for Maddy. Grinning for all she was worth, while hobbling noticeably, she sprinted to the stands. Giving Hector a quick kiss, she held out her left hand and he put on the rings which he had been holding for her. Maddy dashed as best she could back to join the rest of the team as they lined up for the handshake. The opponents quite obviously would rather have just gone to the locker room, and the coach had to herd them into the line. There would have been lots of grief from the NCAA if they had not gone through the obligatory congratulations. After going through the line, Maddy walked right over to the opposing coach. "I'm glad I turned you down," she said sharply. "That was about the dirtiest trick I've seen in a long time. And you were stupid enough to wait too long, anyway." With that, she turned and hobbled away. Without going to the locker room, Maddy went back to the stands and stretched out on the bench. "I need your magic hands," she told Hector, and he happily began working to loosen the knot in her thigh. The trainer came over and just watched. "I've had my share of these," Hector explained. It was after curfew Saturday night when Ryan arrived, but arrangements had been made with the coach so he and Sharon could have a half hour together. Cal and Hector picked up Ryan at the airport and told him how Sharon had played. The guys did not try to interrupt the normal team meals the next day. They had some time with the girls mid-morning after the team breakfast and before the loosening up session. They were content to wait until later. Maddy was showing no signs of the kick in the thigh that she had received. Cheryl could have played, but the coach decided to hold her in reserve. She was never needed. Continuing her high from the day before, heightened by Ryan's arrival, Sharon appropriated the zone that Cheryl had been in during the previous match. She was unstoppable, and everyone else played well. They won in three straight. For the first time, the team was off to the regionals. Sharon was awarded the MVP, and no one was happier for her than Cheryl. A strong argument could have been made for Maddy, but it was rare for a setter to receive that recognition. Maddy cared less than anyone else. The guys had arranged to be on the same plane as the team for the return, along with the other regular fans. Sharon really did not need a plane, and the cabin attendants had to order her to her seat at landing time. Cheryl and Cal conferred and agreed, then checked with Maddy and Hector, Glenda, and the coach. As soon as everyone had their baggage, Cal handed Ryan the keys to his car and the keys to the apartment. "You guys use it tonight. It's all arranged with the coach and your mom." Ryan seemed uncertain, but Sharon had heard and was not uncertain at all. She practically dragged Ryn off from the rest of the group. Cheryl and Cal headed off with Maddy and Hector to spend the night on their fold-out couch. ------- Ryan found it hard to talk on the way to the apartment, but Sharon probably did not notice. She was still high, and she was horny, horny, horny! "Sharon, we don't have to do anything, you know," Ryan said when they were inside. "Are you a virgin, Ryan?" she asked in response. "N... No." "Neither am I," she declared, unbuttoning his jeans as she said it. "A girl like me doesn't get a lot of chances, you know. I'm on the pill, and I need you to fuck my brains out. Can you do that?" Sharon, like a lot of very tall girls, had always been body shy, but that was one more thing that could not dent her that night. She was falling for Ryan in a big way, and she needed to know if she had a chance with him. Would he be turned off by her long limbs, her muscular shoulders, thighs, and butt, her large feet and hands? Ryan was not thinking much about any of the things that worried Sharon. Being one of Pat's 'acolytes' in high school and being a star player in his own right, he had been able to bed some very beautiful girls, including two cheerleaders. He knew that his status as a brain would have made those girls unavailable to him, despite his basketball prowess. It was only because of Pat that he had scored. And scoring was the proper description. There was no expression of love and very little tenderness in his encounters. A couple of times, it was not even very arousing. He looked back on his sessions with those girls with a bit of shame. This was different. He felt a very definite attraction to Sharon, an attraction that he did not understand. She certainly did not compare to those other girls in looks, although he found her very appealing. What he felt for her was a longing, a desire to be with her all of the time. So many of her gestures and her expressions made his pulse accelerate. It was very important to him what she thought of him. He was still afraid that the incident with Pat at the apartment would somehow turn her away from him. Another thing that was important to Ryan, something a lot of teen guys would not admit, was that his mother really liked Sharon. Glenda had not chastised him about the other girls he had been with. She had just looked sad. Now, every time he was with Sharon, she questioned him about what they had done, always commenting on what a wonderful girl she was. Strangely, he was not concerned about her reaction to him spending the night with Sharon. He somehow knew that she would approve. So far, he had been standing inert while Sharon started undressing him. He knew that would give her the wrong idea, so he pulled her up from where she was pushing down his jeans and kissed her soundly. That must have been the signal she had been waiting for because she threw her arms around him and returned the kiss intensely. With the amplification of the arousal for both of them, the next few minutes were a blur. Naturally, it was Sharon who remembered which bedroom they were supposed to use. When they were naked and in the bed together, awareness seemed to return, particularly for Ryan. "I've, uh, been with a few girls, Sharon, but I'm not really experienced. I guess I'm ashamed that I probably didn't do anything to make it good for them. Tell me what to do to make you feel good." Just the thoughtfulness of his comment and his willingness to share something that intimate made her feel very, very good. Her previous sexual experience could reasonably be described as mercy fucks or simple opportunism. None of them involved any real feeling. She had good sized breasts, something that was not really an asset for an athlete. Heavy duty sports bras were an essential part of her uniform. Her nipples seemed to be crying out for attention, so she took his face in both hands and guided his lips to one of her needy nubs. Suckling and teasing a nipple is one of those activities that are apparently imprinted from birth and do not need to be taught. Still, Ryan had a lot of feedback on how he was doing from her hums, moans, and squirms. For several minutes he kept it up, thinking to move between her breasts a few times. By then, she had had enough. The desire for an orgasm was secondary to her need to feel filled by him. She had been thrilled to see that the length of his member corresponded to his height, but its girth did not match his slender build. Grabbing him by his upper arms, she pulled him upward, spreading her legs wide in obvious demand for what she needed and wanted. Protection had never been mentioned, except for her telling him that she was on the pill. Neither had been with anyone for many months and there was no real health risk. As soon as he was fully inside her, they both realized that this was totally different from anything they had done before. The instinctive motions and the vocalizations all expressed the deep feelings they had for each other. It was arousing and erotic in a way neither could have imagined. It was no surprise when Ryan came rather quickly, nor did it cause Sharon any disappointment. There was almost nothing that could have disappointed her right then. She felt so wondrously full and she loved the strength of his thrusts into her. "Sorry - couldn't help it," he apologized. "No sorrys allowed," she answered. "I'm sure you're not done for the night. In fact, it doesn't feel like you're even done for right now." Realizing that he was still almost rigid, he tried a few tentative thrusts and found the that he could tolerate the tenderness. The increased lubrication from his own spend reduced the friction. With her urging, he began increasing the length of his strokes, building up to a rhythm that had her almost singing with pleasure. Within a minute, she was matching his rhythm, pounding back at him strongly at each of his thrusts. Through luck, they had the angle just right, and the mashing of their pubic bones on each downstroke sent shock waves from her clit. His tenderness faded quite quickly, and all he could feel was the wonderful hot smoothness and the impact as he bottomed out. Soon, her gasps and grunts penetrated the zone he had soared into, increasing his awe at what they were experiencing. On and on he plunged. On and on she threw her pelvis up at him. Minute after minute they pounded away, sweat and exhaustion matching their most strenuous games. He began to worry about his arms giving out, but he could feel the tension and the arousal rising in her. He had never brought a partner to orgasm, and it became a consuming goal that helped him ignore his shaking arm muscles. His efforts were rewarded in a way that the couple would never forget. When she climaxed, every muscle in her strong, toned body locked into steel-like rigidity for long seconds. Then, convulsions so strong that they almost threw him off of her began. They were matched by ripples in her vagina that literally wrung a second ejaculation from him. After he had spent his last, she was still writhing and twitching. He managed to hold himself within her and above her until she became completely still. Then, arms shaking and barely controllable, he rolled them over to their sides. Her eyes closed for a while and he was looking at her intently when she opened them. "Wow! I've never seen anything like that," he breathed out. "I, uh, come pretty hard. Hope it didn't scare you," she said nervously. "Scare me? Hell no! I can't wait to see that again. That made me feel better than a slam dunk," he said honestly. "Well, I'll be glad to let you do that lots and lots of times," she told him. They kissed and fell silent for a while. "Speaking of slam dunks, I'm so glad you're going to play," she said. "Try to play, you mean," he corrected her. "I'm not at all sure I'll make it." "I'm sure," she said confidently. "I'm really sorry I missed your big show in the first game," he said. "I don't know what will happen this weekend. I may miss another one." "Let's not worry about that tonight. Let's not worry about anything tonight. How about a quick shower and a check of Cheryl's fridge. I'm hungry," she said as she rolled out of bed. He was content to just wait a moment and watch the play of muscles as she walked away from him. When she looked back over her shoulder at him with a smoky gaze, his overworked cock actual began to swell again. After a shower, a snack, lots of talk, lots of cuddling, a slower, tender session of sex, and more talk, the subject that both had been avoiding was finally addressed. "Sharon, I know it's awfully soon, but I love you." For the first time, she shed tears. "I... I didn't think it would ever happen for me. I started to fall in love with you that first night when you came to apologize." "I would have thought you would want nothing to do with me." "It's not like I've been perfect, you know," she declared. "You showed a lot of character. And the relationship between you and your mother told me you knew how to treat a woman. I wanted that." "I wasn't just because I was tall enough, then?" "Well, I can't deny that helped," she admitted. "But I think I would have fallen in love even if you were Cal's height." ------- Cheryl waited until nine-thirty before calling the apartment. "Hurry up and get decent," she told Sharon. "We're invited to Robin's for brunch. We'll pick you up in twenty minutes." Glenda was already at Robin's when the couple arrived, and she had tearful hugs for both of them. During the very jovial brunch, Cal got another new perspective on Cheryl. They had bantered about matchmaking, but it became very clear to him that it was serious business for Cheryl. The way that she looked at and treated Sharon and Ryan was proud and possessive, as if she was responsible for their happiness. ------- Chapter 54 While Sharon and Ryan were passionately formalizing their status as a couple, Cheryl and Cal were talking quietly on the hide-a-bed in the tiny front room of Maddie and Hector's apartment. "You seem a little preoccupied, Hon," Cheryl told him. "Sorry. You know, Dr. Carson, some of the stuff you said last week has been rattling around in my head all week." "Such as?" "Well, your comment about significance, for one thing," he said. "I guess I have been a little hung up on that." "When you're forced into life and death situations at such a young age, that's understandable," she assured him. "In my mind, I've never thought of sports as anything but my passion, never something that could be my life's work..." "... because it didn't pass the significance test, right?" she finished the thought for him. "Right, Doc. Do you know, I've honestly never thought about becoming a coach. Much as I admire Coach Meinert, it never made me think about doing it myself." "So, you've been watching basketball practice and our games in a different light this week, huh?" "Good! You've got this all figured out. We can do something more interesting, then," he teased, making a show of rolling on top of her. "Cal! I don't want to make noise so they can hear us," she protested. "You mean hear us over the silence coming from the bedroom?" he joked. They both laughed as unmistakable sounds could be heard. Rolling back to lie beside her, he became serious again. "You're right. I've always loved the strategy and the details of the sports, but because they affected my play and our chances of winning. The other day, watching the basketball scrimmage, I tried to watch as if it was my job to see problems and correct them. I liked it." "You know enough about volleyball now to see things at our games, too," she said. "Uh, huh! The way the coach changed the strategy to focus on their back row was brilliant." "Coach never said a word," Cheryl informed him. "That was all Maddy." "Wow! She'll probably be a coach before I am. The funny thing is, I started to feel different when I was in the scrimmage. I mean, from Ken's training and everything, I've always tried to be aware of where everyone was on the floor and how they were moving. But all of a sudden, it looks different - more patterned - less random." "Did it make playing more enjoyable?" she asked. "Definitely. Oh, and you were right about the coach not being like Coach Hall. He is more than happy to take a break-away basket when we can get it. If I can get some substantial playing time, I think I can convince him to push the ball a lot more." "Cal, who's the best guard on the team, right now, counting yourself?" "Talent-wise, probably Pat, but not in impact on the team's success." "Oh?" "Because passing is not his first option coming up the court, the other players do not seem as alert and aggressive. At times they seem resigned to having to just watch him shoot." "And what would you do differently?" she probed. "I would always pass. If I shoot, it should be because I got open and one of the others passed it to me. If the other guys know that I will pass every time up the floor, I think they will be more on their toes." "Just so you get plenty of those long swishers," she cooed. "What were you saying about doing something else? I don't think noise from us is an issue any longer." ------- The football coach must have owed the basketball coach something big. At practice Monday, Cal was told that he was joining the team and suiting up for the away game Tuesday night. That was quite a surprise, given that football practice started up again on Wednesday. In a further surprise, Cal was put on the first team when scrimmage started, something that Pat had not yet been given a chance at. The supposed starting guard was the one facing certain academic ineligibility, and the coach had apparently decided that he needed to develop a replacement. The looks Cal got from Pat could have blistered Cal's skin, except that he felt too much satisfaction. Cal remembered his bedtime chat with Cheryl, and he came up-court the first time looking to pass. In one of those first impressions that can mean so much, the small forward broke toward the basket and Cal hit him with a perfect pass for a layup. On the following defensive sequence, Cal anticipated the rebound and the same forward hit him with a lead pass. Cal broke cleanly up the floor, but one of the guards from the second team had anticipated well. He was faster than Cal and had the angle. In the momentary backward glance that Cal could afford, he caught a flash of a dark jersey moving up fast behind him. The first team wore the dark jerseys in practice. Using all of the speed he could muster, Cal went for the layup, knowing that the pursuing defender would certainly block the shot. As he lifted his right arm as if to push the ball to the backboard, though, his left hand was bouncing the ball backward, hard enough so that it bounced high. From playing with the Roberts brothers and Mahmound in high school, Cal knew that few things generated more goodwill with teammates than setting them up for a slam. The man trailing him took the high bounce in stride and rammed it home. Both Cal and the erstwhile defender were carried out of the way by their momentum. This was practice, and the players generally muted their reactions. However, there was no way to miss the grin that Cal received from his teammate. On the next offensive sequence, Cal's other guard did a nice circle move and broke right down the circle. Cal got the ball to him, but a defender move into position in time. Cal had moved around the circle and when the other guard was stopped, he saw Cal open for a three. After a nice kickout pass, Cal sank it. After fifteen minutes, Cal was moved to the second squad and a gloating Pat was put onto the first team as point guard. Cal had to guard Pat and he was looking forward to it. He considered his volatile opponent to be very predictable. Pat knew that he should have a one-on-one advantage over Cal in both speed and size. Unfortunately, all that was on his mind the first time he brought the ball up was showing up Cal, not managing the team efficiently. One of the things that Cal had learned in football was to compensate for his comparative lack of speed by never stopping his motion. If he was moving in the proper direction, he could usually be in good defensive position, even against a very speedy opponent. In football, if the opponent got past him, Cal probably would not be able to catch him. In basketball, because he played outside, there was usually help behind him, should Pat or another opponent get past him. Cal also remembered Pat's shooting motion, and his need to bring the ball up from waist-high for his best shooting rhythm. Thus, Cal's strategy was to stay very close to Pat, never letting him execute his preferred shooting motion, and hoping for a chance to slap the ball away. Ryan had been put in the second team when Cal was moved. Because Ryan knew Pat's style, Cal told Ryan "I'm playing him close. If he gets by, he's all yours. I'll drop back and cover your man." It was fun. For the next fifteen minutes, Pat did everything he could to try to embarrass Cal. A couple of times, he got by Cal, and Ryan covered perfectly. On three occasions, Pat went up for outside shots over Cal, but with his rhythm broken, they all missed. Twice, Cal slapped the ball away from Pat, one steal resulting in a breakaway basket. Pat ended up only passing when Cal had him stymied. The second team outscored the first for the period, and Cal sank two of three wide-open three-pointers. The old cartoon image of steam coming out of a person's ears was almost personified in Pat's demeanor at the end of practice. The Tuesday night game was a short flight away, and since it was non-conference, the team flew in just in time for warmups and would return that night to avoid missing any more classes. Cal's team was once again a pre-season warmup for a major conference school, and not expected to be very competitive. During the flight, the coach called Cal up to an empty seat beside him. "What have you seen that you don't like about our style of play?" the coach asked without preamble. Cal wondered how diplomatic he should be, but decided not to hold anything back. "Well, you know I would prefer to run every time," he said, "but I don't think you would be comfortable with that. It think your offense would work even better if we pushed the ball harder, though. If we walk the ball up, it just gives the defense a chance to get set." "But I don't have enough depth to keep quality players on the floor if we run their legs off," the coach complained. "That's not something I would be willing to worry about," Cal stated bluntly. Then "Sorry! I guess getting tired isn't much of a problem to me." "So I hear," the coach responded. "See anything about using players that I could do better?" This time, Cal just looked at the coach and said "I'm not sure I should comment on that. I'm the new kid, after all." With a snort, the coach shot back "Let me be honest with you, Banner. I like this job, but I've stalled out. I've improved things a lot since I got here, but if we don't contend this year or next year, I'll be out. Now, two of my better players are flunking out. I'm not too proud to look for help wherever I can find it. You always seem to be watching everyone. I want your opinion." "The team plays too much like football," Cal blurted out. "Huh? We're not that physical," the coach objected. "That's not what I mean. Both on offense and defense, they seem to set up as if waiting for the snap of the ball before breaking into motion." "Damn! I never thought of it that way," the coach mused. "The way I like to play, you're either playing offense or defense every second the ball is in play. That means you're always moving, trying for any little advantage," Cal said. "But there's my depth problem again." "I think once the guys see how energizing it is to out-hustle the opponents, they won't feel as tired. Over time, their conditioning will improve." "Okay. What about individual players?" the coach asked. "You really want my opinions?" "I asked, didn't I?" "Okay," Cal said somewhat reluctantly. "To start with, I think you might as well step up the tempo because you don't have the bigs for a true power game." The coach grunted at that, and Cal went on. "Buck, the center, could score a lot more points than he does." "He's mainly there for defense, rebounding, and setting picks," the coach explained. "But have you seen him run? He can really move. Also, if you let him isolate, he has a good drop step. I think he could do a lot of one-on-one." "Are you saying I've got a potential scorer that I'm not using?" Cal just shrugged. "Interesting," the coach said almost to himself. "I hope you can stand some crap from some teammates. You're starting tonight." As he watched the host team warming up, Cal wondered what he was really doing there. They were very big and very athletic. He found himself wishing that Cheryl could be there, but that had been impossible. Then he realized exactly what she would have said to him. She would have told him that he had felt outsized and outclassed on the football field but look how that had turned out. Confidence was seldom a problem for Cal, but he had never been in quite this situation before. He had only been practicing for a few days. Sure, he had been watching the other players, but he did not know their strengths and weaknesses that well. He had only recently decided to play, after having put it out of his mind months earlier. It was just so sudden. Then, all of his years of training with Ken came back to him. Ken had always stressed that he would never be able to predict what came at him. That was the whole purpose of his intensive training, to be able to react quickly, decisively, instinctively to any situation that arose. Compared to the attempts to kidnap Ismi, the attempted rapes of Cheryl and then Rebecca, the attempted revenge from the three thugs, what was a basketball game that he had practiced too little for? There was that issue of significance again. This was not a life-threatening situation. It was just a game. It was significant, though, because it could be part of his life's work. There were things that he could do that gave him advantages, even if he was the shortest man on the floor. He could shoot as well as anyone. He could take any kind of physical pounding and give it back in full measure. He could see and feel the flow of the game around him and decide where he could have the most impact. He could keep his emotions under control and focus everything on the play. Another thought came to him. What had won him the safety job on the football team? It was his ability to hit very hard. On the basketball court, hitting people earned fouls. However, Dex Madison had purposely drawn a charging foul early in every game, and it was always a hard charge that the defender was not likely to forget. As a supposedly non-contact sport, basketball was still a game where intimidation was very valuable. Cal did not plan to spend much time inside, but his opponents did not need to know that. In the huddle just before the tip-off, Cal made his first move to take control of the team. "Listen, Guys: first time up the floor, clear out the middle. I'm coming through, hard! I hope somebody gets in the way so I can set him on his ass. After that, we play it smart, OK?" The opponents got the tip-off and scored quite easily. They were looking loose and relaxed as Cal brought the ball up. He passed quickly over to the other guard, signaling clearly that he wanted the ball back. When the return pass came, he went into an obvious shooting motion. His defender charged at him to block the shot, which Cal intended to be just a fake. Sensing that the defender would never be able to hold up and would foul him, Cal went through with the shot, rather than faking. The shot was smothered, but so was Cal. Since he was outside the three-point line, he got three free throws. In the little mini-huddle at the free throw line that was a team tradition, he told his teammates "I didn't plan to shoot. Next time up, let's run a play. I'll hold the charge for a little later." He made all three free throws. On the next four possessions, Cal passed off, with two passes ending up as assists, and another triggering a scoring play. They were keeping pace with their opponents, but that was not unusual in the early minutes, even with mismatched teams. At another free throw, Cal told the others "If I come up far left, everyone clear right except Buck and stay away until he shoots." Buck looked at him with surprise, but got a glint in his eye. It worked on the next possession. Buck set up low, just outside the lane. Cal dribbled down the left side until he appeared squeezed against the sideline by his defender. Turning his back to the defender, Cal faked a move toward the back court, then swung a bounce pass around his defender with his left hand. The pass pulled Buck toward the baseline and he instinctively dropped his right foot out and back, giving him leverage on his defender. The timing was good, and Buck was able to continue his swinging motion and went in for a slam. Cal could not remember a bigger smile since Hector's first sack of the year. Cal decided to try the same play again, and everyone responded properly. This time, Buck made the basket and a foul shot besides. For the next three possessions, Cal came up the middle and passed off to other players. When he decided it was time to try Buck again, everything looked the same until the defender dropped to the baseline as Cal released the pass. Buck was thinking. He stepped toward the pass this time, saw Cal breaking through for a classic 'give-and-go', and Cal had a rare layup. Being a believer in the principle of staying with what works until the opponents stop it, Cal came down the left side again. This time, the opposing power forward dropped off of his man to double down on Buck, leaving Cal's forward on the baseline about eight feet on the opposite side of the basket. It was just too good to resist. Instead of faking to the back court and swinging the pass to Buck, Cal did a double fake, finally turning back to his right while his defender lunged to stop the inlet pass. Cal lofted the ball to the right side of the basket. Eyes big in surprise, his forward was able to collect himself enough to rush in and ram home the dunk. The other team called time, and Buck fairly danced into the huddle. "I ain't never been doubled before!" he chortled. The coach talked about defense in the huddle. "We're keeping up with them, but we can't score like this all night. We have to stop them some time," he said sternly - and correctly. A few defensive adjustments were discussed. Cal was not really surprised when the defender who had started against him was replaced by a 'shirt' - a player who had the quickness to stay very close and disrupt the play of the offensive man. It occurred to Cal that this was a better situation for his hard charge than going down the lane. On the first time up court, he passed casually over to the other guard, then turned and charged as hard as he could toward the lane. He crashed into his defender, but the man had not established position properly. Cal did not drop his shoulder or do any of the other things that caused a charge, so he ended up at the free throw line. On the very next possession, Cal repeated the same sequence. This time, the defender drew the charge, but after the force with which Cal hit him, his value as a 'shirt' was greatly diminished. Despite his quickness of foot, the 'shirt' was not a very good dribbler, and Cal was able to steal from him and set up their first breakaway basket of the game. On the next defensive play, Cal took a chance that his man was not a great shooter. Faking a swipe at the ball, Cal dropped quickly down the lane. He was able to block out an opponent who was trying to charge the basket for the rebound, and they were headed right back up the court. At the next time out, Cal said "Coach, I don't think we can defend these guys straight up. We need to start trapping and taking some chances." "I agree," the coach answered. "Here's the way we'll work it..." The trap worked fairly well, even though they had not practiced it much. At the half, they were down only four, much to the surprise of the other team and the crowd. Midway through the second half, down by six, the coach called time after seeing some of his players with obvious signs of fatigue. "It's time to slow down for a while," he said in the huddle. "I want the ball kicked out to Banner for some threes. Work it around for at least fifteen or twenty seconds first to run off some time. Clancy, Ulrich, you're in!" Pat fairly leaped from the bench while Ryan stood dumbfounded before recovering enough to pull off his warmups and check in with the scoring table. Cal was happy that Ryan was getting a chance, but he had to discipline himself to treat Pat as any other teammate. On the first possession, Pat used his speed and quick feet to break down the lane. Not even thinking about who it was, Cal hit Pat with a good lead pass and Pat went right to the basket. His shot was slightly deflected and missed. Ryan, however, had anticipated beautifully and crashed between two defenders to grab the rebound. Unable to get up a shot, Ryan kicked the ball out to another player who in turn passed it to Cal. So far, the possession had consumed barely eight seconds, so Cal did not try to shoot. Instead, he circled to the left side, waiting for Buck to be isolated one-on-one again. Pat had not been in earlier when the isolation strategy was worked out, so he faked until he again broke free down the lane. He timed it well. Buck took the pass from Cal, saw Pat breaking, and hit him for the layup. Cal was not all that concerned that he had not gotten the shot, and fifteen seconds had been consumed. On the next time up, though, Pat once again broke free and Cal again hit him. This time, a defender came out to cut Pat off. Pat stopped and took a jumper, which he missed, and the other team rebounded. Before the other team could inbound the ball, the horn sounded, and the coach sent in a sub for Pat. Cal could just briefly see the coach greeting Pat in a manner that was not at all congratulatory. On the next two possessions, everything went as the coach had wanted, with Cal hitting two threes. Up until that point, he had taken just the opening shot and the one layup, so he was not being defended as a scoring threat. The next time, once the ball went inside, a big man came out to cover Cal, preventing him from getting free for the trey. Signaling for the ball anyway, Cal saw that it was Ryan mismatched against the guard and got the ball to him. Ryan drove to the basket much more aggressively than Cal had ever seen before from him, getting the layup and a free throw. A few minutes later, two whistles blew frantically and double fouls were issued to Ryan an his man, surprising Cal once again. On the next two plays, Ryan crashed the defensive board for two rebounds, even though he was giving up several inches to two of the offensive players. A couple of plays later, he gained inside positioned and was fouled over the back. Cal watched Ryan more closely and saw him leaning hard into opponents, throwing elbows, slamming hips, and doing all of the others inside combat things that bigger players usually engaged in. The coach left Ryan in for another eight minutes, and when he came out, he looked exhausted, battered, and pumped. During the last four minutes of the game, Cal's team was struggling to close a deficit that held at four to eight points. With the others obviously tiring, Cal became the first option. Down the stretch, he managed to drop three of four three-pointers and one two-pointer after a nice fake. Cal hated the very term 'moral victory', but once again, that was what his first game turned out to be. Coach was beyond happy with Cal's performance and with that of the whole team. Cal tried to act happy about their unexpectedly close loss, but it was a loss and he did not need any more of those. ------- Because of football practice and because the basketball coach had negotiated for Cal's appearance in all of the upcoming games, getting to the volleyball regionals had become problematic. Bud to the rescue. The tournament was only an hour flight away, and he insisted on flying Cal, Hector, and Ryan there after practice on Friday. They would miss the start of the match, but if it went more than three games, they would see the rest of it. Saturday was less of a problem because the girls would play at night if they won on Friday. The basketball game was at home, so Cal and Ryan could get away quickly. Hector would stay over Friday night. All of those scheduling concerns paled into insignificance when Cheryl and Cal arrived home from practice Wednesday evening. Claire had been watching for them, and when she told Cheryl to call her mother right away, she could not disguise her sadness. Cal had detected the tone in Claire's voice and he watched Cheryl carefully as she dialed. After a few brief words and a pause to listen, he saw her knees buckle and just caught her before she sagged to the floor. "Looking up at him, she was just able to say "D... Dad's been killed! Accident at job site." Easing her over to a chair, he hurried to get the other phone, picking it up in time to hear Darlene say "... said two other men were in the way. He p... pushed them to safety, but he... he... didn't make it himself." "Darlene, it's Cal," he said. "We'll get Cheryl there as soon as we can get a flight." "No! No, Cal! Don't send her home until... until the funeral. She has to win that tournament!" Darlene said emphatically. "But, Mom!" Cheryl protested, "I can't play after this!" "You have to, Honey," Darlene insisted, her voice now steady and clear. "I'm going to that tournament. I expect to see my baby playing her heart out." Cheryl just cried for a while, then asked haltingly "Do you... do you think he wanted... you know... kill himself?" "I thought that when I first heard it," Darlene said. "But they told me he died a hero. "What will people say if you leave there, Mom?" "I don't really care," Darlene said forcefully. "I wasted too many years ignoring your life. I'm not going to miss any more of it. Part of the reason was... was your father." They could hear her take a deep breath before saying "I'm not going to let him keep me from the most important game of your life." "Listen, Darlene," Cal interrupted. "I'm going to call Marty at home for you. Then I'm calling my mom. They'll all help you with anything you need. How are Shelley and Matt?" "Shocked, just like I am," Darlene answered. "Cal, take care of her. Make sure she plays. I don't know if we can call this a tribute to him - that wouldn't be right." "When will the funeral be?" "Sunday or Monday. Her games are Friday and Saturday, right?" "Yes. We can get there Sunday. That would be best for us," Cal told her. "Then Sunday it will be. I don't mean to sound insensitive, Cal. I'm sure some people will think I am. I'm afraid... I'm afraid I just can't feel the grief that I should." "Darlene, call Julia. The grief will come, believe me. You need her help." After they hung up, Cal wanted to comfort Cheryl, but he had other calls to make. The one to Marty didn't take long. When he called home, Elaine wanted to talk to Cheryl and they were on for a while. The call to Bud did not take long, either. After hearing what had happened, Bud insisted on arranging with a friend to pick up Darlene and fly her to both games, then right home again. When Cal called Darlene to tell her, she objected, saying that she wanted to stay overnight at the tournament site. "Darlene, I appreciate your desire to support Cheryl, I really do. But don't ignore what is expected of you there. It could cause you problems later." After quite a bit more discussion, Darlene reluctantly agreed. When Cal was done, Cheryl called Maddy to let her know, assuring her that she would be ready for the tournament. "You know what I feel the most?" Cheryl asked as they cuddled in bed later. "I feel guilty! I just couldn't generate the kind of love I'm supposed to feel for my father. He was breaking up our family, but now he's gone. I feel guilty that I'm not as broken up as I should be, too. It's almost like someone I knew pretty well died, not my father." "Cheryl, regardless of how you felt, you did your best to respect your dad. We both know he didn't deserve it much of the time, but we also know that it probably wasn't all his fault. Both he and your mom were screwed up by their parents. She recovered, but she couldn't bring him along. How can you love someone who just won't return it?" "I guess he loved the only way he knew how," Cheryl said. "There wasn't anything about a father's responsibilities that he missed..." "Except the emotional part," Cal interrupted. "That's a pretty important part." "Yeah," she admitted, then lapsed into silence. He wanted to ask if she would be OK, but he knew that she would. ------- The various coaches must all have been pretty good friends. One of the football team's graduate assistants caught Cal in his late morning class with a message. The football coach was excusing him from Thursday and Friday practices so he could be with Cheryl for the entire tournament. The basketball coach excused him from Saturday's game if the girls were still in it. He would be flying with the volleyball team. Hector and Ryan still had to depend on Bud. Thursday, Cheryl was on autopilot. She went through all of the motions of classes and preparation for the flight, but afterward, she could not have described anything that happened. Cal arranged with Cheryl's coach for her to stay in a separate suite that he had rented. She needed his support more than being with her teammates. That also gave them a place where she could spend time with Darlene and Shelley when they arrived on Friday morning. To a competitor, the ambience of the arena - the court, the field, the diamond, the pitch, whatever - has a unique effect. After an emotional hour and a half with her mother and sister, Cheryl seemed to wake up when she entered the gym where the matches would be played. Her competitive spirit and her loyalty to her teammates were strong enough to suppress her shock, grief, and guilt for a while. The other girls were relieved to see Cheryl looking her usual intense self during warmups. Normally, the top four seeded teams would each head a regional. They had beaten the third seed in the sub-regional. Thus there was only one higher ranked team among the four in that region. In the first round, they were matched against a lower ranked team. It was a week for epiphanies. Cal had come from the weekend with a different attitude toward his sports, and so had Sharon. Her athletic skill and court sense had won her the scholarship. Her conditioning program had made her an imposing presence at the net. But it was not until the game when Cheryl had to come out that Sharon learned the value of intimidation. For just a few brief points, she had seen the opposing players, supposedly tough and confident, visibly recoil when she went above everyone for one of her ferocious hits. She had been playing with anger, and that was what triggered the new awareness. She could make the other team fear her. It was intoxicating, and changed her outlook dramatically. On the very first point of the first game, Maddy did the usual quick set to Cheryl. But the ball had come directly to Maddy on the service, so there was one hit left. Having scouted well, the opponents had two blockers on Cheryl. Cheryl went up as if to drive the ball, but instead sent a very high set to Sharon. Sharon sent the ball seemingly straight down, with no one having a chance to touch it. The tone for the match was set. After a first game win, Maddy looked at Cheryl a bit sheepishly, and Cheryl knew instantly what the problem was. "Maddy, it's your job to set winning points," Cheryl said earnestly. "Sharon has just passed me as the best hitter. I knew it would happen. We needed it to happen if we are going any farther. Believe me, you're not making me jealous. I just want to win!" Maddy's relief was evident, and for the next two winning games, Sharon put on a show. After the match, Cheryl had to reassure Sharon that she did not feel slighted. ------- Darlene had decided that they would stay over if there was a second game, claiming that there was nothing urgent for them to return for. Her leaving had caused quite a stir among the family, especially on Hal's side, but Darlene seemed very belligerent in her insistent that it made no difference to her. It took until quite late in the evening before it happened, but Darlene finally broke down in a big way. All four of them were sitting on the large sofa in the main room of the suite. Cal was between Cheryl and Darlene and Shelley was snuggled up to her mother. The conversation had been somber and quite frank all evening. Later, Cal could not remember what triggered it, but all of a sudden, Darlene was wailing out her grief. When it started, Cheryl reacted quickly, single-handedly lifting her mother onto Cal's lap until he caught on and helped her. It was not something that he was comfortable with, but it was Cheryl's idea and he respected her instincts. She brought his arms around Darlene and whispered in his ear "Treat her like a lover. Please. For me. It's what she needs." Both girls pulled themselves close, with Shelley taking Darlene's legs across her lap. For many minutes, they all just sat there. The others caressed Darlene as she sobbed, seeming to understand that this was a necessary step for her to get through. Darlene's face was against Cal's neck and she was thoroughly soaking his shirt with her tears. Her arms had worked around him and she was hugging him desperately. After an indeterminate time, Darlene raised her head and used several of the tissues that Cheryl had fetched. Then she started talking. "I don't miss him as much as I miss what we never had," she started. "Would you believe that I never, ever sat like this with him? Isn't that pathetic?" She was quiet for a while, blowing her nose a few times. "I feel bad for Hal. He missed so much in his life. I was going to divorce him, but I don't hate him. He did his best to be a good husband and father according to what he knew. You know who I hate right now? Both of our parents. They're the ones who robbed us of the life we could have had together. "I came so close to never enjoying something special like this with my children. How could I be so stupid to think your sports were wrong, Cheryl? "I'm happy that Matt is having sex with his girlfriend. I'm jealous, too, but at least I know he won't have to live with our hangups." "Your former hangups, Mom," Shelley said with a hug. "Thanks, Honey. I sure hope all of this stuff hasn't turned you against romance, or against men," Darlene said, caressing Shelley's cheek in an instinctive gesture that brought tears to Cheryl's eyes. What she would have given for such an affectionate touch when she was Shelley's age. "Not hardly, Mom!" Shelley said emphatically, bringing a little comic relief to the highly charged atmosphere. She quickly followed up with a statement that brought the emotional level right back up. "Cal and Matt have gotten me over anything bad from living with Dad." The next half-hour of discussion did more to heal Darlene than anything else could have. Sometimes to Cal's deep embarrassment, mother and daughters shared some very intimate thoughts on love, family, modesty, and marriage. Cal could almost feel Shelley swelling with pride at being fully included as an adult. He could also feel Darlene relax minute by minute in the welcome intimacy with her daughters. It was the incipient loss of circulation in Cal's legs that broke up the tender gathering. He could not help squirming more frequently to move Darlene's weight around, and she noticed. "I'm sorry, Cal. Your poor legs must be about dead, holding all this weight." He knew she was fishing for a compliment. Unbidden, a phrase from a song popped into his head and he modified it. "Nah, you ain't heavy - you're my mother-in-law." Darlene did not burst into tears. Instead, she took Cal's face in both hands and kissed him in a very un-motherly way. "For everything I missed, Cal, I'm so thankful that Cheryl found you." That could have launched another emotional interlude, but Cheryl chose that moment to say "Um, Cal, you need to be ready at eight in the morning. Bud's flying you back for the game." "But..." "We appreciate your being willing to be with us, but we're OK, really. Right, Mom? Thank the coach and swish some long ones for me." ------- Cal had not been at basketball practice since the Tuesday game because football practice for the bowl game had started. He was not surprised when Pat got the start at point guard. He was pleasantly surprised that Ryan started at forward. The coach motioned Cal to sit beside him as the game started. "Can you forget all the history with Pat when you're in the game together." "Yes." "Well, so far, I don't think he can," the coach said. "The kid's got a ton of talent and I've got a scholarship sunk into him. I would like to start this year building for the future with you three freshman. You and Ryan will be with me at least three years, and nowadays, that's all I can hope for. Pat? Well, if he doesn't shape up pretty quickly, I'll encourage him to transfer out, and I'll waive the waiting period." Cal was amazed at the way the coach was talking to him, but it wasn't over yet. "Pat is on probation with me. First, I've got to get him to distribute the ball. Then, he's got to play with you as the point. I know there will be conflicts with football, but I'm telling you that you are my point guard from now on." The visiting team was one they should beat quite easily, so the coach was willing to do some experimentation. Unbeknownst to Cal, the two players about to flunk out had come to the coach demanding to know why the weren't playing. Upon hearing that he had to develop their replacements and why, they had both quit. Cal and Ryan were beneficiaries of unusual circumstances. Cal was determined to make the most of his good fortune and Ryan seemed to feel the same way. With more than a little amazement, Cal watched Ryan banging, slashing, jabbing, and wrestling his way to dominance of the defensive boards. He hardly looked like the smooth, graceful player from the summer pickup game. At a timeout, Cal said to Ryan "I didn't know you could bang inside like that. Great work!" "I couldn't until I started to build some real muscle. Don't tell anyone, but I can't let my girlfriend show me up. Know what? I like it! I decided that if I'm going to make this team, it will inside." Cal was tempted to reveal what the coach had said, but decided to treat it as a confidence. After that timeout, he was going into the game. Pat was coming out, so they would not be together for a while. Pat took Cal's place next to the coach, and their discussion was much more energetic than the one with Cal had been. If Pat was changing, the rate of change was incremental. In his eight minutes, he had taken six shots and had only one assist. That was not what the coach wanted from a point guard. Cal could feel the different spirit when he came onto the floor. On the first possession, he was gratified to see that there was much more motion from the other players than he had seen from the bench. It was his job to reward that extra effort. Because the isolated low post play to Buck had worked so well before, that was Cal's first move, and it worked for a quick score. Deciding to stay with it until the opposition stopped it, he repeated it the next time with the same result. On the third possession, Ryan caught Cal's eye and made a slight nod toward the basket. As Cal dribbled down the left side, he saw Ryan start to break toward the basket and stopped dead. He fired a high pass that Ryan was able to take at the top of his leap and slam home. The basketball team had always had a lot of loyal local fans. In fact, that fan base was stronger than the students, so far. There was no question that the coach had recruited Pat partly because he was a local star and would draw the fans. Well, the knowledgeable fans would certainly recognize that so far, Pat was not an impact player. Ryan's name was also known locally, though, and the reaction to his first slam was quick and enthusiastic. Cal was elated by the change in the way his friend was playing. He had taken a chance recommending Ryan to the coach, and he very much wanted his recommendation to be vindicated. He did not want to distort the offense by favoring Ryan, so he would just have to hope that Ryan could keep up his current intensity. On the defensive end, one of the other team set up for a three pointer. Reacting quickly, Cal headed straight for Ryan and set what was essentially a defensive pick. Ryan was able to swing around his man and crash the board for the rebound. He went high and snapped the ball off of the board with authority, bringing another quick response from the crowd. There was no chance for a fast break, so Cal collected the ball and once again brought it up the left side. This time, the defense was doubling on Buck, so Cal was able to swing around his man and break down the middle. The man doubling Buck saw him and moved to intercept. Cal swung to the right, saw Ryan open, and got the ball to him. About eighteen feet out, Ryan went up for the shot, but he saw the other guard flashing down the lane and changed the shot to a pass for a clean layup. As the other coach called time, the crowd was on its feet, cheering. The coach was trying to keep a serious deadpan expression as the team huddled, but was not being very successful. Pat looked like he had taken a bite of persimmon. At half-time, they had a fifteen point lead as they headed for the locker room. Ken, the other guard while Cal had been in, said "Cal, you haven't even taken a shot yet. How come?" "Didn't need to." "Well, you need some stats, man." "Assists make the scoreboard change," Cal said cryptically. Deciding he had to lighten the mood, he said "When my girlfriend's here, I have to swish some three because it excites her. Otherwise, I just make sure we score lots of points." "What's with Ryan?" Ken asked. "He sure didn't play like that the first couple of weeks of practice." "A good woman does wonders for a man's game," Cal said with a laugh at Ken's puzzled expression. ------- Bud got Cal and Ryan to the tournament site in time for them to spend a few minutes with the girls. Ryan tried to be cool, but was mostly failing. "You must have gotten some minutes," Sharon observed, touching a darkening bruise over one of Ryan's eyes. Cal couldn't resist. "He started and played twenty-eight minutes," he told the amazed girls. "Really?" Sharon enthused. "Wow!" "Thirteen rebounds," Cal added, "and two jams." Ryan's nonchalant act failed completely, especially when Sharon jumped on him and kissed him soundly right in front of her teammates. Finding some composure somewhere, he teased Sharon "So, how you gonna top that tonight?" "Just watch me!" she said saucily. "They don't have a chance in Hell!" It wasn't quite that easy, but the team did win in four tight games against the sixth ranked team nationally. Sharon exceeded Cheryl's numbers in attempts and kills for the second straight game, but no one was happier than Cheryl. Cheryl's kill percentage was her highest ever. With Sharon the obvious first option, Sharon drew more blocking attention. Because Maddy's sets to Cheryl were almost all for quick hits, Cheryl usually had just one blocker, and a few times had nothing but open floor to worry about. Who could worry about statistics or percentages when they were headed for the Final Four, the ultimate dream for a college team. ------- The reviewal for Hal started at eleven on Sunday morning, with the service scheduled for 12:30 and interrment at 2:00. It would make tight connections for getting back to school, but it was the best that could be done. Both Hal's and Darlene's families were upset with the Sunday funeral and with the early timing because it interfered with church. The needs of the students meant nothing to them. Cheryl was completely surprised and was moved to tears when Sharon and Ryan, Maddy and Hector, Muriel, the coach, Claire and Bert, Robin and Bud, and Bud's parents showed up for the reviewal. It was an even more emotional time when Rebecca and Bobby and Tessa and Vic appeared. It had meant a lot of flying time for both couples. Martin had covered the cost of tickets. There was quite a contrast between the warmth and emotion displayed by all of Cheryl's friends and the stiff, formal behavior of Cheryl's grandparents and some of her aunts and uncles. To Cal's surprise, Cheryl had insisted on writing out a eulogy, and she delivered it without breaking down. There was not a hint of negativity or criticism in what she said, but neither did she credit Hal with anything that was not true. It was very moving, particular to those who knew of her early struggles at home. From the cemetery, everyone was invited back to the Banners', where Elaine had arranged for a catered meal. Some had flights to catch, but most headed off to join in the tradition. Hoping for a little bonus time with his sister, Cal insisted that Rebecca and Bobby ride with him and Cheryl back to the house. Darlene, Matt and Shelley were riding with Martin. Elaine had stayed to supervise the catering. Cheryl wanted to be sure that her family was on their way, so the two couples were the last to leave. There was no conversation as they drove toward the cemetery entrance. Suddenly, a van came out of the cemetery crossroad to their left and screeched to a halt right in front of them. Reacting quickly, Cal shifted into reverse, but as he looked over his shoulder, he saw another van pull up right behind them. There was no room to maneuver, and even as powerful as the Suburban was, there was no chance of pushing either van out of the way. ------- Chapter 55 Finally something was going right! Nikolai, the team leader, had been completely frustrated as one thing after another kept one or more of his targets out of town. He had tried to see if two at a time wouldn't satisfy the client, but Viktor had been firm about it. All four of them in one place, bound, and in good condition - it was that or no payoff. There was no way the client was spending all of this money just to have a chat with the four kids, so what was the big deal about good condition? The client would never know that they had had some fun with the girls, first. What was the difference, anyway? Personally, he liked them meatier, but there was no doubt they were lookers. From what Viktor had said, the client had wanted them to be snatched at school and brought back. That was ridiculous, and Nikolai would have walked away from even the handsome payoff being offered rather than risk all of those complications. Viktor had made a point that the one kid, the football player, was into martial arts. Shit, it seemed like every other kid nowadays was doing Tae Kwon Do or one of those chink things. Well, let's seem him handle eight tough guys with his chop suey tricks. Nikolai was really pissed about all of the money he had had to spend on investigators to track where the kids were going to be, although he had to admit that they did a great job. It had just been cutting into his profits for way too long. At least he had not had to spend much on the crew of toughs he had hired. He just hoped they could follow instructions enough to get them the payoff. There was no way he could tell mugs like that not to pack heat, but he had tried. He had hammered on the fact that the kids had to be alive and in good condition. Just like him, they would only be paid on successful completion. Of course, he got expenses along the way, but he was anxious for the big bucks. Well, this was it, and he could not have set it up more perfectly. The safe house had been ready for a couple of months. Now, the four targets were the last ones at the cemetery, and they were all in the same vehicle. There had been three days for him to prepare and he had decided that the cemetery was the best place for the snatch. There was no way he could have predicted the way the kids fell right into his hands. He knew that they were couples, so he had been sure that he could grab them two at a time. With two vans and two crews, he was prepared to pull each couple out of a crowd separately. The vans were stolen, of course, and could not be traced. They had cell phones for communication and walky-talkies for short range. The maintenance and office building for the cemetery were near the last intersection before the exit. The vans had been not looked suspicious parked beside a couple of cemetery trucks. From there, it was only about thirty yards to the intercept point. Nikolai had chosen to drive the van that would pin them from behind. They would all jump out and surround the SUV. They had mallets in the vans if they needed to break windows to get the targets out. They also had handcuffs, blindfolds, and even chloroform, everything necessary to restrain the kids and get them to the safe house. He had paid extra for an experienced driver for the other van, the one that would cut off the SUV from the front. That driver had done his job perfectly, and it was time to make some money. As Nikolai opened the driver's door of the back van, his passenger swore. Nikolai looked over to the right and was surprised and angry to see three kids sprinting away down the road toward the exit with none of his men yet in pursuit. A foot chase? What a nuisance! How had they gotten out so quickly? They were supposed to be frightened and easily trapped in the SUV. ------- Vans! The unavoidable images of how THE DAY had started assaulted Cal's mind. His emotional response was not fear, but anger bordering on rage. Two of the three most important women in his life were threatened. He had no doubt about that fact. All of this went through his mind in a split second before his training kicked in. Figure out the enemy's plan, than act to disrupt the plan. That was what he had been taught. His instantaneous assessment was that the occupants of the vans intended to either kill or capture one or more of his group. No, if killing had been the objective, they would have just opened fire, not boxed them in as they had. It must be a kidnapping. As far as tactics, they most likely intended to trap him and the others in the Suburban. Then, they could carry out their plan in a controlled manner. The first defensive step was to try to destroy the attackers' initial advantage. They had to get out and run. Instinct told Cal that assailants would soon pour out of the vans, probably many of them. It was not much, but he could make sure that they had trouble getting out of the one in front of them. "We've got big trouble! Out the right side, hurry! Run! Stay together! Run down the road and out of the cemetery! I'll be right behind you!" Cal yelled. The exit was nearly two hundred yards ahead. Cal assumed that the attackers wanted the relative isolation of the cemetery to make the snatch. Once again, disrupt and hope for more opportunities. As he said it, while the girls were piling out of the car and Bobby was scrambling across the seat toward the passenger side door, Cal eased the Suburban ahead so it was tight against the side of the van. Before getting out himself, he set the parking brake, turned off the engine, and pocketed the key. The driver in front had pulled his van into a perfectly centered position. The nose of the Suburban now prevented either the passenger door or the sliding rear door from opening. The only way out of the van was through the driver's door. It should take longer to get the occupants out and chasing them. Cheryl, Rebecca, and Bobby were all good runners. It was a cold, dreary day, and all of the women had opted for warm shoes rather than dress heels for the time at the cemetery. Who would have thought how important that might become. Cal was confident the girls could outrun most men for quite a while. Where they could run to and be safe was another problem, but at least they were not trapped inside as the attackers had planned. The attackers' task had just been made more difficult. It was all Cal could do to start with. Cal had told the others to get out the right side feeling that he was best equipped to be the 'rear guard'. He chose to leave by his door rather than scrambling over the console. As he jumped out, he was planning to run around the back of the front van. Hopefully, he could do something to keep the attackers from getting out the driver's door and giving chase. Glancing back as he stepped to the ground, he saw the driver's door of the rear van opening. Reacting instantly, thinking only of disruption, he charged with everything he had, ramming the opening door with as much force as he had ever used on the football field. The driver, Nikolai, had just put one foot on the ground when the door slammed into him. The window glass hitting his head knocked him unconscious so he did not feel the extreme pain from the breaking of the wrist that was pushing the door open nor the massive trauma to the knee that was violently pinched by the closing door. The impact hurt Cal, but he refused to let it slow him down. Just as he was about to dart away to protect the others, he had an inspiration. He yanked the unconscious man from the van and stepped up on the running board. The engine was still running, so he pulled the shift lever to 'reverse' and jumped out. He had noticed that the passenger's seat was empty, so there must have been at least one man on the road chasing his friends. There might have been more, including some from the front van. As he was dashing back to the Suburban, he heard an oath coming from inside the van. Apparently, the sudden reverse had delayed one or more others from getting out. Every disruption helped. It took only a few seconds to release the park brake, start the engine of the SUV, and back up enough to clear the van in front of him. Just as Cal drove past the front of the van, a man came onto the road after leaving that van. The man had no idea that the Subarban had gotten free and he ran right into it's path. Whether it was rage and anger or the tactical need to decrease the odds, Cal would debate with himself later. He resisted the instinct to dodge around the man and accelerated right over him, feeling the 'thumps' as both driver's side wheels went over the body. Cal had not had time to ponder what level of force he should be using. He decided that this was indeed a deadly force situation. Not knowing the odds, he knew that it was critical to get as many attackers as possible completely and permanently out of the chase. The best outcome, though, would be to pick up the others and drive away without any more contact with any of the attackers. Aa Cal accelerated down the road, he was about to honk to let the others know he was coming, but he saw another pursuer not too far ahead. The man did not seem to have noticed Cal, so Cal headed right for him. At the very last second, the man noticed the Suburban bearing down on him, but he was too late to avoid it and was sent flying to the side of the road as Cal sideswiped him. There were two more men ahead, one of them frightening close to Cheryl. As he bore down on the next man, the man heard the noise and darted off of the road. That would slow him down, and that was all Cal could do right then. He honked to alert the others that he was coming, rolling down the window and waving his arm so that they knew he was driving. It was no surprise that a collection of toughs would have at least one former athlete. The passenger from the rear van had gotten out very quickly. He was much faster than Cal would have expected and he was gaining on Cheryl. Cheryl heard honking behind her. Risking a quick look backward, she could never remember a sight as welcome as the Suburban coming her way with Cal's arm waving out the window. The sight revived the hope that had been turning to panic in her mind. All was not good news, though. The closest man was very close to her, and would surely catch her before Cal reached her. Something was wrong! She looked back again and saw that the man had stopped and was turning around while reaching behind his back. All she could think about was 'gun'. If that was true, Cal was in extreme danger - they all were. At first, panic and horror almost overwhelmed her. It was fear for her lover that pulled her out of it. First rule, Master Jessie had hammered into them, was 'don't let them do what they plan. Any disruption helps.' By the time she was in motion back toward the man, he did have a gun. It was clear and swinging toward the Suburban. Overcoming her shortness of breath from the sprint, she let out a blood-curdling scream. His right hand had the gun, so she kicked with all of her might at his right arm. He had turned almost completely, but she still had a good shot at his arm. Her scream froze him momentarily and her foot connected solidly with his elbow. The gun went off and the bullet tore through the upper branches of a nearby tree before whining off into the distance. The man had been turning counter-clockwise, and he continued around. As his face came into view, Cheryl could see what she knew instinctively was killing rage on his face. She had saved Cal, but she had no doubt that the man now intended to use the gun on her. As he turned, the man was intent on bringing the gun to bear on Cheryl with his right hand while his left arm was extended to provide balance. Acting on her training, Cheryl planted her feet with the left foot forward and grabbed the gun arm with her left hand. Shifting her body weight as in her strongest kill shot, she put everything she had into a blow to the man's exposed throat. Because he had not finished his turn, the man's larynx was perfectly exposed and Cheryl could feel the sickening sensation of tissues tearing at impact. There was no danger of her being sick right then, however. There was still the gun. Risking his left hand being able to strike or grab her, she got both hands around the forearm of his gun hand. Turning her body, she slammed the gun hand into her knee and the gun fell to the ground. Missing on the first attempt, she kicked the gun as far away as she could. When she could finally look at the would-be attacker, she could see his eyes bulging and his left hand grabbing for his throat. She had to quell a brief, instinctive urge to try to help him, but the Suburban had shot squealed to a stop. Turning away, she dashed to the few stops to the road, forcing the encroaching nausea down by sheer will power. When he honked and waved, Cal had seen all three glance back at him. Rebecca was first, Bobby next, and Cheryl last. Cal knew that Cheryl could have easily outrun the other two, just as he knew that she would take the protective rear guard position. He also saw the man who had been catching up with Cheryl turn, but he did not just glance back. Instead, he spun toward Cal with a gun in his hand. At that point, Cal was mere yards away, almost point blank distance for an automatic. As he ducked his head so he could just see over the dash, Cal saw Cheryl turn, rush the man, and kick him from behind. There was a gunshot but no impact. Just as he hit the brakes to stop beside Cheryl, he was horrified to see the man swing the gun toward her. Of all the wonderful memories of his lover, the next three seconds would be imprinted more clearly than a video. If he had not urged her to take up martial arts, she would most probably have been the one dying on the ground of that cemetery, rather than the attacker. At just that instant, Cal screeched to a halt beside her. Jamming it into park, he scrambled over the console and opened both passenger side doors before moving back. Bobby and Rebecca had stopped and come back toward where Cal stopped, and they all jumped in. Before the door was even closed, Cal took off at full acceleration. Cheryl turned in her seat, looking back at her victim. The man was thrashing around, clutching at his throat. Even as they turned out of the cemetery onto the public street, she saw has thrashing stop. "They're not following," she said to Cal as she turned to face forward. Cal was concerned for his lover. He knew how having to kill could affect a person, and he was certain that she had killed the man. He watched her carefully as they drove down the street and turned onto a main road to head for his house. He had another big concern as well. He had been about to call 911 when it occurred to him what would happen if he did. "Listen, Guys. I think we had better act as if nothing happened here." "What?" Rebecca almost shouted. "We have to call the police!" Cal slowed to make sure they did not attract the attention of the police. "Think about this," he said, still watching watching Cheryl for any signs of shock. "If we get the police involved, we will probably be forbidden to leave town. Cheryl is going to the national championship next weekend and she cannot afford to miss practice." "Ohhhhh!" Rebecca said. "I hadn't thought of that. It could screw up my grades. Bobby's, too." "Mine, too!" Cheryl chimed in. "But what about that man?" Cal was thrilled that she was able to respond. "That makes it a problem," Cal said. "Two men, actually. I ran right over one. We don't know if they are dead, but I think so. One of the men I hit could also be critically hurt, but I doubt it. "Here's what I think will happen. Those men will want to cover up the deaths, too. They will not want it known that they were even here. Remember, if a death occurs during the commission of a crime, all of the perpetrators are considered guilty of murder. Unless I miss my guess, they will dispose of the body or bodies." "Is that true even if it's one of the bad guys that dies?" Rebecca asked. "Yes." "I guess I had heard that," Bobby said. "Why do you think they were after us? Will they try again?" Having recovered remarkably well, Cheryl snarled "Penelope Overland! She believes we're responsible for Greg's death, and she wants revenge." "What was she going to do?" Rebecca asked in shock. "Probably have us all brought to some place where she could kill us herself," Cal answered. "On, my God! Would she really do that?" "I suspect she is clinically insane," Cheryl answered Rebecca. "With all of her money, she could buy anything." "But we didn't kill him!" Rebecca insisted. "He's the one who caused all of the problems!" "If she's crazy, she won't see it that way," Cheryl explained. "If that's what she's trying to do," Rebecca insisted, "then we have to call the police." "Sis, I hate to tell you this, but the kind of people Penelope could hire, the police couldn't protect us from." "So what do we do? How do we protect ourselves?" "Penelope probably paid a lot of money to have us kidnapped. The only way to fix it is to pay more money to have them forget about us," Cal said. "Genevieve?" Cheryl guessed. "Right," Cal answered. "But why would she do that?" Rebecca asked. "Family reputation means everything to her," Cheryl answered. "I once hated her guts and I still can't say I like her. She has proven to be honorable, though. I think she respects us." "What a mess!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Look at it this way," Cal said thoughtfully. "If we give Genevieve the chance to clean this up herself, we will have a powerful friend for as long as she lives." "Genevieve, a friend?" Cheryl asked with a note of sarcasm. "I know there's a lot of history for you to get past, Honey. I am sure that she respects you, though. Probably more than she respects anyone in her family," Cal said. "Yeah, I picked that up the last time we saw her." After a deep sigh, Cheryl said "I don't see another alternative." "This will be hard - pretending it never happened," Bobby interjected. "There will be people all over the house, you know." "We'll be in real trouble if it ever comes out, won't we?" Cheryl asked. "It never happened," Cal said firmly. "We didn't do anything wrong! I don't want any of our lives disrupted because of those scumbags." When the conversation died down, Cheryl started to show the signs the Cal had feared. He pulled into a parking lot and pulled her to himself as much as he could. "Bobby, will you drive the rest of the way, please?" Once in the back seat, snuggled against Cal, Cheryl's tears came. He did not try to say anything - nothing really needed to be said. After all of their discussions about Cal's violent episodes and the men he had killed, they both knew the feelings and the rational arguments that justified her actions. They also knew that rational arguments could not wipe out the very human revulsion at taking a life. It was indeed very difficult to enter the house and act like normal mourners. ------- They all managed an admirably calm entrance. Cheryl's eyes were red and her face was a bit of mess, but everyone attributed that to a delayed grief reaction. She was expected to be somber because of the occasion, and Bobby and Rebecca were not in the 'limelight', so no one was suspicious. As soon as they had all been seen, Cal pulled Cheryl aside and said "I want you on the phone with me," and they went into his room with an extra hand-held phone. When the phone rang at Genevieve's mansion, the servant who answered had been through the dance with Cal before. When he identified himself, she summoned Genevieve without having to be threatened. "Hello, Cal," Genevieve said. "I was saddened to hear about Cheryl's..." "I don't mean to be rude, Mrs. Overland, but I have something very serious to talk about. Two vans full of men attacked me, Cheryl, my sister Rebecca, and her boyfriend Bobby. We believe they intended to kidnap us. The attack took place at the cemetery, just after Cheryl's father's funeral." "My God!" Genevieve exclaimed with a totally uncharacteristic oath. "I have had people trying to find out if she was up to something." The probability of Penelope's involvement was so strong that she did not need to say the name openly. "The four of us are due to fly back to school this evening. We have not reported this to the police because they might have detained us. Between grades and sports events, none of us could afford to be detained," Cal explained. "The threat of a repeat of this attack will be stopped, Mrs. Overland," Cal said in a very firm voice. "I have friends who can see that it is done by force. I am offering you the chance to solve it yourself and perhaps keep the family name from being damaged. "Just so you understand just what is at stake, I am going to tell you something that only the four of us know," Cal said solemnly. "We are quite certain that two of the attackers were killed. I think you know the legal ramifications of that - for the four of us, and for her." There was a lenghty pause before Genevieve responded "I will take care of it. You have my word." "I was sure that you would agree. I probably don't have to tell you that it may take a good deal of money to buy some people off. You may also have to get, uh, forceful to get the necessary information. If you cannot handle that, I will stay and take care of that part." "Young man, I am more than ever in your debt," Genevieve said. "That goes for all of you. I realize the risk you take in not reporting this. You have acted more honorably than my family deserves. I no longer have any compassion that would prevent me from getting the information. As soon as you hang up, I will make the necessary calls to get things in motion. You can all return to school and continue to succeed. If there is anything you need to help you get past this, please let me know." ------- Viktor could not believe what he was hearing. His plant at police dispatch had just relayed a call 911 from the cemetery's caretaker. There had been a commotion involving three vehicles and some people chasing others. A probable gunshot was also mentioned. That meant that the snatch had been attempted, but he had not heard from Nikolai about the outcome. Nikolai was the only one who knew about Viktor. This simple snatch job was going to be Viktor's biggest personal payoff ever. Had Nikolai managed to bungle it? He had used the man before and considered him reliable. They had waited so long for a chance at the four kids together. Who knew when they could make another try? Knowing that it was not a wise move, Viktor could not restrain himself and dialed Nikolai's cell number. A groggy sounding voice, identifiable as Nikolai's, said "Yeah?" "Do you have them?" "No." "Why the hell not?" Viktor shouted. "It should have been an easy snatch! What happened?" "I, uh, didn't see any of it. I was out cold," Nikolai admitted. "How the hell?" "I've got a broken wrist and a screwed up knee. I'm waiting at Doc Rogens'. One of the team got busted up, too. Doc's insisting that he needs a hospital. Uh, two are dead." "Dead? What the hell?" "Ivan got run over by their SUV. Pietr pulled a gun. I guess the one girl about tore his throat out." "A girl? I told you the football player was into martial arts, but..." "He's the one who messed me up" Nikolai said with an oath. "I owe him big time. He's going down, I promise you." Viktor hung up in disgust and went looking for a bottle. ------- "Brandon! Listen carefully and do not argue. Get everyone but you and Penelope out of the house. Do that in fifteen minutes and make sure that she does not know that the others are leaving. Do you understand?" "But mother! Why... ?" "Brandon, it may be better if you do not know just what is happening. Will you just do what I tell you? I am sending some men to pick up Penelope. Brandon, they will not be polite. Do not interfere." With that, Genevieve hung up. Genevieve's detective service gave their best client the usual rapid response. Right on time, two beefy masked male operatives came to the door of Brandon's mansion. When he answered the door, one man told him "Get into that powder room and do not come out until we are gone, no matter what you hear. Your mother instructed us to tell you that this is for the benefit of the family, and it is the only thing that has a chance to save your wife. Where is she?" "In... in the master s... suite." The two men burst into the master suite and closed the door. Penelope managed a short scream before one of the men clamped a hand over her mouth. The other man produced a ball gag and strapped it around her head. While one man held her by her upper arms, the other stripped her. As her clothes were being ripped off, she kicked and squirmed until the man stripping her smacked her very hard on an ass cheek. After a muffled scream and a large urine stain on the carpet, she stopped struggling. When she was completely naked, she was handcuffed behind her back and blindfolded. Each holding an arm, the two men walked her right out onto the porch. There, one man waited with her while the other went back to tell Brandon that he could come out in two minutes. The drive to Geneveive's was the most terrifying experience of Penelope's life, largely because she had no idea where she was being taken. She did know that for certain that she would not survive the trip. The back windows of the vehicle were open to the cold air and the seats were leather. At the matriarch's mansion, Penelope was led, shaking with the cold, up onto the porch and made to stand there while the gag was taken out. Her first indication of where she was came when Genevieve shouted at her. "You stupid bitch!" Genevieve roared at her shaken daughter-in-law. "Do you have any idea what you have done? If you tell me right now who you dealt with, there is a chance, a small chance that you can get out of this without going to prison!" Genevieve shouted. Penelope was on the verge of hypothermia and terrified almost out of her mind. Still, her obsession ruled. The idea of giving up the revenge due her triggered the last of her will power. "I don't know what..." Penelope started to protest, but it was cut off by another hard blow to her ass cheek. "Do you believe I'm serious yet?" Genevieve demanded. "If you don't tell me right now, these men are under orders to start cutting pieces off of you." The blindfold was taken off and one of the men brandished what looked like a scalpel. Penelope cracked. "G... G... Guiterrez. Lawyer. Only one I kn... know by name." "Get on it," Genevieve snapped at the men, who took off the cuffs and headed down the drive. Penelope staggered into the house, shaking with cold and whimpering pathetically. "There's a hot bath in the master suite," Genevieve said coldly. "You have fifteen minutes in there. There's a robe and slippers you can wear in the limo. It's all you get and it's better than a prison uniform. The limo is waiting to take you to a private clinic where you have been a patient for the last two weeks. It will take five hours to get there. A female detective will accompany you." The will to resist or protest had completely left Penelope. Genevieve did not take this action frivolously. It would cause her all sorts of problems, first with her own son, then with Penelope's family. The clinic was very, very exclusive and very discreet. No one would know where Penelope was, and she would not be leaving until Genevieve was convinced that her obsession had ended. There would be legal attempts to force her to reveal where Penelope was, but she could withstand those. Why was she going to all of this trouble? Of course, it was to protect her family's name. Her family. What pitiful scraps remained of what could have been a dynasty. To herself, she had to admit that it was for the young couple, as well. Few people could understand the thrill of encountering someone like Cheryl after a lifetime of commanding spineless, obsequious sycophants and dilettantes. When the girl openly scorned Genevieve for her wealth and her power, she won more respect than she would ever know. Of course, Genevieve had to do battle, and she fought hard. But all of the time there was the wish that Cheryl could have been her own offspring. Among her numerous progeny, only Greg had exhibited the force of personality that was needed to carry on the family's prominence. She had hoped with everything in her that Greg would grow out of his arrogant, frivolous phase and become what the family needed. That had never happened, and she had to reluctantly admit that it probably never would have. At first, she had hated Cal for what he did to Greg. She, however, was the first among the family to recognize that Cal had saved the family from much worse embarrassment if Greg had succeeded in raping Rebecca. Later, in the coach fiasco, both Cal and Cheryl had seemed to recognize Genevieve's right and her need to protect her family. This latest episode even further emphasized their sense of honor. The young couple represented a great sadness to Genevieve. Sadness that they were not her offspring and that she had no offspring to compare with them. At the same time, they represented hope that the kind of character that had built her family fortune still existed. She would do what was needed to protect those young people. It would protect her family as well, but was that not the best kind of motive? ------- Because of the way he kept his connections isolated, Guiterrez had never felt the need for exceptional security at either his office or his home. That made it easy for the detective who came from behind the door with a gun at the back of the lawyer's head. "Don't turn around and don't speak. Listen and nod your head in agreement. Otherwise, I will blow it off," the detective hissed out. The detective was wise to the ways the underworld operated. He knew that Guiterrez probably did not know the nature of the contracts he passed along to brokers. "This afternoon, an attempt was made to fulfill Mrs. Overland's contract. It failed. Mrs. Overland has been removed from any possibility of paying you. Others in her family are now in control and will do and pay anything required to see that the targets of that contract are left completely alone. "Your job is to see that everyone down the line understands and agrees that the targets are not to be touched. If you do not accomplish your job, you and everyone else involved will become a target. "You know how much money is available. Do not be so foolish as to think that you could disappear. I would personally be more than happy to execute a contract on you. I'm sure you realize that this time, real professionals would be hired, not the street thugs who screwed up the job." The detective had mastered a tone that literally sent chills up the lawyer's spine. "On your kitchen counter is a paper with a phone number. Call that number when you are certain that the threat has been eliminated. That message had better be received very soon. If you need money for payoffs, call that number, as well. "You are going to give me the name and contact information of your broker. It would be good if you could just tell me now. If you would rather not, I have a team standing by to escort you to a place where you will feel more talkative." Guiterrez had played the game very well for his entire career. He had maintained an adequate front of legitimacy while avoiding situations that could get him cross-threaded with any of the several criminal elements with which he dealt. It looked like a crazy rich bitch was about to end his winning streak. Viktor had made him a lot of money, but that did not justify any personal risk to shield Viktor. Almost nothing justified that. "Viktor Kruschenko," Guiterrez said. "We know him. That is all I need. Do you agree to clean this up?" Guiterrez just nodded, and the detective left. The removal of the gun barrel from the back of his neck did not solve Guiterrez's problem. Suddenly, he was responsible for ensuring the safety of Mrs. Overland's intended victims. He honestly did not know who they were, but from the man's use of pronouns, there must be more than one. As soon as he could compose himself, Guiterrez called Viktor. "I suppose you have heard by now that your team fucked up." Viktor just grunted in reply. "What did you hear? Who from?" "The client has been removed from the scene." "Shit! All that waiting and no payoff! I was depending on that money!" Viktor complained. "There may still be some money," Guiterrez said. "Others in the client's family have taken control. They are willing to pay to see the the targets are left alone." "Left alone!" Viktor shouted. "Two men died! My team leader and another man are busted up He wants to kill two of them for what they did!" "It's his own fault, damn it!" Guiterrez said. "Didn't you find out if the targets were dangerous? What did he do, hire the usual kneecappers?" "Probably," Viktor admitted. "I warned him. Guess he didn't listen." "You listen to me, Viktor! The targets are not to be touched. Not killed, not crippled, not disfigured, not anything! Do you hear me? You can't believe the kind of trouble that will come down on us if they are." "How am I supposed to stop the team?" "You had better find a way. Find out how much it will cost to make them forget. Do the other team members know the names of the targets?" "No. At least he was not supposed to tell them anything." "Who is your team leader?" Guiterrez demanded. "Now, wait a minute! You're not supposed to know that," Viktor protested. "And this job was supposed to be done right," Guitterez snapped back. "Instead, it could get us all dead. Just give me the name!" Viktor could tell from the lawyer's tone the he had no choice but to comply. "Nikolai Polokoff." "Polokoff!" Guiterrez exploded. "What the hell were you thinking? The biggest contract we've ever seen, and you hire a guy who collects protection money from storekeepers?" "Fuck you, Guiterrez!" Viktor shouted back. "Nikolai has done well on some other contracts for me. Besides, the targets are four fuckin' college kids! How hard could that be?" "Let's see - half the team dead or injured. Sounds to me like it was pretty damned hard. So you tried to keep the costs down, and now you get nothing. Besides that, we've got all this money ready to come down on us." "I'll... take care of it," Viktor snarled. "Let me know when you do. Make it soon." ------- In the dark world in which Viktor lived, money was frightening. It was frightening because of the pain and death it could buy. In his world, everything was for sale, and he made his living as a broker of pain and death for money. Knowing that an endless supply of money could be spent to buy his own pain and death motivated Viktor in a way that nothing else could. After only one quick slug right from the bottle, Viktor had made his decision. Doctor Rogen ran a very successful clinic. It was well-staffed and had the best equipment. With a decently-equipped surgery and several rooms for stay-over patients, it was an effective small hospital. Most of the clinics business was cash. It had become the preferred source for discreet medical attention for those who could not afford to have their injuries known publicly. On the clinic's records, gunshot wounds were always entered as something else, but they were a huge revenue source. Nikolai had said that one of the injured would need to go to a regular hospital, that his injuries were beyond what the clinic could handle. That was very bad. The police should have no reason to question that man, but if they ever did... "How long will it take to get money?" Viktor asked when Guiterrez answered his phone call. "How much are you talking about?" "One-hundred large." The actual amount Viktor needed was $70K. It would be $25K each to see that Nikolai and the other man succumbed from their injuries and $10K each for discreet transport and unreported cremation. Another $20K was for cremation of the two already dead, lying in the walk-in freezer at the clinic. "It's Sunday and the banks are closed," Guiterrez answered. "I have $250K cash. Can you cover the rest and trust me until tomorrow. This can't wait." The requested amount told the lawyer exactly what Viktor planned. Viktor had trusted Gutiterrez many times, so it was not a stretch for him. Guiterrez knew the consequences of reneging. Such services were always for in halves, anyway - half before and half upon completion. "In the usual drop in exactly one hour?" "It will be there. The rest at noon tomorrow." $100K would certainly not break Guiterrez. He had many times that in various accounts. The question now was whether he should ask Mrs. Overland's family for reimbursement. The man with the gun had indicated that the money would be provided. It was just a question of what was best for the future. The man with the gun had suggested strongly that Guiterrez should leave town, and that was looking like a wise move. If he was to make a clean start, would he not be better off with no entanglements with anyone like the Overland family? There was a way to cut his loss to only the $25K that Viktor needed tonight plus the usual $50K contract fee. He and Viktor had done well together, but this was an unforgiving business. He had done his part. He was not at fault for the botched job. There was not way he should be put at any further risk because those below him had failed. Greed was going to cost Viktor far more than his big payoff. Guiterrez wondered about the other four team members. Did they represent a threat to the targets, those four college kids Viktor had mentioned? If so, they were a threat to him, personally. He did not think so. Word would get out very quickly about the fate of the team, and everyone would know that two should have survived, especially Nikolai. There would be every incentive for the surviving four to forget they were ever hired. Guiterrez made two money drops. He had purposely told Viktor of only a fraction of his ready cash supply. The call from Viktor verifying the two additional deaths and the four undocumented cremations came about ten o'clock. Notice of Viktor's elimination followed with half an hour. It was with a huge sense of relief that Guiterrez called the number given him by the detective. He hoped that his declaration that no request for money would be forthcoming would remove the cloud from his future. ------- It was after the call to Genevieve that Cheryl really lost it. Somehow, she had gotten herself through the ordeal and the aftermath, except for a while in the car. She was an extremely strong-minded person, but the last of that strength had run out. Just as in the back seat on the way home, Cal just held her. The biggest problem was that they had to leave for the airport in less than an hour. Cheryl and Bobby had brought their luggage to the house earlier in the day, so that was not a problem, but what sort of shape would Cheryl be in to fly? Was Rebecca in any better shape? She had not been forced to kill, as Cheryl had, but what affect would yet another dangerous encounter have on her? Cal had immediately thought of Julia. The problem was that Julia would have to report any information about the deaths. That was what Cheryl would need the most help with, and they could not take that risk. Bobby and Rebecca came to the room after a while and they all huddled together, trying to get past the traumatic event. They probably should have been saying some goodbyes, but facing the mourners right then was beyond them. Just before they had to say final goodbyes and head for the airport, the phone rang and Elaine answered. "Mrs. Banner? This is Genevieve Overland. Has Cal gone back to school?" "No, but they will all be leaving for the airport shortly." "I would be honored if your son and daughter and their partners would allow me to fly them back tonight on my plane. It would please me if you the other parents could accompany them. I suspect that might be rather hard on Mrs. Carson, but it would give you all some extra time with your children. I suspect they need it right now." "Um, Mrs. Overland, why are you offering this?" "Oh, dear," Genevieve said, realizing that she may have been about to give away a secret. "Before I answer that, could I speak to your son, please?" "Yes, Mrs. Overland?" Cal answered when Elaine fetched him. "Cal, how much have you told your parents about this afternoon?" "Not a thing. Why?" "I'm afraid I may have made it impossible to keep it secret." She told him the offer that she had made. "I know this is not my business, but would it not be easier on all of you if it was shared with your parents? They all seem like exceptional people and you all seem to have great relationships with them. The plane seats ten comfortably and it is very quiet in flight. Tell them everything during the flight." Cal had to think for a long moment. Then, he remembered how his relationship with his father had improved after Cal took him into his confidence after THE DAY. "I think that is a wonderful idea, Mrs. Overland. Thank you. Would 8:30 be too late to take off? I will arrange it." "Mom, you and Dad be ready to fly most of the night. I am going to talk to Darlene and to the Armstrongs. It is important for all of you parents to join us. I will tell you that there was an attempt to kidnap us this afternoon. We will explain more on the airplane." Elaine was too astonished to say anything. Cal found Martin and told him the same thing. He felt that he owed the other parents the same courtesy, and he made sure they were not overheard as he told them. All agreed to the invitation. One thing no one had anticipated was Genevieve's presence on the flight, and at first, it was a source of noticeable discomfort. The plane was outfitted so that all of the seats could be turned to face each other. As soon as they reached cruising altitude, Genevieve started the conversation. "To keep all of you from wondering why I am involved in this, Cal, would you please tell us what happened this afternoon." Cal took about ten minutes for a very brief description of what happened, not mentioning the deaths. "Why didn't you call the police?" Mel Armstrong asked. Cal explained how they would all probably have been prevented from returning to school. "Would they really make you stay just because you got away from a kidnap attempt?" Mel asked. Cal looked at Cheryl, Rebecca, and Bobby in turn. With a sigh, he said "You are the people we trust most. You deserve to know this, and you will understand why it must be kept secret." His next pause was not for dramatic effect. It really was that hard to say the words. "Two of the men were killed during our escape." That simple sentence brought gasps and then stunned silence to the group of parents. News of the kidnap attempt had been distressing enough. But dead men?! "Your children made a very courageous and, I believe, a very wise decision," Genevieve said to break the silence. "They deduced, correctly, that my daughter-in-law had financed the kidnapping. They realized that I was probably the only one who could ensure their future safety by counteracting what Penelope had done. "I have taken some drastic steps to make sure that your children are safe. I hope to hear while we are flying that the threat has been removed. I assure you that I will spend whatever it takes to protect them. And it is not just to protect my family's name, either. Your young people are exceptional. "There is a small sleeping area at the rear of this cabin. I am going to remain back there so you can talk freely among yourselves." It was shortly after eleven, just before they landed to drop off Rebecca and Bobby, that Genevieve came back into the main cabin. "We have just received a radio message from some people in my employ," she told everyone. "The threat has been removed, completely and brutally. My people knew where the wounded were taken, and they surveilled the place. Earlier, FOUR bodies were taken to a nearby crematorium. Not long after that, according to a police report, a well-known broker of criminal services was found dead. The chain is broken, and you are safe... from my son's wife." Genevieve's voice broke at the last statement, and she hurried back out of the compartment. Rebecca and Bobby had the farthest to travel, and it had been decided to drop them off first to give Darlene and the Banners the most time with Cheryl and Cal. When they took off again, Genevieve, who had strapped in in the main cabin for landing and takeoff, said "Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, why don't you use the bed for some rest. I did not disturb it. There is an extra seat in the cockpit where the cabin attendant usually rides. I will stay up there." "No," Elaine said quickly. "I think it would be good if you stayed here with us and we talked. There are many bad things that have happened between us. It seems that you are ready to change that. I, for one, would like the hostility to end." ------- Chapter 56 The therapy started in the wee hours of that Monday morning as a cab took Cheryl and Cal to their apartment. Actually, a lot of good was already done on the plane flight. All of the parents and Genevieve had reinforced over and over how Cheryl had just done what she had to to protect Cal and herself. In her rational mind, she knew that if she had not used deadly force, she and perhaps Cal could easily have been shot. Even as strong as she was, engaging in a non-lethal hand-to-hand fight with the armed man was a risk she was not morally required to take when she was the intended victim. It was Genevieve who, unbelievably with a tear in her eye, told Cheryl that she was certain Penelope intended to kill the four of them herself. "I do not know if she could have gone through with it, but I am sure that is what she had planned. In her mind, you were murderers, and she was obsessed with Greg beyond any reasonable motherly love. We had been warned of that by her therapists even before Greg was killed." Having viewed herself as a healer since she was old enough to think about her future, taking a life was particularly hard on Cheryl. She needed Julia, but that was not possible because of Julia's obligation to report the death. Several times, people tried to tell Cheryl that she could not be sure that she had killed the man, but she knew in her heart that she had. Cal had too much respect for her to even mention the possibility that the man had survived. One result of the long flight and all of the conversation was a weariness that allowed her to fall asleep instantly when they reached their own bed. She was pressed against Cal as tightly as was possible while still managing to breath. Perhaps fortunately for him, Cal was so concerned about Cheryl's reaction that he was able to put the man he had run over out of his mind. A few times, he chided himself for becoming so blase about the killing, but he knew that was not really the issue. The news that four bodies had come out of the clinic eased his mind somewhat. After failing, those men were doomed anyway. Much as he hated to do it, Cal roused Cheryl in time for her first class, which was mid-morning. Although they had not talked about it, both seemed determined to resume their normal lives as seamlessly as possible. For Cal, 'normal' was far from any accepted definition. The basketball coach had actually moved practice an hour later than usual so Cal could attend both practices. Until the bowl game was done, he would not even think of daily workouts. ------- Although she had verbally dismissed the problem of Penelope's family, Genevieve was very worried about it. She had no right to commit or incarcerate her daughter-in-law the way she had. Time to call in the lawyers. Why was it always time to call in the lawyers? Without much sleep and far below her usual grooming standards, Genevieve addressed her main personal lawyer. "Find the most reasonable of Penelope's parents' lawyers and bring them here, please." When the requested lawyer was brought to her place after lunch, Genevieve looked very much more her usual regal self. Before saying anything else, she handed the new lawyer a check. "Now you are my lawyer, agreed?" Caught off balance, the woman needed a while to consider her action. If she was not involved in any adversarial action between Genevieve and any other clients, nothing prevented her from accepting Genevieve as a new client. "Endorse the check, please," Genevieve said when the lawyer had nodded her acceptance. "Now you are required to hold in confidence what I tell you next. I may at some point instruct you to reveal some of what you will hear to someone in my daughter-in-law's family. That will only happen if you are unable to convince them not to interfere in something I have done to Penelope. After you hear the story, I am quite certain that trying to convince them will not be a problem for you. It will be better for all of us if they know no details." For the next hour, Genevieve told the whole story to the two lawyers. When she finished, Genevieve asked her new lawyer "Are you convinced that it is in your other clients' best interests not to intervene in the matter of Penelope's treatment." "Absolutely. I have to tell you, though, that I fear this whole arrangement flirts with the definition of conflict of interest." "No doubt," Genevieve replied. "Yet, I believe I and your other clients share a serious common interest here, concerning Penelope. Will you do your best to convince them not to intervene just on your advice?" "I'll do what I can." ------- Her teammates quickly detected a different mood from Cheryl, but attributed it to the loss of her father. She was always focused and intense on the court, but that day she was even more so, and she was not as open and communicative with the others. In the locker room afterwards, Maddie sat beside her and gave her a little hug. "I know you and your dad had lots of problems between you, but it still must be hard." That sincere attempt at comfort by her new closest friend caused Cheryl to make a decision. This was not a secret that she could live with alone. Even though Cal and the parents knew about it, only Cal was there at school. It was going to be a barrier between herself and people she had become close to. More than ever before she realized how she had come to depend on a group of special friends. The thought of being cut off from them in any way was frightening to her. Because of Cal's dual practices, by the time he got home, she informed him that the whole 'gang' would be over in an hour, and why. He was rather upset that she wanted to spread such dangerous news around to so many people, but the last thing he wanted to do was allow what Penelope had done to drive any kind of a wedge between them. Cheryl, of course, could read Cal's reaction perfectly despite his best attempt to hide it. With an almost frantic hug, she told him "Honey, I'm sorry, but I'm not like you. I need a lot more support from people. It will kill me if I feel separated from Maddie and Sharon and Claire and Robin and the others by what I had to do. "I know you felt that separation, that isolation years ago. I finally have an understanding of what you went through - and while you were so young! Sweetheart, I just can't handle it like you have. I need the people I'm close to sharing it with me." That really made Cal think. It was a bit of a shock to realize how well she understood him and how he had dealt with having killed. He also realized that he should not expect her to take the warrior way like he had. She was not a warrior at heart, despite her competitive spirit. She was an instinctive healer. The fact that it was virtually impossible for anyone to verify, to prove with evidence what had happened that afternoon made it easier to tell the group. Knowing that not one of them would ever betray such a dangerous secret was something else that he was sure about. It was interesting and gratifying for him to watch. After the telling and a lot of talking and hugging afterwards, he could see that Cheryl had been right to tell their friends. It was remarkable to see how the others seemed to pull much of the anguish and shock right out of her. It was far, far different from the way Cal dealt with things. But then, the wonderful combination of their similarities and their differences was what made their bond so strong. In the end, it was worth whatever little risk there was to see visual assurance that his lover would heal more quickly. The last of their good friends were barely in their cars when Cheryl dragged him to the bathroom and began pulling his clothes off. "Don't you have some studying?" he tried to joke, but she seemed not to have heard. At first, he wondered if another of her sexual frenzies was about to be unleashed. Before, they had followed times of incredible stress. From the almost disconnected way that she was undressing him and then herself, he was expecting the same kind of behavior as the other times. Before, though, taking time to shower first would have been impossible. Before, the tenderness she was displaying as they washed each other would have instead been frantic clutching and groping. No, this would not be another frenzy. There was no doubt, though, that she had a definite, very strong need. Her need was sexual, but sex with a purpose. The purpose was not just tension and anxiety release, although she did need that. The purpose in her mind was to celebrate a new level of closeness between them. In bed, she asked him to get on his back and she worked herself down onto him. Instead of 'riding' him as she often did, however, she laid forward on top of him and spread her legs out wide. Without thinking, he raised his knees between her legs to prevent himself from falling out of her. As if by careful planning, one or the other would periodically make some rather small, rhythmic motions to keep up the arousal. Then, she started to talk. Because of his early defensive use of silence in the face of an upset or excited female, Cal had had numerous chances to observe. He had learned a lesson that many men did not learn until later in life, if at all. Women had a need to talk, and talk a lot. It was a true act of love to sometimes just listen. Cal knew he was in for a time of listening. With his lover's wonderful body stretched atop him and with his cock buried in its ultimate home, it was no sacrifice at all on his part. "Cal, I've always prided myself that I knew and understood you. You know, I could be a psychiatrist - even Julia says so. I have to tell you, I really had no idea! "You know what has been going through my mind ever since the impact started to hit me? I have been thinking about what you have had to live with for over four years. Mmmm." Cal had chosen that moment for a few upward thrusts of his hips and she reacted verbally to the stimulation. "I guess it is fortunate for the human race that killing affects us the way it does. If it didn't, we would all be sociopaths, like Penelope. I believe Greg inherited that from her, as well. He had absolutely no respect or consideration for anyone else - they just didn't matter to him. I tell you, that woman's obsession with her son..." It was easy for Cal to just listen for many more minutes. He felt privileged to be exposed to a mind like hers. He was honored that she would share her analytical thinking and her clear, lucid expression of her thoughts with him. He appreciated the respect and love she showed by never 'talking down' to him, even though they both knew that he was not in her league intellectually. And to bless him with her wonderful body at the same time - he could listen all night. Too soon, from Cal's viewpoint, her monologue wound down. As soon as he felt that her silence was more than to catch her breath, he asked "How much do you think you will be affected. Will the guilt cause you any problems?" "I don't want this to sound, um, harsh," she answered, "but I don't think there will be much guilt. We human-type females are not so different from females of other species. When it comes to protecting our offspring, nothing is really wrong. It's like there is a higher morality that supersedes every other consideration. For us human women, our mates are included in that moral umbrella. You were in danger of being killed. Nothing I did to prevent that could possibly be wrong. It's the way I'm wired." "And you can just convince yourself that way?" "No convincing needed. I've been going over and over my feelings, and at first it shocked me that what I thought was guilt really wasn't. I learned a lot in that anthro' class and some stuff came back to me. It helped a lot." "Are you saying there won't be any aftereffects?" he asked incredulously. "Oh, there certainly will. Remember what I said about that natural aversion to killing, at least in healthy people. Being intelligent, we understand how precious life is. Taking life away from another person has to affect us. I suspect you will have to hold me through some nightmares. Will it mess up my studies or my play? I really don't think so, except maybe for a few days. "Oh, thank you again for letting me tell our friends. It really helped," she added. "I could tell. I could almost see you easing up as the time went on," he told her. "It's so different from how I would want to handle things." "I don't think it is so different. You wanted to share, too. It's just that you only wanted to share with fellow warriors, men who had experienced the same things. I know you had to make yourself share with your dad. It was a loving thing to do. Me, I wanted - no, I needed to share with the people closest to me." "Well, there were some warriors in the group, you know - Bert, Bud, and Bud's dad. Not that they weren't all a little in love with you already, but now they think of you as one of them." "Don't be offended, but that is not a big goal in my life - to be welcomed as a fellow warrior. Just one of the differences we can argue about." "Well, I know some differences that we can't argue about. How about we spend some time exploring those difference?" Cal emphasized that question with some stronger upward thrusts of his hips. She responded with an intense kiss, signaling the end of talking time. For all of her brilliance and competitiveness, Cheryl was all woman - a very sexual woman. They had a number of intimate positions that they enjoyed, but at times of unusual significance, which this certainly was, she wanted to be taken. She wanted Cal to be the aggressor. Often, doggy style fulfilled that desire. At that moment, though, Cal did not want to give up the intimacy of the full body contact they had been experiencing. Using a good deal of his strength, he rolled them over so he was on top. Just the symbolism of his taking control accelerated her arousal instantly. It was like she had been awaiting detonation and he had provided the signal. By his second stroke, she already had the rhythm and returned his thrusts eagerly. This was one of those times of exceptional challenge to a considerate male lover, and Cal definitely wanted to be that. This session was for her benefit, without question. The problem was, he had not yet come. On top of that, he had been subjected to moderate but extended stimulation all the time they had been talking. He could feel his urgency quite strongly. It was not the first time he had been forced to use every known technique to keep his arousal in check. There were football games to review in detail in his mind. And basketball games. And the cemetery attack - no! He couldn't go there. It always ended with the image of Cheryl taking out the man with the gun - to protect him. It was not the way to keep a lid on his arousal. Unaware of how long it had been, his attempts to rein in his arousal were interrupted by unmistakable signs that Cheryl was on the home stretch. Her rhythm was breaking up, her breathing was erratic, each breath was accompanied by a whimper, and her clutching at his ass had become spasmodic. At that point, Cal knew that he no longer needed any tricks to hold himself off. He could make it to her completion with his own control. He immediately went into high gear, stroking in and out with all of the speed he could muster. It took less than a minute before she was taking him along into orgasm. "Thank you!" she said weakly while still trying to catch her breath. "Oh, I enjoyed it just as much as you did." "No, I mean thank you for holding off so long. I don't know how you did it. I didn't even get you off first." By this time he should have known that there were no sexual secrets from her, but her perceptiveness did startle him. "My pleasure," he told her. "Want to go again." "Mmmmmm!" ------- It was impossible not to be changed by a traumatic experience like the kidnap attempt. Because Cal had been through it before, his change was minor. It was a kind of resignation, even a touch of despair, that 'it' would never be over. There was a fear that perhaps he was doomed to a life of fighting off attacks on those he loved. Cheryl, even amidst her own challenge of surviving the aftermath, had one big worry about Cal. Tuesday night in bed, she asked him "Honey, football and basketball don't seem any less significant now, do they?" The question surprised him but reminded him what a brilliant, perceptive, compassionate lover he had. "Less significant? No, I really don't think so. It's strange. This is not like any of the other times. After the way we've talked over the last months, I really am feeling justified in concentrating on my sports and putting everything into them. "Sunday seems like... like an attempted interruption that failed. It honestly hasn't made me question this 'new life' I'm in. I think worrying about how it would affect you has kept me from dwelling on it, too." "Well, that's another way we've helped each other, then. So, for your first time on TV tomorrow night, you'll be able to go all out?" "The TV doesn't matter. It's winning that matters!" They would be one of the regional games for a national sports network, so they would play Wednesday night rather than the normal Tuesday night schedule. Actually, the TV game was not the big news to Cal. It was another away game, and on the flight, the coach again asked Cal to sit by him for a while. "How many years will you stay in school?" the coach asked as soon as Cal was seated. "Well, I've worked it out to graduate in three," Cal answered, "but that plan was before I was playing two sports." "I don't think even Cheryl could pull that off," the coach said, then laughed when Cal looked at him in surprise. "I believe in knowing a lot about my players. I know what you're thinking. How come I didn't suspect those two might flunk out? Well, their grades and scores were OK coming in. I can't predict who will give in to all the temptations of college life for a sports star. "I also think I understand why you don't seem to show any nerves in a tight game. It must all seem pretty trivial after what you've been through." Cal almost panicked until he realized the coach was referring to the incidents involving Greg, and probably THE DAY. The coach could not have known about the cemetery attack. "I never consider competition trivial," was all he could think to say. "Oh, I didn't mean to imply that. I meant that the worst that could happen is nothing compared to coming face to face with death," the coach backpedaled. "In case you're wondering, I know all about Cheryl's run in with Pat. It was one of my regrettable weak moments when I didn't withdraw the scholarship. Since there was no legal action..." "I see you've been giving him every chance to show that he gets it," Cal observed. "Right. Well, I didn't ask you up here to talk about Pat. If the NFL calls after next year, will you go? Cheryl will have graduated. Will there be anything to keep you here?" "I'm not on scholarship. My dad's paying for it. I feel honor bound to complete my degree." "The scholarship situation will change. I guarantee it. If Cheryl stays here for med school, would you play four years?" "I expect so. Why the interest in my plans?" "I've told you more than I think I ever told a player before. I mean about our lack of progress. I've also talked a lot to my boss, the AD. We play the same style as every other team in the conference. We are not winning many recruiting battles. The boss and I agree that maybe it's time to change. He's really impressed with the crowd reaction to some of the, uh, flashier plays that you've started. "Watching you, I get the impression that you can steal the ball from a dribbler just about any time you decide to." "Oh, I'm not that quick," Cal objected, though pleased at the compliment. "Quick enough, but your anticipation is spooky. Must be all the martial arts. Anyway, I would like to start practicing a sort of 'box and one'. We'll keep playing the way we are until the conference games start after Christmas. Then, we'll try to change into an opportunistic fast-breaking team." "What about the concerns you mentioned earlier about depth?" "I have no illusions that we will win the conference this year, although I think we can surprise some people. What I really want to do is change our image so I have a stronger hand recruiting. If you stick around for three or four years, I think you have a chance at a conference title and a tournament bid." "Wow!" Cal exclaimed. "That's quite a change in your thinking!" "I like my job. My wife and I both like this town. I never disliked an up-tempo game. It just doesn't seem to be the way it's played nowadays. If I want to stay here, I have to improve our record. It's as simple as that." "Cheryl and I have talked about it quite a bit lately," Cal said. "You know she's the one who talked me into playing, don't you?" "I assumed that." "Well, where she goes to med school will have a big affect on my decision. If she goes somewhere else, which seems likely, I'll decide at the end of next year. If it looks like I can finish in one more year, I'll stick it out for the third year. If not, I'll see if there's any real interest from the NFL. That's as honest as I can be with you." "I appreciate that. I guess it's a 'hope for the best, expect the worst' deal," the coach said. "About Pat. Thank you for not showing any reluctance to pass to him. So far, he has not shown the same maturity. It's sad, you know. He has great physical skills, but he hardly seems to realize that he has teammates on the floor with him." "When I decided to come out, it did not depend on Pat's presence or absence," Cal declared. "Cheryl told me her best revenge would be if I beat Pat out or a job." "Hmmmph," the coach snorted. "Pat pissed off the wrong girl, didn't he?" "You have no idea," Cal assured him. "I'm going to start Pat at point guard Saturday and play him most of the game, unless we're in trouble. It's sort of his final exam. I need to know if he can play a decent point without you on the floor. If his problem with distributing the ball is just because of you, we can deal with it separately. If not? Well, I don't know if I want to invest a year or two trying to make a spoiled kid grow up." Cal was a little down after coach's announcement about starting Pat. It was not jealousy because he knew that he would be starting on a permanent basis. He would be cutting it close to see the first Final Four match for no reason. As he thought about it, he realized that was not true. He had a very good reason: he was a member of a team and he had the obligation to be there. Cheryl would tell him the same thing. The game they were flying to was expected to be another warmup win for a team with an early-season ranking. Cal had been feeling it in practice, but when he stepped onto the floor for warmups, he really noticed it - he felt unmistakably different. It was nothing physical, but mental and emotional. Impending competition always got his juices going, but that night he felt an eagerness he had never experienced before. As he took warmup shots, the ball felt different. In layup drills, he seemed able to reach higher toward the rim. Practice free throws seemed like reaching out and dropping the ball in the basket. He had been 'in the zone' before, but this was not the same. It was clear from the first minute of play that Cal would have to play a key role in the game. The opponents were big and they played classic muscle ball. After getting the opening tip, the opposition scored and fell back quickly on defense. Cal started off with the isolation play to Buck on their first possession. Buck was cut off before he could get a clear path to the basket. On the first three possessions, Cal worked the ball inside, but the defense was smothering and they got no points out of it. The coach called time. "Banner, just shoot it if it comes back out. In fact, every few possession, don't even pass it inside. Look for a screen and get free for a trey. "These guys will just camp in the middle if we don't give them something to worry about from outside. Buck, Ryan, Del - when you get the ball, look for a drive, otherwise kick it back out to Cal. With their size and defense, you won't be getting many short jumpers." That strategy would have been Cal's choice but he was very conscious of keeping the rest of the team involved. He would not aggressively look for shots except as ordered by the coach. He had his orders. For the rest of the half, the score stayed close, largely because Cal was hitting most of his threes. Early in the third quarter, Cal's team moved ahead by five and the coach put Pat in at point, moving Cal to the other guard position. In the seven minutes Pat had control, Cal got only one shot and the team fell back to a six point deficit. Cal managed two steals or it might have been worse. The defense had loosened up, and when Pat sat down, Cal was able to mix his long shots with several inside plays. With three minutes to go, on a time out, Cal made an unaccustomed appeal. "Guys, I'm damned sick of moral victories. I know we're all pretty tired, but we can take these guys. I promise you, if we just find something extra for a few more minutes, it will be a game you will never forget." It started on the next defensive sequence. An opposing forward broke toward the basket for a layup. Ryan pulled off of his man and with a superhuman leap, he blocked the shot hard from behind, slamming it against the backboard. Buck was there for the rebound and snapped a pass out to Cal. Cal took time for a quick look back as he raced up the floor and saw that it was Ryan right behind him. Cal was very much against showboat play of any kind, but sometimes... He was clear for the layup, but instead he put it straight up on the backboard, to the side of the basket. It was definitely a risk, but Ryan read it perfectly and rammed it home. That sequence was a classic game-breaker. Even though they were still two points down, Cal's team suddenly had the psychological edge. Coming back up court, Cal knew that a quick defensive stop and a score to tie it could break the other team's confidence. The point guard looked angry and determined. That meant he was a little tight and might get careless with the ball. Sure enough, Cal saw an opening and stole the dribble. This time, it was Buck beating everyone up court and Cal got him the ball for another slam. The other team missed their next shot and instead of pushing upcourt, Cal made it clear that it was time to kill the clock. The ball went inside twice and back out to Cal before he hit a three with only two seconds left on the shot clock. The other team scored two, and once again Cal hit a three just before the shot clock buzzer sounded. He was in that wonderful place where he knew it was impossible for him to miss. If they could just avoid a turnover, he would get them three points on every possession. It turned out he did not have to. After he hit one more, he was smothered by two men the next time down. He was able to get it to the other guard who killed off many seconds before finding Buck open for a layup and a free throw. The other team had been scoring, but it had been just twos. Ahead by four going into the last minute, Cal and his teammates paraded to the free throw line as the opponents sought desperately to catch up. Cal's confidence rubbed off on the others and the free throws preserved the lead. The three point victory got a lot of attention in the sports news. Although it had not been Cal's intention, he personally got even more press. He ended up scoring 41 of the teams winning 69 points, mostly on three-pointers and free throws. ------- Thursday morning, the basketball coach got a visit from Harlan Clancy, Pat's father. "You recruited Pat to be a point guard," Harlan said. "Now, Banner walks in and you give him the job. What's going on?" "Did you watch the game last night?" the coach asked. Of course, Harlan had. "Well, you saw exactly what's going on. Banner can make the team better. Your son thinks only of scoring." "But Banner scored 41 points!" "Only after I told him to shoot every time he was clear." "Pat hasn't had a chance to do anything like that," Harlan complained. "I had planned to start him and let him play most of the game on Saturday. The fans might not like it, but I'm sticking with the plan. It's his chance to show that he can be a team player. If he fails, I suggest he take an unrestricted transfer." "You'd kick him off of the team?" "I can't take his scholarship away, you know that. But I would warn him that his chances for significant playing time in the next couple of years are pretty slim." "And if he does well Saturday?" "If he tries to go out and score 41, he'll fail. If the team does well with him at point, there's still one more test. He has yet to pass the ball to Banner when they're both in. Not even once." "There's, uh, history between the two." "I'm aware of that," the coach said. "Banner is the injured party and he's ignoring it for the good of the team. Your son is the guilty party and he won't forget. See why I have a problem with him?" "They weren't supposed to say anything!" Harlan said angrily. "They didn't break the agreement. I made it a point to find out when Pat reacted so strongly to Banner coming to practice. I have my connections." ------- "I feel like we can win the whole thing!" Cheryl enthused after Cal got home Thursday night. "Everything seems so easy and natural the last few days. I've never enjoyed playing as much." "Then you know how I felt last night," Cal responded as he hugged her. "Do you know what I think it is? I think we both realize that the Overland chapter of our lives is finally finished. I think it has been like a cloud over us for years." "Hey! Who's supposed to be the shrink here, anyway?" she teased. "I think you're right, though. I guess a sense of freedom is a good way to describe it." "For you, the end of the family tension has to make a difference, too. I mean, it was a tough way for things to be resolved, but you aren't worrying any more about how things will turn out." ------- Despite Bud's best efforts, Cal and Ryan did not arrive until the middle of the second volleyball game on Saturday. It had been tough for Cal to sit and watch Pat play, particularly since he did not seem to get it. At every stoppage of play, the coach was all over him to get the rest of the team involved. It was a game they were favored to win, although not be much. The thought of blowing an easy game after their superb performance Wednesday made Cal almost physically ill. Del was the shooting guard, but a very good ball handler in his own right. Toward the end of the first half, trailing by six, Buck, who threw the ball in after an opponent's basket, began getting it to Del, rather than to Pat. The first two times, Del fed Buck and Ryan for baskets. The third time, Pat shouted at Buck after the pass in to Del. There were more fans than had watched a home game for a long time, probably because of the big victory on TV. They were not happy to see Cal on the bench to start with, and when they could see Pat's obvious irritation, some of them booed him. Hearing that, he stopped dead in his tracks, still far into the backcourt. The coach called time, and without any other comment, sent Cal in for Pat. During halftime, the coach did not say anything to Pat directly, except to tell him that Cal was starting the second half. Pat lost it. He threw an all-out tantrum worthy of a seven-year-old. "Clancy, take a shower and get the hell out of here!" the coach snapped after letting Pat rant for a full minute. Dealing with Pat would not be one of Cal's future problems. They won the game going away, with Cal scoring only eight points. The guys' late arrival had not bothered the girls one bit. Cheryl was still in her 'zone' and it rubbed off on the team. Sharon had lost none of her newfound confidence and aggressiveness. It seemed like she was playing down at the opponents. Maddie was placing the ball at a seemingly impossible height, but every time, Sharon was above it, driving it down. As had happened in the regionals, Cheryl was a big beneficiary, hardly missing a kill attempt. The change in rhythm between Sharon's booming drives from high above and the blindingly fast short sets and slashing hits from Cheryl was a major factor in the hard-fought, five game victory. The girls were one step from history! As happens too often for the promoters and the media, the final match did not live up to the quality of the semis. Cheryl, Maddie, Sharon and company had become an irresistible force. The games were close again, but it only took three, and they were national champions! The promoters at least knew the game and awarded Maddie the tournament MVP. It could have easily have gone to Sharon, since her role was certainly flashier. Maddie, however, had managed the changes in rhythm flawlessly, in addition to missing the tournament record for service aces by only two, and providing her usual on-court coaching expertise. Ever since their discussions about him playing basketball, Cal had felt a touch of guilt that he could possibly look forward to a lucrative professional career in sports. For Cheryl, however, unless she wanted to take up pro beach volleyball, her high-level competitive career would end at graduation. It was not fair, but that was how things were. It gave Cal tremendous satisfaction that at least his love would have reaching the pinnacle of her sport for consolation. Knowing her personal goals, he knew that she would have been satisfied even without the championship, but it meant a lot to him for her to have won it. Just one glance at Hector told him that his friend felt the same way. Ryan's relationship with Sharon was still quite young, but he was bursting with pride, too. Darlene's interest in and acceptance of sports was quite new, so she may not have realized quite the import of what her daughter had accomplished. Her tears of joy were no less real, though. Martin and Elaine had flown out Saturday morning. Martin had ordered several huge bouquets before the final game. He, Matt, and Bert brought them out onto the floor just as the team was assembling for the awards ceremony. Little did he know that he had started a new tradition for the championship game. ------- While everyone was basking in the glow of the incredible season, Cal got together with Hector for some planning. "Won't we get in trouble with the NCAA or someone?" Hector asked upon hearing Cal's suggestion. "I mean, I'm all for it. I think it's a great idea. I just don't want to get the team or the school in any kind of trouble." "Let's see if we can finesse it," Cal answered. "I'm serious about this." The requests for football team interviews from the network arrived just a couple of days later. Cal and Hector walked into the coach's office together to make their demand. Cal let Hector do that talking. "Coach, we don't want to talk to anyone about the bowl game unless they agree to a spot about the girls' championship." The coach was stunned at first, but then he broke into a grin. "You know, you just made a lot of friends in the athletic department. The volleyball coach has been moaning about how they might as well be playing on Mars for all the publicity the championship got them. The AD wants to hype it as a way to attract more athletes, but he's not having much success. It's a great idea! I'll take care of any flack." The pre-game hype for even minor bowl games was all done well in advance. The producer for their pre-game was an aggressive young woman, and she latched onto the idea immediately. It was great for women's athletics, and the romantic angle was almost too good to be true. ------- Cal only managed a quick in and out visit home for Christmas day, but with the bowl game three days later, that was all he could do. Cheryl spent longer at home, so they were apart for several days. Cal and Hector had told the girls about being interviewed for the pre-game and made sure to have them tape it. They had not mentioned the volleyball clip. "We'll see it in the box," Cheryl told him Cal. "The box?" "Genevieve rented a luxury box at the stadium for us. It holds thirty, and we're filling it up. She called it a Christmas present. There's TV in the box and we'll be there plenty early to see the interviews." The guys had refused to reveal any more details. On the day of the game, the pre-game show opened with the usual talking heads. "Tonight's match-up is one of the more interesting of the bowl season," the main announcer said. "The home team is a perennial power from a major conference having a rare down year. Their offense is among the best in the nation, and their quarterback is expected to go high in next year's NFL draft. They just haven't been able to nail down the wins. "The visiting team has literally come out of nowhere. Their only loss was a surprisingly close one to a major power in the opening game. After decades as a mediocre competitor in their conference, they won it this year. "Their strength is in their defense. Their middle linebacker, Hector Cortillon, is among the nation's leading tacklers. And he doesn't just tackle - he destroys ball carriers. He has a reputation for growling. "Another defensive standout is Cal Banner, the freshman free safety. Besides playing defense, Banner is among the top few place kickers in college football. He gained some early notoriety for his hit on potential Heisman candidate Rory Renton on the opening kickoff of the season. "Our Megan Wright interviewed key members of both teams." The home team quarterback and running back were interviewed first, and the questions and responses were almost formulaic. Then, Cal and Hector appeared together. "The two of you made a strange request before you would agree to talk about football. Why did you do that?" Ms. Wright asked. "My wife Maddie and Cal's girlfriend Cheryl are members of our school's NCAA volleyball champions," Hector said. Cal then took over and added "No offense, but this is not a major bowl game, and here we are being interviewed on TV." It was back to Hector, who said "The volleyball team has gotten almost no publicity. National Champions! Do you know what an accomplishment that is?" "So," Ms. Wright cut in, "before we talk some more football, here are some scenes from the volleyball Final Four tournament. The producers had done an excellent job. The clip last only forty seconds, but it showed Maddie setting Cheryl and Sharon twice each for kills, Maddie scoring an ace, and Maddie digging one off of the floor. It finished with a pan of the whole team on the award stand, holding the flowers. When the interview started, the luxury box resounded with gasps. Maddie yelled out "He is going to get so lucky," then looked ashamedly at her mother, who just grinned back. The interview went on to talk about the defense, the growling, and even the hit on Renton. "Cal, you walked on because other schools only recruited you as kicker, is that right?" "Yes, but Cheryl was here, too," Cal responded. "You walked on in basketball, too, and you're now playing both. You already scored 41 points in one game. Which sport do you prefer?" That was such a typical interview question that Cal had to restrain himself from a sarcastic response. Instead, he said "Whichever I'm playing at the moment. I love to compete. Ask my dad about some of our games of pool." "Hector, are you going to try out for basketball?" "Not unless they change it to twenty fouls per game," Hector answered. The ensuing laughter made a perfect ending for the interview. While the bowl invitation probably represented a disappointment for the home team, Cal's teammates viewed it as a crusade. Everything they had accomplished that season would mean little if they lost to a major conference also-ran. On the other hand, a convincing win would brand them as an emerging football power and gain tremendous recruiting credibility for the conference. Cal did the opening kickoff and in the warm, windless stadium put it out of the end zone. It really was better for the defense to take the field first because the team was undeniably tense. Hector and Cal seemed to be the ones least affected by the tension, and that would help loosen everyone. Hector began a game that would probably win him an NFL contract. As the defensive captain, he had warned everyone to watch for a deep pass on the first play. The opponents wanted to establish a big psychological advantage early, especially with the defensive reputation of Cal's team. A highly-ranked major college offense means an exceptional offensive line. Hector either did not realize that or refused to acknowledge it. He called his own blitz on the first play. With the adrenalin sky high, the defensive line found extra strength and made a gap for him. The play was indeed a long pass, but Hector's rush made the quarterback hurry his throw and it went a little high and short. Agreeing with Hector's guess of a deep ball, Cal had dropped way back. Two receivers were indeed running post patterns and he edged toward the one who looked most likely to get behind the cornerback. When the ball was released, he instantly began sprinting forward. He could see that the pass was going to fall short and he did not want the receiver to be able to hold up and make the catch in front of the defender. The receiver played the ball well, seeing that it was short and holding up for it to reach him. Cal could see that the receiver had a good chance at the catch. He was considerably taller than Cal and would surely win a leaping contest. Cal's only chance was to hit him at the instant of the catch and knock the ball loose. The cornerback had given too much of a cushion and could not get back in time to break it up. This was the kind of play that made Cal love football. A big, fast, arrogant wide-out was trying to embarrass Cal's team with a big first catch, and it was up to Cal to stop it. Here was an early chance for a serious hit. His confidence was such that he never felt nervous as a play developed. All of his years of training were about anticipation, timing, and reacting to all of the factors of a situation. In the last fraction of a second, he could see that the receiver was going to do part of his job. The man had slowed down a little too much and was going to have to go up to catch it. That left him painfully exposed to a hit. The time was too short for Cal to actually start drooling, but the mental equivalent was there. Things worked out even better than Cal had hoped. He timed the hit perfectly, and the ball skipped off of the receiver's hands. The cornerback was close enough to just reach the ball for the interception. He could have just gathered it an and gone to the ground with possession. Instead, he took a big gamble, scooped the ball from just off of the grass, and took several staggering steps trying to stay on his feet. The TV crew replayed it three times and the announcers could not see how the cornerback had kept his feet, but he was soon streaking up the sideline. The opponents must have been just as sure that he was going down because they were caught flat-footed. He only had to dodge two players on his way into the end zone. After another kick out of the end zone, the opponents decided that they had better establish some ground dominance, so their star running back got the next call. The offensive line opened a nice hole, but just as he started to burst through, he met the already-growling Hector. It was one of those highlight film hits, where one instant the runner is sprinting forward and the next he is being slammed violently backward. Hector's roar could be heard on the sidelines and a ways up into the stands. The runner was tough and bounced right up. Coming out of the huddle, Cal just knew that the next play was a screen pass to the same running back. He had given up trying to analyze how he anticipated some things like that. All he could do was thank Ken Yokata for all of the years of training. It was a potentially dangerous move, but Cal did not hesitate. He moved rapidly toward the line of scrimmage, hoping to time his arrival at the snap. He had to stutter step for about a second, but he was able to cross the scrimmage line before the screen was formed. The quarterback either did not see Cal's penetration or did not have time to find another option because Hector had again broken through. Hector's blitz was the planned play - Cal's was strictly ad lib. At any rate, Cal arrived a split second after the running back caught the pass and before he could set his feet for any kind of evasive move. Cal did not carry Hector's weight and strength, but he had a way of exploding into a tackle that seemed to multiply his modest body mass. For the second play in a row, the running back was slammed backward to the ground. Cal saw Hector coming toward him to congratulate him, and he did something totally out of character. Turning toward Hector, he did a quick 'Hulk' pose and growled. Hector returned the growl before the two turned and went back to the defensive huddle. On third down, Hector anticipated a pass just deep enough for the first down, and he dropped back about thirteen yards. Sure enough, the tight end slanted in toward the middle. Just as he touched the pass, Hector was right there with another crunching hit and the ball dropped to the ground, forcing a punt. As the defense went off the field, to be replaced by the punt return team, the offensive squad was laughing on the sideline. Several guys mimicked Cal's pose and growl. He had no thought of motivation when he did it, but by stepping out of character, he had provided a valuable spark for the rest of the game. The offensive coaches had planned a ball-control offense to keep the ball out of the high-scoring opponents' hands. Unwilling to be shown up by the defensive squad and having the last of their tension erased by Cal's antics, they executed to perfection. They did not get in for the touchdown, but after four first downs over ten plays, Cal drilled a chip shot field goal. The talent charts would never have predicted it, but Cal's team had acquired that feeling of invincibility. With Hector having a career game and inspiring the rest of the defense, the opponents were held to an incredible three field goals. After building a seventeen-point lead in the fourth quarter, the coaches let the offense stretch out for two long pass plays, one for a touchdown, and the other setting up another field goal. ------- After the tragedy of Hal's death and the near-tragedy at the cemetery, it had been an exceptionally good holiday season for Cheryl and Cal. The little spot before the bowl game had triggered a whole round of interviews by both sports and human interest reporters. To Cal's mind, that should have taken a lot of the joy out of their victories. However, that same thought that this was it as far as athletic glory for Cheryl kept him from any negative reaction. He could see that it meant a lot to her, and he wanted her to enjoy it to the fullest. To Cheryl, the fact that the spotlight fell equally on their dear friends Hector and Maddy just made it all the better. Hector and Cal talked again about the unfairness of their promising, possibly lucrative athletic futures and the lack of future sports opportunities for the girls. New Year's Eve, Cheryl's family joined the crowd at the Banner House. It was a warm, somewhat nostalgic evening made very special by the formal announcement of Ismi and Pete's engagement. The event's inevitability did not detract from the joy or from the sudden ignition of wedding passion among the women. After all of the festivities, Cheryl and Cal were still feeling the glow as they cuddled in bed. "Cal, thank you for helping me enjoy all of that media stuff. I know you would rather have just hidden from the attention." She did not miss a thing. He should have realized that by then. "Well, it was little enough considering what you girls accomplished," he answered, followed up by a kiss. He was the next to speak after some more quiet cuddling. "Hon, something has been bothering me every since the bowl pre-game spot." "What? I thought it was a great spot, thanks to you guys!" Cheryl emphasized her opinion by wriggling her body against him. "What bothered was when Hector said 'My wife Maddy and Cal's girlfriend Cheryl'. It seemed to, I don't know, make our relationship seem so... ordinary... so... trivial compared to theirs." "Well, I don't think it's trivial at all," she said firmly. "Neither do I. Neither do I," he assured her. "That's why it bothered me. Maybe this isn't the most romantic way to bring it up, but I would like to refer to you as something more than just my girlfriend - like fiance, or wife. It would sure be more accurate." "I guess we purposely haven't talked about that because of all the questions," she said softly. "Do you really feel that way?" "Not a doubt," he said. "Med school - the NFL - I know those are things that could keep us apart for quite a while. But it won't change anything. I'm sure of that." "Maddy said almost the same thing to me once," Cheryl recalled. "I just refused to think about it." "Wouldn't a wedding ring make it easier to fight off all of those horny doctors and interns?" he teased. "And NFL groupies?" she shot back. "Seriously," he said, "now that Ismi and Pete are official, I think we should be engaged." She was silent for long enough that it concerned Cal just a little. "It's strange for the girl to be the one hesitating, isn't it?" she said. "Maybe because of the way my mother lived, I've always thought of marriage as something that would kind of, uh, consume me. I thought I had to get the important things taken care of before marriage. "After living together at school, I can see where living with you has made it easier, rather than harder," she mused. "You wouldn't let being married affect a decision about joining the NFL draft, would you?" "You wouldn't let it influence your choice of med school, would you?" was his answer. "Cheryl, our being together is going to affect those decision. Whether you're my wife or just my girlfriend won't make those decisions any easier. If I pass up the NFL for an extra year or two to be with you, it could never be a bad decision." "If I stay there for med school to be with you, it couldn't be a bad decision, either." "How about if we wait a few days. I don't want to, uh, encroach on the celebration for Ismi and Pete. It will give me a chance to get a ring, too." "How about a Valentine's Day announcement?" She asked, wriggling against him once again. He did not even ask the question formally, and she was not in the least offended that he did not. They would do all of the right formal things, but between them, formality was not needed. "Cheryl Banner," she said softly. "You know, I actually did doodle that in my workbook the day after that picture way back then." "Dr. Cheryl Banner, MD," he corrected her. "For a jock like me, that's really something to brag about." Being able to forget everything else and focus on each other was one of the things that made their long-term union a sure thing. It was much farther into New Year's Day before either of them thought of anything but the love they shared and the wonderful young bodies that expressed that love so passionately. ------- The End ------- Posted: 2005-10-03 Last Modified: 2007-02-19 / 09:54:36 pm Version: 1.10 ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------