Stupid Boy: Senior Year - Spring 05

Chapter 5 -- Lighten Up, Francis

Saturday February 4

Cassidy and I met J. D. first thing because I had a busy day planned. J. D. had us meet her at the park near my house.

"Morning. What are we learning today?" I asked.

"In the movie, you'll need to act stealthily when breaking into different places. Chubby wants you to look as natural as possible when you're doing it. The first thing I need to teach you is how to walk quietly," J. D. shared.

I perked up.

"Finally! Fritz has been doing that ninja routine where he sneaks up on me. It might be time for payback," I said, rubbing my hands together.

"I'm glad you're enthusiastic."

When I glanced over at Cassidy, her expression told me my plan to sneak up on Fritz had zero chance of success. I loved a challenge.

We hiked to a wooded area with a lot of leaves and twigs on the ground to learn our craft. J. D. had both Cassidy and me try to walk quietly, but we failed miserably. I didn't see any way we could cover that ground without being heard. When you stepped on a dried leaf, it crackled.

"Most people, when they walk, don't stride with their feet exactly straight," J. D. explained. Then she demonstrated, first with an exaggerated toe-out style, and then with toes pointed in as she walked.

The point was that because you weren't walking with your feet straight forward, there tended to be a slight twisting motion, which caused noise. J. D. brought to our attention that if we went home, got an old pair of shoes out, and looked at the soles, we'd see they didn't wear evenly.

"In martial arts, they teach you to use the toe-first method. Imagine putting your foot forward and slipping your toe under a rug," she said, then demonstrated.

When I tried, I almost fell, losing my balance.

"Bend your knees and crouch down slightly to maintain your center of gravity," Cassidy suggested.

I should have known that. When I tried it again, it was much quieter.

"I prefer what's called 'fox walking.' Native American lore talks about how they can move through a forest quietly. They studied animals and mimicked their movements. A stalking fox takes slow, careful, exact steps. When a fox runs, it makes precisely the same motion.

"A fox's feet touch the ground in a straight line. Let me use a football field as an example to visualize. Imagine walking on a sideline. You have to keep your feet straight so you don't step off the white line," she explained.

She took her shoe off to show us how a foot should touch the ground.

"When you stride, the lead foot contacts the ground with the front outside of the foot. Your foot will then naturally roll across the ball of your foot towards the big toe. Then your heel will come down to stabilize you and give you a good base to take the next step," J. D. said as she demonstrated with the shoe.

Cassidy and I practiced sneaking around. Cassidy was a natural. I contended that it was because she weighed a hundred pounds less than I did, so she had an unfair advantage.

---

We arrived home to find the core group assembled that had kicked off the culture change at Lincoln High. Two people I wasn't sure would make it were also there, Tom and Tracy Dole. Tom now spent most of his time in Chicago, working at Dixon and Dixon. Tracy had graduated and was now taking classes at State. It showed me the level of commitment they had, that they would come back to help in this way. I hoped to be as dedicated once I went off to college.

Besides my dad, Coach Hope, and Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, we were also joined by Tim, Wolf, and their dads. When I arrived, Dad got us started.

"When we first got together, Coach Hope had just taken the job as head coach. David had gone to Wesleyan and toured their field house and wanted to do something similar here. His goal was that Lincoln High would become the best sports program in the state. At the time, we brainstormed ways to make the school something special, not just athletically. From that came what we have now.

"I talked to David, and he wanted to touch base and make sure we're still on the right path now that his senior year is almost over. He also has some ideas on how to continue our success," Dad said.

It was my turn.

"Tim, Wolf, and I saw some of the best college football programs in the country on our recruiting trips. We found there was a variety of approaches to success. It showed me that there isn't any one hard and fast way to build a winning team. However, I did notice some things they all had in common, and a few I felt made some of their programs stand out."

"David's right. The good news is that we now have in place a lot of what makes a successful program," Tim assured everyone.

"Thanks to the community and the Booster Club, we have the facilities," Wolf added. "They've provided us with superior coaching and training to help us prepare. I believe that we also reduce injuries by staying in shape and doing things right. If I remember correctly, David got his shot at playing varsity freshman year because the players in front of him were hurt."

"It wasn't just sports. The study groups have raised my grades, and I know that without that, I might not have qualified to play ball at Michigan," Tim said.

"That all sounds good, and I agree we've put a sound program in place. What do you think we need to add or change, based on your travels?" Coach Hope asked.

"Two things jumped out at me," I said. "When we went to Alabama, they had a system in place that developed players at each position. They start working with the freshmen on day one to begin to replace their seniors. Just look at how they've transformed Jim Ball. He's a beast now. At Alabama, when someone's injured or graduates, there isn't a falloff in talent. They reload. I contend it's the system they have that creates the players that replace the starters."

"That's easy for them to do. They won't have a falloff of talent like we will when you... uh... I mean... the three of you graduate," Mr. Sullivan said.

"Nice save," Dad quipped.

"I hear you, and that worries me too," I admitted. "Then I looked at Alabama. They had standouts graduate, and it didn't seem to hurt them. Yes, there was a drop-off in talent at some positions, but the system they have creates the next quarterback... or linebacker... or tight end," I said as I pointed at Tim and Wolf in turn.

"We don't have the staff that Alabama does," Coach Hope pointed out.

"Let me come back to that," I said to acknowledge that he was right.

I turned to Wolf and Tim.

"What impressed you about Clemson?" I asked.

"The whole place was football-crazy," Tim said. "Not that other schools didn't have passionate fan bases; they just took it to another level. They talked in terms of the players being their guys."

"Their culture was different, as well," Wolf said. "It was like you were part of a family. Don't get me wrong, it felt like you were part of something at other schools, too. But at Clemson, you felt like you mattered. It didn't feel like if you got beat out or hurt, that they would plug in the next guy and forget about you. You might not be starting, but they had your best interests in mind."

"You obviously have some ideas. What are they?" Coach Hope asked.

"Over the last few years, I've made some mistakes. Some have just taken me longer to recognize than others. I look back and play the 'what if?' game. What if I had not focused so much on my preparation and had instead helped others more? What if I'd shared the leadership role with some of the younger guys? Would we have almost lost the Lakeview game last year when I lost focus? Or would others have stepped up?" I asked.

"But you had an all-team meeting and made everyone responsible for their success," Tim said to defend me.

"I still remind myself what you shared with us in that quote: 'If it is to be, it is up to me,'" Wolf said. "I'm sure when I look back at my high school days and think about what made a difference, that would be on the list. I remind myself of that whenever I can't decide what to do about something. It helps me take charge and move forward.

I nodded to my friends and looked them in the eyes. While I was happy to hear I'd made a difference, I wondered if others had learned from my example.

"What if you both had worked more with the younger guys? Would we have freshmen or sophomores ready to move up to varsity? Think in terms of Alabama. Would sharing what you've learned over the last four years have helped to jump-start the younger players?" I asked.

"Isn't that my problem?" Coach Hope asked.

"Didn't you just say that you were understaffed?" Mr. Tams asked.

"What David is suggesting is something similar to what we had at my fraternity in college: big and little brothers. My big brother helped me get acclimated to not only the fraternity but to college life as a whole. If it hadn't been for him, I probably wouldn't have a liver now, and I would surely have flunked out," Dad shared.

I mentally marked that down for someday when Dad commented on my drinking.

"I'm not sure what we call it," I admitted. "I owe my success to mentors. Not just sports, either. Most everything I've done, I've sought out an expert and asked them to guide me. Some have been formal, like when I hired Bo Harrington. Others have been more informal. I asked one of the actors in LA to help me understand the Japanese culture so I could do a better job with my performance."

"So, you're suggesting that older guys act as big brothers for younger teammates?" Tracy asked.

"I want it to be more than just sports-related, and I want it for more than just the football team. Some of the seniors took the time to teach me stuff my freshman year that I had no clue about. I was lucky to have my actual big brother. Not all kids have the benefit of an older brother who would tolerate their freshman sibling, let alone hold their hand and help them grow up. With that in mind, I was hoping we would build more of a family-like atmosphere," I said.

"I want you to be careful when we define anything as a 'family' type of dynamic," Coach Hope said. "When I was in the military, we were taught different leadership styles. A family-style approach encourages personal relationships, a sense of community, and a feeling of security. However, it may also discourage competition, lower expectations, or lead to struggles with accountability, simply because we don't hold families as accountable as we sometimes should. I'm sure we can all think of someone in our family who, if they weren't a part of it, we would vote out because they don't carry their weight."

"How is Brad, by the way?" I asked.

I'd forgotten that Cassidy was sitting quietly in the back of the room until she dissolved in laughter. Coach gave us both a look that promised pain later.

"Coach is right," Dad said to get us back on track. "There has to be some accountability on all sides, or this won't work. I think what David was getting at was that it must be about more than just football or baseball. Some of my best memories were hanging out with my big brother from my fraternity. It reminds me of when we went to Oklahoma, and our guide talked about how the teammates hung out in the locker room."

"Why would you want to hang out in a locker room?" Tom Dole asked.

"It was a nice locker room. They had big-screen TVs, leather couches, pool tables... think of your best concept of a man cave, and you start to see what they have," Dad said.

"So, it was a sausage fest?" Tom asked.

That made us all laugh. He had a point. Then again, it was a place you could go and be a guy.

"What do you hope to accomplish at the team meeting?" Mrs. Sullivan asked us to get back on topic.

Poor Tom was reminded that she was in the room and that his 'sausage fest' comment might not go over well in mixed company.

"I want to see if the seniors are willing to help start this or if they just want to enjoy the rest of the year," I said.

"Trust me. Just tell them, and they'll do it because you said so," Wolf said. "I also think they want to leave a legacy as badly as you do. I don't want to see our success end just because we graduate."

"That's something we need to fix. We need leaders to step up. While I don't think we want a bunch of chiefs running around, we do need more than one. We also have to train the new chiefs," I said.

"Didn't you do that last fall when you made the younger guys lead the team?" Tim asked.

"To an extent. There's more to it than leading the team in warm-ups or doing the coin toss," I reminded them.

"I thought he was just sick of doing it," Tracy said.

I bit my tongue before I said what I thought of her smart comment.

Once we were done with the mentor idea, Mrs. Sullivan was ready with a new topic.

"I just got a call saying that the school district plans to build a new middle school where the football practice field is."

"Where are we supposed to practice?" Coach Hope asked, apparently hearing this for the first time.

"The city has a park three blocks from the high school."

"Why not build the middle school there?" Dad asked.

"They have all the infrastructure in place for the school as far as roads and utilities go. The park is in the middle of residential streets."

The biggest issue I noticed immediately was how they planned to transport the players to and from the new location. Back in the day, my dad said that he and Uncle John had either been dropped off by the bus or walked home. Now, they had ridiculous rules.

The new one was that the bus driver wouldn't let you off if your parent or a designated guardian weren't waiting at the stop for you. How would the little darlings survive walking three blocks in a residential neighborhood?

The real issue should have been, what would the neighbors do when a pack of unruly football players cut through their yard and trampled their prized rosebushes?

Then I remembered that Polish saying: 'Not my circus, not my monkeys.' If the school board created this mess, it wasn't my worry how it got fixed.

"I take it you want me to write you a check for something," I said, cutting to the chase.

Mrs. Sullivan just smiled. She knew to call my office.

---

I was suspicious when Cassidy handed me the keys to the Demon for the drive to the Lincoln Field House. While I drove, she gave me the latest news from Brook.

"There was a big scandal at her school. There was a picture of a girl's... uhm... you know... between her legs," Cassidy stammered.

"Okay."

"Someone printed it off and put it up all over the halls to shame some poor girl. Everyone was sure the culprit was Kaia Chamberlin because it is the kind of thing she'd do."

I thought Kaia was your typical caricature of a villain in most teen movies, but that sounded like a bridge too far. This was something Alan might do because of his lack of impulse control. Kaia didn't strike me as someone who would risk getting herself in trouble. I took her more for the sort who would spread rumors or try to intimidate. More of a Destiny Crown type, but at Brook's school.

"They had a class assembly because of what the headmistress called 'shocking behavior,'" Cassidy said.

When Cassidy didn't add anything, I glanced over and saw her smiling like she'd stolen the last slice of pizza from me and was waiting for me to realize the theft.

"Don't leave me hanging."

"Turns out the hairy pic was of Kaia, and her evil minion Sabrina had done it. I guess Sabrina had finally had enough of Kaia's cutting remarks and had gotten her revenge. She got expelled for her efforts. Brook said Kaia disappeared for a few days, and when she came back, she was meaner than ever."

"So, it was hairy?" I asked, crinkling my nose.

Of course, I was giving Cassidy grief.

"You're such a guy. There's nothing wrong with hair down there," she chided.

"I guess if you're watching vintage porn, it's okay," I conceded.

My odds of getting hit were fifty-fifty. I was happy when Cassidy decided to laugh at my rude comment.

"Or married," I added. "I hear that once a girl gets a guy to submit, she lets herself go."

Maybe I shouldn't have shared that last one. Cassidy had a real gift of always being able to precisely find the right spot to jab me for maximum discomfort.

---

I walked into the Lincoln Field House and found we had more people than I expected. I'd asked for all the senior and junior football players to attend. What I was greeted by were all the upperclassmen from all sports, including the cheerleaders. I noticed that the coaches for the various squads were also present.

As I walked in front of the stands they were seated in, I didn't say a word. I was impressed when they went quiet to hear what I had to say. On his best day, I doubted Coach Hope could have gotten them to be silent without either yelling or blowing his whistle.

"I'm truly humbled that you would all show up. It tells me that our goal of leaving a lasting legacy of success will be achieved with your help. I know that you took time out of your Saturday to be here, so I want to respect that and keep this meeting short," I said.

"I was contemplating a serious nap," one of the wrestlers joked.

"I almost had a high score on my video game. This better be good, Dawson."

Both those activities made me jealous. I never seemed to have time for stuff like that.

"I'm going to have Tim and Wolf share with you some of what we learned when we went on recruiting trips that might help us here at Lincoln High," I shared.

They repeated a lot of what they said at the first meeting and then added a few more insights they'd thought of since then. When they were done, I stepped back up and continued.

"In college football, they only have 85 scholarships to fill 25 or so positions, if you consider kickers and long snappers. Ideally, you would want twenty-five seniors ready to play each year. Unfortunately, the numbers don't work that way, and you need underclassmen to step up and fill roles. We need a way to accelerate the development of our underclassmen so that we don't have down years if a large class graduates.

"Earlier today, Coach Hope pointed out that it was the coach's job to make sure that didn't happen. His issue is that he doesn't have enough coaches. I'll use the quarterback position as an example. In college ball, they have a coach dedicated to quarterbacks. From what I understand, practice time goes mainly to the starter. When I walk onto campus, there might be as many as five other guys wanting to play my position.

"Yes, at Lincoln, we have freshman and junior varsity teams. The problem is that you only have a couple of coaches to instruct all the positions," I said.

I looked in the stands and could see that there was agreement with my assessment.

"Can I share a funny story?" I asked. "When I first started to play football, my freshman year, I'd never played before. I didn't play any ball in middle school. So, on the first day of practice, I was sent in to play fullback. I had to have the quarterback tell me what I should do. I'd never run the option."

That made them laugh.

"I was told to just run into the line and keep running until I scored. Fortunately for me, that's exactly what I did. I don't want to take anything away from the coaches. When you have a freshman coach and a couple of volunteers, they're not going to have time to coach up 35 freshmen individually.

"Here is where you come in. Each of you has been part of your respective program for three to four years. I would like you to seek out a couple of underclassmen who play your position and serve as a mentor to them. In my case, I'm going to work with Trent Buchannan, who's a junior, and Phil Prince, who's a sophomore. I hope that Trent will pick another sophomore and a freshman quarterback and work with them. Then Phil will work with a freshman and pick up another newbie next year to continue the process.

"My dad had a good idea. When he was in college, his fraternity assigned him a big brother. The way he explained it to me was that his big brother oversaw teaching him about the fraternity. He said it ended up being more than that; his big brother became a true friend, someone he could look up to and confide in. When I hear my dad talk about his big brother, I can tell that he learned a lot from the guy.

"I know fraternities are big on brotherhood, just as sororities are big on sisterhood. You heard Tim and Wolf talk about the schools that stood out. You were made to feel that you were part of something bigger. That you mattered, and someone had your back.

"A quote I heard the other day seems fitting: 'You have no idea what challenges someone faces just by looking at them.' I guess what I'm saying is that it's all tied together. I know my performance on the field is influenced by what's happening off it. If I didn't have people I could talk to, I'm sure my game would have suffered a lot. Think about it. Remember what a complete dumbass you were as a freshman?" I asked.

That got chuckles because it was true.

"Remember how there were times you could have used someone older, who was not an adult, to talk to? I was lucky because my big brother sort of liked me, and I could go to him. Not many of you had that luxury," I reminded them.

I could see the wheels turning. I was encouraged when I didn't hear any smart comments.

"Here's the deal. There are two things we need to do to make this work. The first is that you must take this seriously. You set the tone, and don't make it just a bullshit session. You need to ensure your charges are putting in the work, showing up to sixty minutes of hell, and doing everything else we know will work, even if we hate to do it.

"The second is, one size doesn't fit all. What works for the football team probably won't work for wrestlers. I want you to get with your coaches and figure out how you're going to accomplish this," I said, and then looked at the coaches. "And the coaches need to make sure everyone gets a big brother or sister or mentor or whatever you want to call them."

"And there should be plenty of bullshit sessions," Wolf added.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"There's a final piece to this. Our successes aren't just defined by how well we do in a sport. The same mentoring also helped me achieve academic success. Now, some of us may be great big brothers in football or big sisters in cross-country, but would make lousy tutors. However, if we do it right, then as big brothers and sisters, we can identify if our charges are having a hard time academically and steer them to people who can help them.

"Hopefully, the coaches can talk with the school administration and figure out ways to make sure academic and even life help is available. And that big brothers and sisters know how to access it," I concluded.

At that, we split up to talk to our coaches.

---

I was a little surprised that everyone was so enthusiastic. When we were done, Tim, Wolf, and I found a moment to talk about it. I shared my misgivings.

"You forget that you are David Fricking Dawson. Of course, they're going to follow your lead and be happy doing it. It's one of the perks of leading us to three state championships and being named the top recruit in the country," Wolf reminded me.

I shook my head, not wanting to believe him.

"Just accept it," Tim said, staring me down, then giving me an unreadable look. "You need to take your own advice."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"When we were in LA, I heard you say you wanted to enjoy the rest of your senior year. I've seen you cut back on stuff, but we still never see you. What's your current time-eater after school?" Tim asked.

I bit my lower lip. He was right. I'd focused on getting my instrument rating for flying. It was all part of the pattern. Every time I gained some freedom, I found something to fill my time. And now, of course, the Academy Awards were coming up, with the potential to blow my 'enjoy a normal senior year' idea completely out of the water.

"What were you planning to do tonight?" Wolf asked.

"Fuck you," I said as I chuckled.

"Let me guess. You're reading ahead in your classes or something else just as stupid," Wolf predicted.

"So, who are you going out with tonight?" Tim asked to pile on.

"Oh, guys. The burden of being David Dawson is that there is only one of me for all my lady admirers. Maybe one day, you'll understand."

"You can't find a date, can you?" Wolf asked.

"Not even if I paid cash," I admitted.

"More like, you aren't even trying. No one said you had to fall in love between now and graduation. You need to let go, have some fun, and maybe get laid," Tim advised.

"I know, call that crazy chick from LA. I bet if you reached out, she would slip out of the loony bin and be here in a jiffy," Wolf suggested.

"She was hot. I could actually get past the crazy part to spend some time with her," Tim joked.

I flipped them both off.

"Just saying, Dude. Something must give, and you only have one senior year. I think you were the one who reminded me of that. Once you graduate, it's off to the salt mines, and you'll look back and regret not going a little crazy. Plus, I think one of your life goals is 'no regrets,'" Wolf said, not playing fair.

"Maybe you just do baby steps and go out with us tonight?" Tim offered.

"I am not going to be a fifth wheel and watch you two make out with your girlfriends," I said.

"Then find a girl, or go to a party, or something. Just don't sit at home tonight," Tim coached.

"Alright," I said as I dismissed the idea.

What could I do at the last minute? I would think about what they said--for next week.

---

When I got home, the plan was to spend the evening relaxing, ordering pizza, and getting ahead in my classes. I know it sounded lame, but I wanted to be ready when baseball practice started. With that in mind, I told Cassidy and Paul they had the night off.

"David? Can you come down to the house?" Mom asked over the intercom.

"Sure, no problem," I said and bounded down the stairs.

Mom wasn't around to yell at me for running in my apartment.

When I made it to the driveway, Cassidy was there waiting for me.

"Give me money," she ordered and stuck her hand out.

I peeled off a large bill and handed it to her.

"You're not going to ask me why I need it?" she asked, looking disappointed.

"Nope."

"It's because we have to take Dare and Chrissy with us to dinner and a movie tonight. If I have to babysit those two, I'm getting compensated," she said as she crossed her arms and stuck her chin out.

"I'll bet you that Dare gets further with Chrissy tonight than you do with Don."

"That's easy money. How much can you afford?" Cassidy asked.

"How about I double what I gave you if you win, and you owe me a favor if I do," I suggested.

"Deal!" she said as we shook.

Then Cassidy blinked because this seemed too easy. I knew that she and Don had done the deed and that Dare was a virgin. She squinted at me as I rubbed my hands together and did my mad scientist laugh.

"Muwahahahahaha!"

"Two things," I said, holding up two fingers. "First, Greg has been coaching Darius on the finer points of wooing women."

She still didn't seem nervous, even though Greg was a legend. We were talking about Dare, after all.

"Second, if you go parking, you'll be doing it in front of Dare," I said, and then paused for effect. "And you have to tell Brook that you corrupted him."

"I hate you!" she barked as she marched off.

I knew that would be in the back of her mind all night. But when she twirled around, I hesitated. Ruh-roh!

"I don't even feel bad about what I told your parents," she said mysteriously, then spun back around and stomped off towards home.

That couldn't be good.

I went into the house.

"David, get in here and have a seat. We need to talk," Mom said.

"I didn't do it!"

"Crud! I owe you a dollar," Mom said to my dad.

I hate that my parents bet on what I'll do. Clearly, I was too predictable. Plus, that particular line hadn't worked since I was ten.

"Ms. Dixon called me, and she has some interesting news from Mr. Morris," Dad said.

Internally, I cringed. What did the NCAA need now?

"Stewart Chadwick resigned yesterday," Dad shared.

That put a smile on my face. He shouldn't have pushed so hard to get me to try to get the goods on Southwest Central State. Everyone could see he'd crossed the line when he tried to interfere in my eligibility. I was sure that his goose was cooked as soon as the FBI agent showed up at the NCAA meeting with us.

"But that's not why we need to talk to you," Mom said to steal the joy I'd just experienced.

"What did I do?" I asked as I flopped down in my chair with my best put-out teen persona.

"Lighten up, Francis! We have a report from Scarlet about the problems with your house," Dad said.

"Oh," I said, sitting up straight.

"The two grad students spent over three grand on unauthorized miscellaneous items, including a big-assed fish to mount on the wall," Mom explained.

"Cool. I like the ones that sing," I said.

My parents ignored me. I was sure that just confirmed why I wasn't in charge of decorating the house.

"When Jack visited the site, he did a random audit of expenses and discovered it. What's disturbing is that the bank statements showed some of the money was spent on items from a spy shop. Fritz and his team are going through the property to look for hidden cameras and other recording devices. They've already found one camera in the air duct in the master bedroom," Dad said.

"Dean Lloyd called me and fell on his sword, taking full responsibility. They're going through the books to make sure no other discrepancies have occurred. They did find food and alcohol charges, and he plans to figure out who did what," Mom said.

"Fritz suggested that the food and drink were simply broke college kids letting off some steam. I tend to agree with him, and those charges weren't for any more money than I know you would have authorized if they'd asked.

"The spy gear is another story. Fritz suggested that you take a hard line on that and let him press charges on your behalf. He wants it known that you take this sort of thing seriously. He said it would make his job easier down the road if you did," Dad said.

"What do you two think?" I asked.

"Jack Mass said it would be cheaper to kick them out and let him manage the project. Your Uncle John, on the other hand, said that you'd made a commitment to Cindy and Ohio State and should see it through. Your mom and I are on the fence," Dad said.

"Do you think they did it on their own, or someone put them up to it?" I asked.

"Good point," Mom said. "If a paparazzo or gossip rag paid them, then I say we definitely go after them."

"Do you want me just to use my best judgment, or do you want something specific?" Dad asked.

I stopped to think for a minute. Looking at it one way, they'd been caught before anything could happen, so no harm, no foul. But looking at it another way, it was a big deal. The two grad students, at least, I'd never be able to trust again, and I certainly didn't want them continuing on the project.

"Final question. Do you think Dean Lloyd knew or was involved?" I asked.

"No. He sounded thoroughly upset about the whole affair when I phoned him about it. This was supposed to be a big deal for them, with the hope of doing some of your other properties if you need it. Getting kicked off the job won't look well for him or the university, especially if the reason for their getting kicked off leaks out," Mom pointed out.

That made it easier.

"Okay, here's what I think. First, the two grad students need to go. I can't trust them around my property. As long as they're gone, and if there's a bit more faculty supervision, I'll be fine with Ohio State continuing on the project," I said.

I had to smile over at my dad.

"I also remember what you always tell me," I said to him.

"There will always be mistakes. What matters is how they're handled," he said, reciting it back to me.

We shared a grin now.

"If I haven't said it in a while, I love you both. Every time I turn around, you're there to help me, and I want you both to know that I am eternally grateful," I said.

"It goes both ways. Without you around, our lives wouldn't be as interesting, and I mean that in the best possible way," Dad said.

"I just have one thing to say," Mom said.

She waited a beat for effect.

"Wolf and Tim are right. You need to go out tonight and be a kid."

That was what Cassidy narked about. She'd been hanging around and had listened in when Wolf, Tim, and I had been talking after the meeting at the field house.

"Okay, I give up," I said, holding my hands up.

Then I had an idea.

"Would you be willing to watch the kids tonight? What if I took Ashley out to dinner and then dancing? I heard there was a good band at Our House tonight," I said.

Mom and Dad looked at each other. I resisted biting my bottom lip because I'd forced them into a corner. Ashley deserved a night off, and their son, who'd just said nice things to them, needed a night out.

"Fine, but you're paying for carry-out," Mom said.

I peeled off another large bill and counted that as a win. Dad never had a chance; Mom snatched the money off the table. On top of that, I bet he ended up paying for the food. I would have to settle up with him later.

---

I drove over to Ashley's condo to pick her up. The plan was to bring Dawson, Allen, and Carol to my house. She met me at the door in a robe.

"Can you take them to your mom's and then come back to get me?" she asked, looking frazzled.

"Sure, no problem," I said as I gathered up the giant diaper bag and loaded the little ones in their triple stroller.

When I made it back to my house, Ms. Lawrie, our new nanny, was there with Peggy to help me take the munchkins in. It seemed my mom had learned her lesson about watching all five on her own. She'd recruited help.

As I was leaving, Peggy stopped me.

"Tell Ashley she can pick them up in the morning."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate being able to sleep in," I said.

I swear the little rug rats had internal clocks that told them when it was the crack of dawn.

When I got back into the car, I sent Ashley a text to let her know I was on my way. When I got there, she was waiting downstairs. I jumped out of the car to open her door for her.

"Careful. You keep it up, and I'll think this is a real date," Ashley said.

"I'll keep that in mind."

---

Our House was the perfect place to take Ashley. She was older, so she didn't want to go to State and to a college hangout. Our House had become the local hotspot where young professionals went on Friday and Saturday nights. Mary Dole tried to book bands that were fun to dance to, which transformed the place into a more bar-like atmosphere after the dinner rush.

We had a great meal, and Ashley had ordered a glass of wine for herself. By the time we were done eating, I could tell she was starting to relax and enjoy herself.

"Man, I needed a night out. Thank you for calling me, even if it was last minute."

"I was going to stay in and study. My friends and parents suggested that I do something fun. I thought about everyone I knew, and you were the most pathetic, so I figured you'd be willing to go out with me," I shot back.

"So, this was a mercy date?"

"Absolutely."

"Even so. Thank you, and next time you need a last-minute girl, give me a call. I am a little pathetic right now and am in no position to turn anything down."

I could tell from the twinkle in her eyes that she was playing along. Any guy would be lucky to be out with her. When I first met her, she had my full attention. As I glanced around the room, I noticed some of the younger professional types were checking her out.

"Are you telling me that no one hits on you? I find that almost impossible to believe."

"When they find out I have two boys, they run. No one my age wants an instant family. I've had some older guys show some interest, but I'm not into that," she admitted.

"I thought all girls were into older guys."

"That might have been the case when I was in high school, and the boys there were so immature, but once I got into college, that lost its appeal."

"What about younger guys?" I asked.

"I fell for that once but got burned. The guy slept with me, but then he also slept with my best friend, knocked us both up, and then left."

"Well, the good thing about younger guys is they grow up."

She reached across the table and captured my hand.

"That they do," she said as the band started to play. "Dance with me."

That I could do.

We danced for the whole first set that the band played. Ashley was fun to be with. We went back to the table and found a couple had taken up residence since the restaurant had filled up with the 'bar crowd.'

"We hope you don't mind that we claimed seats. Your waitress said it would probably be okay," the guy said.

They introduced themselves as Bryce and Pat. Turned out that Ashley knew them. They were both real estate agents and worked for what my mom called one of the 'big box stores'--a branch of a prominent national chain. My mom always quipped that their agents were as full of hot air as their balloon logo. When she would say that, I would smirk because she used to work for them before she went out on her own.

Bryce was in his late twenties and had packed on a few pounds, as tended to happen. He was full of himself. Bryce had just sold a house and received his commission. I think he was trying to impress Pat. Pat was good-looking and knew it. I could tell she had zero interest in Bryce. I got the impression she wasn't against spending his commission check, though.

Things took a turn when Pat figured out who I was.

"You're the David Dawson?" Pat asked.

I glanced over at Ashley, and her eyebrows were inching up as she picked up on Pat's sudden interest. Bryce was too busy trying to flag down a waitress to notice. Thankfully, the band started again. Poor Ashley got pulled out of her chair to dance with me.

"You better watch that one, or you'll soon be married to your first wife," she teased.

"I kind of feel sorry for Bryce."

"Don't. I know him, and he's a real douche. As it happens, I sat next to him during a training class at the Realtors Association, and he wouldn't shut up about how good he was. I had your mom check his sales numbers, and I sold more than double what he did in January."

Inwardly, I chuckled because realtors were competitive. Mom kept hinting that I should get my real estate license. She knew that if I got started, I would be hooked.

I felt someone tap my shoulder. It was Bryce.

"Mind if we swap?" he asked.

"That sounds like fun," Ashley said as she pushed me towards Pat.

Ashley was so dead. If there was such a thing as defensive dancing, that was what I had to do. Pat was intent on rubbing her body parts against me in inappropriate ways. When the song ended, I all but ran off the dance floor to the men's room. I took my time until I was sure I had grown my spine back and was ready to face 'handsy'--my new nickname for Pat.

I got back to the table to find that Bryce had bought the table a couple of rounds of tequila shots. I had two sitting in front of me when I sat down.

"Thanks, but I don't drink," I said.

"That's right. You're too young. I forgot they let underage people into this place," Bryce said.

Ashley reached under the table and grabbed my knee before I reacted.

"Why don't you help me out? This is a celebration of your big sale, after all. Let me buy a round," I suggested.

He smiled when I pushed the shots to him. He slammed them both. When my shots came, he'd had five shots in less than thirty minutes. Both Ashley and Pat had declined my offer. I successfully hid a smirk when Bryce decided that he and Pat should go back to his place and all but dragged her out of the restaurant.

His act had put a cap on the night, as far as I was concerned. I was done having fun.

"Can we get out of here?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think we'd better. If I stay, I'll just get drunk and regret it in the morning," Ashley predicted.

On the way home, we spotted Bryce pulled over and having to do a field sobriety test. Karma was a bitch sometimes.

"Aren't we picking up the boys and Carol?" Ashley asked.

"Peggy said they were doing a sleepover so you could have a night off," I said.

"Oh."

"We can go get them if you'd rather."

"Yes... no... it's just that... I don't know. I'm used to having them around."

"Take a night off," I suggested.

"Sort of like you?"

She had a point. It was easy just to put my head down and do what I had to do. If I weren't careful, I would wake up at graduation and realize I'd spent my whole high school career doing stuff other than having fun.

"Want to come up, and we can use the hot tub?" Ashley asked.

"I don't have my suit."

"No one uses it this time of night."

No regrets, right?

---

Once we got to their condo, Ashley went to put on a bikini and a robe to head upstairs. She lent me Scarlet's big, fluffy robe, which I could barely close. Ashley also grabbed a bottle of wine and a couple of plastic glasses. When we got upstairs, the pool area was indeed empty.

Ashley busied herself with opening the wine while I slipped into the hot tub. I turned on the jets and began to relax. Ashley handed me a glass of wine and joined me. The hot tub was designed for ten people, so I was a little disappointed when she sat across and not next to me.

Then my mind did that thing where I contemplated whether I should make a move on Ashley or not.

"Are you okay?"

I jumped a little at the sound of her voice.

"Yeah. I was overthinking something."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No. Not really," I said as I got up, slid across the hot tub, and pulled her into my arms. "Talking isn't what I have in mind."

"Oh," Ashley sighed and sank into our embrace, tilting her head as if she expected a kiss.

I didn't disappoint her; our lips came together. I teased her lips open with my tongue, and our kiss deepened. When we got back, Ashley had put her hair in a ponytail to keep it out of the water. I reached up and removed the band so her hair could fall down her shoulders. There was a stray hair that had fallen on her face. I brushed that away and looked her in the eyes.

"You okay with this?"

Ashley licked her lips before responding.

"You want to know something funny? I haven't been with anyone since our little adventure," she admitted.

"Not even the guy your dad wanted you to marry?" I asked.

"Especially not him. I would have slept with Kent, but I hear you stopped that."

"Yep, my bad. I gave him and Chuck the 'you take a drunk girl home' speech."

"At the time, I wasn't happy, but the next day, both Scarlet and I were grateful you'd done that. Not that Kent is a bad guy. It's just that he was headed back to LA."

"Would it be okay if we quit talking about Kent right now? I want to rectify your not having sex for over a year."

"Oh, yes," Ashley murmured as she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into another kiss.

I reached around her waist and picked her up enough that she could straddle my hips. Our bodies molded together as her tongue seemed to find my tonsils. I reached up and untied a string of her top from around her neck. Ashley leaned back so her breasts would pop free. I ducked my head down so I could capture one of her nipples between my lips. I then took her breast into my mouth and ran my tongue over her stiffening nipple. Ashley grabbed the back of my head and moaned her approval.

I sensed her desperate need as she ground herself against my growing arousal.

"Please. I need you now," she whispered.

That was all I had to hear. I reached both hands under Ashley's bottom and kneaded her shapely globes, then found her lips again and engaged in another tongue duel. The realization that she wanted this every bit as much as I did erased the last bit of doubt I had. She'd naturally come to the same conclusion because she reached between us and, in quick order, had Mr. Happy in hand. It was my turn to moan.

I broke our kiss and skimmed my mouth down the side of her neck, dropping tiny kisses along the way until I reached the hollow just below her collarbone. When I licked that spot, Ashley whimpered her need.

Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around my waist, crossing them at the ankle behind me. Ashley released her hold on my member as she reached up and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. Mr. Happy pressed into her stomach. Ashley made little noises in the back of her throat as she wiggled a little to find just the right position to maximize her pleasure as she ground against me.

"I want you," I said huskily in her ear.

She released her death grip on my neck so she could see my eyes. I reached behind her and pulled her bikini bottom out of the way with one hand. With the other, I reached between us and grasped my member. She let her legs open enough that I could pull her up and get into position. Then she moaned as I pressed the tip of my cock to her slick entrance. At that point, Ashley took control. She wiggled her hips until she found the right spot and then pushed down as I entered her.

"Yes," she hissed. "Please."

I knew what she meant, but she needed a little payback for foisting Pat on me earlier.

"Please, what?"

She opened her eyes and blinked. She saw my mischievous grin, which made her scowl in frustration.

"Oh, please, David. Fuck me," Ashley said as she gave up and begged.

"Promise to never push me off onto a gold digger again?"

"I promise, but I knew you could handle her. Now quit teasing me," she ordered.

I thrust upward. The exquisite sensation as I stretched her sheath was almost more than I could take. Ashley was frickin' snug. I must have felt huge because her shoulders hunched over, and her forehead pushed against my chest as she hissed. I held still until she signaled that she was ready. When I began a slow in-and-out, all Ashley could do was repeat 'yes,' over and over, even as she tightened and loosened her thighs to meet my every thrust as I pumped into her.

"YES!" she finally screamed at the top of her lungs.

Frick! We were sure to get caught if she kept that up.

I could feel her shudder as she reached her goal. I wished I were closer to mine, but I wasn't willing to push our luck. I didn't want her to get kicked out of the condo for having sex in a public area.

"We need to move this to your place," I suggested when she finally looked me in the eyes.

"But you feel so good."

"I promise that when we get back to your place, I will make you feel good all night long."

That got her cute butt moving.

---

Sunday February 5

I think Ashley figured she had to make up for the time she'd missed out on because she flat-out wore me ragged. Once we finally woke on Sunday morning, I saw it was nearly noon. I cringed when I thought about my mom, church, and how unhappy she would be.

"We need to get up," I said.

Ashley reached over and grabbed my dick.

"Not until..."

I almost said no until I remembered that I was still a teenager. I was allowed to be a complete dumbass and blame it on that, right? It was no surprise when my teen body responded to the call once again. In the back of my mind, I knew I had to replenish my fluids soon, or the dehydration would cause me to cramp up.

"You have to explain to my mom why we're late," I warned her.

Ashley smiled.

"Your mom loves me. She'll be fine."

Famous last words, if I ever heard them. I decided that was good enough and did what she asked.

---

We made it home in time for lunch. Ashley walked up to my mom and hugged her.

"Thank you. I didn't realize I needed a break. Now, I feel like a new woman."

I decided to spend time with the little ones and found Peggy in the living room with the horde.

"Welcome home."

I pulled her into a hug.

"I think Mom is getting the 411 from Ashley right now," I said.

Peggy rolled her eyes at me and then left to get in on the gossip. I sat down on the floor, and Allen promptly crawled over and sat in my lap.

---

After lunch, Uncle John and Aunt Bonnie showed up. He took me into the office to talk.

"Your dad told me about your big-brother idea. How did it go over?"

"Good."

"How's school going?"

"Good."

"You going to talk to me, or do I have to start asking you about your feelings?" he asked.

"Dick."

"So, what's new? And if you tell me everything's good, I'll go get your mother," Uncle John threatened.

"It's all sort of... you know... good. I miss Brook. My classes are okay. I do like the virtual business one. I'm working out and getting ready for baseball. The Bond movie sent someone to teach me how to be a spy, which is fun. I've been working on getting my instrument flight training certification. It's all... just good."

"You sound bored."

"I'm not bored; I'm just... going at a slower pace than I've been used to. Tim and Wolf told me that I'm missing out on just being a senior and having fun. The problem is, I don't know what I would rather be doing. It's' just not the same when I'm not going full steam and when Brook isn't around," I finally admitted.

"How do you feel about that?"

I resisted my knee-jerk reaction to that question. How did I feel?

"About Brook? Betrayed, lonely, confused. I mean, she just ended it. I get it, though. Her situation made everything, including breaking up, hard for her, and I want to make it easy on her. She had to pick her family over staying, and I'm completely on board with that. I just miss her. Like this week, she called Cassidy to tell her about the drama going on at her school. I had to hear about it secondhand," I rambled and had to look away because I felt tears of frustration start to form in my eyes.

"You still love her?" Uncle John asked.

I just nodded, not trusting I could say the words.

"Mine was Gale Rife. I met her freshman year of college, and we fell for each other. I was sure she was the one until she went home for the summer and never came back. She married her high school sweetheart, who had no idea that she and I had been together in college. The poor sap thought she'd been at school, being the faithful girlfriend."

"Dude, that sucks."

"I dodged a bullet on that one. Gale popped out a couple of kids, and then he came home and caught her with his best friend."

"If Brook were anything like that, it would be easy to hate her and get over it. I didn't realize how much she meant to me until she was gone. I keep catching myself thinking, 'I need to share that with Brook,' and then realizing that she isn't around. What did you do to get over yours?" I asked.

"Engaged in a lot of meaningless sex."

I looked at him to gauge the veracity of his statement. From his look, he was telling the truth.

"Did that help?" I asked.

He just smiled. Yep, dumb question.

"So, you're saying I need to engage in a string of meaningless sexual encounters to get over Brook," I said.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"That you're the best uncle I've ever had!" I said with my sarcasm meter set on eleven.

"Your Uncle Jim didn't set the bar very high," he reminded me.

Yes, my mom's brother was quite a character. He was the one who would get voted out of the family if that were even possible.

"So, all kidding aside, what do I need to do?" I asked.

"If I were you, I would explore the sex angle. If that doesn't work, you should focus on others. Last year at about this time, we helped your friends set life goals. It might be time to revisit that and see where they are and see if anything has changed. At the very least, it will get you out of your head and focused on something other than Brook crushing your soul."

My uncle really did suck sometimes.

"Oh, and your friends were right. You need to just be a kid," he added.

I wasn't amused.

---

My phone rang as I was getting ready for bed. I was glad to see it was my former coach, Bud Mason. The last time I'd talked to him was in California, where my dad and I had dinner with him and Bo Harrington. We'd talked about my future options.

Bud had come out surprisingly strong with the suggestion that I play baseball. He had some interesting statistics about the length of a career and potential income. Those made it look like baseball might be my best long-term option, both financially and from a health perspective.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" I teased when I answered.

"You young people have no idea how little sleep old folks get. Plus, it's not that late here," he said to remind me of the time difference.

"I'll have to take your word on the sleep thing. What can I do for you?" I asked.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on picking Michigan. They are lucky to have gotten you."

"Thank you. It was a big relief to make a decision finally."

"I also wanted to let you know if you ever need to talk football, or even something other than football, that I am here for you," Coach Mason said.

That meant a lot to me. He'd come out of retirement to coach me. It was a big honor to have a mentor like him in your corner.

"I appreciate that, Coach. Over the last three years, you've become more than just a coach to me. I learned things I might never have been exposed to if it weren't for you. If I make it to the NFL, a big part of it will be because you prepared me."

"If? You mean 'when.' And who says you will end up in the NFL?" he asked.

"What? You don't think I can make it?" I asked, a little shocked.

"I didn't say that. I've been around you long enough to know that if you decide that's where you want to end up, you will. What I am reminding you is that you have other options."

I chuckled.

"I know," I conceded. "But, I would hate to have all your coaching go to waste."

"Son, I hope you realize that I didn't just teach you about football."

"You're right," I admitted. "You taught me the proper way to throw a clipboard and some colorful phrases I can use when the need arises."

"Maybe you should just remember the football stuff."

We both chuckled. I appreciated that he thought enough to call and congratulate me. I would call him if I ever needed advice, and not just the football kind. Coach Mason was someone you wanted in your life.

---