Chapter 3: Away Match

After that unforgettable Friday night, the following weekend ideas and questions tumbled around in my head like the girls’ uniforms in the dryer. What had happened to Carol to cause her to be so upset? Was it something I had done or said? Was she afraid that I would tell someone, or did she just regret what she had done? Either way, I wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Then there was the residue from whatever it was that Monica and Carla had been trying to accomplish before we were interrupted. Did Monica really want me to call, and if I did, would I be breaking another of Carol’s rules about “fishing in your own pond”? Yeah, it was a troubling couple of days.

Monday started like a normal school day. I saw a few players from the team in school, and we smiled and waved at each other like we were friends. That was something that had changed during the few weeks I had been working with the team. Previously, most of them would have ignored me.

I didn’t see Carla or Monica until lunch. I was enjoying some wonderful high school cuisine with my lunch buddies, Zack and Freddy, when suddenly a shadow like an eclipse loomed over our table. I looked up and saw Carla behind me. She was almost six feet tall, with a wide body to go with it. She was an ogre. On the contrary, when she took the time to get her hair under control and smile a bit, she could attract attention from guys. It was her size that could be a bit off-putting, especially for someone short, like myself.

She didn’t look happy. When I turned to her, she simply said, “We need to talk,” in that deep, resonant voice of hers. It was almost as disturbing as hearing that from a teacher as you were leaving a classroom. That was all it took for Zack and Freddy to grab their trays and head for the door. It reminded me of one of those scenes in a western movie where the bad guy comes into a tavern looking for the sheriff, and everyone scatters. “Okay,” I told her. I dropped my tray off and followed her out the door.

We walked down the hall and out into the courtyard in the center of campus. There were several tables there, most of them occupied during lunch. Carla walked up to one table where three freshmen girls were sitting and talking. She used her intimidating presence again, and the girls got up and left without saying a word. I never did figure out whether it was Carla’s size or just the fact that she was one of the most well-known athletes in school that earned her so much respect, but whatever, it worked.

Carla hadn’t said anything since we had left the dining hall, so when we sat down I asked her, “Why are you so pissed at me? What did I do?”

She cracked a grin and said, I’m not mad at you. We just wanted to ask you some questions.”

We? I looked up and saw Monica crossing the quad and coming toward us. When she sat down next to me and crossed her legs, I silently hoped that every boy in the school, and even some of the teachers, were looking. “Look at me,” I wanted to shout, “I’m sitting with the hottest girl in school.” She was always attractive, but this special Monday she was stunning. Her long, brunette hair, usually worn in a ponytail, was flying free, the breeze lifting it gently up from her shoulders. If she had been walking in slow motion, she could have been modeling for a shampoo commercial. She was wearing a fancy pink blouse, and shorts that were so short that other girls might have been sent home if they had tried to wear something that revealing. The way they displayed her magnificent legs was breathtaking. The idea that my hands had been massaging one of those amazing limbs Friday night almost seemed like a dream. How she got away with wearing something that daring was miraculous. If Carla got attention and respect from her intimidating size and bearing, Monica demanded it by being a beautiful, sexy creature. High school was never about fairness.

“What’s up?” I asked.

Carla said, “We wanted to apologize for getting you in trouble Friday night.”

“No harm, no foul. I really wasn’t in trouble.”

“But Coach kept you in her office for a long time. What was that about? And don’t give me that crap about her lecturing you,” Carla grinned.

Monica cut to the chase right away. “Did she fuck you?”

“God, no, why would she do that? She’s a teacher,” I protested, and technically it wasn’t a lie.

Carla and Monica exchanged a glance, and Monica told her teammate, “He’s not a good liar. He fucked her. I knew they’ve been getting along too well.”

Carla looked at me and said, “I think Mon is right. When Coach saw us messin’ around with you, she might have been jealous and thought that she needed to make a move before one of us did.” Carla smiled, as if she had just solved a mystery.

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about,” I said. Carla’s deduction made me wonder whether it was possible. Did Carol actually have feelings for me?

“That was a weak denial, Alex,” Monica said, “kind of like saying yes without wanting to. Okay, keep your secrets, Mr. Equipment Manager, but we’ll be watching you.”

“Speaking of equipment,” Carla said, her grin growing bigger, “that is some nice equipment you’ve got. I wish I could have played with it longer. And you never answered my question, which one of us would you most like to fuck?”

“That’s a lose-lose question for me,” I said. “No matter what I say, somebody will be upset.” Actually, it was an easy question to answer. Making love to Monica would have been one of the crowning achievements of my young life, but there was no way I was going to tell either of them that.