Chapter 5

“IT’S FUN to hang out with a former student,” Ardith said. “I feel like I can relax a little.”

“I hope so. Bartley is a nice town but it does gossip.” They’d chosen to meet at Becky’s Café in County Seat for a mid-afternoon cup of coffee. PJ’s in Bartley was a favorite teen hangout in Bartley.

“How is college going?”

“Oh, pretty well. Dennis and I are at about the same point now that he’s accelerated his studies. It’s nice to have him there, and the girls love him, of course,” Brenda said.

“The girlfriends?”

“Oh, yeah. But I mean the DMACC basketball team. Coach Dearborn had him teach a clinic Friday morning. You wouldn’t believe how much our free throws improved in just one session.”

“I forget how far ahead you are in college than we are in high school training. We can’t start any basketball until November,” Ardith said. “Which is okay, because I’ve been pretty busy with cross country.” It was nearly October and the Bartley team had run in four meets. The girls had amassed a first, third, and fourth in the three meets. The boys had surprisingly come in third and thirteenth in the two team meets for boys. Dennis had placed fifth the day before and first a week ago.

“We have scrimmages starting in two weeks. Officially the season doesn’t start until November five. But it was nice to start practice this week. Even though it’s really just workouts.”

“I wish I could start working with the girls now.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll be in great shape and ready to play when you see them for tryouts. Dennis has them all working on drills,” Brenda laughed.

“I hope that’s legal. Technically, we’ve given him a coaching position. But he’s a student, so we don’t monitor what he’s doing in the off-season. It’s complicated,” Ardith said.

“On their own time and off school grounds,” Brenda laughed. “Tori’s barn is getting a workout.”

“I couldn’t believe the setup there when I visited on Labor Day. It was ... really nice to be included,” Ardith said.

“We’d like to include you a lot more, Ardith,” Brenda said, reaching across to touch her former coach’s hand. Ardith smiled at her.

“Own time and off school grounds doesn’t quite comply with teacher-student relationships.”

“Are you um ... exploring things with Coach Lyle and his family?” Brenda asked. Her whole point of having coffee with Ardith was ascertaining how interested she was in Dennis and the girls.

“No. They’re really nice and we hit it off well. But they are definitely not looking to expand their family. And I’m really much too young for them. We’re just good friends.”

“Are we too young for you?” Brenda asked.

“Brenda, that’s getting close to a subject I have to be really careful of. I like you girls and Dennis a lot. There’s not that much difference between your age and mine. Soon we’ll both be in our twenties. When I’m with you guys, I feel younger than ever, but I have to maintain an aura of maturity as a teacher. If I were a college instructor, it would be a different ballgame entirely.”

“We might hold you to that,” Brenda laughed. “Believe me, we’re very fond of you. But we’ll try not to tempt you into anything any of us could get in trouble for. Just know that ... Well, those of us who are definitely long term in this relationship really like you. As more than a teacher and a coach.”

The main point of the conversation had been achieved, but the two women didn’t just break it off and go home. After coffee, they went window shopping and somehow, Brenda’s hand found its way into Ardith’s. When they got back to their cars to go home, they paused for a sweet and gentle kiss.

The Angelines snapped a nine-match losing streak in volleyball Tuesday night that had included being blanked six times in the Timberwolves Tourney the previous week. The good part about the long string of losses was that no one was being too hard on the football team, who lost their fifth straight at homecoming Friday night. The team was predominantly freshmen and sophomores, so there was a good chance they’d strengthen the next year.

The senior boys who would have rounded out the team were running cross country and had a big meet on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, everyone was a little off Saturday, though. Dennis came in eighth of thirty-six runners and the team placed last. Janice took third place in the girls’ event, but the other girls just didn’t have the juice to place well and the team came in third of five.

Everyone was tired when they showed up for the homecoming dance Saturday night.

“What happened at the meet this morning?” Chris asked when she and Donnie joined the crew for a bit at the dance. Donnie had placed thirteenth, about fifty seconds behind Dennis.

“It was a slog,” Dennis said. “I think my feet are still stuck in the mud out there somewhere. Janice usually beats the time I posted today.”

“But not today,” Janice added. “Two minutes off what I’ve been running all week! The only reason I got third was because three girls running almost beside me slipped in the mud and fell. They looked a real mess when they crossed the finish line. Not that any of us weren’t spattered up to our waists.”

“We were wiping mud off each other all the way back to school,” Diane said. “I’ve run this race five minutes faster than what I clocked today. Twenty-ninth out of forty-one, with Carrie and Bobbie right behind me.”

“Points are points. The team still came in third,” Janice said.

“Better than our fourth of four,” Donnie said. “There were four other teams who didn’t even have full teams there. They all took one look at the weather and bailed.”

“The rain didn’t help the football team last night, either,” Drew said. “I really felt bad for those guys—getting blanked by the Wildcats.”

“They’ll get better,” Dennis said. “I talked to Coach Lyle and he’s really working with them on body building. They just don’t have the strength yet to stand their ground. The Wildcats’ left tackle was almost as big as Coach! Did you see him?”

“They could have just given him the ball and no one would have been able to bring him down.”

“He did score on that recovered fumble. Three guys were hanging off him when he crossed the goal line.”

“Hey, boyfriend. Take me out to dance,” Lana said, grabbing hold of Dennis.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to make it tonight,” he said as they moved together for a slow dance.

“I’ve got so much homework, I can’t see straight,” she moaned.

“You must be taking a huge load. No study hall even?”

“Can’t do what I want to do without the classes,” she said.

“What is it you want to do?” Dennis asked.

“Be with you,” she whispered, hugging him tightly.

Bartley had its first home cross country meet on Tuesday. It was officially their only home meet, but they were hosting the conference meet the next week. Conditions were good and everyone was really charged up. They were running anyone who wanted to run as either varsity or JV.

Dennis dropped his time back to 17:00, a season best, but only good enough for third place. The cluster of Bartley’s other runners brought them into fourth place of six teams. The Angelines brought it on strong and even though Janice’s 19:29 put her in third place individually, the rest of the team placed in the top twenty of fifty-three runners and took their second meet victory of the season.

The next week saw a repeat with Dennis placing first in the conference and his team getting third of seven. Janice got another third to lead the team to first place in the conference. The runners felt like they were gaining momentum, and looked forward to the state qualifier meet the next week.

The next night, the football team ended its season with a loss in the first round of the state competition to end their season one and seven. The volleyball team survived its first round in the regional tournament, but fell to the Timberwolves in the quarterfinal on Wednesday. Dennis and Brenda were struggling through midterms, but Dennis was ready for the qualifier on Thursday.

Six full teams were in the girls’ race with eight other schools represented with partials or individual runners. Janice ran a solid 19:42, good for third place. But with Liz in sixth, Diane in twelfth, and Carrie in sixteenth, the girls nailed another first place team finish and would all be headed for the state championship.

Twelve boys’ teams gathered for the Thursday afternoon meet plus representatives of four other schools. Ninety-six runners took off and Dennis’s 17:05 was good for fifth place and a slot in the finals. The guys turned it on in this race and all came in under twenty minutes. They were sixteen points out of second place, though, and the team would not progress to the finals.

“Dennis, we’re headed over to the new athletic pavilion for an official tour,” Ardith said. “Come and join us.”

“Thanks, Coach. I’ve been looking forward to this all fall,” he said, closing his laptop and grabbing his bag.

“We all have. This is going to mean some big changes in our program. Not the least of which is an inaugural season in our new facility.” They walked side-by-side behind the other coaches, the principal, and the school board. Dennis was acutely aware of Ardith next to him as she occasionally brushed against his shoulder with hers.

Brenda had said Ardith was interested, but no one could do anything until after graduation. That was still seven months away. So, he quietly enjoyed the slight touches without giving any outward signs.

“So, the plan is to have all the coaches lined up to my right with the school board, guests from AgCentral, Administration, and other teachers on my left,” Superintendent Jones said. “The student body has chosen a representative from each class to cut the ribbon. Ahem ... I should clarify. Dennis, since you are officially representing the coaches, you were ineligible for the voting for representative in cutting the ribbon. So, there will be a lot of photos taken before the ribbon is cut. The ribbon will be held by the CEO of AgCentral on one side and Coach Griffiths as Athletic Director on the other side.”

“What day is this on?” Dennis asked.

“This will be after school—early out that day—on Monday, November 1. That’s the first day of the second term. And the first official events in the facility will be basketball and wrestling tryouts. After the ribbon cutting, there will be tours of the new facility and the boosters are arranging to serve refreshments,” Jones concluded.

The coaches and administrators wandered through the building, poking into the new locker rooms, weight room, fitness center, and gymnasium.

“It’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?” Ardith asked.

“I hope it’s worth all the compromises the community went through to get it,” Dennis said. “I was embarrassed when we hosted the conference race. Running down along the river, the smell of the pigs was choking.”

“I heard some comments,” Ardith said. “And that’s only the beginning of their production over there. At least the gymnasium has an air filtration system. They’re required by the state now. I understand even the school buildings are going to be refit with filtration systems to help fight pollution and disease.”