Chapter 2

Things at school got seriously out of hand during the next week, when a big game was due to take place. The team had their strategy meeting the night before the game. And in accordance with tradition, the whole team had dinner together.

They kicked around strategies, discussed their opponents' weaknesses and at ten o'clock everyone went home for a good night's sleep - at least, that was the plan.

However, someone must have added a laxative to some of the food or drink - no one was quite sure which. Almost the whole team came down with the runs that night and the game was lost to forfeiture the next day.

Max, Jerry, and several other boys from their group were pulled into the principal's office in the morning. Mrs. Lucas gave them an intensive interrogation, but couldn't break their alibi.

Robyn turned out to be Max and Jerry's alibi! She told Mrs. Lucas that both of them had been at her house the entire time the food for the meeting was being prepared. She was lying of course, the first serious lie she'd ever told, but she couldn't just stand by and see her friends get into trouble.

The next afternoon they were all at the Phoenix when Taylor came in with several of his friends. He walked directly over to Max and Robyn, and leaned on the table between the couple. "You little shit," he said to Max, "I'm gonna get even with you for that little prank."

Then he looked at Robyn. "And you! I thought you were all right, but you're on the 'get even' list too. Any slut hanging out with these assholes deserves all she gets."

It all happened so fast that Robyn couldn't be sure what had actually did happen. Max didn't appear to have moved, but Taylor was suddenly lying on the floor, blood spurting from his nose.

Then Max had jumped up and was standing over the football team captain, a grim look in his eyes. "Say what you like about me, Butt-head, but leave Robyn out of this. You got that? She's been nothing but nice to you, and you know it!" Having made his point, Max grabbed his white-faced girlfriend and they left the cafe.

As he walked her home, Robyn told Max that he shouldn't provoke the other boys so much; that it just bred hate and violence.

Max had heard this kind of thing from her before and didn't really pay much attention. Jerry, who was right behind them, his arm around Kelly, then started in on how they could "really get the bozos going."

"How about we do Taylor's car! I mean, we could get some paint and rollers... Pink would be a nice color for him; kinda match his little rat eyes, doncha think?"

Max laughed; he agreed that would be a perfect color for Taylor.

Robyn was silent as Kelly and Jerry headed off to his home and Max dropped her off in front of her house. She had grave misgivings about her friends' new plan.

She was deep in thought as she walked into the house. "Robyn! Oh, Robyn dear!" she heard her mother call from the kitchen. Reluctantly, she put on her happy face and went in to her mother.

"Hi mom. What's up?"

Her mother turned away from the dinner preparations and asked her daughter, in a quiet voice, "We saw your space and science test grade. Your father was surprised that you didn't get an A; you always get A's in that. Is anything the matter, dear?"

Robyn was irritated by her mother's question. "Look, mom, it's only one test. Maybe I didn't study enough for it, but it won't affect my overall grade and I'll see that it doesn't happen again."

Her mother still seemed unhappy. "Dear, you know I worry about you. I hope, with those friends of yours, you aren't getting mixed up with a bad crowd. You'd tell me if there was a problem, wouldn't you?"

Robyn turned and headed up the stairs to her room, tossing a careless reply over her shoulder, "Sure, mom. Don't worry." She was already thinking about her immediate problem, not about what her mother had said.

The next day, as Robyn walked to school with Max, she could tell something was wrong. He seemed nervous, not his usual happy, smiley self. She was determined to find out what was wrong and stopped, standing in front of him, her hands on her hips. "Max, you've got to tell me. What have you done?"

Max looked down at the ground and answered reluctantly, "Well, beautiful, I guess I messed up a little. We went over to Taylor's house last night intending to paint his car, and, well... there was an accident... I mean, we made a mistake."

He stood looking at his feet. Robyn's heart went out to him. She knew he was really sweet and gentle inside, and he looked so unhappy. She wanted to take him in her arms and hug him, but she knew where that would lead. She still needed to be on the pill for another week to be sure that it would be safe.

The thought of having uninhibited sex with Max, though, made her face hot and caused that lovely feeling to stir deep inside her. She consciously turned her thoughts back to the subject at hand. "Max, tell me about it."

"Baby, I really didn't mean it to happen, but we'd just started rolling that pink paint onto Taylor's car. His dad must have heard us and he came running out in his bathrobe. He must have slipped or something, 'cause he fell and hit his head."

Robyn was scared now. "Is he all right?... Max, answer me! Is Mr. Carry all right?"

Max slowly brought his dark brown eyes to gaze into his girlfriend's bright blue ones. When he spoke he sounded sad and tired. "No baby, he isn't. I heard he had some kind of seizure - a heart attack or something. I don't know what exactly, but he's in the hospital now."

"Oh Max, I was praying nothing like this would happen. I've been scared stiff that someone would get hurt." She took hold of her dejected boyfriend and hugged him tightly to her chest. "I'd better go over there and try to explain," she said.

Max became highly agitated at this. "NO WAY! I don't want you going anywhere near to Taylor's house. He knows who was responsible for what happened and he'll take it out on anyone he thinks was connected with it."

Robyn said, "Max, we have to face up to this and Taylor is basically a decent guy. I've got to be the one to talk to him; he'll listen to me. And you're right about one thing. YOU definitely shouldn't go over there, or Jerry either. He'd go ballistic if he saw you."

They were late for class that morning. It had taken Robyn all of her considerable powers of persuasion to convince Max that she should be the emissary of peace in this situation.

The plan was for her to go over to Taylor's that evening and try to explain what had happened. Max was willing to take full responsibility and suffer any consequences that might be coming.

Robyn had hoped to run into Taylor at school, but he didn't come in that day. The day passed slowly for her. She couldn't stop thinking about Taylor's father, and of the trouble that Max and Jerry had caused.

Max watched Robyn walk down the street, confusion and uncertainty written on his face. He was certain she had no chance of succeeding in her mission, but didn't know what to do about it.

Robyn walked up to the Carry's front door, took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. After a minute Taylor opened the door.

He just stared at her, saying nothing.

Robyn screwed up her courage and said, "Taylor, I heard what happened and I've come to try and make things right between you and Max."

He smiled wanly and opened the door wide, gesturing for her to enter.

Closing the door behind her, Taylor watched the pretty blonde walk ahead of him into the living room. 'Boy', he thought, with a touch of envy, 'that asshole Max has too much luck with women. She really is a knockout.'

Robyn sat down on the couch, straight-backed and prim, and looked gravely at Taylor with her big blue eyes while he thought, 'Man, I'd sure like a piece of that!'

"Taylor, we both know that Max and Jerry are responsible for what happened last night and I've come to see if they can make amends in some way. I don't think you've gone to the police yet, but I'm here to say that Max is ready to take whatever's coming to him. I just don't want this revenge thing to keep going."

When she finished speaking she saw that Taylor was smiling at her.

"Robyn, you're absolutely right," he said. "I think we should all agree to end this vendetta thing. That's one of the reasons I haven't yet called the police."

Surveying his pretty visitor, he thought, 'The other reason is that I hate my old man, and good old Max has done me a fucking favor.'

He continued, "But you know, Robyn, I've been hurt here, and I'm owed. I'm owed big time. I've got to have some compensation. If I get it I'll drop the whole thing, and that's a promise."

Robyn smiled gratefully. "Taylor, that's really big of you. I told Max you were a decent guy. I hope he learns something from the way you're behaving."

Taylor held up his hand abruptly. "Whoa there, sweetheart! I said I wanted compensation. I'm not going to drop the whole thing out of the kindness of my heart."

"What do you want then, Taylor?" she asked, a flash of doubt in her eyes.

"I think a quick fuck with Max's girlfriend would do it."

Robyn had been sitting primly on the couch, but now she jumped up and rushed to the front door, where she turned abruptly, tears trailing down her lovely cheeks. "Taylor, you're being such a jerk now. How can you be so mean? I was just trying to stop you guys from fighting. It'd be good for all of us."

She was reaching for the doorknob when Taylor said in a firm voice, "Robyn! If you leave now, I'm calling the police and Max, together with his asshole buddy, will be arrested within the hour!"

Robyn stood with her hand on the doorknob, wondering how to answer this deeply unpleasant boy. A number of cutting phrases went through her mind, though all remained unsaid.

Taylor put on the pressure. "If you stay just for an hour, I'll make sure nothing is reported, and I'll leave Max and Jerry alone." He walked over to stand beside her. "I'm not saying we'll be friends, but if you have sex with me, I promise I'll do my best to stay away from them. If they do the same, then things should be okay. Whatdya say?"

She wanted to slap him. She wanted to kick him in the balls. She was so mad, she could hardly see straight.

Then, to her amazement, Taylor reached out and cupped her right breast and started kneading it with his fingers.

"Robyn, I find you really attractive. All I'm asking is for you to be nice to me, just once." He was massaging her breast through her blouse while he spoke. "Well, honey, what's it going to be?"

For the first time Robyn actually gave Taylor's offer some thought. What he was doing was obviously very wrong, and she didn't really want to have sex with him. But Max and Jerry would probably go to jail if Taylor called the police and it might ruin their lives.

She made a flash decision. "You're talking about having sex with me just once? And you'll promise not to tell on Max and Jerry if I agree?"

Taylor could hardly believe his luck. Was she really agreeing to his offer? He nodded. "Yes, Robyn. That's exactly what I'm saying. And, yah know, the sex part won't be all that bad for you, 'cause I know my way around a female's body pretty good." He leered at her.

Taylor Carry was telling no more than the truth. He did know his way around the female form. As a matter of fact, he'd fucked over forty women, and had the last seventeen on videotape to prove it. That's what he did; he fucked them and then shared the tapes with his close buddies on the football team.