Chapter 25: Game, Set and Title

I woke with a quickly fading dream of brightness to find the sun streaming in above the curtains, the apartment quiet, and Wendy snuggled close in my arms on the couch. My movement must have wakened her, and she opened her eyes as I glanced down,

"Happy New Year, Darling!" She gently pressed her lips to mine, then pulled away and made a face. "Ughh! I need to brush my teeth!"

I felt the same way, so after cuddling a minute or two we disentangled ourselves and as I stood, I stretched, feeling something was wrong.

"What's wrong, Honey?" asked Wendy, interrupting my introspection.

I looked at her concerned face, realizing as I did what had bothered me. "It doesn't hurt!" I answered, and then at her confused look I went on. "The last time I woke up on a couch, it took me half an hour to straighten out all the kinks!" I took her in my arms again. "But that was a long time ago, and now I have the bestest ever anti-kinker I could ever have!" I kissed her nose. "Shall we go see what happened to Einstein?"

We tiptoed to the bedroom to find three nude bodies, Linda and Julie bracketing a softly snoring Einstein.

Giggling, we went to the bathroom to relieve our bladders.

"I wonder who wore who out first," said Wendy, and then we headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. We wanted to give them as much time to sleep as possible, but it was already past 10:00, and we had to get presentable before any of the parents turned up to check on us!

The smell of bacon crisping woke Linda up first and she walked into the kitchen nude. It was the first time I had seen Linda nude. For that matter, except when we peeked in on them in the bedroom, I had not seen either of our angels of mercy in the buff.

"Excuse me for staring," I said, "but you look damn good, Linda!"

She smiled at us, but made no effort to move. Her crystal blue eyes spoke volumes.

"Was he good?" asked Wendy. "Did Julie teach him right?"

"Mmm hmm," Linda sighed. "Did you know that was my first time with a man?" she finally asked.

"It was nearly my first time too," said Wendy, "but Pete pulled him out of me! She said we had to be on the pill first."

I was still staring at Linda. Her bush was trimmed, but only the edges. The rest of her pubic patch was thick and curly, a light brown that matched the hair on her head. Okay, so I was really into the role that the Goddess had given me. That of a 14 year old girl, but as I looked at Linda, the remnants of a 45 year old horny male mind made this little girl's body wet!

"Oh," said Linda. "I can take care of that for you, girls. Just be sure to hide them from your folks."

I thought back to Einstein's first disaster when she turned up pregnant at 17. Hell, I had a life to look forward to. I was not going to make that mistake and I wasn't going to let Wendy make that mistake either. I assured Linda that we would be very discreet with the pill. Ann was standing fast on her rule about me not dating till I turned 16, and I smiled to myself as I wondered if that rule applied to fucking!

Julie sauntered in a few minutes later, also without clothes on.

Julie was very closely trimmed, and it was hard to see any hair at all. I asked her if she shaved, but she said that since childhood she had been very sparse of hair down there. She said some girls just didn't have a lot of pubic hair and thanked me for bringing it up. She would discuss it during her next sex-ed class at St. Ursula's. She said that for some girls, pubic hair was like a rite of passage, and a lot of them felt less than developed because they weren't bushy.

I told them that by the late 1990's, most girls would trim to just a small strip, many of them shaving on a regular basis. Linda and Julie couldn't understand why, and I had no reasonable explanation for them. My knowledge was based on the women I had dated after my divorce and what I saw in the various adult magazines I had bought.

"So?" Wendy asked Julie, "did you just referee, or did you participate?"

Julie's brown eyes glazed over. "What can I say? Patrick has stamina, and Linda could only take so much!"

We all laughed and then decided to all pounce on Einstein. He woke up to four naked females in bed with him.

Mike didn't come for us till close to 4:00, with a smile on his face would have to be chiseled off! I briefly wondered how he and Mom had spent the hours ringing in the New Year!

Wendy and I hugged Linda and Julie goodbye, thanking them for "babysitting" us. Einstein gave both nurses a hug as well, and said he hoped to see them again soon. Mike was too busy smiling to notice the look that passed between them.

We returned to school Sunday night January 5^th, and quickly settled back into our regular routines.

The Watergate scandal dominated the news. It seemed that even though he had resigned in disgrace, everyone still wanted to know where Nixon's missing tapes were. I thought to the day when everyone would want to know where a certain President's dick was! Anyway, the year started with four of the remaining "Watergate Seven" found guilty and sentenced.

By the time the week was over, few people were interested in Watergate any more as the price of crude oil jumped by 10 percent. I should have remembered this from the first time around, but I had only been 14 then as well and I had thought it funny watching Americans line up to get gas. Never having had a car through a gas crunch, the TV news was funny the first time around, but this time I was wishing someone would take me seriously and check the waters just outside of the international boundary. Just a look at all the oil tankers waiting for word to come to shore as prices steadily climbed higher at the pumps. But, with a sigh I resigned myself to the fact that those who could do something about it already knew about it, and those who didn't, well, they weren't going to listen to a 14-year-old girl.

At least Canada wasn't as hard hit as the US. We had our own oil supply flowing freely from Alberta.

More of a problem for us was the Metric System. As of New Year's Day, Canada had officially adopted the metric system of measurement, which meant that for most schools, new math, science and physics books were released. At St. Ursula's, the school board had already replaced most of the textbooks. We did have fair notice from the government after all, but most public schools held off until the very last minute, hoping that the government would repeal its decision. After all, we were still members of the British Commonwealth, and England hadn't changed from the old Imperial system. And it didn't look like the US was going to either. At least Einstein was better prepared for the change than his classmates.

Mike and Tom were cussing at the change in the road speed signs. Their cars being older only had miles per hour on the speedometer. Both Einstein and I pressed home the idea that 50 was 30 and 100 was 60 and that was close enough for anybody.

On the streets in town, 30 would be good, on most major roads 50 was safe, and on the big highways 60 was well within the legal limit.

Ann and Rita took the change in stride. What looked like a good-sized roast was still a good-sized roast and it didn't matter if it was measured in pounds or kilos.

What Annette, Mandy, Wendy, and I had the most fun with, was measuring ourselves under the new metric system. All four of us went to see Julie who was working evenings now at the school nurse's office.

Wendy was elected to go first, over her protestations. Julie smiled as she had Wendy strip after locking the door and pulling down the blind.

Wendy had lost another few pounds since we had been checked the night we had our ears pierced, but that was all metric now as well. She laughed when Julie said she only weighed 55.5Kg. Her bust had "grown" dramatically to 91cm. Annette and Mandy were having a riot with this talking about how embarrassing it would be for Wendy to go and buy a new bra now, but I knew that even 30 years later, bras and nearly everything else related to consumer goods would still be measured in inches.

Wendy had trimmed down a bit more in the waist and had dropped from her previous 30 inches to a nice 26 or 66cm under the new system. Her hips, though, retained that flare I loved so much and under the new system she now measured 91, 66, 88.

Annette and Mandy were howling, but I reminded them that they would be in for a shock as well! Wendy had grown a couple of inches since the fall and now stood 165cm tall, or 5 foot 5 under the old scale.

Mandy volunteered to go next, curious as to what her bust would be. Annette tried to help out with the measuring but that only caused Mandy to stiffen up in her nips! When Julie was finished, Mandy's official school record now read, 52Kg, 170cm tall, and a very nicely rounded 92, 66, 86.

"It sounds like such a difference, doesn't it?" asked Wendy standing next to Mandy. "But it isn't really. Well, except for being two inches taller than me!"

Mandy laughed and agreed. It did sound like a lot, but the two girls had nearly identical builds. Taking a deep breath, Annette stepped up to be weighed.

"You know," she said. "I used to walk stooped over so that I didn't look so tall, but damn it, I'm proud of my height now. Nobody is ever going to make me feel like a freak again!"

"If you get judged by your appearance," I said, "then whoever is doing the judging isn't qualified!"

"That's right," said Julie. "As you get older, your appearance will change. You'll end up looking all wrinkled and out of shape like me!"

This started Wendy laughing, and I had to try hard not to let my smile show. Not too long ago we had seen just how wrinkled and out of shape Julie really was, and if that was the way it would be, we were in for a great time!

Annette topped the scale at 52.2Kg. Her height was impressive for the times but not for the future, standing 178cm in her bare feet. She sighed as Julie recorded her bust, waist, and hips. 81cm bust, 66cm waist, and hips that measured 71cm.

I turned out to be the lightest of the group weighing in at a mere 49Kg. I was also the tallest at 180, which caused me to moan. I was only 14, and I had hit the 6-foot mark. I could still grow! Julie assured me however that the chances of me growing any more were very remote, and reminded me that Mike was a very tall man, and Ann wasn't short either. Annette and I could swap bras if we ever wore them. I measured 80cm in the bust. I had a waist that could be hidden behind a telephone pole at 64cm and my hips were 70cm. In all, I looked like a beanpole, and I was glad that I didn't have any preconceived notions about what size I should be. I knew that I would probably fill out some as I got older, but if I was careful with my diet, I would be way ahead of the trend for tall thin women.

Wendy and I continued to put the bulk of our efforts into scholastic achievement. As I explained it to her, our school sports activities would look good on a university scholarship application, but it was always possible an injury could destroy those hopes. It was imperative we excel in those subjects that I knew, from my former life, there were real scholarships for. Mathematics, English and Applied Sciences, those were the subjects that garnered the most attention.

Between classes, volleyball games and practices, it was a good thing we had our curfews lifted! Rarely was there a night we got to bed before 11, and then we were never too tired to make sweet passionate love.

Between volleyball and basketball practice alone, we spent two hours a day in the gym. We still had time to socialize with Father Ed, Linda, and Julie during the week, and we tried to fit in as much time with Annette and Mandy as well. We would hit the books at around 8:00 and just keep on going till we were done - except for game nights of course!

We had managed to get in nearly all the same classes the second term, which made studying much easier. Wendy had to pick up a couple of the English subjects I had taken first term, and I badly needed to catch up with her math classes.

Let's face it. I didn't like math the first go round, and it didn't appeal to me much now, but my darling Wendy stuck with me like glue till I got it drilled into my head. With 15 weeks till the third term began, we planned our classes carefully so we wouldn't be apart again for the rest of the years we were at St. Ursula's.

The volleyball elimination games were set for the third Saturday of February, and it promised to be a long day with the top eight teams playing for the city championship. We were going in with a record of 16 wins, no losses, our first match to be against Catholic Central, which was fitting as they were the first team we played this season. The winner would play one of the three other winning teams of the first quarterfinal, and if we played right and suffered no injuries, we would be playing three matches in the day. It would be a test of our endurance and mental toughness, and we were determined to win!

We had our last official practice on Wednesday. On Thursday, the team had a spiritual guidance night with Father Ed and a strategy session with Sister Gabe. I think we were all starting to feel a bit nervous. We were the only undefeated team in the city, and the entire day would be televised. Friday afternoon, Sister Elizabeth cancelled classes for the school, and a pep rally was held for the team. By three o'clock it had become a community rally as parents and alumnae started to show up.

Pressure? Nah. We didn't feel any pressure! The team spent the time snacking on celery and carrots while all around us people were gobbling down cake and sodas. I pulled Annette aside and had a quiet discussion with her. She readily agreed to my plan and left to make arrangements. Mike and Ann walked around with Wendy and me as our proud parents, and Tom and Rita showed up with Einstein for a "proud to know you, got faith in you," show of support. Linda and Julie were standing by the sidelines, smiling as we made our way around the gym for the fourth time, shaking hands and growing hungry.

Linda and Julie had been seeing a lot more of Einstein since New Years than previously. Early pregnancy tests hadn't been invented yet, and as Julie was so proud of telling us, Einstein was making regular home deliveries. Linda had quit smoking, something I was glad of. I loved my circle of close friends too much to let any of them take any unnecessary chances with their health.

At eight, Annette took the stage and announced that while she hoped the students, parents, and alumnae would stay and enjoy the party, she, as team captain, was calling a curfew for the team. "We will probably play three matches tomorrow," she said which was immediately met with a cheer from the crowd. She waited for the cheering to settle down and continued. "As much as we would like to stay and participate, the team will need their rest. So on behalf of the team, I thank you for the support you have shown us this season and we hope to make you proud tomorrow!"

As Annette walked off the stage to be hugged by her father, Wendy and I gave Mike and Ann a kiss and hug goodnight, hugged Tom and Rita and Einstein, and slowly made our way out of the gym. Linda and Julie met us at the door, promising to check in on us before we really went to bed, and then moved on to spend time with Mike and Ann.

With a relieved sigh, the team gathered outside of the gym doors and headed off to our rooms to get changed for the night. In 30 minutes we would gather in the seniors' common room for our last meal of the night.

Of course we could have made it there earlier, but like Wendy and me, the rest were too pumped to be eating. The additional time was for winding down. We stripped off and instead of something sexy, Wendy and I just slipped on a set of men's pajamas. They were loose and comfortable if not especially alluring. Wendy and I just sat for a while looking out the window at the stars shining above, she on my lap as usual as I softly stroked her side. Reluctantly we got up and headed for the common room where the rest of the girls and close friends were slowly gathering. Skinless roasted chicken breasts had been specially ordered from the Swiss Chalet on Dundas Street, and smuggled in courtesy of Robert Denure. There were containers of steamed broccoli covered in cheese sauce, baked potatoes with sour cream and chives and those grill fried dinner rolls that Swiss Chalet was so famous for. These were smothered in butter of course!

I don't want to give the impression that we didn't eat healthy, but we were athletes. We had a big day ahead of us, and in all probability a long one. We stayed away from what would become known as "trans-fat" and other seriously unhealthy things, but moderation and common sense played a large part of our lives. We knew in the morning we would start with bacon and eggs and lots of fresh fruit and orange juice by the pitcher. A maintenance diet would see us counting calories, but it could not take into account what we would burn on the court tomorrow.

After eating our fill, and drinking ice-cold London-bottled "Wishing Well" cream soda, someone turned on the radio and turned off most of the lights. It was strangely kinky. No boys in sight, no adults to interrupt us, and all of a sudden these older girls are dancing together with some pretty blatant groping going on! One part of my brain was telling me that this should be a fantasy come true, but whereas in my previous life, sex had been pretty much reduced to begging or oral sex... the kind where I was told to fuck off, I now had the most and best sex ever. I didn't really want to get involved in a group grope. I wasn't judging, just observing. I guess I had too much respect for Wendy to be groping another girl without her involvement, and I loved Annette and Mandy as close friends. I did notice they weren't participating either. Mandy was on Annette's lap the same way Wendy was on mine. Our eyes met across the room and Annette smiled at me. She understood. I raised my bottle to her, which made her laugh, and caused Mandy to twist around and look at Wendy and me. I think I learned an important lesson that night about love and sex. When Wendy and I joined Linda and Julie on the bed with Einstein, it wasn't for an orgy. It was a sign of our mutual love and how comfortable we were with each other. When Wendy and I went naked with Annette and Mandy at the pool, it was simply a matter of comfort and convenience. I remembered an old truism that my grandmother used to say. "Too soon old, too late wise." In this lifetime, I was lucky. I had over 40 years of bad experience to show me what a good life could be like.

{While I might be giving the impression that all the girls at St. Ursula's were closet lesbians, remember that the girls in the senior common room that night represented less than 5 percent of the school population. While I can't speculate what went on in the other rooms, I do know that like attracts etc., and many of these girls were the original bisexuals of the generations to come. Sexperts tell us that homosexual tendencies tend to become more pronounced in segregated institutions, but I like to remember this period of my life as young girls exploring their own sexuality, having fun, and making life long friends.}

Annette and Mandy headed off to their bedroom at the same time Wendy and I did. It was still early, just before 11:00, but some of the friendly groping had turned into serious necking and clothing was being discarded faster than an after Christmas closet change!

Linda and Julie came around as promised just after we had returned to our room and we made tea for them as we discussed what tomorrow would hold. It was a moment of quiet reflection as we sipped our tea. Knowing the truth about how and why the school had such a winning team this year made it easier to talk strategy with them. I hadn't created the team, I had only introduced a few new moves that hadn't been seen yet. They were easily copied and many other teams did. Our real advantage was we had none of the distractions that other schools had. No long holiday breaks, no school dances and no rushing home after class to help out with chores or to go to work. And, we had a team that was divinely inspired by the Goddess herself!

Linda and Julie left just after midnight, promising they would be back to wake us up on Saturday, but since it was already Saturday, we could actually sleep in!

Yeah, right!

Wendy and I made tender love after Linda and Julie left, and then took a shower. As we waited for Wendy's hair to dry, we sat in our favorite chair just looking out the window at the city lights below. Nighttime was our special time. We were far enough from the city that we could see the stars quite clearly, yet looking at the city itself outside of the wooded area at the edge of the school property, it was like a sea of starlight itself. We could make out some landmarks, and I told Wendy that in just a few more years, what we saw now would all be changed. A move to the city spurred by the gas shortage increased the housing starts in London and that in turn pushed more malls and plazas to accommodate them.

Wendy had put her finger on my lips, hushing me. "Let's just enjoy what we have now, Pete," she whispered in my ear.

That was one of the things I adored about Wendy. In a field of manure, she could spot a flower, and took the time to enjoy the view.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Who in the hell was pounding on my head?

BANG! BANG! BANG!

I rolled over and looked at the clock. It wasn't my head after all! Somebody was pounding on the door and it was only SEVEN!!!

"Go away!" I shouted. "I'm sleeping!"

The next sound I heard was a key opening the locked door. Shit! The only person I knew who had a key to our room was Sister Elizabeth, and here Wendy and I were naked in the same bed.

I tried to get out of Wendy's embrace and get something on when a familiar face appeared in the door. Mom!

Fuck! Caught red handed!

Mom looked at Wendy, who was still sound asleep, then back to me, still naked, and she smiled.

"Linda has keys to all the rooms in case of medical emergencies," she explained. "She and Julie are waking up the rest of the team, but I wanted to have a word with my girls before the big day."

Wendy woke up hearing Mom's voice and smiled that beautiful sleepy smile she always has in the morning, then she realized she was in our bed nude. She blushed a beautiful shade of pink that traveled all the way down to her boobies before she grabbed the sheets and covered up. I grabbed the housecoats that Rita had made for us and tossed Wendy's to her after I pulled my own on. Mom just kept smiling as she walked to the counter to fill the electric kettle.

There are times when it's best not to say anything, and I figured this was one of them. Anything I offered in the way of an explanation would be a lie, and I wasn't ready to try and explain the truth.

As Mom made tea for us, Wendy and I went to the bathroom to change into our gear, and slipped our tracksuits over top. We brushed our teeth and combed Wendy's hair before we came back out.

Mom had three steaming cups ready when we emerged and nothing was said about our earlier appearance.

As we sipped on the hot tea, and nobody made it better than Mom, she started to speak. "You girls are going to be playing at my old Alma Mater," she said. "I don't think either of you girls have ever been there. I lived there for three years while getting my diploma, and while I was not as sports inclined as you girls, I do know how the gym will be set up today. I just wanted to give you a word of advice to help." Ann laughed as she realized she was speaking to two of the starting players of the best Volleyball team the city had ever seen.

"You can pass this on to Annette and the other girls," she said as she continued with her insight. "Those who are not on the court during the game should pay particular attention to the players from the other teams. They haven't been idle since the Saints upset CCH. They've been watching the Saturday broadcasts of your games and their coaches will have been looking for any weak areas in your play. Now it's time for you to look at their best players and moves, and they will be playing their best in the hopes of beating you. See which players you need to pay attention to, and look for the weak players so you can attack those positions."

I thought about that for a minute and realized that Mom, who had been a staunch supporter of the team from the first game, also had a brain and she understood what today meant to us. It would be devastating for us to have come so far and then lose out to someone we had beat earlier on in the season.

"Thanks, Mom," said Wendy. "That's really good advice!"

I agreed and said we would have a final strategy session with the rest of the team before we got on the bus. Then I asked the important question. Where was Dad?

Ann laughed and said that he was waiting in the car with Patrick. "Your father has a good idea of the relationship you two have," she added somberly, "and he's not one to judge, especially..." and she let that sentence trail off. "Anyway, it's not necessary for him to know everything," she added with a smile. "Sometimes a bit of mystery keeps life interesting."

I smiled at this woman who had unknowingly become my mother just a half year earlier, and Wendy got up and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. I did the same and softly whispered "Thanks, Mom."

"But isn't it early for you and Mr. J to be up and ready for the game?" Wendy asked. She looked at the clock and realized it was now 7:30.

Ann smiled again and said that Mike was not going to be in the nose bleed seats and that he and Patrick had posted a sign at the store saying they were at the Saints game! She had just wanted to have a girl talk with us, and then they were off to Elias Brothers for the breakfast buffet.

We hugged and kissed once more and walked with her to the door where we waved at Mike and Einstein. Then we went off to find Annette and Sister Gabe.

Breakfast with the team was animated and full of kinetic energy. Everybody was raring to go, but Sister Gabe and Annette passed on the hint Ann had provided. Silence descended pretty quickly as most of the team realized every other team wanted the chance to beat the unbeatable Saints.

Annette quickly brought their spirits back up though and said we hadn't made it this far worrying about who we were playing, just as long as we gave it our best. While she didn't say it, I could see in Sister Gabe's eyes that her dream of having a team make it to the playoffs had been replaced by the desire to win and have a trophy cup to display in the lobby!

Father Ed, along with Sister Elizabeth Ann, came for us at 8:30. Robert Denure was following them at a discreet distance.

"Ladies," said Sister Elizabeth, "I'm afraid I have some unpleasant news before we head to the games. It seems some of the schools have complained about our brass band, and your war chants before each game. They claim it is a distraction giving you an unfair advantage."

Groans could be heard from the girls.

"You mean to say, Sister, that our band has been banned?" I asked.

Even Sister Elizabeth could not hold back her smile. Father Ed just chuckled.

"Yes, Patti, I'm afraid you will have to win without the brass section today."

"Well," said Annette. "Ask them to stick around till we sweep this meet. As the reigning champs, nobody could deny us a victory march."

Everybody laughed at Annette's optimism, but we were ready and we were good. Barring stupid mistakes or injuries, we should be able to finish the season undefeated.

Linda and Julie had been sitting quietly during breakfast, but now Linda spoke up. "I can't believe that anyone thinks the band is a disruption. This is just plain petty. The other schools have cheerleaders."

Father Ed raised his hand in a calming gesture. "I quite agree with you, Miss Jackson, but rather than waste our time arguing something like this, why not prove to them all that this team is not superstitious. This team is comprised of winners and we certainly don't need a band to win!"

That seemed to mollify Linda, but I could see Bob still seething. Finally, after a hug from his daughter, he smiled and announced he was personally driving the winning team to Fanshawe College. He wasn't going to trust any other driver! Based on our previous rides with him, I started to worry about the other drivers!

We arrived at Fanshawe College just before 9:00. Our Deep Blue Travel Coach with its gold lettering made the regular school buses blush. A path had been cleared for the participants of the day's games and the doors were held wide open.

We were laughing as we pulled up to the doors, as our Brass Band was standing outside in the cold ready to blow their own horns! "And the band played on!" Just not in the gymnasium. Somebody had clued in that no one had thought to mention the band couldn't play. It was just not going to be allowed throughout the games. So, with our cue from the band, who were probably freezing their own brass balls off, we descended from the bus with our own war cry! It was a real Kodak moment as CFPL TV had a camera by the door to catch all the arriving teams, and I knew this piece of footage was going to be used! Once inside though we took our cue from Sister Elizabeth and Sister Gabe who marched us to the gym. Four nets had been placed in the middle of the giant gym, and there were four fixed cameras focused on the floor and two in the bleachers on big swivel units that the cameramen sat on.