Chapter 42

The loss of a defensive star like Vick Smaak could not help but affect the football team. There was a good program in the younger grades, though, and even if there was not a direct replacement for Vick, there was enough new talent to make the defense very strong.

The offense that had been reshaped the previous year to make up for the loss of Greg and Brad hit it's stride right away. It was explosive and exciting to watch. The coaches decided that a gambling defense that stressed forcing big losses and turnovers was a good complement for the big-play offense. That suited Cal just fine, since on some series, he blitzed on every play.

If possible, Cal was more fanatical than ever about his workouts. Part of it was for something to do when he was missing Cheryl. Part of it was his growing determination to make the college team next year, and not just as a kicker.

When he stopped to think about it, he had to chuckle at how his athletic career had started with golf as his main sport, to be supplanted by basketball in his junior high years. His introduction to football had been almost an accident. Now, he was focusing on football at the college level, and he had hardly touched his golf clubs the whole summer.

He knew that he was too small for college basketball, but he could shoot like few others could, and he had exceptional court sense. He thought he might be able to play. But when he thought of football and the pure joy a tooth-rattling hit, that's what motivated him to train harder.

He would not be outrunning many receivers. Instead, he had to work on positioning, making sure they never got downfield on him in the first place. He would not be outjumping many receivers, either. Instead, he had to work on anticipation, hitting before they could get a good grip on the ball. He was not big enough to knock down running backs with sheer size and strength. Instead, he had to use his superior timing to hit with an impact that would discourage them from trying to run through his area the next time.

His determination to enjoy his senior as just a student and an athlete had suffered a little setback with the incident with Jolie. His extended surveillance of Laura was not exactly ordinary, either. That was in the past, though, and Friday after the attempt on Jolie, he was able to forget everything else and concentrate on generating 'ooohs!' from the home crowd in the upcoming game.

Cal was not a showman, but hitting an opponent hard enough to cause a fan reaction generated enthusiasm from supporters and from his team. At the same time, it had a definite intimidating effect on the opposition.

Laura was back in his regular group of supporters, and Jolie was there with her. Missy and Arnie joined the group also, in somewhat of a surprise.

Saturday morning, Cal went to Ken's dojo for a workout and to let Ken evaluate his progress. Afterward, they sat and talked for quite a while, Cal expressing concern that the way he was hitting opponents might be too ferocious. As usual, Ken had some wisdom to offer.

"If you are going to compete, your intention had better be to win. Otherwise, why bother. A key to winning is intimidation - making the opponent believe that he cannot win. This is true in battle, in sports, in cards, in Monopoly - everywhere that there is a winner and a loser.

"As you know, a major thrust of the martial arts is learning to maximize force. That equates to maximizing impact. The 'stunts' like breaking boards and bricks are things that are generally considered beyond human capability. Yet, we do them routinely through conditioning, preparation, and focus. There is nothing mystical involved.

"Your kicking is a wonderful example, but your tackling is an even better one. Instead of just maximizing the impact of your hand or your foot, you use your whole body. To me, it is a perfect application of the art.

"Now, as to your concern about hitting too hard. As a highly train martial arts competitor, you are mismatched against the average high school player football player. It it as if you were competing down two or three classes in a tournament. Oh, that's right, you don't do tournaments, do you?" Ken grinned as he said that. He never missed a chance to zing Cal on his refusal to compete, but he had little or no hope that he would change Cal's mind.

"All I can tell you is to hit hard enough to intimidate, but not to injure unnecessarily. Save the really big hits for college."

"But if I hurt someone anyway?" Cal asked.

"I don't mean to sound callous," Ken responded, "and I believe in the doctrine of minimum necessary force. But you have to error on the side of success. In the case of football, you have to make sure you stop the man. If you use a bit too much force, well, that's just adds to the intimidation."

"So in other words," Cal said with a chuckle, "you don't have any idea what I should do."

Ken jumped into an attack stance and swung a whistling kick just short of Cal's nose before returning the grin. It was the kind of horseplay done among equals, and it made Cal feel very, very good.

Saturday night after the attack in the park, Laura and Jolie came over for a cookout and to enjoy the pool. It was a beautiful, very warm September evening, and Martin wondered to the family if maybe they should keep it open a few weeks longer.

Jolie and her mother were acting like things were much better between them. In a bikini, Jolie's skinny build was less of a liability, and she kept glancing at Cal to see if he was watching her. Often he was, but only when he could tear his eyes away from Laura, whose ass was essentially bare in her string suit.

Elaine nearly choked on the drink she was sipping but could not work up any outrage when Laura plopped her bare ass in Cal's lap and put her arm around his shoulders. Stunned at first, he finally hugged her back, whereupon she rested her head on his shoulder for a while. Complete silence reigned as they snuggled and she was perceptive enough to know that she had made her point and should not overdo it.

When they ate dinner, Laura and Jolie bracketed Cal and chatted like the old friends they should have been all along. His parents said almost nothing, too overjoyed at the changes that had occurred. Later, Jolie spent some time chatting with her aunt and uncle, both of whom tried to cover their surprise and converse naturally.

The warm mood took on a somber tone when Laura asked everyone over to the table a little later. She grabbed both Cal and Jolie by a hand and pulled them down next to her, with Martin and Elaine sitting across. Even more surprising was that she did not let go of Jolie's hand, and Jolie did not seem to mind.

"I have been dreading this moment for years, and doing everything I could to pretend it wouldn't happen," Laura said in a shaky voice. "My marriage has been a disaster for a long time. You all know about it. I don't know how I can ever thank you for the way you helped me.

"I... I didn't let myself think about divorce until now, but I saw Marty yesterday and got things started. I'll have plenty of money to live on. And I'm getting my baby back." She said that with a hug for Jolie that the girl returned.

"But I want you living here close to us," Elaine objected as she came around the table to hug her sister from behind. "Maybe you can get enough to keep the house."

"Even if I can, I'm not sure I want to," Laura said. Elaine gave Martin a quick look that he read perfectly. No way was he ready for that kind of complication in their lives, though, so he gave his wife a barely perceptible negative signal.

"Laura," Martin said, "There are plenty of less expensive houses on the course, and some very nice condos."

"But I don't play much golf," Laura protested.

"Well, maybe you should," Elaine jumped in. "Maybe we both should - together."

By a week after the attack on Jolie, it was apparent that the case against her attackers was not going to be open and shut. When Cal first began to get inklings of the problems, he became angry that injustice might be served, rather than justice.

It was a call to Cheryl that calmed him down. "What about the guy who was just going to be a normal high school senior?" she asked. "Jolie is OK, and in a perverse way, it may help her get turned around. You aren't in any trouble personally, like you were after Greg. Jolie's old gang really isn't worth worrying about. Just let it go."

"I don't think it will be that easy for Jolie and Laura," he objected.

"But that's not you. Just study, play football, and get your ass up here to see me," she admonished him.

As usual, her advice made a lot of sense, and he was less agitated after the call.

There were several problems with the case. As had happened with Greg and Chad, the attackers' lawyers got together and concocted their own version of events which bore almost no resemblance to the real situation. Six people supported that version, and only Cal and Missy told the real story. Since Missy was unconscious when the pills were actually forced into Jolie, it was really just Cal against six.

The defense version had the seven gang members going to the park on a tip that Jolie would try to kill herself. Rather than forcing the pills into her, they were trying to get them out of her when Cal came upon them and made the wrong assumption. Missy had thought they were being too rough and hurting her friend. Brett had tried to keep her from interfering, and had inadvertently hurt her.

The one complication that irritated Cal the most was that he had no credible reason for being in the park. Intuition or sixth sense did not play well, but he had no other explanation. He could understand the police reasoning: one weakness in his story made every other part of the story suspect. He did not have to like it.

The attackers' legal team had a serious problem in Gretta. At the scene and at the hospital later, she had told the true story. She had been Mirandized at the scene and had chosen to talk freely. The defense team was now trying to get those statements thrown out on the basis of mental stress and coercion. In court, her revised statement would most likely stand.

Whether it held up legally or not, Gretta's original statement caused the police to believe the account given by her, Missy, Jolie, and Cal. That made them more energetic and creative in trying to break down the concocted version.

Individually, Brett had another problem because he had beaten Missy. His parents wanted to try have the story say that Cal did the beating, but the legal team would not go for that. Direct testimony from Missy, the victim, would be too powerful. They could not afford to introduce such an obvious hole into the story. It would have weakened the entire tale even more than Brett accidentally knocking Missy out.

Cal's fascination with all of the legal maneuvering and the investigative process made it easier for him to take the whole thing in stride. The DA assigned to the case took a liking to Jolie and made a point of keeping Laura up to date on the case's progress. Cal always heard the latest within minutes.

In a wonderful surprise, Cal got a call Thursday night from Bud. He and Robin were going to be in town. He offered to fly Cal, Darlene, and Shelley and Matt if they chose, back with them after Cal's game Friday night. Cheryl's team was playing at home. They would all fly back late Sunday afternoon so Bud and Robin could be in town on Monday.

Martin tried to get Bud to take pay for the trip, but he refused. Since it was not a direct benefit to Cheryl, there was no issue of unauthorized payments to upset the NCAA.

After another excellent game for him and a win for the team, Cal showered in record time and dashed to Darlene's car for the trip to the private airport. The general noise level in the plane and the beauty of flying on a clear night kept conversation to almost nothing. Matt had chosen not to join them, so Robin sat with Darlene while Cal and Shelley took the back row. That left Bud alone up front, but he only joked about it once.

Since it was the night before a game, Cheryl had decided not to even ask the coach if she could join Cal at the apartment. However, Maddy did it for her without Cheryl's knowledge. Knowing that the two had lived together all summer, the coach was not concerned about Cheryl losing control and not being ready for the game. It was a nice surprise when the coach told Cheryl quietly after practice that she was banished from the dorm for the weekend.

Thoughtfully, Claire had invited Darlene and Shelley to use their spare room, leaving Cheryl and Cal alone in the apartment. They took maximum advantage of the opportunity, after some happy hugging and jabbering between mother and daughters.

Cal had sat and watched the interaction between Darlene and Cheryl with a sense of unreality. Not long ago, he could not have imagined them communicating at that level. It was a great thing to see. One time, Darlene saw him watching and smiled at him with moist eyes.

In bed, while recovering from their first frantic coupling, Cal asked "Are you starting to feel like you really have a Mom, now?"

"I don't think it will ever be like your sister and mother," she answered. "We just got started way too late. I'll take it, though. It's kind of, um, upside down, if you know what I mean. I've been the one giving advice and watching out for her. I can't see getting advice from her, and I think she knows that. Still, it's great to be able to communicate. I'm really hoping that it's not too late for Shelley."

The game was Saturday evening, and Cheryl did not have to join the team until late afternoon. There was a home football game, and the volleyball team had a block of seats so they could begin their pre-game preparations right after football. Cheryl managed to get Cal into the section, but Darlene and Shelley had to sit with Claire and Bert.

When Cal kissed Cheryl as she went off with the team, he just knew she was going to have a great match. She had that combination of contentment, confidence, and tension that athletes recognize as the ideal state for entering a contest.

The cheering squad for Cheryl and Maddy was larger than usual. Claire and Bert, Bud and Robin, Bud's family, and Maddy's extended family were all there. On that night, the only spectator that mattered to Cheryl was Cal.

Rather than being nervous because he was watching her, it always spurred her on. He had often told her that he found her performance on the court arousing as well as beautiful, and she believed him. That extra incentive added to her normal competitive spirit put her into that special zone.

On the very first service return, Maddy gave Cheryl a perfect quick set and Cheryl slammed it home. It set the tone against an opponent that was a threat for the conference championship.

Cal was brought back to his discussion with Ken about intimidation as he watched Cheryl and Maddy. Cheryl was intense and business-like. Maddy was a boisterous chatterbox, but no less intense. Neither was cocky, but they both radiated confidence unusual for freshmen. To say that Cal was proud of his mate would have been a gross understatement.

They did lose the third game, narrowly, after winning the first two by good margins. The opposition had evidently shot its wad with the win, and at 18-4 in the fourth game, the coach sat Cheryl and Maddy down while the rest of the team polished off the victory.

Down on the floor afterwards, the coach came up to Cal and Cheryl and said to Cal "If you can get her to do that every time, why don't you come up every weekend and, uh..." she suddenly realized what she was about to say, and they all disintegrated into happy laughter.

Having seen Cal around during pre-season practice, the coach once again wondered what was so special about him. There was no doubt how Cheryl felt about him. Having never had strong feelings for any male, the coach just decided that it was something she might never figure out.

Sunday was a wonderful brunch at Bud's parents' place. It was made extra-special when Bud announced that he had asked Robin to marry him. She put on the ring for the first time and showed it off. It was a toss-up as to whether Robin or her mother-in-law-to-be was the more emotional.

It was never easy to say goodbye, but Cheryl and Cal had reached the place where they handled it realistically. It was a part of their life, but only a temporary part. Both of their lives were full, and they could deal with the parting without any lingering depression.

The following weekend, a trip to see Pete play had already been planned. It would be the only one for Cal that fall, and if he made the college team next year, it would be his last chance ever. Just that thought made him a little introspective about what was happening to his family. It was all good, but things would never be back to what he remembered so fondly from past years. Of course, those past years so fondly remembered had some parts that he would rather forget, as well.

Once again, Martin found that chartering a plane gave them the best combination of flexibility and cost. There was a surprise for this trip, too. Ismi and Amelia were joining them. Cal knew that Pete and Ismi had been communicating and that they had dated when Pete was in town. He did not realize that things were crossing into serious relationship territory.

Pete and Ismi did not share a bed during the trip, and that gave Cal something to think about. He was three years younger and he had found his life's mate. He was living like a married man. Should he feel guilty about that? Should he question whether that was right? It did not take long for him to decide that it was just Pete's own fault for not paying enough attention to what was most important.

The week after going to see Pete, Jolie's case broke open, and Gretta was the key.

Her main reason for being in the gang was because she was in love with Brett. Because she was a legitimate trophy, Brett was more than happy to have her. He made a big mistake, though, after the attack and the arrests. He could not tolerate the fact that she had spoken against him in her original statement. His criticism became constant and destructive.

Gretta's family was in the same position that Laura had been. They were decent people who feared that they had lost their daughter. They were heartbroken over what they believed Gretta had done during the attack, but saw a ray of hope because she had tried to help Jolie at least a little, and had not fled with the others.

Unlike Laura, Gretta's parents had refused to meet her rebellion with anger and fighting. They wisely did not attack Brett, although they voiced as many cautions as they dared. The pain that she caused them did not go unnoticed by her, but her love for Brett and the rebel propaganda laid on her by the gang kept that pain away from her consciousness.

When her parents came to pick up Gretta at the police station the Friday night that the gang broke into the vacant house, a change began to occur. The other arriving families were either angry at their offspring or angry at the authorities. Hers were just embarrassed, saddened, and concerned for her welfare.

Love can ignore a lot of things, and very often does. Brett, however, was a complete idiot in the way her treated her. That, she might have tolerated, had it not been for the stark contrast with her parents' treatment.

It took several days to admit to herself that Brett did not love her, and several more sleepless nights before she decided what she had to do. During a tearful session with her parents, they encouraged her to come clean. If it meant jail, they would be behind her.

With four statements now in full agreement, as opposed to the five others, and the physical evidence, the contrived version was no longer tenable, and the legal team knew it. It now became a mad scramble for the most favorable plea bargain.

The victim does not necessarily have any say in a plea bargain situation, but the DA kept in touch with Jolie and Laura all along. They were told that the chances of a conviction on attempted murder were pretty small, and that Jolie's involvement in the gang would be hammered on. In fact, every part of her life would be exposed on the stand.

Jolie and all of the family agreed on two points. They did not want Jolie to have to testify, and they believed that Brett should spent some time in jail. The other attackers, they did not really care about, except that they hoped that Gretta could get off free. The DA concurred, and Brett got a year in an adult facility. Of the rest, all but Gretta got community service.

For what the kids had tried to do, it was not much punishment, but the most important thing was Jolie's return to the family. From watching Cal's experience after stopping Greg's attempted rape of Rebecca, Laura understood how difficult it was to get real satisfaction from the law. Part of her was even saddened at what would happen to Brett during his year in prison, but that feeling never held for long.

The legal machinations brought Laura and Arnie together several times. He had told her that she should hang tough for punishment of Brett, but she was able to convince him that it was unrealistic. After one of their discussions, they agreed to have dinner out with both of their daughters.

"Jolie, Missy," Laura started out after they had eaten, "I need to ask you a hard question. Do you think you could forgive Gretta and try to be her friend?"