Chapter 17

The Ninth grade had really sucked on my first pass through. I had hated it and I believe this was when my life had taken a definite accellerated turn for the worse. This time would be a new experience because of what I had learned over the years.

I was also going to be playing high school football and was looking forward to it. I had never met the any of the coaches but remembered that they usually had a pretty good team. Tryouts were before classes even started and the first game was on the first Friday of school. The Varsity and the JV coaches met all the prospective players at the field.

The JV coaches called all the ninth and tenth graders over to them but soon I heard the varsity head coach yell "Sussmann, Nobles, over here!" We trotted over and he told us sternly "I've watched you two play a few times and I think you might have a shot at making this team so I'm gonna let you try. I'd give O'Shea a chance, too but we've got a pretty good QB already. We lost our running game last year and half of our "D" and I'm desperate. If I think you can't cut it you'll know pretty fast."

He pointed each of us at a different assistant and we went. I detected some resentment at first since I would be competing against juniors and seniors for a spot. I found out after practice that Pete had noticed it too. It didn't matter, when the first game rolled around he was the halfback and I was playing middle linebacker.

We both still played both ways, too. He was a still a DB but I was put at left guard. I didn't mind. I always considered opening a hole in the line to be almost an art. I took as much pride in Pete tearing through a hole I'd opened as I did making an interception. I was lucky enough to do both in the first game. Pete racked up 255 yards and three touchdowns. I had an interception off of a tipped ball for another as well as two sacks and three pass deflections.

One of those had been caught by our nose guard. He was very big. The sight of him lumbering for thirty yards and a score with it was comical. We scored on a punt return as well and won 41-14. Neither of us heard any more freshmen shit. Our teammates were all impressed with the cheering section too. Al was at my first game and came over afterward. I introduced him and they were even more impressed.

Jeff played like he was a man possessed for the JV team. I guess he was pissed because he wasn't playing varsity. He flat lit up the scoreboard and only played three quarters before being pulled with the score 38-6. He had moved the team for a score on every single possession. I had a feeling that next year our varsity would have a new quarterback. Ours wasn't bad but he wasn't that great either.

Most of our yardage was on the ground. Beth, Tina Connie, and Rhonda walked home with me and they were practically gushing over my performance. I thought I could do better with practice. They insisted on helping me shower even though I had taken one in the locker room after the game. Afterward, they tucked me in. This involved a strenuous post-game workout that left me even more exhausted than the game and in need of a second shower.

Some people never learn. The next morning we were minding our own business, just walking through the trailer park intending to visit Vicky for a bit on Saturday when our old friend Derek confronted me. This time I guess he figured the job was too big for him to do alone. He had two others with him and was carrying a baseball bat. This seemed to make him feel brave as he shouted "NOW YOU GET YOURS SUSSMANN!"

I told the girls to get out of the way. Rhonda tried to argue until I said "please? I wanna have some fun, too!" She finally pulled Jackie aside and told me "if there's any left over, I want 'em!" They seemed taken aback by my calmness and the two new thugs hung back a bit as Derek charged. The bat was easy to dodge and as the poor sap planted his foot to catch his balance I nonchalantly gave the side of his knee a kick.

The crunching sound his knee made, along with his scream was enough to make his companions beat a hasty retreat as he fell writhing in tears of agony on the street. I just shook my head and said "you ignorant fucker, when will you learn? Surely even you can't be this stupid, can you?" We left him there and walked on.

Vicky and her mom had seen the end of things from their window. I apologized by saying "I'm sorry you had to see that but I didn't have a lot of choices. I'd appreciate it if you could call an ambulance Mrs. Gannon. I don't think that leg is going to hold him if he tries to walk home. I doubt if his would-be helpers will be back either."

When she came back she said "we saw most of what happened. If you need any witnesses let us know. Anybody who attacks someone with a bat deserves everything they get!"

I told her "it was a good thing I didn't let Rhonda handle it. She tends to get a bit carried away. This way he's only on crutches for a while."

Rhonda grumbled "traction would have been more convincing."

Mrs. Gannon looked shocked until Vicky told her "those Karate classes we took were great mom. I think any one of us could have handled all three of those punks."

Her mom thought that was a good thing "as long as you use it only for defending yourself."

We all assured her that was the general idea. We "geeks" had to protect ourselves.

She asked why the idiot had attacked me and I was at a loss. "Beats me Mrs. Gannon. We had a problem recently but it seems to have turned into an obsession with him for some strange reason." was all I could come up with.

Vicky seemed to think she had an answer. "Derek was kind of a self-proclaimed king of the neighborhood before you moved in" she explained. Now that he's found somebody who's not scared of him he's lost his position around here and doesn't like it. I think it's just his ego getting carried away."

We talked until the garbage had been collected before wandering home, dropping off people as we went.

When we got to Jackie's house she hugged me tightly and groaned "I don't want to go home." I asked if she could stay with us even though tomorrow was a school day and she brightened up "I'll ask the zombies. Wait for me!" She came back smiling five minutes later with a backpack and told us no one was home so she left a note.

Tina and Beth said they had decided to visit the folks but I think they wanted to give Jackie and me some time alone together. I think we both appreciated it, I know I did. There was just something about Jackie that fascinated me. We actually talked for over an hour before going to bed. True, we were both naked at the time and she was in my lap but we did talk mostly.

We made love slowly and finished with a flourish of moans and sighs before Jackie rolled me over and rode me like a banshee for an encore. After we were exhausted we spooned together, her magnificent little ass pressed securely against me while I cupped a pert and lovely breast in my left palm. We spent what little time we had left before having to start the new day just talking and after Jackie enjoyed swallowing her morning sausage we hit the shower.

I guess we were still sore because we talked again as we washed each other. She said "I think I'm dreaming. I can't believe how wonderful it felt to wake up next to you this morning. It was even better than sex! I love to be held like that. It makes me happier than I have ever been."

I told her I was glad because I planned on holding her a lot. She complained that we went to separate schools and couldn't be together during the day. At least she had Adam and that helped both of them. She did complain that he was always surrounded by girls but she was usually in the crowd. They both planned on testing out of their grade that Friday so her complaint would be short-lived.

I was walking through the halls toward home room with Rhonda and Tina the next day when I spotted someone I had felt sorry for on my first pass through.

I always thought Ramona would have been pretty if she hadn't tried so hard. She seemed to believe that the way to attract guys was to apply as many cosmetics as possible and always wear a fashionable dress. She ended up looking like a cheap whore trying to attract a John.

One guy in particular noticed as well. I had overheard a conversation in which Nick, one of my teammates who had lamented that "she'd be a fox without all that crap on her face."

I stopped the girls and I got their agreement to help me try and change the situation. I had never seen poor Ramona other than alone. We walked over to her and introduced ourselves. This was a new occurrence for her and she was very shy.

I didn't want to offend her but figured being subtle might not work, so I asked "do you realize how pretty you would be without all that war paint?"

When I saw her hackles rise I tried to sooth her by adding "don't get mad at me. I'm serious. You've got a really pretty face under there and putting layers of make-up on it hides it from everyone. It's like painting graffiti on a Rembrandt. You should let everyone see what you really look like. I'd bet that if you walked in here with no make-up on and wearing jeans and a sweater nobody would know who you are and every guy in the school would be drooling over you."

She seemed a little mollified but not much until I said "I'll make you a bet. If you come in here tomorrow like I described and don't get asked out at least once before the day is over, I'll wear eye shadow the rest of the week, how about it?"

She smiled then and said it was a deal. She was looking forward to seeing what shade I would choose. She asked what she would have to do if by some miracle I won the bet. I told her she'd have to come to school like that for the rest of the year.

Monday was Connie's night with me. It figured to be a lot of fun. We talked half the time, and did some studying together before moving to the bedroom.

Tuesday morning we spotted Ramona in her same spot, still alone. Tina suggested that I give her a "jump start" and it didn't take much to convince me. She looked stunning. Ramona had a very lovely face and the jeans and sweater revealed that she had been hiding a great figure under those dresses.

I walked over and told her how gorgeous she looked and she said "then how come nobody has even said a word to me?" I told her that they didn't know who she was. They probably thought she was a new student. I asked her if I could give her the official welcome and she asked what that was.

"That's where I take you in my arms and give you a kiss that will make your socks roll up and down just like in the cartoons" I explained. She laughed and asked if my girlfriends would get mad at me and was shocked when I told her they had suggested it.

At her whispered "o.k., I guess" I put my arms around her and laid my best kiss on her sweet lips. She melted in my arms and I discovered another revelation. She wasn't wearing a bra, and her nipples quickly became as hard as bullets against my chest.

Our tongues dueled for a few minutes before I heard her moan and positioned my leg between her thighs. She immediately pressed the crotch of her jeans on the proffered appendage and applied some pressure. I took a bit of a chance and thumbed one of her hard little nubbins. She hugged me even tighter. I'm not positive but I do believe she had an orgasm. It was a small one but from her throaty moan I think it was big enough for starters.

I broke the kiss and she looked at me wide-eyed and said "wow!"

I smiled "wow indeed! I hope you liked that as much as I did. I think your day will get better now."

She walked away floating and I saw Nick's back heading the opposite way. I caught up to him and he wasn't happy. "Don't you ever get enough Sussmann?" he growled.

I finally got him calmed down enough to explain "dude, she needed some confidence. She knows I'm not trying to get her to go out with me or anything, but if you don't ask her you're dumber than I think you are. If you shit on her though I'm gonna be the one who gets mad. That girl needs a lot of TLC. Do you think you can handle her? If you do you'd better hurry. She won't be unattached much longer."

He didn't answer, he just ran after her. I hoped they were in the same homeroom. If not he'd be late.

I got a severe shock in my own homeroom. While taking roll, Mr. Metcalf introduced a new student. I hadn't even noticed him until I heard "Bryan Brown?" When I did, I looked at the guy who raised his hand and smiled.

He noticed and smiled back as he nodded. This was too good to be true. Bryan had been my best friend when we lived at a different trailer park and we kept in touch until we were sixteen. That's when he died. He rode a motorcycle and one day some old lady ran a stop sign in his neighborhood. He couldn't stop and was launched into the air. He wasn't wearing a helmet and his head hit the pavement causing severe brain damage. He died before he made it to the ER. His dying had hit me pretty hard. It was my first experience losing a friend and I always remembered it.

The biggest reason for my smile was the fact that while we weren't sixteen yet and he would still be alive anyway, he had never gone to this school. The fact that he seemed to know me made me confident that he was one of us.

We got some strange looks when we hugged each other after the bell rang but didn't give a shit. We only had enough time between homeroom and first period to find out we didn't share any classes but he promised to meet me after practice.

When I got to practice after school and at first I thought Nick was going to kill me. He was a big guy and when I saw him running at me I had to force myself not to go into defensive mode. I was relieved when he swept me up in a bear hug and even more so that he didn't kiss me.

"I owe you one Matt!" he said excitedly "Ramona is coming to the game Friday and we're going out on Saturday. If it wasn't for all the make-up she wore I would have asked her sooner, I always knew she was damn fine under those dresses! She told me about your bet so I guess I don't have to worry about a relapse either. What I'm trying to say here is thanks for doing that and thanks for leaving one for the rest of us."

I shook my head at his antics and said "Nick this school is full of beautiful girls. It may not be easy to see it sometimes but they're there." I nodded my head at the bleachers "like her."

He glanced over and snorted "Nina? You've gotta be kidding." She was sitting in the bleachers like she had every other day with her nose buried in a book. She was wearing her usual baggy jeans and sweater and seemed to be taking notes. Nina wore thick unattractive glasses and her hair never stayed put.

She spent all of her time alone and as far as I could tell had no friends at all. "Yep" I said "I'd bet money that under that nerd suit Nina is a babe. I think she's just too shy to let it out but if she had some friends who weren't intimidated by the fact that she's so damn smart it would come out and shock the hell out of everybody."

He shrugged as we headed for drills "you were sure right about Ramona so I'm not going to bet against you. I still don't see it though."

Practice went smooth and coach even threw a couple more plays in, explaining "we have to surprise Jackson. These guys made it to the quarter-finals last season and they didn't lose much. They only had two seniors on that team and the juniors were starting ahead of them."

Bryan and Rhonda were waiting for me after practice so I decided to hold up on the shower for a bit when I saw that Nina was still there. I introduced them and filled Rhonda in on my plan. She was eager to see if it would work.

We didn't bother to ask for an invitation before plopping down on either side of her. I saw her nose wrinkle up in disgust and apologized. "Sorry about the stench" I explained "but we were curious what you worked on out here every day. You don't really seem like a football fan to us."

All we got was a mumbled "I like to be alone, o.k.?"

Rhonda decided I needed help and started "c'mon Nina, we don't bite you know. The lonely nerd act doesn't fool us. Matt's class rank is higher than yours and I'm not far behind so we just don't buy it."

She loosened up more with Rhonda, I guess because she was female. "I need the quiet to study" she explained "there's too much noise at home with two little brothers and all the fighting that goes on."

A light bulb went off over both of our heads at the same instant but this time I beat Rhonda to the punch. "Wouldn't it be great to have a place where you could study that was quiet, especially if you had a reference library and friends to study with?"

She sighed and reluctantly said "in my dreams I guess. Assuming I had any friends where is this magical place?"

Rhonda was faster this time "Matt's house" she quickly said "his library is a lot better than the schools. I think it's better than the public one downtown. He has a study room set up that we all use, complete with carrels. When it's time to relax there's a pool and hot tub. The best part is there are always people around who you can have an intelligent conversation with."

I completed her thought by adding "and we'd like to invite you to share it with us.

It seemed like she was afraid to get her hopes up but asked "when, and why me? I'm just a frumpy wallflower nerd with no friends."

Rhonda grabbed her by the shoulders ad turned her so she was forced to look into her eyes. "Don't give us that crap Nina "she snapped "we know better, remember us? We're nerds too, or at least that's what the ignorant people call us. We're smart enough to see through you to what's inside and we like what we see. Will you please come over, even if it's just once to see for yourself? Call it scientific curiosity or exploring a strange phenomenon! Or maybe just call it what it really is, being invited to someone's house that shares your interests and thinks you'd be a good friend to have. So what's it going to be? Are you going to accept the hand that's offered, or are you going to bite it off?"

We finally got a weak smile and she said "well if you put it like that I guess I'll have to see this wonderland of yours."

I enthusiastically said "YES! Rhonda, will you walk with her so she can grab a suit and to make sure she doesn't change her mind?"

Bryan hadn't said a word during all of this but we had some time to talk now. I only had enough time to find out he had met Loki and had used his sports knowledge as I had to make some quick cash. He saw the story about me in the newspaper and immediately knew I was like him because he knew I hadn't played baseball. He had to head home because he had some lawns to mow. He had already started in the same business we had shared before. While he had made some money, his knowledge was limited to sports and his starting capital had been even lower than mine.

I made him promise to come to my house when he finished and when he asked where it was I pointed it out. After his eyebrows lowered I told him we had been up to the same thing.

I hurried home to break the news to whoever was there and to make sure they were clothed so Nina wouldn't be shocked yet.

It was a good thing I did because Kathy was just getting ready to catch some rays. I enjoyed the scenery before kissing her hello and explaining that there was company coming and that a beautiful nude Valkyrie might intimidate her. The Valkyrie in question seemed to like the comment and made me help her get dressed.

Her small bikini took quite a while to put on but we left the cabana smiling and were just in time to see Rhonda and Nina arrive as we lay in the loungers.

We convinced Nina to go for a swim first and talk to us for a while before we showed her around so she and Rhonda changed into their suits. Beth and Becky showed up about then and I gave them the short story about my new discovery until they returned.

I was surprised when Nina emerged from the shed but disappointed as well. She had a great body but every bit of skin that showed was "whiter than white". She was wearing a one-piece suit that was modest beyond belief, especially around here.

Rhonda and Kathy were in their "almost non-existent" outfits and the contrast must have made Nina even more self conscious. I did get a shy smile when I whistled and said "Girl you need some sun! You're wearing way too many clothes too. A body like that was made to be admired, not hidden!"

I thought she might be opening up a bit. She asked Rhonda "is he always like that?"

Rhonda playfully responded with "like what? If you mean honest then the answer is yes. He always tells the truth."

I was this time too. Under that frumpy outfit Nina had been concealing an exquisite body. Her hair looked much better in a ponytail, too. The newcomers ran to change and when they returned we swam for a while. It seemed Nina couldn't swim at all so we cut it short, promising her lessons this weekend.

We conceded to her modesty and I used a different shower this time. Tina was home by then and agreed to do a favor for me while I was getting changed. An unbelievable transformation awaited me on my return.

Tina had loaned Nina some clothes as I had asked but she and the others had also done something with her hair. I stopped in the doorway and stared at the six beauties in front of me and exclaimed "Where's Nina, and who is this gorgeous woman? "