Chapter 21: Wednesday Morning - "Clarity"

Luis

You know, in football, they call a penalty for piling on.

Susan?

Where's the ref? He's an out-of-towner, that's where he is. It is a given in football that out-of-town refs are a bit biased—the wrong way.

So, here I am. Still trying to wrap my mind around being with Becca. Pondering Becca and Rosalee. Then the three-way kiss we shared. Not to mention the Naked Program, Will, and, oh ... East in two and a half days. Throw in football scholarships, college, the future. Will my car start in the morning? What is bugging Jason... ? Now, Susan. What did she want?

I almost thought it. Caught myself. I learned my lesson in 8^th grade. It was the last game of the season. We were ahead by four points. On a goal line stand as the clock was running out, I ended up on the bottom of the pile. My face down in a muddy puddle. At least eight other people on top of me in various forms. I actually had said to myself, 'It can't get any worse than this.'

Murphy has really good hearing. Right about the time I was wondering if I could grow gills, someone landed on my hand. With their cleats. Hard. Plus, the other team scored and won.

I can still see the scars, faintly. The broken bones healed. All my fingers work, as well as they did before—mostly. The lesson about not tempting Murphy lives on. Burned into my being.

I wasn't going to say it. I banned the thoughts from my mind. I prayed that it was enough.

Slowly, I came back to the moment. Becca's hand in mine. Her sweet, adorable, lovely face looking at me. Her eyes asking the question, 'What does she want?'

I shrugged my shoulders and gave her a quick kiss. I think to reassure myself more than her. Then we moved through the funnel of the door and into the cauldron of the hall. I was praying the whole time I could shrink about a foot and not be so noticeable.

We had just broken the kiss and had been temporarily separated by requests, when Susan appeared from nowhere. She scanned the crowd, then approached me.

"Well, since your partner isn't around," Becca was behind me at the time, actually leaning her back against me. "I'd like to ask you out for Saturday."

Color me stupid. "Erg ... I can't, Susan."

"Do you already have plans?"

"Nothing firm, yet."

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, then, what's the problem?"

"I've kinda hooked up with Rebbecca this week."

Cocking her head to the side. "Anything formal?"

"Not yet."

"So. What's the problem?"

"Susan, I appreciate the offer. I can't, though." I could feel Becca squirming behind me. Obviously getting very excited. Susan edged closer.

"I'm better for you than that art freak." I felt Becca tense behind me.

"Art freak?" I managed to get out. Becca's hand gently ran over my butt. "I'd have to say a very talented and gifted artist."

That got me a loving squeeze. Is the cavalry coming to my rescue or what? I have no idea what to do when a female shows her claws other than to run. The male of the species is just not equipped to handle them.

"Yeah, and what does a big, strong football player like you need to know about art?" Was she actually cooing? Is this what they mean by vamping? Where is the ref and his yellow flag?

The sweet bundle of loveliness behind me began quaking then tensed. I could faintly hear her gasps and then the moaning sigh as she relaxed. Before I could say anything to Susan, Becca thanked the person for the orgasm and gracefully slid under my arm, facing Susan.

"Well, I'd say he appreciates fine art and wants to explore it further. Plus, I like to have strong, virile models around." She squeezed me with the arm behind my back and then patted my chest.

I think I know what the process of a supernova looks like now. Susan's eyes collapsed and she tried to suck all the mass and energy of the Universe into her being. Then her eyes exploded, throwing all that energy back out to create havoc and chaos.

"At least I know what to do with a hunk like him." I wonder if they're going to start pulling each other's hair and trying to gouge out eyeballs?

"I know enough to swallow, like when I woke him up this morning."

"When you ... WHAT?"

"Let's go sweetie, we're going to be late to class." Becca turned us, gracefully I might add, and started moving us down the hallway, leaving the remnant of a dead star, spluttering energy aimlessly.

Had I just witnessed this allegedly shy, retiring—no, retreating girl just zap another girl verbally in a cat fight? As I was trying to wrap my head around it, I managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

"I don't mind you playing around and having fun, even falling in love. Just be choosy, okay?" She gave me a hug.

"Er..." Maybe it is the effect of intense gamma rays.

"My Mountain, just go with it. Okay?"

"Erg..." Lord only knows the number of particles that went through me during the supernova. That must be it.

"Strong silent type! I love it. I love you."

"Er..." Is that Mission Control? "Ah ... I love you too."

She actually escorted me to my next classroom. Calculus. Yeah. Pretty numbers and symbols. I can focus on that instead of the scattered thoughts in my head. I'm sure I made noises in response to the requests being made, because there were hands other than Becca's on Junior.

"See you after class, okay love?" She gave me a quick, discreet kiss as she said that, then moved gracefully through the crowd to her class. Somehow, I made it to mine and folded myself into the seat. These school chairs and desks just weren't made for someone my size. They were better than the airlines seats I've wedged myself into over the years. Not much, though.

As I got out my notebook for class, the thoughts just kept rolling on. The airline seats reminded me of my travels this summer. Not only did the family do a couple of countries in Europe, I had traveled to one football camp in Los Angeles and made unofficial visits to Boston, Atlanta, and Austin.

I tried to remember anything about the art departments at the various schools. Then it hit me that I wouldn't know good from bad. I knew that a few of the schools I was looking at had excellent music conservatories either on campus or nearby. And music has to do with East, how?

"Luis?" Mr. Singh's voice penetrated the play maps in my head.

"Ah ... Sorry sir."

"That is quite alright Mr. Contadino. I do understand that the Program week to be a distraction for the participants. More so on a Wednesday than any other day. It would be a most fascinating study." His sing-song accent wasn't hard to understand and actually quite pleasant to listen to.

"I-I'm sure it would be, sir."

"You have had no problems with simple integrals thus far, have you?"

"No sir. I've been using them for a couple of years. I did enjoy learning the history and basis behind them, though."

"Good. Good. Most outstanding. This week, we will cover rotating an integral around an axis. In other words, double integrals. Do you feel comfortable?"

"Yes sir. I do. Not until we get to logarithmic and trig integrals do I have problems."

"Most excellent. Then your program distractions will not impact you this week. I will refrain from calling on you."

"Ah ... Thank you, I guess." He went back to the board and started showing rotating a simple integral about the Y-axis. Just like East is going to try to rotate around our defensive line. I need to make sure the outside linebackers play their assignments and not get sucked into fakes.

I wonder how many assignments I have messed up this week. It couldn't have been too many or I would have had notes from my teachers.

Notes. Maybe I should write something for Becca. A poem? Hell, I'm not a poet. I could write her an equation!

What are all the variables I need to look at when selecting a college? I'm assuming that most of them would want me, at least academically. I know quite a few wanted me athletically.

I haven't seen my T'ai Ch'i teacher this week. Did I need to?

I need to breathe.

As soon as I said it, my body started a relaxing, focusing series of deep breaths. Ah, all I had to do was remember to start it! My body knows.

In. Feel the rush of rejuvenating energy flow through my Crown and into my Center. Hold. I hope the refs will be watching holding. East is famous for it.

Out as slowly as in. Push up from my Center, pull the built-up toxins from my toes while pulling in grounding energy from the Earth. The painting on Becca's easel—WOW!

Hold. Repeat. Just like my lessons in school and in T'ai Ch'i. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Why we run plays over and over in practice.

Breathe.

Let the energy in my Crown pull me up. Let the Earth ground my feet. Relax into the energy flow, like I relax into a Becca hug.

Breathe.

Let the thoughts go without engaging. The soft acoustic guitar of John Meyer drifted through my head.

Breathe.

Let the sounds become just that—sounds. Don't label them. Don't name them. Just let them flow through you. The music flowed until it became background.

Breathe.

Relax into the chair while letting the energy flow naturally. Become seated with the chair. Let go the chattering mind.

Breathe.

Accept the ringing of the bell. Know that it is time to become aware around you. Engage without surrendering again.

I packed up my stuff and noticed that I had actually taken some notes. So some of the class had filtered in. I felt calmer. Not completely centered, but calmer.

I headed towards the door. Time for Physics.

Not three feet from the door, I had my first request. I smiled, gave permission, and a sweet little thing wrapped her hand around Junior. He was very pleased. I actually found myself enjoying just feeling and not giving into the chatter in my head.

I scanned around the hall and didn't see Becca. Given the number of people changing classes, I wasn't surprised. Yet, you'd think a beautiful naked girl would stand out.

Every time I took another step towards her class, another request was made. Wasn't the novelty of the Program supposed to wear off by the third day? I guess the disruptions of yesterday delayed it. I looked down at one point and counted four small hands playing with Junior and two playing with his friends. At least that many hands were rubbing my butt and countless number where stroking the muscles of my arms, legs, chest, and back.

I gave into the feelings and just drifted with them. Every chance I got, I took another step down the hall. The girls were all very polite, asking before touching and looking me in the eyes for answers. Yet, I really wasn't engaging with the person. How should I?

I filed that question to tackle when there wasn't so much stimulation.

The door to the classroom for physics appeared long before the requests ceased. While I wasn't in danger of cumming, Junior was pretty pumped up. Mr. Thomas's class was one place I doubted I'd ask for relief.

"Ladies, I need to go to class now."

"Aww ... Just a few more strokes!"

"We can make you cum if you want."

"Please, just a minute more!"

"Mr. Contadino, care to join us for class today?" Mr. Thomas was eying Junior the way the girls were. With a chorus of disappointment, the hands disappeared and I found a seat. "Do you need relief?"

"No thanks, sir." I settled in and tucked Junior under the desk, got out my notebook, and prepared to take notes. Breathe, boy. Breathe. I calmed and slipped right into my center. The first time today. You know it when it happens. The world shifts. You feel connected, completely. The energy just flows. The roots grow from your feet down to the center of Earth.

Physics was ... Physics. We worked with the Newtonian gravity equations and dove into Einstein's view to add relativity to the mix. While he was explaining gravity lenses and drawing pictures on the board, a picture started to build in my head. The planets were key considerations. The star light was the different paths I could take. Comets, asteroids, solar winds, and debris were distractions.