Chapter 27: Thursday Morning - "Teacher, Teacher"

Luis

Mike, Phil, Jason, most of both lines, and I were heading towards the main classroom building. The Brain Trust, yeah! Well, maybe. The crew that came in early during the season. Perhaps, the dedicated?

It seemed to me we're just a little too wired, especially after the intense strategy and tactics conversation we'd had in the locker room. I mean, no music!

"Okay, guys. Serious is good. But, we need to be loose, too." Yeah, that's me, future Coach C.

Jamaal, one of our offensive tackles who clocks in at 6′ 5″ and two hundred and ninety very solid pounds, spoke. A rarity for him. He seems so gentle, until you see him ripping the head off a defensive tackle.

Hell, he knits!

Loves Shakespeare.

And Dante—God forbid!

And, bless my heart, classical music.

And Motown. The Temptations!

He assumed the pose of a bad actor pretending to think. Rodin would not be doing a statue of him in that position. "Serious. Relaxed. About like asking for a well fucked virgin."

We all stopped and turned toward Jamaal. Not only had he spoken, he'd been funny. He kept his face a mask of relaxed indifference, showing no indication that he'd said anything.

We all had to hold each other up. Attempts to high five him resulted in more laughing, as we all missed. Yet, he stood there. Calm. Relaxed. But, an unmistakable grin in his eyes.

From the mouth that can quote Shakespeare with diction that Sir Richard Burton would have envied. And, quote he can, from memory, all of Shakespeare. And Dickens. And, and, and... "Yo! I think we'uns needs to get to class, y'all."

He had us in tears. And, he stood. Calm.

"Damn, you white boys are too easy. Dumb ass crackers." He shook his massive head.

Okay, I'm on my knees. When he did some "gangtsa sign" thing, it took all of us down.

"Shit. Don't knows if I can does this nekkid thing. Could I still wear my bling?" He pretended to admire some imaginary necklace, watch, and ring that were obviously huge.

Tears were streaming out of my eyes. I couldn't get my breath. I managed a look around. I was in better shape than Mike. Phil was using Jason for support and Jason was a bit shell—shocked. He had just been brought into the "inner circle" and had no reference. What he didn't realize, with Jamaal we didn't either! Still, he had tears streaming from his eyes.

"Fuck! Jesus! Jamaal ... Wha..."

"You said be serious and relaxed. Now, perhaps, you are relaxed. We were just a touch too serious."

Now he joined our mutual support group trying to stand.

"Jason, so ... what do you think?" I asked.

"Uh..."

"That would indicate that he's uncertain. Perhaps, he's had a recent significant emotional event that has upset his equilibrium. Should we suggest a therapist for him?" Jamaal sounded eerily like Dr C in lecture mode.

Mike managed a coherent breath. "Well, his sister—"

Jason woke up, before I did. "Yes? Are we getting to the serious part, yet?"

"Gentlemen! I insist. We must proceed upon our appointed rounds. These minor issues might be best dealt with on the field of honor. Perhaps, tomorrow evening?"

Together, in a group, we managed to calm down enough to walk towards the main building. The occasional snicker erupting, which produced a chuckle and a laugh, then back to semi—serious.

Mike put his arm around Jason and pulled him over to me, then put his arm around me. "Look, guys. I didn't mean anything."

"Sensitive, right now. Okay, Mike?" I said.

"What he said," Jason said.

"I apologize. Can we be cool?"

Jase and I looked at each other across Mike. We drug it out. Just when we felt Mike beginning to stiffen, we simultaneously said, "Sure."

Jamaal's sonorous voice rang out, "Amen!"

Phil chanted right behind him, "Thank you Lord for this team..."

Chuckling, we entered the school proper and headed through the mazes of halls towards the grouping of classrooms for homeroom.

Still, the occasional snort came from at least one of us. We turned the corner towards the homerooms. The usual throng of students clogged the hallways. Yet, something was wrong. There was one clump. In front of my homeroom. The energy felt all wrong.

Suddenly, Jason pulled away from us. I wasn't far behind. Jamaal and Mike were my speed. Phil and a couple of others moved between us and Jason. Surprising me, Phil was keeping up with Jason.

Then, I heard Rosa's voice above the mass of noise. "No! That's not reasonable!"

And a gasp from Becca.

SHIT!

Rebbecca

Requests?

Oh! The Program.

Shit!

Did I think that? Did I say it?

Naked. Shit!

Yeah...

Not one request, but two.

And from people I didn't trust. Rosa's here, so it won't be too bad. I wish Luis were around.

"Becca! Such news to tell!" Rosalee said running up to me, wrapping her arms around me, and gave me a solid, toe—curling kiss. One of Luis's Black Holes opened and we fell right in. So different from My Mountain, yet so sweet, gentle, loving...

I'm a writer. There should be better words. If my brain were working, I might find them. My brain ... Oh, but the body is working overtime!

"Ahem! I had a request." Rashad has grown a spine?

"Yes, we have requests. Giiiiirlz." Susan sounded so different than she had in the cafeteria on Monday. None of the bouncy girl on a high. Her bearing and her eyes were ... hard. Feral.

Rosa partially unwrapped me and looked at the two requesters. "Are your requests for one or the both of us?"

"Her," Rashad stated, pointing at me.

"Well, well, well." Susan shook her head. "The two lesbians." A look of disgust crossed her face. "No wonder I was able to satisfy Luis." It almost looked like she wanted to spit. "So, both of you."

Rosa looked at me. I could only gape like that poor fish on the dock I had caught when I was five or six. Where is the air?

"What?" Rosa said. She was ... relaxed, yet ready? The muscles and energy were totally new to me. Poised and ready to strike? Oh, shit! What is going on here? I need my "now" mind, not my artist's mind. Yet, there is an image here...

"Well, you must be lesbians. You're hugging and smooching with each other and your quote—man—unquote is no where around. So..." If this didn't sound so serious, I think I would have laughed at her air—quotes.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we're not." How Rosa got that out while my mind was still spinning...

A voice in the back of my head said to breathe. I pulled in through my nose. It helped some. Before it seemed to stick in my neck. Was my throat that small?

"So, appearances and actions are deceiving?" The glove dropped.

"We care for each other a great deal and are exploring it." Rosa gave me a good one—handed hug letting me know her love and support. "I know how much she loves Luis. Hell, she spent the night with him last night."

"So, the virgin isn't any more?" Susan took a half—step back. Eyes wide.

"I should think not." Can you say tsunami?

All I could do was shudder. My eyes got moist. The air trapped in my lungs found a way out. Rapidly. Nothing more wanted to come in.

Rosa caught it.

So did Susan.

"See. She can't even fuck him. She's a lesbian."

"I—I..." My chest was tight. Why couldn't I pull the air in again?

"Shhh! You don't have to tell her anything." Rosa's hand gently rubbed my lower back.

"Well, that's one of my requests, for her to tell me about last night."

"That's not a reasonable request," Rosa said for me.

"According to whom?"

"Me," Rosa said defiantly, she was only holding me with one arm, loosely, and was about in Susan's face.

"Ladies!" Rashad's voice cut through the building tension. "I have a request of Rebbecca that doesn't involve questions. That might calm things down while you consider what's reasonable."

"O—Okay," I managed to get out. How, I don't know. Is this what it feels like when an elephant sits on your chest?

"I want you to pose for me." He tried to look me in the eyes, but ended up staring at my boobs.

"Uhm. Okay. Now?" I started to move into the "classic" Program pose — hands behind head. How I did it, I don't know.

An act of submission to a stranger.

A brief thought ran through my mind about bringing this up at lunch. Then the feeling of needing to melt into the walls rolled through me. Before it paralyzed me, I heard My Mountain tell me to breathe, it was as if he had his arm around me and not Rosa. I managed to gulp in the first breath, shakily let it out, and begin to relax into the second breath.

"Not here. In the Art Room. I want to sketch you and take some photographs."

"When?" I nearly had to force the next breath in. The elephant's girlfriend had joined the sit—in on my chest.

"After Art today."

"We have the Pep Rally and The Nakeds are going as a group." Why did I just lie? I'd like to go to the Pep Rally to support My Mountain, but we hadn't agreed to a joint thing as The Nakeds.

"Then tomorrow, after school and before going to the game."

"Uhm ... Okay." What else could I say? It was reasonable and the game wasn't until after dinner, even though it was all the way across town.

"Nerd—boy, is anyone allowed to this session?"

"I prefer to work without an audience."

"Too bad. I'll be there. Now, run along Nerd—boy. Us women have business." Susan gloated. "So, now, bitch. Answer my question. Are you still a virgin?"

"Y—"

"Don't answer her. That's not reasonable." Rosa gave me a supportive hug.

"She already did. Can't even fuck your man? Lesbian!" she spat.

"Y—You don't understand! W—We had a nice dinner. We fooled around and ... and ... I fell asleep." My eyes watered. The sobs came. I couldn't stop them. Yet, I found it in myself to stand there and stare back at this ... girl. No woman, she. Susan wasn't going to win.

"And Luis was a sweetie, wasn't he?" Rosa asked.

"Yep. Tucked me in and snuggled to me all night." Damn, that was easier. The elephants must be on the dance floor.

"Yeah. I bet you'd rather have been with this slut."

"When I call myself that, I say it with pride." I felt Rosa tense.

"Slut."

I put my arm around Rosa and turned her towards me. It took a second or two for her to disengage from staring at Susan. "She's not worth it," I spoke from my heart to hers.

It took her a second. Then she smiled. "You're right. Now ... now I have my mountain."

"Our Mountain."

"I think I found my own last night."

It took me a second. Then the light went on. "Mmm—"

"Later," she cut me off.

We hugged.

"See. Lesbians. They talk about guys while hugging and kissing each other. Where are your guys? Probably jacking—off somewhere because they can't get any from either of you. Or, maybe this 'Mmm' doesn't want to go where every man has gone before."

"Are the mice squeaking?" Rosa asked as she looked all around except where Susan was and waving her hand in front of her face as if bothered by gnats.

"Okay, Slut and Virgin. I have a request. I want you to kiss and play with each other."

"Nope," Rosa said simply. The hug she gave me was telling me to 'watch this!'

"You will or we're going to the office right now." In my mind, I pictured Susan stomping her foot.

"It is not a reasonable request."

"I agree with Rosalee."

"Well, I say it is."

"It is not reasonable to require a person in the Program to interact sexually with another person. You can ask us to pose, we've gone above and beyond and answered some personal questions, so you can take this request and—"

A gave Rosa a hug with my arm. "Don't step down to her level."

I don't know where that came from, but it felt right. It sounded like something My Mountain would say. The elephants must have decided to sit this song out. I felt the warmth I feel when in his cave.

Susan smiled. "Then, bend over and spread yourself open," she said while pointing at me.

As the breath left my body in a most unpleasant way, "T—That's ... reasonable."

"Yeah, it is. It sucks, but it is reasonable." Rosa gave me one last squeeze, then took my hand to support me as I did this.

"Ah, isn't that nice. The lesbian lovers supporting each other."

"Friends, something you'd know nothing about," Rosa stated while giving my hand a squeeze.

I bent and took my hand back from Rosa and spread my ass cheeks. God, was this humiliating. But, it is an example of an acceptable request in the Program pamphlet.

"Nice. But, I don't see a hymen. So, you two play with dildos?"

"Luis broke it on Monday. At her request. Not that you needed to know that—"

"Don't, Rosa." I managed to cut off her pejorative. I didn't need her sinking down to Susan's level right now. What was making Susan do this? She had always seemed like a nice person.

"Isn't that sweet." She paused, leaving me bent over showing myself to the world. I know the redness in my face wasn't just from my head being down, but the crowd that had gathered behind me, staring at my privates. Privates. Yeah. They were pretty public at the moment.

"Slut, why don't you see if he did a good job and got all of it."

"Is that a request?"

"Yes. Do it."

"No! That's not reasonable!"

My lungs finally worked as they sucked in air. Why wouldn't those stupid elephants charge Susan???

Luis

"Gentlemen!" Coach MacFarland said in his most measured voice. It froze all of us except Jason, who Phil grabbed and turned him towards the Coach. "You three," he pointed at me, Mike, and Jason, "in here. Jamaal and Phil, you two go and monitor the situation. If action is needed, sound out. There are teachers ready. The rest of you, homerooms. Now."

In my mind, I heard a special play called and had to perform. Mike did as well. We had to "assist" Jason. He's young. Doesn't know all the plays in the Book yet.

Once in the room, Coach gave us each a hard look. One at a time, until he was assured we had his undivided attention. "Gentlemen. I know emotions are running strong at the moment. You will be free to attend to the needs of your loved ones in a moment. Before that, I want absolute assurance that you will not do something stupid." He looked us all down again. "Stupid is something that would a) get you kicked out of school, b) suspended from school, and/or c) in deep shit with your loved ones."

"But—" Jason started. I wasn't surprised when my hand met Mike's at the back of Jason's head, although it did reduce the impact of my slap.

"This is Thursday. We've been expecting some problems with the Program. Right now, there are teachers in every doorway. Out of sight, yes, but ready. The last thing we need is for you gentlemen to step into a situation and react inappropriately. I know you're all keyed up. East is tomorrow. I've been building you up for it. You're ready. Too ready to walk into that hallway right now."

Mike and I were slightly swaying as we dropped further into our centers. Our feet planting, knees bending, and roots growing into the ground. Jason was swaying slightly with us, but he was coming up onto the balls of his feet. Mike and I were the Rhinos. Jason was the lion. We were all getting ready for battle.

"Now," Coach Mac continued, "I don't want to ruin what we've done getting ready for this game. I also don't want problems with loved ones. You want to protect them. That is admirable. Commendable. Now, listen carefully." He paused and drew us into his eyes again. About like when he grabs our face masks during a game to make sure he has our undivided attention. "You have friends and supporters out there right now dealing with it. You need to be ready to comfort, not confront. In this moment. Tomorrow, I need you to confront. Got it?"

'Breathe!' my inner voice said. Mike looked across Jason to me and we nodded. "Yes, Coach!" we said together.

Jason was still in attack mode. Another joint hand slap to the back of his head and he finally said, "Yes, Coach."

Coach Mac just stared at Jason for a minute and he seemed to shrink between Mike and me.