Chapter 6: Greg's Setback

Things in general were going pretty good with the squad. They were learning some new routines and practice sessions were pretty intense. Even though I wasn't participating with the squad at games I was working closely with them demonstrating some of the moves. I was lifting and tossing these heavenly bodies much of the time. Physical contact was very common and the girls didn't mind at all, in fact they seemed to actually like it and asked for more.

At each of the sessions on the field there would be a group of boys watching our every move. I thought they were a little jealous of me having so much interaction with the squad. A couple of the boys in particular were on the football team and I could sense the fire in their stares towards me. I wrote it off as simple jealousy and ignored it. It turned out that the sports teams considered the cheerleaders their personal property and as far as they were concerned no boys were allowed to get even close to them. Things were at a Mexican standoff with them and me until one day, I was walking home from a practice session. Tracy had someplace to be so I was walking home alone. When I got to within a couple of blocks from home I was jumped by three of the jocks and dragged back into the woods.

They pushed me down on the ground and started to lecture me about intruding on their girls. They told me that I had better stay away from the girls or suffer the consequences. I told them that the girls could go where they want and do what they want and these tough guys don't own them. That set them off and they proceeded to pound and kick me until I was unconscious lying on the ground. All the commotion drew a few onlookers who saw the whole thing. One of them was Susie Jenkins who came rushing over to my side to help me. The tough guys didn't dare confront her since she was a girl. Susie called 9-1-1 on her cell-phone and the police and ambulance showed up in short order. One of the officers who showed up was Sergeant Robert Jenkins, Susie's dad. He knew me well and started talking with me while the paramedics worked on me. I told him what happened without naming any names. He suspected who it had been and when the crowd gave him some names he went into action.

Sergeant Jenkins got on his radio and sent a unit to pick up the three tough guys and take them down to the station. When the paramedics were loading me up in the ambulance Susie told her dad she was going to go with me to the hospital. He said "No problem, I'll pick you up there later." Susie then climbed into the ambulance with me and we were off to the ER. On the trip there Susie got on her cell and called Tracy and filled her in on what was going on. When we arrived at the ER Tracy and Kim were already there with tears in their eyes. They rushed over to the stretcher and held my hands as the paramedics rolled me into the ER. The three girls were diverted to the waiting area as I was taken inside.

I had a cluster of nurses and a doctor working on me doing triage. I found out later that I had a broken forearm and two cracked ribs along with several nasty bruises. The word got around and in short order the waiting room was mobbed with a bunch of girls from the squad. The nurses were puzzled by the response of so many girls until an orderly, who knew me, explained that I was the assistant coach of the cheerleading squad.

I was wrapped up in bandages and a cast and after a few hours I was moved to a room in the hospital. Kim was with me all the way from the ER to my room. She held my hand on my good arm and refused to let go. She did momentarily step aside as I was moved into the bed but then took up a station by my side again holding my hand. I was bruised everywhere but she managed to find an unhurt spot and kissed me. The fact that it was on my lips was just pure coincidence. The doctor told me that I would be there for a couple of days for observation and after that I could go home. My screaming and crying mother was there with my dad. Mom noticed the closeness of Kim and I think she understood.

During my stay at the hospital I had a steady stream of visitors, mostly squad members, who were anxious to make sure I would be ok. Some of them showed up on a daily basis bringing schoolwork for me so I didn't get behind in my classes. I was going to be a senior next year and could not afford to get behind if I was to go to college. The teachers gave the girls special assignments for me to work on and with their help I kept up with the classes. Tracy unofficially took over my spot with the squad to keep them from slacking off. She had been elected captain of the squad so it all worked out fine.