Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Making Progress
Football season and school progressed as did my relationship with Jeryl. I maintained the straight A average I had always had in school, but this time with a fraction of the effort I had previously put into classes. My cousins and I butchered our cattle and sold the beef for a tidy profit before re-investing our earnings in more feed steers for the next year.
My car slowly took shape as I mounted the electrically driven wheels with their individual motors and started wiring the controls to the microprocessors that would eventually steer them. I had to get John and Ryan's help to mount the new, smaller engine and its attached generator to the chassis. I really wanted a turbine generator, but knew that would have to wait for the second iteration.
I had no more training visits with Jordan, though she was always cordial and had a warm smile for me. Jeryl and I dated most weekends, either doubling with one of her sisters or one of my cousins. John worked up the courage to ask Ann out and seemed to be dating her more than the one or two times she seemed to go out with prior beaus. Ryan had actually started dating Kris. We gave him grief about cradle robbing, but he actually took it with good grace. They made a cute couple.
I knew neither of my cousins had dated those girls the first time through, and wondered what it meant. I finally decided not to worry about it and just live my second life as fully as possible.
My troubles started around the beginning of October when Jeryl told me she could not go to the homecoming dance with me, even though I had asked her a week before.
"What changed?" I asked as we sat outside the movie we were supposed to be seeing. Ryan and Kris were inside. Jeryl had pulled me out as soon as the show started.
"Nothing, but I can't go. Kay is having a party and I promised her I would go before I realized what day it was."
"We can go to Kay's party after the dance," I said, but she shook her head.
"It's only girls. It's special. It's her birthday. We do it every year. I just lost track of the time. If I don't go, she'll hate me and we've been friends forever. She already feels that I spend too much time with you." Tears streaked her cheeks so I kissed them away.
"It's alright, kitten." I kissed her again. "You go to Kay's. It will be alright." Even as I said it, I felt I was lying to myself.
Unfortunately, I was right.
I decided to skip the dance. Without Jeryl, I just didn't feel like going. I chided myself that I should not be tied down like an old man as a freshman, but could not get in the mood to go stag. Instead I spent the evening working on the schematics for my car's steering system.
I spent the next day in the machine shed, wiring the generator to the drive motors. Finally, after cleaning up from a long day, I decided to give Jeryl a call and see if she at least had fun at Kay's. Jordan answered the phone on the third ring.
"Salaway's, this is Jordan."
"It's Paul," I said. "Is Jeryl home?"
Silence. Then, "Paul, don't call for a few days. Something happened. I'll try to call you later this week."
"What happened? Is Jeryl alright? Why can't I call?"
Jordan spoke softly, as if not wanting anyone at her house to overhear. "A couple of guys showed up at Kay's party. Jeryl is fine, but she is pretty shaken up. She kneed a guy in the balls to keep him from raping her. I don't think you should see her for a little while."
"Oh my god, Jordan. Is she really alright?"
"Yes, but she keeps crying and telling Mom and Dad nothing would have happened if she had gone with you instead. They think maybe she is too young to date now. It's weird over here."
"Okay, Jordan. I'll trust you. Tell Jeryl I'm thinking of her and to call me when she feels up to it."
I hung up the phone. For the first time since the explosion, I felt my entire sixty-five years old.
That night, I thought about how I had been acting. I was an old man, running around thinking of screwing a fourteen-year-old, while having screwed an eighteen-year-old. I made myself sick as I tossed in my bed.
Forget the fact that I had the body and hormones of a teenager as well. My mind was old. My soul was old. Sleep eluded me.
I finally got up and pulled on my running clothes around five AM. If I wasn't sleeping, I might as well get some exercise, I thought.
My feet led me on a familiar path. I turned away from the road leading to the Salaway's, running south instead of west. My mind struggled as my body plodded on. Three right hand turns later, I realized I had run around the Salaway's section and was now going to go right past Jeryl's house. I shrugged to myself and kept running. It was just after dawn as I approached their home.
I was surprised to see Mr. Salaway outside. He waved me up to the house. I slowed by the porch and then stopped. "Good morning, sir. Is Jeryl alright?" I blurted. I did not know if Jordan had told them I had called or not, but I wanted to know that the young woman I had come to care deeply about was well.
Jerry Salaway nodded. Then waved me to a seat on the steps. "Have a seat, Paul, please." I sat. I had not had many conversations with Mr. Salaway.
"Jordan told us you called yesterday. I don't know how much she told you."
"Just that someone tried to attack Jeryl. Is she going to be alright?"
"She'll be fine, in time. A couple of boys from her school showed up at Kay's while Kay's folks were in town. The boys had been drinking, evidently and thought a bunch of girls at a teenage birthday party would be impressed by them. Maybe they were. I don't know. Somehow, things got out of hand, and at least one boy tried to force his attentions on a girl. Jeryl was that girl. She fought him off, but was pretty shaken up by the whole thing."
He paused and looked at the sky.
"Sir," I said. "I hope you know that I would never try to force Jeryl to do anything."
He nodded his head. "I know you wouldn't, Paul, but her mother and I think it might be best if she stopped dating for a while. I know you care a lot for her, but it's those young feelings that can lead to trouble. Why don't we see how you are both feeling in the spring?"
He said it to sound hopeful, but I could taste ash in my mouth. I stood up as I chose my words carefully. "Mr. Salaway, sir, it is your right to set limits on your daughter. You know I make her happy and would protect her from anything and that she feels the same way about me. I hope you realize that by trying to protect her, you're actually punishing her unfairly, and myself as well, by keeping her away from someone who could comfort her and help her through this. I hope you don't come to regret your decision, sir. But I will abide by it." Without another word, I turned and started to jog away. I felt hot tears on my face as I turned back on the road.
Lisa seemed to know something was wrong as soon as she saw me at lunch on Monday. She and Jim had been slowly growing closer though Jim always acted like Coach Miller was just around the corner when he was with Lisa.
"What happened, Paul?" She asked as she and Jim sat down near me.
I shook my head. "Jeryl and I broke up, I guess."
"What happened?" Jim asked.
I told them at least part of the story. I left out anything about near ****. It did not feel like my story to tell. I ended with the decision of her parents that she could not date until the spring.
"That sucks, man," Jim said.
Lisa was silent, but patted my arm. The next day at lunch, several of Lisa's friends joined us. They were all sophomores and a couple of juniors. Cheerleaders mostly. They were cute, and happy, and full of stories as they tried to draw me out. I pretended to be interested, but really was not myself. Finally, after three days of this, one older girl seemed to take charge.
Her name was Wendy and she had dirty blond hair and a curvy figure on a short frame. She was a junior and on the cheerleading squad, but I knew she also played volleyball and liked to ride horses.
"Okay, you harpies, let the guy alone," she said at lunch on Thursday. "He has a game to get ready for tonight. If you distract him with all your chirping and questions, he's liable to get hurt."
The other girls, including Lisa fell silent. Wendy pulled my arm and I followed her from the cafeteria. As soon as we were out of sight around a corner, she stopped and turned to me.
"Smack!" she slapped me across the face. I was shocked.
"Do I have your attention now?" I nodded. "Good. Stop pouting like a spoiled brat. Do you think you're the first guy who got dumped? Some people in this school have had to deal with real problems. I've even had a few. You don't see me moping around do you?"
Her green eyes were cute when she was angry, I thought as I shook my head.
"Then I want you to stop moping as well." She reached up and grabbed my ears and pulled my head down to hers. With her lips right by my ear, she whispered. "You get your head in the game today and if you play well, I'll let you take me out tomorrow. Deal?" She did not give me a chance to answer before planting a quick kiss on my lips and letting go of my ears.
I watched her cute sashaying hips as she strolled down the hall. Just before turning the corner, she looked back at me with a grin and blew me a kiss. I stood there befuddled until the bell rang.
That night I had the best game of my season.
Wendy saw me in the hall before PE, my last class before lunch. "Good game, Paul. I'll meet you after the game tonight," she said with a smile.
I shook my head and headed for the locker room.
"Taylor," I heard coach bellow as I passed his office on the way into the gym.
"Yes, coach?"
"Put this in your locker and be ready to play tonight," he said as he threw a blue jersey at me. It was a varsity shirt.
"Coach?"
His scowl deepened. "Simons got hurt yesterday in practice." Simons was a senior linebacker. "Sprained ankle. He's out for tonight. You'll suit up so we have a backup incase something happens to Peterson." Jared Peterson was a second string linebacker on the varsity.
"Yes, coach!" I said as I jogged back to my locker. Looked like I would get a chance to suit up on the varsity team as a freshman.
Jim was excited when I told him at lunch. Wendy just grinned and slapped me on the back. I shook my head and spent the afternoon in a slight daze. By the time I dressed for the game, I had convinced myself I would sit on the bench, just filling out the roster.
I was wrong.
"Taylor, get in there!" Coach Johnson yelled half way through the first quarter. Coach J as we called him was the defensive coordinator for the varsity team. "And make something good happen."
We were already down by ten in the first quarter following a strong scoring drive and then a fumble by our offense. I ran onto the field and took up my usual spot at outside linebacker. Our opponents were a well balanced team, mixing runs and passes almost fifty-fifty. The defensive play was a passing blitz, but a shift in the backfield made me rethink that call. As the ball was snapped, I back peddled and kept my eyes on the QB. He faked a handoff, and then drifted back as the line released their blocks and then reformed a line. It was a screen.
I rushed the still reforming line and shouldered past them just as the fullback turned to take the screen pass. I dodged in front of him and grabbed the ball. He was too surprised to stop me as I dropped my head and hit a full sprint. I was forty yards from the goal and only the QB stood a chance of catching me. He was too far away, as I stretched out and high-stepped into the end-zone. The home fans went wild.
"Good job, Taylor!"
"Way to go Paul!"
Everyone on the sidelines was energized by my pick and the kicking team stormed the field for the extra point. Just like that, we were only three down.
Coach J grabbed my face mask. "Excellent work, Taylor. Be ready to do it again. You are back out there with the defense next series. Okay?"
"Yes, coach!"
We kicked-off and had them down the ball for a touchback. I trotted back out on the field. They must have thought I was a fluke, because they started running the ball right at me for the next three plays. I stopped them each time. Twice for a loss of yardage. They punted the ball back to us and I headed to the side for a break.
"Keep it up, Taylor." Was all the coach had to say.
We managed to put together a solid offensive drive and at the end of the quarter, it was fourteen-ten in our favor.
They got a little crisper executing their passing game in the second quarter, and managed to put together a string of first downs, advancing the ball to just past mid field. It was third and short when I got another feeling. I kept a close eye on the tight-end as the ball was snapped and he started a shallow slant. I moved closer to jostle him and watched the QB look away to a wide receiver on the other side of the field. Just as I was about to break off coverage, the QB came back to the tight-end. He fired the ball over the middle as I stepped in to swat it away.
The crowd cheered as the visiting kicking team came back on the field to punt the ball back to us. I was congratulated again as I grabbed some water on the sideline. "Good eyes and hands, Taylor." Coach J said.
We headed into the locker room still up by three. The coaches made some adjustments during the half. Peterson, the guy I had replaced at outside linebacker pulled me aside. "Listen up, frosh. These guys always adjust at half. They're going to realize you are green and keep testing you in the second half. You've got to show them that you are game, got it?"
"Got it," I said. I was surprised a hard-core jock like Peterson would give me advice when I was taking his position. Maybe I had misjudged the breed again.
We took the field at the second half and mentally braced for whatever changes they showed us. Their defense was tighter and we went three and out on the first series. I buckled my chin strap and got out on the field. On the first play, Coach J called for a blitz. As soon as the ball was snapped, I raced past the tight end and saw the fullback pulling away from me to block another blitzer on the far side. The QB was rolling my way but had not seen me yet. I centered on his numbers and wrapped him up after a crushing hit. He landed hard with me on top of him.
I climbed up and offered him a hand up, but he was lying there dazed. I waved the official over and then cleared out as the official waved to the far sideline. I was worried I had over done it until I saw the quarterback sit up and then finally stand. All the fans gave him an ovation as he left the field.
Coach J slapped me on the back. "That was a good hit, Taylor. You go out and do that again to the back up QB and this game will be all ours. Got it?"
"Got it, coach." I yelled as I headed back onto the field. I did not get a chance to blitz again until the forth quarter.
This time it was a run blitz as they tried to pull a sweep toward me. The fullback had me in his sights as the halfback tucked in behind him with the ball. I dipped and rose, trying to knock him back and to the side, but he was too big and had too much of a head of steam to be floored as I had opponents in the past. We slammed together and I tried to keep my feet moving as he turned me away from the back he was screening. I dropped my shoulder and hit him again, but then people were past us and I released my block to turn to follow the play. Moments later, the ball was blown dead as the safety made a clean tackle.
I hustled back to the huddle and then to the line. They lined up the same way again. It was almost like deja vu, as the play unfolded exactly the same. But this time, I was a step ahead. I was past the first blocker before he was set and saw the halfback take the handoff as the fullback turned toward me. I knocked him aside and focused on the halfback's numbers. I made the same numbing hit and wrapped him up to take him to the ground as I had with the quarterback. This time, the ball squirted loose, and I released my tackle to fall on the ball.
Bodies piled onto me as they tried to pull my hands from my arms and the ball from my hands. I held on well after the whistle blew and waited until I was sure it was a referee reaching for the ball. It was the first fumble I had recovered all season. The crowd sounded insane.
Our offense took the field and marched down to their goal line for another touchdown. The fight seemed to go out of the opposing team. The clock wound down and the final whistle blew with us winning twenty-one to ten.
I was honored with a game ball by the coaches in the locker room after the game, and pleasantly surprised at how proud I was of my play. Most of the defensive players congratulated me personally. It felt great to be part of something, even if intellectually I knew it was just a high-school football team.
I was surprised when Wendy met me outside the locker room doors with a flying hug and kiss. "You played wonderfully, Paul," she gushed. I blushed as I saw the other varsity cheerleaders clapping at her performance, or for mine. Either reason was worth a blush, I decided.
"Thanks. I guess your little pep talk inspired me," I quipped.
She kissed me again and then pulled me through the crowd. While I was unsure where we were going, she made a beeline for my mother. "Good evening. Madame Taylor. What time should I have this young man home to you by?" she asked. I blushed more as my mother laughed and replied in French. Wendy did not miss a beat but responded the same with an occasional glance at me. When she realized I was not following the conversation, she broke out laughing.
"I've been in your Mom's French class since eighth grade. I thought you knew that much."
"Sorry, I'm a little slow. I must have gotten hit harder than I thought." They both looked concerned until they realized it was my poor attempt at humor. I smiled and faced my mother. "Mom, is it alright if I go out with Wendy this evening?" I asked formally.
Mom smiled and nodded. "Yes, but Wendy, please try to have him home by midnight."
We all nodded and then headed to the parking lot. Wendy drove a small land yacht known as a Chevy Impala. It was a full-sized car with a full sized engine. It was not what I expected a bubbly blonde cheerleader to have. We piled in, and she pulled me close on the front bench seat. She was not shy about planting another smoldering kiss on me as the crowd continued to thin out from the game.
"Are you hungry? I am." She said before I could answer. She started the car and carefully backed out of the parking lot and headed to the drive in. I bought her a burger and fries along with one for myself and we ate in relative silence. She kept looking across the seat and grinning at me. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer.
"What has you grinning so much?" I asked. Her smile was infectious, and I could not help but grin back at her.
"I just keep thinking about you moping around this week until Thursday, and how easily I could motivate you to focus once again."
"Well, I guess you could call this taking you out, but I had planned on asking you to the game, not just having you pick me up afterward."
She laughed and collected our trash and put it on the tray outside her window. "Well, that would have been a normal date and I don't like normal anymore. That's why I decided to ask you out instead."
"Really? Why? Don't you think I'm normal?"
"Nope." She started the car and pulled out of the drive-in. Soon we were headed out of town. "I think you are far from normal," she said as the lights of town faded behind us. "Normal freshmen don't date cute girls from other schools and bring them to our games. Normal freshmen don't play on the varsity team and single-handedly turn the game around. Normal freshmen football players aren't in honors English, algebra and geometry."
"Thank goodness," I said in mock relief. "For a minute there, I thought you were only after my body. It's good to know my mind matters."
Wendy laughed at me and the slowed the car to turn into a narrow, hidden lane. She pulled in far enough not to be easily noticed from the blacktop road we had been travelling down. She turned off the car and then scooted closer to me.
"I like you, Paul," she said before kissing me. Her lips were full and soft and moist.
"I like you too, Wendy." I kissed her back. She swung her leg around and over my lap to sit facing me. Her hands wrapped around my neck and pulled me into her tightly. We explored each other's lips, and mouths and neck and ears for many minutes before she finally pulled back.
Her hands found the buttons of my shirt and began undoing them. "I want to feel your skin against mine," she whispered.
I took the hint and dropped my hands to the waist of her cheerleading sweater and slowly started lifting it up her lean body as she pulled my shirt free from my pants. I paused at her bra and ran my fingers lightly over the clasp before pinching it quickly and releasing it. She kissed me again.
"Normal freshmen don't know how to do that without fumbling a bit. What else is abnormal about you?" She asked as she ground her groin against mine. I pushed her back a little and then lifted her sweater and bra free. Her glorious c-cups were right in front of me and I could not resist leaning down to flick her nipples with my tongue. She moaned and then crushed them against my chest and resumed kissing me passionately.
I ran my finger tips up and down her sides and along the curve of her spine. I was delighted by a small squirm when I touched lightly just below her ribs. She was ticklish.
I teased her sides until she broke our kiss.
"You have no idea what that does to me," she said breathlessly. I grinned and tickled her again and she ground her self against my obvious hard on.
"I've got a pretty good idea, actually." I pulled her to me again and captured a nipple in my mouth. Slowly I licked, sucked, and kissed my way from one to the other and back again. She locked her lips to mine as I let my hands wonder lower and cup her ass through the tights under her uniform skirt.
"Oh, god," she moaned. "I cannot believe a freshman is doing this to me. You are making me so hot."
I squeezed her ass again and then ran my hands along her calves. She pushed back from me and opened the passenger door. "Get in back," she demanded as she herself climbed over the seat back. I hurried out of the car and opened the back door to see her lying on the backseat, pointing a white tennis shoed toe at me while covering her breasts with her hands. Her smile was inviting.
I caught her foot and lifted it to me as I pulled off her shoe. Her sock followed it to the floor and I gently sucked her big toe into my mouth.
"Oh, shit," she moaned. I repeated my sucking and then moved to kiss her ankle. Slowly, my kisses moved up her leg. As I passed her knee, I let my hands slide up to her hips and gently tug at the waistband of her skirt. She needed no more hints and quickly lifted her hips and slid the skirt, tights and her soaking panties down her legs.
I smiled at her trim blonde bush and resumed my slow kissing. By the time I reached her pussy, I could smell her desire. Instead of giving her what she was begging for, I worked my way slowly down her other leg, until I could slip off her other shoe and suck on her other big toe.
"I never knew my toes were tied into my pussy like that," she said as her hands grabbed my head and guided it back up her body. I was more than happy to spread her beneath me and lick her thoroughly. She screamed her orgasm into the night and held my head against her. As she relaxed a little, I slipped a finger inside her and resumed licking her gently. She was soon panting again and bucking against my face and hand.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god!" She screamed again and bucked against me before falling silent. I slid on up her body and kissed her neck. Her eyes fluttered and then she smiled at me. "Please tell me you have a condom."
My face must have fallen. I shook my head. "Sorry, I didn't really plan this," I said.
She laughed and kissed me. "I did. I'm on the pill, but I like to be sure. Let's get your pants off and live a little dangerously."
Soon I was naked on top of her. She shifted me around to get on top of me and then proceeded to inch her way down my body. As I felt her breath on my dick, I made a valiant attempt to be a gentleman. "You don't need to do..." was as far as I got before she engulfed me in her hot, wet mouth.
She was good. Very good. She seemed to know exactly what turned me on as she ran her tongue along the bottom of my shaft and sucked me deep into her. I could feel the back of her throat as she tried to take me deeper, then she would pull back while increasing the suction, as if I was straw with her favorite drink. Soon, I felt my balls begin to tighten.
"I'm coming, Wendy." It seemed to make her suck harder. At the first spurt, she pulled off and grabbed my dick with her hand. She pumped me softly and dipped her head down to lick the cum from her hand and the head of my penis. It was an incredibly erotic sight in the dim moonlight.
Once she had me relatively clean, she dropped her head to engulf me fully and return me to full hardness. As soon as she felt I was ready, she scooted up my body and slipped me between her nether lips. We slid together smoothly and she ground her clit against my pubic bone.
I pulled her down for a kiss and then held her up with my hands firmly holding her breasts. She slowly moved her hips in a small circle and moaned with pleasure. "You feel incredible inside me," she said.
Her movements picked up speed until she was soon bouncing on top of me. I grabbed her hips to keep her from falling off and started lifting my own hips to meet her thrusts. She collapsed on my chest in an orgasm just as I felt my balls begin to boil again. Her grasping cunt brought me to the brink and then I was shooting into her. She pushed down on me in response.
"Oh Paul, fill me up good!" I tried my best to comply, spurting into her. As we both relaxed in the afterglow, she collapsed back on my chest. "God, that felt good," she said as she snuggled into me.
We both must have dosed off, because a cool wet feeling on my balls woke me up. Wendy was still on top of me, almost purring.
"Hey beautiful, we had better get up," I whispered.
Her eyes opened and she smiled before kissing me. "You are beautiful, too," she said. "And you are definitely not normal. No one has made me feel that good ever."
"Thank you," I said. "You made me feel great too."
The next week was our last game. Autumn had flown by. I found I had more spring in my step after Wendy's attitude adjustment and reward. She made it very clear on the drive home that we were not boyfriend-girlfriend. She was careful to explain it was not the fact I was a freshman or that she did not like me, but that she did not want to be tied down right now. There was something going on in her life, but I was too emotionally dense to guess what it was.
She did like to surprise me in playful ways. She would sneak up on me in the hallway and pinch my ass, then skip away laughing. She picked me up from my last practice and gave me a ride home on Wednesday, along with a fabulous hand-job. I returned the favor before she dropped me off and got several passionate kisses as well.
All was silent on the Salaway front. No one had tried to call me. I was disappointed, but resigned to the fact that fate seemed determined to keep me from Jeryl.
I focused on school and my car as my sports season wound down. Chores on the farm were constant, but I did them almost on autopilot. School took very little time outside of the actual class room. I had covered all of the topics before. I did have to be careful to match my answers to the level of the books and classes. Even there, tricks I had learned in college and grad school served me well. Several times, I couched answers to be closer to the teacher's opinions than my own. It felt a little bit intellectually dishonest, but I rationalized that it was only high-school.
The car came along slowly, but steadily. I had mapped out a plan to be ready for a test drive in the spring and was progressing nicely. I was to the point of testing my drive-by-wire system and was very pleased when my test sequence was able to move all four gimbaled motors and wheels in groups and independently. The beast, as I had taken to calling the car, was still mostly a frame with motors and wheels attached to it, but I could begin to see the body shape I had in my mind.
I knew I wanted a sleek look. The original body had been boxy, but I would remake it with a lower profile and gentler curves instead of sharp angles. I was actually considering making it a convertible since they weren't in vogue with Detroit right now, but wasn't sure I wanted to mess with the hydraulics needed for a power top. If I got the power and steering systems right, it would drive like a dream. I was actually looking forward to getting it on the road.
Of course, I would need my license to drive it legally, but a spin up and down our road would be nice, too. In the meantime, I would have to focus on the paperwork for patenting some of my work. Patents were a pain, but I could not think of a better way to leverage my knowledge and get the working capital I would need to change our country's path. I had three applications nearly complete. The first was on the gimbal mounted wheel and motor combination. The second was on the regenerative braking process I had planned. The third was on the drive-by-wire scheme. Four more applications had been started as well. The microprocessor system for managing the engine and its electrical power generation system, the battery storage system I had planned for a future version of the car, a mechanical protection system I planned for the body of the vehicle, and a simple plan for steerable headlights as a safety feature. Once a computer was in the control loop, a lot of new safety features became viable.
We lost our last game, though I played well. We had ended the JV season 8-4, which was the best in the school history. Jim was asked to suit up as a back-up for the last Varsity games. Coach J talked to me about it as well, but then decided to let the two seniors bring the season home. I was fine with his decision. I had a feeling I would be playing on the Varsity squad next year even as a sophomore.
I was enjoying a little relaxation that Friday night, splitting my attention between the football game and Wendy cheering on the side when someone squeezed into the seat next to me from the row behind. I turned and was surprised to see Jordan. It had been almost two weeks since I spoke to her.
"Hi, Paul," she said while scanning the field and ignoring my shocked look. "Why haven't you called?"
I shook my head. "Um, because I was told not to by your father."
Her head snapped around? "When?"
"Two weeks ago. He stopped me while I was jogging on Sunday after homecoming." I did not know how else to refer to the incident.
"Shit. He never said anything around me. He and Mom have just forbidden Jeryl from going out for a while. She has been miserable."
I glanced at Wendy and suddenly felt like a total shit.
"Um, can we go somewhere else and talk in private?" I asked.
Jordan nodded and stood. I waited a moment and then followed her out. For some reason, I did not want anyone around me to think we were leaving together. I caught up with her behind the stands.
"Aside from being miserable, is Jeryl alright?" I asked first.
Jordan nodded. "The black eye has cleared up finally. It was a real shiner."
I was stunned. This was the first I had heard of her being hit. I said as much to Jordan. "What really happened?"
"It was Kay's slumber party for her birthday. Her folks were in town, and the girls were playing truth or dare, sort of like we did at the pond. Kay evidently thought it would be more fun with a couple of boys and invited Kenneth Dunsworth and another boy to stop by. They had been drinking a little. Jeryl was dared to kiss Kenny after she had already been dared to strip to her bra and panties. Kenny's friend decided he wanted a little action too. Evidently, Kay and another girl tried to stop things and Jeryl got hit. While she was dazed, the other boy tried to grope her. She kicked him square in the balls."
"All Jeryl could say when she got home was that she should have gone to the dance with you instead. She is convinced nothing would have happened if she had just stood up to Kay. Then when she didn't hear from you, she felt she was worthless, as if this one event had ruined her. Mom and Dad's insistence that she stop dating only added to it. She is fine physically, but a wreck emotionally. How could you abandon her like that?
Suddenly I was the bad guy. "I didn't. After we talked, I didn't sleep a wink. I finally went running around five. I met your Dad around sunrise. He told me Jeryl couldn't see me, or anyone 'until the spring'. I told him I would never hurt her, and he was making a bad choice, but I would respect his decision."
I was angry, but had no one to focus my anger on. "It would be different if I was not in this school. I could still see her in class if I was back in Standard. I had no idea she was hurt. I just figured your parents had laid down the law and that was that."
Jordan snorted. "Well, at least you aren't the total shit I thought you were. I guess it's my dad that deserves that title. So, what are you going to do about it, Paul?"
"What can I do? Your parents won't let me see her. I'm not going to sneak around behind their backs. I told your dad I would respect his wishes even if I did not agree with them. What can I do?"
Jordan shook her head. "Let me think about it." She looked me in the eye. "I assume you still want to date my little sister?"
I nodded. I did.
"Good. I'll give you a call this week after I figure some things out."
My conversation with Jordan left me in a daze for the rest of the game. Mom was working the concession stand, so I had to hang around even though I felt like just going home. How could I have mis-read so many people. I was supposed to have years more experience, even than the adults in this situation had, and instead I had been played and let my emotions run wild. I'd like to blame the hormones of my teenage body, but refused to believe such a simple answer.
As the forth quarter wound down, I realized I was doing something much worse than being led by my gonads. I was treating the people around me like objects. Jeryl was a replaceable person in my life, as evidenced by Wendy. My friends from last year were easily replaced by Jim and Lisa and new classmates. I was falling into the same traps that had made me miserable most of my first time through until I had gotten to the point of avoiding people or only pursuing those relationships that could benefit me. That too, was treating them like objects.
It was not the kind of person I wanted to be.
The final whistle blew and the crowd around me cheered. We had won, but I felt like I had lost. I headed down to the concession stand to meet Mom. She saw that I was troubled by something and frowned. About the same time, Wendy came bounding up to me.
"Hi, Paul! Madame Taylor," she said with a smile to my Mom. "Would you like to hang out at the drive-through for a little bit, Paul? I can give you a ride home later."
Mom started to say something, but I shook my head. "Not tonight, Wendy. I'm feeling a little under the weather."
Wendy pouted, but then gave me a quick hug. "I hope you feel better. I hate being sick. I'll see you Monday." And then she was gone in the crowd.
Mom took my arm and we headed toward her car. "You didn't feel bad earlier tonight. What happened?"
"Jordan stopped by. I finally heard the whole story." It was like a spring had been freed. I told Mom everything. Well, almost everything. She was sympathetic and nodded as I got to the part about me acting poorly.
"Paul, you have a good heart, but you do get so focused and like your neat answers and categorizations. People are messy. Relationships are messy. You have to embrace that chaos if you expect to have a real relationship. If you had been there when Jeryl got attacked, would you have fought for her?"
"Of course."
"Then why did you not fight for her when you talked to her dad?"
I shook my head. Mom was right. I had given in without a fight.
"What should I do?"
Mom patted my arm and smiled. "Only you can decide that, son. You have to decide what and who is worth fighting for."
It was a long weekend with as much thinking. If I was serious about fighting for the future and preventing the problems I had seen in my long life, I had to make some hard choices. If I was serious about having a quality life this time through, I had other, conflicting hard choices. I logged many miles in the cold autumn air as I thought and pondered.
If my priority was the world, I would lose the girl, and maybe not change the world as much as I hoped anyway. If my priority was the girl, I might still be able to change the world. However, as my Mom had said, relationships are messy. There were no guarantees.
I wished Jordan would call, and then chided myself. I needed to know what I wanted before hearing her advice or plan. Did I love Jeryl? Could I love Jeryl being a geriatric in a teenage body? What about Wendy? Something was happening in her life, but she did not want to share. Was I being fair to her, or just using her?
As Monday morning rolled around, I finally reached at least part of a decision. If I could change the future for the better, I owed it to whatever freak chance had sent me back in time to try. I knew the misery and desperation that had stolen the American dream in the future. I could not sit idly by and let that happen again, even if I could amass a fortune and have personal happiness.
So I had a clear goal in mind. Now, I needed to make sure I sought my happiness within that goal, and watched out for my friend's happiness as well. For the first time in my life, I had decided that having and caring for friends was a priority.
With these two thoughts firmly in mind, I was ready to face whatever came my way. Somehow, I knew it was going to be a good week.
"Feeling better, sport?" Wendy asked as I left the cafeteria.
"Much, thanks. How was your weekend?"
"Good. I did miss having an abnormal time Friday night, though," she said with a grin.
I chuckled. "I've heard about some abnormal practices you might be interested in. Perhaps we could go out and discuss them sometime."
She stepped in and gave me a quick hip-check. "Going out sounds too much like a date, youngster. Are you trying to make a cradle robber of me? Maybe we'll just catch up after the game Friday."
I shook my head. "It's not a home game. How am I going to get there and back here? Us youngsters can't get around as easily as you old ladies with giant cars."
Her face fell a little. "That might be a problem. If I didn't have to ride the bus with the other cheerleaders, it would be a snap. Let's see what I can come up with this week." She punched my arm lightly. "Catch you later."
I watched her turn down the hall and smiled. She made me laugh. Jeryl had made me smile and feel good about myself, but Wendy made me laugh. Which was better? Who was worth fighting for? One or the other? Both? Which would make me happier? Which would be happier with me?
I shook my head and headed for English. Too many philosophical or emotional questions gave me a head ache.
"Paul, telephone," my Mom called from the kitchen.
I went from the drafting board in my room to the kitchen and took the handset from her. I really missed having my own phone. She gave me a look and then pointedly picked up a book and headed into the living room. "Not, too long," she said.
"Hello?" I said as I wondered what she meant. I got so few phone calls I was surprised she was worried about the time I spent on the phone.
"Paul?" It was Jeryl.
"Hey, kitten," I said. "How are you?"
I heard a soft sob. "Oh, how I've wanted to hear you call me that again."
"It's alright, Jeryl. Everything will be okay," I said.
"Jordan talked to me and told me that you weren't giving up on us, yet. Is that true?"
In that moment, I knew it was. "Of course not. I still care for you deeply, but I have to respect your parent's wishes, ma'am. Otherwise, what would my mother say?"
She laughed, even if it was a little forced. "Thank you, Paul. I'm so sorry I didn't go to your homecoming instead of going to Kay's."
"I am too, Jeryl, but there will be other dances for me to take you too. Dances that we won't need to be driven to by one of our parents to."
"I'd like that. Look, I know I've been a baby for the past few weeks. I'm sorry for that too."
"You don't need to apologize. I'm sorry I let you think I didn't care. I should have called or come over to check on you. I'm sorry I didn't."
"It's okay. I guess we are both new at being in a relationship. I was so worried you wouldn't want to see me again. Then I was mad at you for not calling. I didn't know Dad had talked to you.
"Anyway, I wanted to call and hear your voice. Mom and dad are out tonight and Jordan said I should. Is it alright?"
"Of course. You can call me anytime you think you can. Just because we can't date, doesn't mean we can't still be friends. You call your friends, don't you?"
"Yes. But I want to be more than friends. I want to still be your girlfriend, but that's just selfish of me right now."
"No it isn't. I'd like to still be your boyfriend, but we're going to have to wait for that."
"I don't want to make you wait, Paul. That isn't fair." I heard her take a deep breath. "Paul, we can't date now, so I can't hold you to being my boyfriend. I want you to go have fun until Mom and Dad ease up. But not too much fun," she warned.
"Jeryl, that's generous of you, but I don't think I want another girlfriend right now."
"So don't get a girlfriend. But go have fun. I talked to Jordan about this. I want you to go out with some girls. I don't want my parents to spoil both of our freshman years. You've had a great fall in a new school. I want you to have a spectacular winter as well."
"I wish I could see you," I said softly. "I miss you."
"I miss you, too. Now promise me you'll go out. Really, I mean it."
"I promise, but I'll be thinking of you.
"Good, 'cause I'll be thinking of you, too. Now, talk to Jordan for a minute."
I heard and exchange of the phone and then Jordan was on the line. "Okay, little love bird two, I've got things on the mend, but you need to step up your game. If no one in the Salaway farm sees you, how can I bring you up in conversation with my parents? Figure out a way for them to notice you, please. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Great, I've got to go. They will be back any minute. Talk to you later."
The call ended with a click and I looked at the phone bemusedly before hanging it up. What could I do to be noticed at the Salaway farm? Another puzzle to solve.
The next call came Tuesday on the way into the locker room for PE. "Taylor!" It was Coach J.
"Yes, coach?" I asked as I stuck my head inside his office door.
"Be at practice tonight. Peterson has the flu. You're suiting up with the Varsity Friday. Okay?"
"Okay, coach!" I grabbed the away jersey he threw at me and smiled to myself. Maybe fate was on my side.
Wendy seemed to have already heard the news by the time I got to lunch. "Looks like you will be going to the game on Friday after all," she said with a grin.
"I will. Highly abnormal, if you ask me, but what can a guy do?" She laughed and sat down next to me. Jim and Lisa joined us shortly.
"Dude," Jim said. "If you play as well Friday as you did a couple weeks ago, you could stay dressed into the play-offs." We had already clinched a spot in the regional play-offs. The last two games would determine if we got home field advantage or not for the first round game.
"That would be cool," I said.
"Hey," Lisa interrupted. "Did either of you two jocks finish problem seven for Algebra?"
I rolled my eyes at Jim. "She's your cheerleader, you help her," I joked. Jim laughed as Lisa tossed a bread roll at me.
Wendy bumped my shoulder. "You are feeling a lot better than you did last week," she said with a smile.
We won a hard-fought victory in a cold light drizzle on Friday night. The field was soft and the rain just heavy enough to prevent much of a passing game being developed by either side. I was quickly put into the defensive rotation by Coach J as it became apparent it would be a slug-fest won or lost on the ground.
I played well, getting several tackles for losses on the other team's running back and one sack on their quarterback. I only had one big play when they sent me in with the special teams to try and block the tying field goal. I managed to get a finger-tip on the ball and push it wide. Of course, not getting a full block on the ball meant my hand was fairly bruised. I spent the last quarter icing it between plays and was happy to finally get on the bus and out of the cold rain.
"Hey, freshman," One of the upper classmen said as I climbed onboard. "You have to sit up front." He laughed like that was punishment. I knew a certain cheerleader that would be sitting up front too.
Soon, all the girls piled on the bus and Wendy hopped into the seat next to me. "Hi, cutie. You stink!"
I laughed as commotion spread through the bus. Some of the girls sat together, while others looked for an open seat next to their boyfriends or potential boyfriends.
"Sorry. No hot showers for the visitors. The team decided they would rather ride home and clean up there." We also knew this school had a reputation for playing tricks on the visitors if the home team lost. No one wanted a red dye bath in the showers.
"How's your hand?" she asked as she spotted the ice bag held in place along the outside edge of my left hand.
"Sore, but getting numb from the cold pack." I had a wicked thought and lowered my wrapped appendage toward her thigh. "It might be abnormally cold on a few hot spots," I whispered.
She stopped me from actually touching her bare leg, but shivered and gave my arm a squeeze. She leaned in closer. "Your wicked thoughts are making me horny. Behave yourself."
Once everyone was on the bus, things quieted down and Wendy managed to get past my smell and cuddle up on my right side. She was pleasantly warm and seemed content to have other folks on the bus see her there. I smiled and tried to ignore the throbbing of my hand. All too soon, we were back at the school and had to unload before hitting the showers. I got a fresh cold pack for my hand before heading back out to the night.
Wendy flashed her lights at me and I ran to her car. The drizzle had followed us home. I slipped into her front seat and kept sliding to meet her lips. "No more, stink, I hope," I said.
"Only the abnormal kind," she said with a grin. "Hungry?"
"For you," I said.
"Right answer." She put the car in gear and headed out of town in the direction opposite that of the drive-in.
She chose a different parking spot this time, an abandoned farm yard. Our lips met as soon as she put the car in park and I put my wounded hand on the seatback behind her to keep it out of the way. She pulled my good hand under her sweater and immediately let me know she had misplaced the bra and t-shirt she normally wore while cheering.
I thought of a witty comment, and then decided to keep it to myself and just enjoy the feeling of her warm, soft skin in my hand. Soon, she was moving to pull her sweater over her head and give me unfettered access to her wonderful breasts. I immediately lowered my head to kiss and lick her chest.
"Oh, god, I've missed that," she moaned.
I gave her hard nipples my undivided attention. As she squirmed on the seat, I dropped my hand to her knee and slowly started tracing small circles on her thigh. Each circle inched slightly higher.
I was surprised when I felt the soft wisp of hair against my finger tips. "Some one has on abnormally thin panties," I said.
"Not abnormal, non-existent. Now shut up and make me come, please."
I slid my fingers higher and stroked along her soaking slit. I slid one finger into her and then another. She ground against my hand and held my head and mouth against her breast. I flicked my thumb against her clit and was rewarded with a gasp. Slowly I began stroking in and out of her, letting my thumb brush her sensitive bundle of nerves every other stroke.
"Oh, god, baby. Make me come for you." I picked up my pace and sucked on her nipples harder, alternating my attention from one the the other. Finally, I felt her tighten up and slam her shoulders back against the seat as her legs and stomach clenched. She screamed at the roof of the car. "Fuuuck!"
As her orgasm washed over her, she sagged and then breathed deeply. I flicked her nipples one more time with my tongue and then raised up to kiss her neck, then cheek, then lips. She held my head tightly and kissed me for all she was worth.
As I sat back, she grabbed my hand and slowly pulled my fingers from her crotch and up to her face. Watching me intently, she licked my fingers clean. Then she leaned into me and kissed me again.
"You are so hot," I whispered as we parted.
"You don't know the half of it, stud. That was the best orgasm I've had since the last one you gave me. Now let me take care of you." She pushed me away enough to be able to get at my belt and zipper. Soon I was lifting my hips to let her slide my jeans and boxers down past my knees.
"I want you inside me, baby," she said as she straddled my hips and slid me deep inside her in one long stroke. "Oh, yeah." She settled down on my prick and began kissing me passionately as she rotated her hips and ground against me. "I want you to come in me, baby. Fill me up with your man juice." Her words turned me on and I started flexing my hips against her.
"Oh, yeah. Push into me." I did. Soon, we were thrusting together and I was getting close. She started to slow down, but I was ready. I grabbed her ass with my good hand and pushed her down. As my orgasm hit, I brought my sore hand to her ass and laid the cold pack against the crack of her ass. She shrieked in my ear and drove herself onto me trying to get away from the cold as her orgasm hit her and I began spurting deep inside her.
She collapsed against me as I pulled my left hand away. Delicious tremors ran through her body and clenched the last cum from my prick and balls. I realized she was laughing. I kissed the top of her head.
"Paul, you never cease to amaze me. That was definitely abnormal and incredibly hot, even if it was very cold." She kissed me. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, you better hope my mouth is nowhere near your dick. I swear I'll bite it off."
I kissed her deeply and tried not to laugh.
The next week I mailed in my first two patent applications, aced a test in honors English and started in the final Varsity football game of the year. The weather had cleared and we played under lights with a cool north wind blowing down the field. It was also the final home game of the year. Coach J had me in on the kicking team for the first kick-off and I was pumped up.
Our kicker, Steve Tanner hit the ball well and it was fielded at the opponents five-yard line. I was in my lane, gunning for the return man and ready for some contact. A blocker tried to take me outside and open a lane, but I juked and pushed past him and saw only the ball carrier between me and the goal line. I dropped low and centered on the numbers of his jersey. It was a beautiful hit that knocked him from his feet. I wrapped him up and kept driving until we both hit the ground.
The crowd was on it's feet from the big hit, and then I saw the referee signaling a safety. Evidently, he had drifted back over the goal line to take the catch and I dropped him in the end zone. Just like that, I had scored on the varsity. I grabbed the ball and held it above my head as I ran to the sidelines.
Jim slapped my helmet and congratulated me, as did many of the other players. Coach J was screaming. "Taylor, you magnificent freshman, you just made the varsity for the rest of this year at least. That was beautiful!"
I was on cloud nine, but tried to get my head back in the game as our offense took the field following their kick back to us. Three downs and a punt later, I was heading back to the field. The defensive captain looked at me in the huddle. "Good job, rookie, but stay in your position this series and keep your head on. They are going to want payback, so be ready for runs or passes to your side. Got it?"
"Got it," I said.
I lined up a couple yards off the line as they showed a passing play with the QB set to take a shotgun snap. As soon as the ball was snapped, the tight-end launched himself toward me. I met him a yard ahead of where he expected and knocked him back a step. It was just enough to throw off the timing of his turn for what could have been a nice button-hook pass. Instead, the ball drilled him in the shoulder and fell incomplete. I hustled back to the line and looked for what was coming next.
It looked like another pass play, but the QB called an audible and the fullback and halfback shifted their formation as the receiver on the far side of the line went into motion. Just after the receiver cleared the center, the ball was snapped. It was a quick hand-off to the halfback and I now had a line pulling my direction along with the receiver and the fullback moving as blockers directly toward me.
I knew my job was to not let them get outside, especially with blockers still in place. I pumped my legs to drive up field and cut off their line of attack, depending on my team mates to fill the gap I just created. The receiver cut downfield, but the fullback had me in his sights. I could not see the ball carrier behind him, but knew I could not let myself get tied up. I saw the fullback start to shove me out of the way and twisted to minimize his angle on me. I shoved his elbow, and spun away to plant myself right in front of the startled halfback. I wrapped him up and pulled him down as my spin continued. When I finally regained my feet, the ball was spotted five yards behind the original line of scrimmage. I had another tackle for a loss for the year.
Third and fifteen. They showed run, but we knew they were not getting a first down against us on the ground. Sure enough, they made a last minute adjustment and snapped the ball. The QB faked my direction and then tried to hit his receiver racing down the nearside line. Scott Johnson, our senior cornerback was there and batted the ball away cleanly. The entire defense was pumped up as we rotated off the field.
Our first series set the tone for the half. The opponents could not advance the ball against us. At the end of the half, we were up sixteen to zero. I had added a couple of more sacks and was ready for more. I was having a blast.
"Taylor," Coach J called me out in the locker room. "Second half they are going to have to go to the air. If they are showing pass or look to be running to the weak side, I want you blitzing? Got it?"
"Got it, coach!" He had just handed me a hunting license and no limit. If he only knew it was situations like these that had made me dream of being an outside linebacker. In the first three defensive plays of the second half, I forced two rushed passes and had the honor of adding a twelve-yard sack to my stats.
We finished the game without giving up a score. It was pandemonium when the final whistle blew. The varsity had finished the season ten and two, our best season in the past decade. Additionally, our play had secured home field advantage for the first regional game.
The coaches congratulated us all, and then handed out game balls. I was surprised and honored to get the final ball for outstanding defensive play, and being the first freshman to ever score defensively for the Varsity squad.
I could not help but think that I should at least get a mention in the Salaway house for tonight's game.
I got a big surprise when I exited the locker room doors. Wendy ran up and gave me a big hug, but the surprise was Jordan and Jyl and Jeryl joining her.
"You were fabulous, Paul," Wendy said before squeezing my arm and stepping past me toward some other cheerleaders.
The Salaway girls surrounded me as we moved out of the doorway. "Paul, you were great," Jordan said as she gave me a hug. Jyl, not to be outdone, hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
Jeryl, the girl I actually wanted most, just stood close by and smiled. "You were fierce, tonight, Paul," She said with a glow in her eye.
I looked past her and saw her mother watching. Not taking my eyes off Mrs. Salaway, I bent down and gave Jeryl a huge, brotherly hug. She stiffened at first, but then melted against me and hugged me back.
"Your arms feel so good around me," she whispered.
I stepped back and smiled. "Yes, ma'am, they do. Thanks for coming tonight."
"I wouldn't have missed it," she said as her mother joined us.
"Paul, I never thought of you as a football player, but you proved me wrong tonight," she said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Salaway. I'm also still getting straight A's in both math courses this year, so I hope you don't think too poorly of me for playing football as well." I couldn't keep the smile off my face and was pleased to see her lips curl a little as well.
"Perhaps I should keep that in mind when I think of you in the future," she said. "Well, girls, I think it is time to go. I'm sure Paul wants to go celebrate with his teammates. He had a big game tonight."
"Thanks for coming," I said as they stepped away.
I watched them go for a minute and then sensed Wendy back at my side.
"Are you getting back with one of them," Wendy asked.
I shook my head. "Nope, at least not right now. Maybe in the future." She seemed to relax and tucked her arm through mine.
"Then I guess you are still abnormal in my book."
"As abnormal as you want me to be," I said before surprising her with a quick kiss.
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