Chapter
60
Later on that
night, Scott and Chelsea arrived home.
Scott retreated to his office to prepare for a consultation with Simon
Farrell in the morning. Chelsea went to
her bedroom to prepare for bed. Since
she was still a jumble of nerves after what she had concluded, she decided to
take a nice, warm shower to help relax her.
When she got
out, she dried her still-silky blonde hair, that was now cut in a very stylish
shoulder length bob. She then slathered
her body with a vanilla-almond scented moisturizer before putting on her light
blue jersey pajama pants and matching tank.
She took out
her facial lotion and applied a light film to her face which showed nary a sign
of her 42 years. Despite giving birth
to two children, she still had the body of a 22 year old which she credits to
not only healthy eating and exercise, but to chasing around toddlers all day
long at the day care.
She turned off
the light in the master bath then headed to the bed to turn down the
covers. She slipped inside and rested
her head on the pillow and awaited sleep to overcome her, but the relaxing
shower did nothing. All she could think
about was whether or not it was true that her husband had gotten Grace pregnant
back when they were teenagers.
Chelsea wasn’t
sure why it bothered her so much. She
had long since moved to the States and had willingly cut off contact with Scott
after she found out she was pregnant with Stephanie. How was she to know that they’d find each other six years later,
although she was overjoyed that they did?
She figured
what bothered her most was the fact that he never told her. If Grace happened to just be some girl from
school, she wouldn’t have cared what happened in his past when she wasn’t a
part of it. But Grace had been close with
Scott since the cradle and was now their sister-in-law.
Chelsea then
began to think back on all the times they had gotten together over the years
and tried to remember any looks or touches that Scott and Grace shared to let
on that what they felt may be something more.
Never would she believe that Scott would cheat on her – especially with
his brother’s wife. However, Chelsea
couldn’t help but wonder if there was a secret longing for each other that they
never got over since that incident – even though it was admittedly a mistake.
Chelsea went
on like this for an hour until she heard Scott come in the bedroom. Thinking she was asleep, he moved about
quietly in the bathroom to get washed and changed before he came out and slid
into bed beside her. Chelsea moved
which signaled to Scott that she was still awake. He then snuggled up behind her and put his arm around her.
“Mmm, you
smell good luv,” he murmured in her neck.
“I love that vanilla-almond lotion you put on your body. You smell good enough to eat. In fact……”
Chelsea heard
Scott chuckle before she felt his mouth on her neck before moving down to her
bare shoulder.
“Mmm, yeah,”
he whispered, kissing her soft skin. “God,
you’re delicious.”
Chelsea’s mind
was conflicting with her body. Here
she’d been thinking about her husband having feelings for their sister-in-law
and beginning to secretly resent him a bit for it, yet as soon as Scott touched
her, she was lost. She always was. Ever since they were 15, he had made her
melt. The years never diminished their
desire for each other.
Chelsea turned
her head towards him and he wasted no time in capturing her mouth with
his. Chelsea’s mind told her that she
shouldn’t be wanting this, especially after what she discovered. She should be mad at him. She should be angry. She should be hurt. But as soon as she felt his lips on hers as
his hand slowly slid up her tank to cup her breast, she was on fire.
“Oh Scott,
yeah,” she whispered
as she arched her body up to take more of his touch.
Scott expertly
touched her everywhere he knew would make her powerless. She hated feeling powerless right now,
especially with her mind still churning even as her body hummed.
“What is he
thinking?” she thought to herself as his hands and mouth ran all over
her. “Is he thinking of me, or is he
thinking of Grace from all those years ago?
Does he really still find me desirable, or does he close his eyes and
think of her while he touches and kisses me?
Do I still live up to his standards?
Did I ever?”
As Chelsea
asked herself these questions, she felt Scott’s fingers hook the waistband of
her pajama bottoms and begin to slowly slide them off her. Once she was rid of them, his hand ran back
up the inside length of her leg until he felt the intense heat emanating from
her center.
Chelsea’s mind
stirred again. “Did he touch Grace
like this? Was it like this between
them? How much of a relationship did
they have? Am I just a substitute all
these years for what he really wants?”
As she felt
Scott’s fingers begin to part her, her mind snapped and she clamped her legs
together.
“Chels…..?”
“Scott,
I’m……I’m sorry, but……I…I can’t,” she stammered as she reached down to pull her
pajama bottoms up.”
Scott sat up
and stared down at her. “What? What do you mean you can’t? What’s the matter?”
“I…..I guess
I’m just not in the mood,” she lied.
“I’m really tired, that’s all.”
“You seemed in
the mood as soon as I stared kissing and touching you,” Scott
retorted. “Did I do something wrong?”
Chelsea looked
at him sitting above her and let her eyes rake over him. His bare chest heaved from his anticipation
and she allowed her eyes to follow the line of soft, dark blonde hair that
trailed down his taut midsection, thanks to years of jogging and crunches, to where
it disappeared below the waist of his pajama bottoms. Her eyes landed on the hardness straining against it, evidence of
the obvious desire for her. Or was
it……..for Grace?
“No, you
didn’t do anything wrong,” she replied.
“Scott, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t
have let you go on like that if I was just gonna stop.”
“You’re right
– you shouldn’t have,” Scott shot back.
“Damn, Chelsea, whats the matter with you? You never turn me away.
Hell, most of the time you’re the one that’s all over me!”
Chelsea got
out of bed and stared him down. “Oh,
now you think there’s something wrong with me because I don’t want sex
tonight? Just because I initiate sex a
lot doesn’t mean you can automatically assume that I always want it. And tonight, I don’t. I’m sorry for not living up to your
standards.”
Scott was
dumbfounded. “What? What do you mean not living up to my
standards? What the hell is that
supposed to mean? All I wanted to do
was make love to my wife.”
Chelsea looked
at him with tears in her eyes. “Am I
what you want, Scott?”
Scott was now
thrown for a loop. “Bloody hell
Chelsea, what brought this on? What is
going on with you that you’re questioning how I feel about you? Tell me.”
“Its…….its
nothing,” Chelsea lied. “I don’t
know, I’ve just been having these
feelings lately that…..I…..I just need to work it out on my own, that’s all.”
Scott walked
over to her. “Chelsea, whatever’s
bothering you, you know you can share it with me. You can tell me anything.”
“But you
can’t share everything with me,” Chelsea thought to herself. She wanted so bad to confront him, but now
wondered if it would anger him. She
needed time to cool off and think about what she wanted to do.
She went to
the bed and grabbed a pillow. “Scott,
I’m sorry. I need to be alone right
now. I’m gonna sleep in the spare
room.”
Scott grabbed
her arm. “Chelsea, no. Please, don’t leave. I’ll leave you alone tonight, I
promise. I don’t want to sleep
alone. You can trust me.”
“But I don’t
trust myself,” Chelsea said back. “Scott,
I want so badly to make love to you tonight, but my mind isn’t into it. It wouldn’t be fair. I’m sorry, but I just need to straighten
this out on my own.”
With that, she
left the bedroom and the last sound that Scott heard as his wired body and frazzled
mind got back into bed was the sound of the guest room door closing.
Chapter
61
Scott awoke
the following morning around six. He
needed to take the tram into London to meet with Simon Farrell. Considering the sobering news he had to deliver
to him, he wasn’t looking forward to it.
Last night’s
episode with Chelsea didn’t making facing his difficult task today any
better. The only times he and Chelsea
ever slept apart was when she was in the hospital after Trevor was born or the
nights that one of them would take turns sleeping in Stephanie’s room during
thunderstorms. Other than that, his
wife was always in his bed.
He hadn’t a
clue as to what may have caused her irrational behavior. Since they were 15 years old, Chelsea had
never displayed any signs of moodiness or a temper. He hoped that it was just one of those things that women
sometimes go through and that she’d be over it quick.
He got out of
bed and heard sounds coming from Chelsea’s dressing closet. Since Chelsea had to be at the daycare well
before any of the parents arrived to drop their children off before work, he
knew that she’d be getting dressed and ready to leave by now. Before he headed into the shower he peeked
inside her closet and saw Chelsea standing there in a pair of black pants and a
white satin and lace bra as she searched for a blouse. The last thing Scott needed to see was his
wife half dressed – especially after last night.
“Good
morning,” he mumbled to her.
Chelsea turned
around and took in her husband’s sleepy, tousled form. “Morning,” she quietly replied.
“Are you
okay?”
Chelsea
shrugged as she put her blouse on and began to button it. “I’m not sure. I tried to think last night, but I couldn’t.”
“Chels, can’t
you tell me what’s wrong?”
“I….no, I
can’t. Its……it’s a woman thing, you
know.”
“Well, if you
can’t tell me, then maybe you can talk to Grace about it.”
If Scott only
knew the irony of what he just said.
However, something about it made Chelsea think.
“I think
that’s what I have to do,” Chelsea said.
****************
After Scott
was showered and dressed, he went downstairs to find Trevor getting his coat
out of the closet.
“Morning,
lad,” Scott said as he rushed to locate his keys.
“Morning,”
Trevor replied. “Aye, did you say that
you were meeting with Simon Farrell today?”
“Yes, I’m
leaving to catch the tram now.”
“How’s his
rehab doing? I noticed that Manchester
is still using their second string goalie.”
Scott grabbed
his overcoat and put it on over his suit jacket. “Well, that second stringer better get comfortable. It doesn’t look like Simon will be
returning.”
Trevor was
shocked. “What? You’re kidding! He’s gonna miss the entire season?”
“Worse,” Scott
said soberly. “His soccer career may be
over.”
Trevor stood
in disbelief. “Dad, what are you
saying? He just hurt his knee.”
“The injury
was severe Trevor,” Scott replied. “He
has a massive amount of scar tissue that’s building up around his kneecap which
is what’s causing him a lot of pain. He
needs to have surgery to remove the tissue, but his kneecap and joint have
become so accustomed to the excess tissue that once its removed, his knee will
be unsupported. He may need to walk
with a cane, and may even have a
permanent limp, until his knee strengthens to some degree. But it will never strengthen to the point
where he’ll be able to physically compete.”
Trevor was
devestated. His soccer hero was over
and done with, career wise, at the age of 25.
“Oh my God! I don’t believe it. What’s he gonna do without soccer?”
“Well, I
certainly hope that he took the advice that he gave you and finished his
education. He may need to fall back on
it. The pros are a lot more physical than high school. Your separated shoulder was nothing compared
to some of the injuries these fellas get.
I know you’re looking forward to a pro career, but be prepared for it in
all facets. Well, I can’t be late. Gotta run.
Bye lad.”
“Bye,” Trevor
said as he grabbed his backpack and Pathfinder keys. Simon Farrell’s career ending injury would plague his mind the
rest of the day.
Chapter
62
Chelsea walked
around in a daze most of the morning.
Since there was a nasty virus going around, several parents kept their
children home from daycare. Since she
had enough adults with her today to properly care for the number of children on
hand, she decided to leave early. She
had to do this and do it now else it would plague her forever.
Before she
left, she made a telephone call.
“Hello?”
“Grace, hi its
Chelsea. Are you gonna be home for a
bit?”
“I’m here all
day,” Grace replied. “I’ve got a ton of
e-mails to go through from the record label’s site, not to mention coordinating
some recording schedules with the London studio for Ty. What’s up?”
“Um…listen,
I’m leaving the daycare early. I have
enough staff here for the children who showed up. I…I was wondering if I could come by.”
“Sure. You….you okay?”
“I…….no, not
really. I need to talk to you. Please, if its alright.”
“I’ll put on
some tea,” Grace said.
“Thanks, bye.”
********************
Fifteen
minutes later Chelsea was walking in Grace’s front door. “Thanks for letting me come over Grace. I hope not to keep you long since you’re
busy.”
“No problem,”
Grace replied, noticing the sullen look on Chelsea’s face. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look tired.”
“I……I didn’t
sleep well last night,” Chelsea said.
“I….I have a lot on my mind and, well, I think you’re the better person
to talk about it than Scott.”
Grace sat down
at the table and looked Chelsea square in the eye. “Chelsea, you can tell me anything, you know that.”
“I’ll hold you
to that,” Chelsea replied. “Well, first
off, I need to apologize to you for something.”
“For what?”
“A few weeks
ago, when you were here when Stephanie came home, I…..I overheard what you said
to her after I went upstairs. When I
came back down, I stood at the bottom of the stairs because I didn’t want to
interrupt your moment with her. I…..I
listened to what you told her. You
know…..about your miscarriage.”
Grace took a
deep breath and held it. She had no
idea that Chelsea didn’t know after all these years. She thought at some point that maybe Scott had told her.
“Grace, I……I
wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. For
eavesdropping and for what happened to you so long ago. It….it must’ve been frightening. Trust me, I know.”
Grace let out
the breath slowly. “Chelsea, you don’t
have to apologize for that, but thank you.
Yes, it was frightening, however I didn’t know I was pregnant until I
miscarried. When I began to bleed, I
thought I was getting my period and was relieved. But when I doubled over in pain I knew something was wrong. My dad and Ty’s dad were in London recording
Ty’s demo at the time, so mum rushed me to the emergency room. That’s where we all found out. They were shocked when they found out, but
in the end they were just glad that I was okay.”
Chelsea just
smiled and nodded. A bit of silence
passed which unnerved Grace. “Chels, is
there something else you want to talk to me about? You started out by saying ‘first off’.”
Chelsea
fidgeted with her teacup a bit.
“Y….yes, there is. There’s
something I need……no….something I have to ask you.”
Nothing
could’ve prepared Grace for what Chelsea was probably going to ask her. She only hoped that, if it what she thought
it was, that it wouldn’t tear them apart.
“Go ahead
Chelsea. Ask me.”
Chelsea stared
down at the table then took a deep breath to gather her nerve before looking
up.
“Was it
Scott?”
Chapter
63
Grace stared
at her sister-in-law, not quite sure the affect her answer would have on her.
“Yes,
Chelsea,” Grace replied, unable to lie.
“It was.”
Chelsea sat
there staring at Grace with a mixture of various emotions playing through her
mind. Relief, for verifying what she discovered.
Hurt, that Scott hadn’t thought to share this with her. And jealousy, wondering if what Grace and
Scott shared was more than what she and Scott did before she moved to the
States.
Grace felt as
if it were hours while she was waiting for Chelsea to respond to her admission.
“Chelsea, I……I
thought you knew after all these years.
I thought that maybe somewhere along the line, Scott had told you.”
Chelsea shook
her head and stood up, slowly pacing the kitchen. “No, he didn’t. After I
overheard about your miscarriage, I mentioned it to Scott. I figured since we were in the same grade
together, and also because your families are close, that he would’ve known
about it. He was very skittish and
unwilling to talk about it, stating that it was a private matter. Now I know why.”
“Chelsea,
please…..you’ve got to understand……..”
“No, its
okay,” Chelsea said through her oncoming tears. “I mean, it happened what….25 years ago? I had moved to the States. I broke off communication with Scott. He was a young, good looking lad. I had no right to think that he’d pine after
me. He had every right to take up with
someone else….even if it was you. He
didn’t owe me details about his past. I
wasn’t part of his life at that time.
You were……”
“You’re wrong
Chelsea,” Grace said, through tears of her own. “You have no idea how wrong you are. Your moving to the States devestated Scott. Not a day went by till we graduated high
school that he didn’t talk about your or even think about you. I know…I was there. I saw the hurt in his eyes whenever I asked
him if he heard from you. He had no
idea where you were and didn’t know why you broke off communication with him. It wasn’t until you showed back up with
Stephanie in tow that he did. But,
during our last years in high school he was still hung up on you Chelsea. He rarely, if ever, dated anyone.”
Chelsea looked
at Grace. “Except you?”
“Chelsea, let
me explain. Around the time you left
for the States, I had found out that Tyler had cheated on me. It was the summer before he left for
university and, not being able to trust him, I decided it was best that we
break up. So, there I was…..broken up
with the lad I loved and there was Scott…..brokenhearted over the girl he loved
moving to the other side of the Atlantic.
We became each others shoulder to lean on, hoping that we could get over
our hurt together. We then foolishly
thought that hurt was enough for us to build a relationship on. But we found out that you can’t force
something that isn’t meant to be. One
afternoon…..one dreadful, fateful afternoon, Scott and I found ourselves alone
at his parents house and we….we gave into our lonliness. We realized it was a grave mistake as soon
as it happened.”
Chelsea walked
back over to the table and sat across from Grace. “I…I see. So, you became
pregnant from that encounter?”
“I didn’t know
it at first,” Grace said. “Scott and I
were worried sick. I didn’t want to buy
one of those home tests because I was afraid I’d get caught. So, we waited. One morning I began to bleed
and thought it was my period. But the
pain became unbearable and my mum took me to the hospital. That’s when we found out that I had
miscarried. Fortunately, I was fine and both my parents and Scott’s were very
sensitve towards what happened, but Scott was a wreck. He thought he hurt me
and ruined me. But what happened to me
didn’t compare to what he had to endure because of it.”
Chelsea looked
at her puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Well, we all
decided not to tell Tyler. I mean, we
were broken up at the time it happened, but we wound up getting back together
after his band took off. To make a long
story short, Tyler wound up finding out.
It was bad Chelsea. Really,
really bad. He told me that he wanted
nothing to do with me and told Scott that he never wanted to see his face
again.”
Chelsea began
to cry over what her husband had to endure at so young an age. “Oh my God, no?”
Grace nodded
in response. “It was shortly after that
that Scott took off to university. He
tried hard to forget about the pain of losing you and losing his brother by
throwing himself into his studies. He
was intent on being the best sports physician he could be.”
Chelsea smiled
proudly. Indeed, Scott was a fine
sports physician who was sought after by many pro soccer players.
“How was it
that Scott and Tyler made up?” Chelsea asked.
Grace lowered
her head, remembering the most tragic event in her husband’s life.
“It was after
the car accident that killed Mark and Randy from the band. Ty’s dad and Scott went to stay with him at
the hospital in Canterbury. It was
there that Ty realized how foolish he was and how much he did need his
brother.”
Remembrance
overcame Chelsea. “Yes, I….I remember
that day! My mum, Stephanie and I came
over to have lunch with Scott’s parents when his dad took the phone call from
Ty. I had just run into Scott the day
before with Stephanie. I still remember
the look on his face when he realized it was me. It….it looked like his prayers had been answered.”
“That’s
because they were,” Grace said. “Chelsea, you’ve got to know something. Scott and I have been together since we were
babies. We’re the same age. So, when I was eleven, Scott was still a
scrawny lad to me. But, Ty had turned
13 and, well, he was changing. I
started noticing him in a different way.
Ever since then, I had loved him, even though there were times I hated
him. But Scott…..once he met you, that
was it. Whereas Ty was a bit of a
heartbreaker, Scott wanted to devote himself to one person. That was you. He never stopped loving or missing you – even after you moved
away. Scott and I love each other, but
as lifelong friends and now, family.
But the love he had for you could never be matched by anything
else. Even after you moved away, many
lasses in school were still jealous of you because Scott didn’t want to date
anyone. He was still hung up on
you. You have an absolutely incredible
man in your husband, Chelsea.
Please….please don’t what happened so long ago come between you, or…….come
between us.”
Chelsea was
beside herself with tears. Tears, for
the foolish petty thoughts she had the night before. Tears, for how childishly insecure she felt. Tears, for knowing that Scott’s love for her
had never swayed since they were 15 years old.
She had no reason to feel jealousy for what happened between him and
Grace so long ago, because it happened out of grief – because he missed
her. Chelsea promised herself that she
would take this secret of Grace’s and do with it what Grace had been trying to
– bury it in the back of her mind.
Chelsea got up
and walked over to Grace, who also stood.
Chelsea put her arms around her sister-in-law and hugged her tight as
she sobbed.
“I’m sorry,
Grace….I’m so, so sorry. I can’t
believe the thoughts I was having about the two of you. How foolish and petty can I be, especially
since I didn’t know the whole story?”
Grace hugged
her back. “Its okay Chelsea. I don’t know how I would’ve reacted if I
found out something from Ty’s past, so what you thought was
understandable. Remember, we’re
women. Our emotions are strong,
especially when it comes to our men, even though they’re completely clueless to
our emotions!”
Chelsea
laughed and pulled away, grabbing a napkin to wipe her eyes. “Yes, that’s true. He probably thought I was an absolute loon last night. I….well, I had a hard time being intimate
with him because of what was on my mind.”
Grace smirked
at her. “Well, then I suggest that
tonight you make up for it! You take
that man of yours, throw him down and ravish him good! In fact, I think I’ll take that advice
myself when Ty comes home!”
The two
sisters-in-law just stood there having a laugh after the emotion that poured
out before Chelsea decided to leave.
Boy, did she
have plans for Scott tonight!
Chapter
64
After school,
Tara, Emily and Brenda sat in the bleachers as they watched soccer
practice. Tara and Emily scanned all
the fine, sweaty lads on the field and pointed them out one by one.
“How about
him?” Tara asked Brenda.
Brenda
squinted to the lad Tara was pointing.
“I….I guess so, I don’t know.
Oh, what am I saying? Even if I
do fancy someone, how do I know they’ll like me? I don’t think new clothes, hair barrettes and make up is gonna
change who I really am.”
“Who you
really are is a great person, Brenda,” Tara said. “You were just so shy and withdrawn that no one ever got a chance
to know it. Don’t forget, you’re
friends with us now so we can have Mark and Trevor put in a good word for you
with the other lads.”
“And the
sooner the better,” Emily said. “The
Senior Winter Formal is coming up in December so we’ve got to get you steady
with someone fast.”
Brenda rolled
her eyes. “I don’t know if I’m gonna
go. I…I’ve never been to a dance
before. I never got asked and I never
had to nerve to ask anyone, not that anyone would go with me.”
“The first
thing that has to go is that attitude of yours,” Tara said. “Remember, you’re no longer quiet, shy and
withdrawn Brenda Sullivan. Have some
confidence. And…I don’t think you have
to worry about someone turning you down.
Your body looks mega in those clothes.
I’ve seen the lads staring at you in class.”
Brenda
blushed. “Stop! No they haven’t, have they?”
“Mmm, hmm,”
Tara said. “With all these new jumpers
you’re wearing, the lads had no idea you were hiding those boobs under there.”
Brenda crossed
her arms over her generous chest.
“Okay, now you’re making me paranoid.”
“She’s just
teasing,” Emily said. “Now..back to
finding you someone. How about…….”
“Oh God,”
Brenda drawled out, cutting Emily off.
Emily looked
in the direction that Brenda was and saw what caused her mouth to drop and her
eyes to moon.
“Ah yes,”
Emily said with a smirk. “Kyle
Foster. He’s quite a looker and I do
believe he doesn’t have a girlfriend.
He’s finally starting this year after injuring his ankle and missing the
rest of last season. So……you fancy
him?”
All Brenda
could do was sigh.
****************************
On the field,
Trevor had a hard time concentrating on his drills. Ten shots were taken at the goal and Trevor let seven of them
pass by him. The coach was none too
pleased.
“Trevor! Lad, what’s wrong with you?” the coach
barked at him. “You play like that this
Saturday and we’ll lose for sure.”
Trevor hung
his head, knowing that his concentration was off. He was thinking a lot about his future in pro soccer after
finding out about Simon Farrell.
However, it was affecting his practice and the coach was right.
“Sorry
coach. My mind’s been elsewhere.”
“I don’t give
a bloody crap! We’ve got a game to win
this Saturday. We’ve got a championship
to defend. If you have any plans on
impressing any scouts this season, you better get your mind back here on this
field fast, do you understand me?”
Trevor
couldn’t argue with him. “Yes sir.”
Just then,
Mark jogged over to him. “Whats up with you, cuz? Don’t let what happened to Simon get you down. That was a freak thing. Players get injured all the time and they’re
not always that serious.”
“Yeah, I guess
you’re right,” Trevor admitted.
They both
looked up to see Kyle trot over to them.
“Aye, sorry to bother you mates, but um….who’s that lovely thing sitting
with your girlfriends? She’s been
staring at me all afternoon.”
Mark looked
past Kyle to see Brenda sitting smack dab in the middle of Tara and Emily. “That’s Brenda Sullivan. She’s certainly changed, huh?”
“I’ll say,”
Kyle drawled, looking back at Brenda.
Trevor
playfully shoved Kyle in the arm. “Go
for it, mate! May as well. The Senior Winter Formal is coming up soon.”
Mark
groaned. “Oh crikey! We’re gonna have to put on penguin suits and
dance!”
“Yeah, well
it’s the after-dance that’s the big party,” Kyle said. “Its tradition that a bunch of people rent
out rooms at the hotel where the dance is gonna be and celebrate till the
morning.”
Mark’s face
lit up. “Now, that sounds like
my kind of dance! We’ll rent a limo and
get the rooms. Hey, maybe we can get
two connecting rooms – one for public partying and one for um……private!”
Trevor looked
at his lecherous cousin. “I hope your
dad knows he’s paying for this, Mark.”
“Must be nice
being rich,” Kyle said to Mark.
“Well, my
dad’s rich….I’m broke, or so he keeps telling me,” Mark mused, before turning
to Trevor. “I’m sure we can talk your dad
into it, plus Wes and Sean’s.”
“Aye, if I can
get an introduction with Brenda and take her to the dance, you can count me in
on the cost of the room,” Kyle said.
“Mega,” Mark
said, high-fiving Kyle.
“You sure our
parents are gonna let us stay out all night?” Trevor asked.
“Of course,”
Mark replied. “Trev, we’re
seniors. This is our last year. They know that we’ve got to get everything
out of our system. Plus, they were our
age once and probably did the same.
Hell, my dad was only two years older than me when he was on tour with
the band and shagging groupies in hotels.
And your dad’s cool. No
problem.”
“Now, all
we’ve got to do is convince the girls,” Trevor said.
Trevor, Mark
and Kyle looked over at Emily, Tara and Brenda and waved. They waved back.
“God, Tara
looks mega in that tight jumper,” Mark drawled. “I’m long overdue for some action. What about you and Emily?”
Trevor rolled
his eyes and blushed with Mark asking that in front of Kyle. “Mark, please! I don’t have to report what I do with Emily to you.”
“I think this
is where I leave,” Kyle mused. “Since
I’m presently unattached, I don’t’ want to hear about other blokes getting what
I’m not.”
Mark and
Trevor then saw Brenda still staring at Kyle.
“Well mate,
that may be about to change,” Mark said with a smile.
Chapter
65
Scott came
home from the London clinic at about six that evening. He was absolutely exhausted, both mentally
and physically. As he expected, Simon
Farrell didn’t take the news about his career ending injury too well. Scott knew it would be devestating, but no
matter how good of a bedside manner you have, there’s no way to sugarcoat bad
news.
All he wanted
to do tonight was have some dinner and unwind, preferably with his wife to
comfort him. However, considering what
happened last night and the uncertain reception from her this morning, he
didn’t know what to expect from her tonight.
When he pulled
in the garage, he saw that Trevor’s Pathfinder was gone, signaling that he was
out. He parked his Inifiniti and went
into the mudroom through the garage door and entered the kitchen. His senses were assailed by a wonderful
aroma.
He went over
to the stove and opened the door to find a delicous looking pork roast and
vegetables cooking. He looked at the
timer and saw that there was about a half hour left. He figured that Chelsea must be upstairs and went in search of
her. On his way, he passed by the
dining room and saw it set with fine china and crystal wine goblets for two.
Scott smiled
to himself, filled with hope that all was well with his wife. He hung up his coat, put his briefcase down
and ascended the stairs as he began to loosen his tie.
He entered
their masterbedroom to find Chelsea coming out of her dressing closet, clad in
tan pants and a soft white jersey that accented her still-fit body after all
these years. She greeted her husband
with a soft smile.
“Hi.”
Scott’s eyes
perused his wife from head to toe, wanting her so much since his attempt last
night, before looking at her face with hope.
“Hi,” he
replied. “I uh….saw the roast in the
oven and the table set. It looks
lovely, Chels. And….so do you.”
“I called the
clinic to find out when you left then the tram station to see when you’d be
arriving so I could time dinner. Trevor
went for pizza tonight with Emily – something about a friend of her’s that
they’re trying to fix up with one of his teammates. I knew you’d have a difficult day today with your meeting with
Simon, so…….its just you and I.”
Scott’s eyes
never left his wife’s as he slid his tie off and began to unbutton his
shirt. “That’s so thoughtful, luv. Um….I take it that you’re feeling better?”
Scott winced a
bit, not sure if he should’ve brought up what had happened and ruin this
perfect moment.
“Yes, I
am. Much better,” she replied as she
walked towards him. She stilled his
hand from unbuttoning his shirt and put her arms around his neck to hug him
close.
“I’m so sorry
about last night,” she softly said with a choked voice. “I can’t believe how foolish I was…..the
thoughts I was hav…..”
Chelsea broke
into a full sob to which Scott hugged her tight and stroked her silky hair.
“Shhh, Chels,
its alright. I just wished I could’ve
helped you. I hope everything is fine
now.”
Chelsea nodded
into his shoulder. “Yes, it is. Everything couldn’t be better. You know why?”
“Why?”
She pulled
back and looked into the face that captivated her since she was 15. “Because I have the most incredible man for
a husband, that’s why. I always knew
you were, but, well, sometimes, you discover something that makes the person in
your life even more precious. And
today, I discovered it about you.”
Scott bore his
blue eyes into hers. “What did you
discover?”
“That its
possible to love you more than I already do,” she replied, before pulling him
down for soft kiss. She then pulled
back.
“Dinner won’t
be ready for a half hour or so. Why
don’t you take a nice shower and unwind, okay?”
“Okay,” Scott
replied as his body tingled with anticipation about finishing what they started
last night.
He went into
the masterbath, opened the floor to ceiling shower stall and turned the water
on to warm up. He then finished
undressing, brushed his teeth then got inside.
The warm water did nothing to dissipate the affect his wife had on his
body. As the water caressed his skin,
he pictured it was her hands instead.
His vision so vivid, that it actually felt like her hands – until his
eyes flew open and he turned to find Chelsea in the shower behind him.
He was so into
his thoughts that he didn’t hear the shower door open, nor Chelsea step
inside. He took in her glorious, naked
body with drops of water beaded all over it then locked his eyes on hers.
“Chels…….”
That was all
Scott got out before Chelsea wrapped her body around his and drew him down for
a hungry kiss. Their hands, lips and
tongues were everywhere as their frenzy for each other from the night before
was tripled. Scott was never one to
rush, but he knew he’d have more of her later since Trevor wasn’t home. He had to have her now. And fast!
“Chels,” he
panted in her ear. “I want you so bad –
right now! I can’t wait.”
“Me neither,”
she whispered back as she softly bit his shoulder. Scott growled at the pleasurable pain before holding her out at
arms length. He then turned her around,
placed her hands flat against the tiled wall and entered her from behind.
Chelsea sucked
in her breath, threw her head back and gasped his name at the invasion that was
rough enough to appease the need for him right now. But it wasn’t enough.
“Yeah, Scott! That’s it baby! Oh, God more……more! Yes! Oh, God yes! Faster Scott, faster!!”
Scott was
oblivious to everything except slamming himself into her. He punctuated his words with each thrust.
“Bloody……hell……Chelsea……ah…….dammit! I’m……I’m……..God, you’re gonna make me come!”
“Yes! Now!
Me too! Please!”
They violently
climaxed together as the water continued to wash over them. After a few moments, Scott put his arms
around her from behind and pulled her up to where he back was flush against his
front. He then put his mouth to her
ear.
“Lets finish
up in here quick so I can get you in bed,” he rasped in her ear.
She turned to
face him and smirked. “What about
dinner?”
Scott smiled
wickedly. “Let it burn!”
Chapter
66
The following
morning Trevor came down for breakfast and found his mum and dad already in the
kitchen. When he entered undetected, he
halted a bit.
Scott was
dressed in track pants, sweatshirt and Nike’s, preparing to go for his morning
run. He was downing a small glass of
juice and a slice of toast to give him some energy. Inbetween bites, he kept nuzzling Chelsea’s neck and they were
giggling like teenagers.
Trevor came
in, clearing his throat. “Uh, good
morning.”
Scott and
Chelsea turned around like two kids that were caught in the act. “Oh, morning lad,” Chelsea said with a
flush. Scott just winked at him.
“What are the
two of you still doing here?”
“Well, today’s
my day off,” Scott said. “And….I’ve
convinced your mother to leave the daycare in the hands of her capable
employees for the day. So, your mum and
I are gonna have the day to ourselves.”
Chelsea
replied with a wicked giggle, to which Trevor caught on. “Aw, crikey!” he muttered.
Scott looked
at him. “Something wrong, lad?”
“No, its just
that you’re acting like two lovesick kids since last night, now I know why.”
“Yep, your mum
and I took advantage of you being out last night, and we plan on doing more of
the same as soon as you leave for school,” Scott mused.
Chelsea
reacted by shushing Scott and giving him a little punch, to which Trevor held a
hand to his stomach and faked being sick.
“Okay, that’s it! Forget about
holding breakfast down.”
Scott waved
him off. “Oh, stop it! Blimey, its not like your mum and I are
ancient. We’re only 42, but we’re as
fit as we were when we were 22 and, well……”
Scott dragged
off that last sentence, too shy to finish it.
And Trevor was too shy to hear anymore.
“Okay, I’m
outta here for good,” he said getting up.
But before he left, he realized that it might be a good idea to take
advantage of his parents in such an amorous mood.
“Um, before I
leave, I just wanted to tell you that the Senior Winter Formal is next
month. Of course, Emily and I are
going, but, well there’s a tradition to stay out all night. A bunch of
us are gonna get together and chip in to get a limo for the night and
two adjoining rooms at the hotel where the dance will be. We’re just gonna stay up all night and
celebrate. We’re not gonna do anything
rowdy or perverted, if that’s what you’re worried about. I mean, it is my last year and we really
want to…..”
“Sure Trev,
that’s fine. Just let me know how much
you need,” Scott said.
Scott was
dumbfounded. Perhaps his parents should
shag every night! He quickly dismissed
the thought with a sour look.
“Um….thanks
dad. As soon as we settle all the
details I’ll let you know.”
Scott was
ignoring his son, as he was intent on pinching his wife’s bum.
“Dad!”
Scott looked
up, completely unfazed. “Oh, yeah,
right. Okay. Like I said, just let me know.
Now…..have a nice day, Trevor.”
Trevor got the
hint and left through the mudroom to the garage, cringing over the thought of
how his parents were gonna spend the day.
Chapter
67
Mark came out
of his room, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He stopped by his parents masterbedroom and heard the masterbath
shower running and his mum humming. He
then went in search of his father.
Tyler was in
the exercise room doing his morning workout.
He took meticulous care to stay in shape, especially with all the
traveling that he did. And, at 44, he
looked pretty damned good.
Mark entered
the exercise room to find his father flat on his back on a bench while pressing
25 pound chrome dumbbels over his head.
“Aye dad, got
a minute?”
Tyler put the
dumbbells by his side and rolled himself up.
“Sure,” he said putting the dumbbells down and grabbing a towel to wipe
the sweat on his brow. “What’s up?”
Mark worked on
the best approach to use, even though he didn’t think he’d have a hard time
convincing him. He leaned against the
wall and folded his arms.
“Well…..you
and mum were my age once, right?”
Tyler raised
one, inquisitive brow, wondering just exactly what his seventeen year old son
wanted.
“Yes we were,”
Tyler answered.
“And,” Mark
continued, as he walked around in a rationalizing manner, “there was a time
when you realized that those were the best years of your life and wanted to
take every advantage…..”
“Spill it
Mark,” Tyler said with a smirk. “What
do you want and how much will it cost me?”
Mark feigned
an appalled looked by pointing to his chest and widening his eye. “Dad, I’m insulted!”
“No, you’re a
poor actor. Not to mention the fact
that you’re as transparent as an onion skin.
Now……just tell me.”
“Okay. The Senior Winter formal is next month. It’s the biggest dance of the year for
seniors, so……there’s a tradition to make the most of it. You know…..go in style, limo, renting rooms,
staying out till morning….”
“Yes, I know
all about it Mark,” Tyler said. “And,
you’re right – this is your last year.
I can’t deny you what I wanted so badly to do myself. But, I do have some rules, lad.”
Mark rolled
his eyes and blew out a breath.
“Crikey, here we go!”
“I beg your
pardon?”
“Nothing, sorry,”
Mark apologized. “What do I have to
agree to?”
“I’ll talk to
Uncle Scott and he and I will take care of the limo and the rooms. We will rent the rooms – in our
names, so I know where you’ll be and which rooms you’ll be in, just in case.
You will not do anything rowdy nor will you trash the rooms in anyway. Make sure all your friends know. I know the girls will be with you, so all
I’ll say on that is that you be careful and respect them. Is that understood?”
Mark knew
there was no other way, but he couldn’t complain. “So, you’re not gonna plan on popping in on us, are you?”
Tyler folded
his arms. “Maybe.”
“I guess I
don’t have a choice.”
“Nope!”
“It’s a deal
dad,” Mark resigned. “I knew you’d be
cool about it.”
“Well, I don’t
want you looking back and say ‘what if’, you know?” Tyler said. “You know, your first semester is almost
up. Have you been thinking about what
you want to do after graduation?”
Mark stuck his
hands in his pockets, as he faced the one question he dreaded most. “No, not really. I….guess I’ll start getting applications to some local
universities.”
Tyler went
over to the treadmill and began to set it.
“Is that what you want to do?”
Mark
shrugged. “I guess. I mean, I don’t know dad. I honestly haven’t a clue as to what I want
to do. But, I guess I should go to
school, right?”
“Mark, that’s
not my decision to make. Whether its
school or something else, you’ve got to make up your mind. Graduation will be here before you know it.”
Mark looked
down at the floor. “Yeah, I know,” he
whispered.
Tyler stepped
off the treadmill and went over to his son.
“Mark, whats wrong?”
Mark shrugged
again. “Its…its just, I feel so lost. I
know I should be getting my act together, but I just don’t know.”
“Mark, I felt
the same way you did,” Tyler reassured him.
“I didn’t really want to go to university, but I felt it was something
you had to do after highschool.
Granted, I do think that an education is important, but I don’t want you
to do something you’re not happy with. I
went to university thinking my calling would autmatically come to me, and it
did, but it had nothing to do with school.
But, if I never went to university, I never would’ve met Mark Shepard
and our dream of forming a band never would’ve happened. I want you to think about your future Mark,
but I don’t want you to force anything either, alright?”
Mark
nodded. “Alright. Thanks dad.
I just….I just don’t want you to think I’m some sort of…..you
know…..loser.”
Tyler took
Mark’s shoulder and make him face him.
“Look at me, Mark. You are not
a loser! You are my son! You’re not even eighteen yet. Its okay if you don’t know what you want,
but I do want you to think about it, okay?”
“Yeah,” Mark
replied. “Thanks dad.”
Mark turned to
leave as Tyler got back up on his treadmill.
He knew exactly what his son was going through for he went through the
same thing.
Whether Mark’s
calling would come as easily as his father’s did will remain to be seen.
Chapter
68
Tyler finished
up his workout then headed to his masterbath to shower. As soon as he stepped out, he wrapped a
towel around his waist, shook his wet, wavy hair then stepped in front of the
large,mirrored vanity to shave. He was
interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Yeah?”
“You decent?”
Tyler smiled
upon hearing his wife’s voice. “What if
I’m not?” he countered.
“Then you
better let me in,” Grace replied.
Tyler opened
the door and met his wife’s mischievous face.
He then watched her eyes slowly peruse him all the way down to what was
starting to protrude through the towel.
Tyler leaned haughtily on the vanity and stared her down.
“See something
you like?”
“I couldn’t
wait for you to finish working out and get out of that shower!” Grace growled
as she practically pounced on him. Her hands
filled themselves with his wet hair as her mouth proceeded to clean up the
drops of water all over his chest.
Tyler began to chuckle wickedly.
“Not that I
mind, but what’s gotten into you?”
“Hopefully you,
as soon as I take this damn towel off you,” she replied as she began to slide
her track pants off. “You know I get
like this the same time every month.
Damn hormones make me horny as hell!”
Tyler knew how
his wife got this time every month and knew that she liked it spontaneous, fast
and hard when she was like this. And,
he knew just how to please her.
“Hurry up and
turn around towards the mirror so I can fuck you good and hard the way you like
it,” he growled, knowing that she loved the dirty talk when she was like this.
“Oh yeah,
baby,” Grace said as she slipped her panties down as well. She turned around, put her hands on the
vanity and threw her head back.
“Yeah, give it
to me now!”
Tyler was rock
hard in an instant and was about to slam into his wife when he heard his
daughter call out and a knock on their bedroom door.
“Mum! You in here?”
“Shit, Abby,”
Grace murmured. “I thought she left for
school already.”
Grace quickly
pulled her bottoms back up and looked at her aroused husband who had an
anguished look on his face.
“I feel the
same way,” she said. “Don’t go
anywhere. We’ll continue this.”
“Damn right we
will!” Tyler countered as Grace left the bathroom.
She opened the
bedroom door to find Abby standing there looking weird.
“Abby, what
are you still doing here? I thought you
got picked up already?”
Abby stood
there with a look of embarrassment on her face. “I’m…I’m not going to school today. I don’t feel good.”
Grace groaned
inside knowing that she wouldn’t be able to finish her morning shag now. “Whats wrong? “
Abby wrung her
hands. “Well, I…..I just don’t feel
good.”
“That’s not
good enough Abby,” Grace said, feeling her forehead. “You don’t have a temperature.
Unless you can be specific, I’m taking you to school myself…..”
“No! Please, mum I….I can’t. Just today, okay?”
Grace was now
concerned. “Abby, is something the
matter? Something you should tell me.”
Abby knew she
had to say something, else her mother would bring her to school.
“Mum, I……I
think I just got my period.”
Grace
smiled. “Abby, there’s nothing wrong
with that. We’ve been waiting for
it. I know most girls get it around 11
or 12. There’s nothing wrong. Do you have supplies in your bathroom?”
“Yes, I do,”
Abby said with a bright red face. “I
feel like I’ve got a soccer ball stuffed in my knickers. I can’t go to school like this. All my jeans are low and kind of
fitted. It’ll show through.”
“Then wear
your long denim skirt,” Grace said.
“Mum,
please…just for today. Can I please
stay home? I feel kind of knackered,
crampy too. I just want to go back to
bed.”
Grace figured
if Abby went back to her room, she could go back to her husband whom she hoped
was still ready for her.
“Okay,
fine. Just for today. Go lay down and I’ll bring you some Motrin,
okay.”
Abby gave her
mum a kiss. “Thanks mum,” she said with
relief before going back to her bedroom.
“Finally,” Grace heaved as she went to track
her man down and finish her unfinished business.
Chapter
69
January, 2044
The new year
rang in with a lot to be grateful for for everyone abound.
The month of
December started off with Sav celebrating another year, for which he was very
blessed indeed. He and Joe were in good
health and watching each other like hawks.
Scott had turned 43 and Abby, good Lord, turned 13 on Christmas Eve and
had a party the following weekend that gave Grace and Tyler a headache.
Mark and
Trevor attended their Senior Winter formal with Tara and Emily respectively and
had a blast. Well, for the lads it was,
especially afterwards. Needless to say,
a soccer game between two very heated rivals was on the same night as the
dance. Wesley’s father had taped and,
right before the dance was over, Wesley went home to get the tape.
Their wild
after party at the hotel consisted of the lads in one room watching the game
and the girls in the adjoining room watching cable. But, the lads did manage to get some time with their ladies as
they all engaged in some harmless, but lusty fun, before they all crashed at
around 3 in the morning.
By nine
o’clock am, Mark’s cell phone rang.
Tyler had called him to make sure all the teens were awake, so they
could get up and out before checkout, and also to tell Mark that he had placed
a huge room service order for breakfast that was being delivered to their room.
Since everyone
had bought a change of clothes, they all showered and changed before chowing
down on two breakfast carts full of eggs, bangers, beljium waffles, flapjacks,
bacon, toast and juice.
Positively
stuffed, the youngsters checked out and headed home. After Trevor and Mark dropped Emily and Tara off home, they each
retreated to their own home and went back to sleep.
And now the
new year brings a promises of new challenges, as well as the reality of the
final semester of highschool before the real world sets upon them. Trevor was enjoying a fantastic season so
far and anticipated if a future in pro soccer was around the corner. Tara had decided to take her talent for
drawing and apply to American InterContinental University in London for fashion
design. Emily was thinking about
becoming a paralegal and looked into some schools in London as well.
The one person
who felt out of place was Mark. He
still had no idea what he wanted to do.
Sure, he was having a great year on the squad, but playing the pros is
not his life long dream, as was Trevor’s.
The more Mark thought about making a decision on what to do with his
life, the more he put it off. He tried
to forget about it by playing the drums more and more. His great-uncle Rick had sent him the cymbals
from his kit, as promised, and Mark hooked them up to his Pearl kit. As Mark pounded on the drums almost nightly,
the sound, combined with the guitars and bass coming from the tape machine,
drowned out the decision about his future nagging him.
The one thing
that both lads were still very sure about was their feelings for their
girlfriends. As hard as they tried to
avoid seriousness, they were unable to.
Even though neither lad, had uttered the ‘L’ word, they knew that they
loved them in their hearts. Tara had
gotten to Mark in a way that no other lass did and it frightened him a
bit. He knew that this wasn’t just
dating anymore. They were almost 18 –
practically adults, and their relationship was progressing as well. Trevor, on the other hand, hadn’t budged in
his feelings towards Emily since the first day he cast eyes on her. He, too, feared that their respective
futures would pull them apart in different directions.
As for the
adults, Chelsea and Scott’s relationship was stronger than ever since Chelsea
discovered the secret from Scott’s past.
Even at their age, they still acted like teenagers in love, much to
Trevor’s disgust!
Tyler and
Grace had their hands full with 13 year old Abby, but we’re fully prepared for
it. Grace continued to oversee her
husband’s ventures with a careful eye and held down the fort when Tyler
traveled. He and Kevin were enjoying
the fruits of the labor as they watched young, unknown acts grow and become
stars under their guidance.
One band in
particular, Fusion, whom they signed over two years ago, broke out big time
with their debut album selling over 5 million copies. After a short break, the band was now getting ready to record
their sophomore album and were going to use Tyler’s London studio in the
spring.
All in all,
the new year sure did bring a mix to Sheffield. Thanks for what they had and hope for what was to come. Especially for Mark and Trevor.
Neither of
them had not a clue of the unexpected turn of events that would greet them
after high school.
Chapter
70
One month
Later
February, 2044
On an
unusually warm February night, Mark and Tara came out of the cinema at around
9:45. Tara clasped her hand in his and
snuggled into his side. “Do you want to
go home? Or, do you want to go get some
tea or………?”
“Lets go to
the overlook,” Mark said quickly. “I
just….I just want to sit and look at the stars. Its so clear out tonight.”
Tara noticed
the somber tone in his voice – the same tone that he’d had for the last month
or so. She knew that Mark hadn’t made a
decision on what to do after highschool, but she never asked him about it. She only happened to know because Emily told
her, after Trevor told her after Mark confided his anxieties in him. Tara decided not to question him, but to
give him his space to think on his own.
Perhaps tonight he’d open up to her.”
They drove to
the overlook and parked. Mark got out
and opened the passenger door of his Jeep and pushed the seats down so they’d
disappear. He then opened his sunroof
and told Tara to climb in the back. They both laid on their backs and stared at
the sky through the sunroof. Both were
quiet for a few moments before Tara spoke up first.
“Mark, you
okay?”
“Yeah, I
guess,” he lied.
“Well, you’ve
been acting like something’s been bothering you for a while. I haven’t said anything because I thought it
was something you wanted to work out on your own. I still won’t ask, but I’m here for you if you want to tell me.”
Mark turned
his head to stare at his wonderful, beautiful girlfriend who was laying on her
side, staring into his eyes and lovingly caressing his arm with comfort. They had been together since July, however
Mark still hadn’t uttered those three fateful words that he so longed to tell
her and, he was sure, she longed to hear.
Tara was special beyond any other girl he had dated. His days of dating more than one girl at a
time were long gone, for Mark couldn’t imagine anyone else capturing his fancy
the way Tara did. The way she came into
his life was fate and he knew they were together for a reason. He only wondered how long they’d be
together.
“Tara, w..what
do you think will happen to us when high school is over?”
“Well, I’m
hoping that we’ll still be together, even after I go off to design school in
the fall and you……you……”
“Yeah,
exactly,” Mark said with bitterness.
“Go ahead…admit it….I’m a bloody loser!”
Tara sat up
shocked. “What? What do you mean loser? Have you gone loony Mark Savage?”
Mark sat up
and faced her. “C’mon Tara, face
it. My days of being a high school hero
are numbered. Everyone knows what they
want to do after high school except me.
Everyone’s gonna go off in their own direction, and I’m probably gonna
be stuck here in Sheffield, living with my parents for the rest of my life
because I can’t get my act together.
And you’ll go off to design school in London, then probaby become a
fashion designer then meet some stud male model like Stef’s husband and……”
“Mark, stop
it! Just stop it! This isn’t like you. Not like you at all. When I first met you, you were so arrogant
and sure of yourself. Now you’re acting
like a lost puppy.”
“Because
that’s what I feel like!” Mark said with frustration. “I don’t know what I want to do with my life. It…..it scares the hell out of me, Tara.”
Tara rubbed
the back of his neck. “Mark, you’re not
even 18 yet. Not every high school
senior knows what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Don’t forget, that there’s always your dad’s
record business that he can pass down to you.”
“I don’t want
a handout, Tara,” Mark said. “I want to
accomplish something on my own. Even
though my dad was the son of a rock star, he put his band together without his
help or influence because they didn’t want the public thinking that they only
reason he got somewhere was because of his dad. I want to do the same thing.”
“Mark, that’s
very admirable of you. But please…don’t
worry. Maybe you’ll need to take a few
months off after graduation so you can think about your future with the
pressure of finishing high school off your back.”
“But where
does that leave us, Tara? Do you still
want to be with someone who hasn’t a clue about where his life’s gonna lead
him?”
Tara took his
face in her hands. “I’m gonna be right
here, Mark. As long as you want me to
be in your life. I…I know we’ve been
together for 7 months and, well, I know its hard for lads to say things like
this, but I just don’t care anymore.
I’m not gonna wait for you, so I’ll just say it first. I love you.
I have loved you for quite some time, but I’ve been waiting for you to
say it first. I didn’t want to pressure
you, but now I just don’t care. I can’t
hide my feelings. It was fate that we
met and I believe we met for a reason.
You’ll find your path Mark….just don’t force it, okay?”
Mark looked
into her eyes, trying to fight back tears that were threatening to well
up. His emotions had been high these
past few months worrying about his future and disappointing those around him. He hugged Tara tightly.
“Oh Tara, I
love you too. I just….I was scared to
say it – scared that you didn’t feel the same way – scared that once I said it,
you’d take off on me in the fall and I’d never see you again.”
Tara began to
kiss his face. “I’m here Mark,” she
whispered. “I’m right here.”
Their lips met
in a hot, passionate kiss as their declarations of love, combined with the warm
starry night, took over. Mark laid her
back down and hooked his leg over hers as their young limbs began to entwine. It didn’t take long for them to know what
this would lead to.
Tara began to
unfasten his jeans while Mark worked on hers.
Right now, they had a desperate need for each other to cement their
profession of love. Mark kicked off his
sneakers so he could shed his jeans and boxers. He then opened the center console and dug down deep for his
emergency condom.
With the
package in his hand, Tara drew him down and wrapped her legs around him and
kissed him hard. Both were grinding
their naked lower halves against each other, reveling in the barrier free
feeling of each others hot skin.
Mark suddenly
felt himself dangerously against Tara’s opening and began to tear the condom
package open. “Tara…..hold on….let
me….get this….FUCK!”
Their
movements had caused Mark to accidentally plunge inside of Tara. She was so hot and wet that he slipped right
inside. The incredible feeling of her
gripping him without the condom for dull the sensation was mindshattering.
“Tara!
Jesus, God…..you feel bloody fantastic!”
“I know,” she panted back. “It feels so good.”
“Tara, I…..I
better pull out and put the condom on but….”Mark began to slide out but it felt
too good to pull out all the way.
“Dammit, it feels too good to stop!”
“Can’t we just
do this for a bit, then pull out later?” she asked.
“Yeah, I
guess. As long as I don’t come. God,
this feels so good.”
Mark continued
to carefully thrust in and out of Tara as she greedily met each one. She suddenly raised one of her legs higher
to where it was almost over his shoulder, which caused Mark to sink in even
deeper.
“Holy shit,
Tara!” Mark shouted
inbetween thrusts. “I……I better
stop…..I…..I……I…..can’t….I….. “
Tara threw her
head back and practically screamed. “Oh
my god, Mark! Not yet. Please,
not yet!”
“Tara,
I….I’m…..I’m……bloody fucking hell!”
As Tara bit
down on his shoulder in ecstasy, Mark spilled himself hard and fast inside of
her as his fist clenched the unused condom in his hand.
Chapter
71
A week later
At school,
Tara couldn’t concentrate on anything.
All she could think about was that she could possibly be pregnant. She knew that she and Mark were
irresponsible last night, but it felt just too good to stop.
Right before
lunch, Emily found her at her locker.
“Ready?”
Tara snapped
out of her daze to look at her cousin.
“For what?”
“Lunch,” Emily
replied with question. “Whats wrong
with you? You’ve been acting funny for
a few days.”
“Funny, how?”
“Funny,
moody. Funny, quiet. Funny…..just funny,” Emily said.
Tara shrugged
and shut her locker. “Look, go on
without me. I’m not hungry. I’m gonna go to study hall and……”
“Tara, whats
wrong? You can tell me. You can tell me anything.”
Tara’s eyes
began to well up with tears. “Em, I…..I
don’t know for sure, but…..I…..I could be pregnant.”
Emily’s eyes
widened and her mouth dropped. “What? You….you sure?”
“No, I don’t
know for sure,” Tara trembled. “It….it
happened a week ago. Mark and I were in his SUV and, well, things got out of
hand. We had a condom, but we started
out without it and……..ended without it. God, Emily…what am I gonna do? I’m only 17! I’m supposed to start design school in the fall! I’m….I’m……”
Emily put her
hands on Tara’s shoulders. “Listen,
first thing you have to do is find out for sure. No sense in worrying over something that isn’t there. Lets go get one of those home tests…..”
“No! I’m afraid someone will see us in the store
and tell your parents. They’ll kill
me. Hell, they’ll kill Mark!”
“No they won’t
Tara. But, you have to find out now
instead of waiting to get your period…..or not.”
*******************************
At footie
practice that afternoon, Mark was everywhere except on the field. Well, at least his mind wasn’t on the
field. He was all over the place and
messing up his assigments. The coach
blew the whistle for time out and called him over.
“Mark, whats
going on out there? You’re defense has
been horrible all week.”
Mark sighed
and shook his head. “I know, I’m
sorry. I’ve….I’ve got other things on
my mind.”
“Well, get
them off your mind, lad! We’re in the
final stretch here. If we don’t win a
majority of our games these next two months, we can kiss the finals
goodbye. Understand?”
Mark solemnly
nodded and went over to get some water.
Trevor came up behind him.
“Mark, what’s
up?”
“Not my
playing, that’s for sure,” Mark replied.
“I just want to get out of here.”
“Mark, what’s
bothering you?” Trevor asked. “This
isn’t like you. I know you play defense
a lot better than that.”
Mark knew he
could tell Trevor anything, but he didn’t want to look like more of a screw up
than he already appeared to be. It was
one thing not having any direction after high school and messing up on the
soccer field. The last thing he wanted
anyone to know, Trevor included, was that he may have gotten his girlfriend in
trouble because of his inability to control himself.
“I…I don’t
know,” Mark lied. “I think I hurt my
ankle a few days ago. Its been
bothering me, so I don’t want to aggravate it.”
“Maybe you
should have my dad look at it,” Trevor suggested.
A lightbulb
went over Mark’s head. He and Tara were
going through hell waiting and they needed to find out now.
“Yeah, I think
I do need to see your dad.”
Chapter
72
Mark walked
into Shrewsbury Hospital and went up to the front desk. “Excuse me, can you tell me if Dr. Scott
Savage is working today?”
The
receptionist checked the staff list.
“Yes, he is.”
“Could you
page him for me, please? Tell him his
nephew Mark is here and……its kinda urgent.”
Mark sat down
in the waiting area as the receptionist picked up the phone. He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and
slumped down in the chair, looking as if the weight of the world was on his
shoulders. What was he going to do if
Tara was pregnant? What should they do
about? Should they abort it? The thought of that made him wince. He couldn’t let Tara suffer through that and
possibly ruin her chances for more children.
Should they keep it? If so, how would
they afford to take care of it? Even if
he were to get a job, he wouldn’t know what to do. He had absolutley no dirction.
Maybe…maybe they could give it up for adoption, then live with the
haunting image of a faceless son or daughter out there somewhere for the rest
of his life.
His hands
began to shake as he realized just how one irresponsible moment of passion could
change the course of his entire life.
“What am I
going to do?” he
whispered to himself.
“Mark?”
Mark looked up
to see his Uncle Scott walking towards him.
He got up and met him.
“Aye, Uncle
Scott. Um….can…can I talk to you?”
Scott noticed
his nervousness and glassy eyes.
“What’s wrong? Do you feel
okay?”
“I….I feel
okay, but……I need your advice on something.”
Scott folded
his arms. “Is your father away…….?”
“I can’t ask
him!” Mark emphatically said. “I
mean…..Uncle Scott, please promise not to say anything.”
Scott was
getting worried. He sat down and
motioned for Mark to sit as well. “Lad,
unless I know why you’re here, I won’t
have anything to tell. Please
Mark…..what is it?”
“I…..I think I
may have….I mean, Tara and I….I mean…….she…..she may be pregnant.”
Scott’s
insides fell as those words instantly transported him back 25 years when he was
in the same position. He knew exactly
how frightened Mark was feeling right now.
“Mark, are you
saying that Tara doesn’t know for sure?”
“Yeah. She wants to get one of those home tests,
but she’s afraid someone will see her in the store. Uncle Scott, we have to find out now. We’re going nuts waiting for her to get her……you know.”
Scott grinned
and nodded. “I know. Now Mark, I want you to listen to me. First of all, just the fact that you came
here for help tells me that you care and that you’re responsible. Its very mature of you, I want you to know
that. Now, here’s the deal. There is a clinic outside the city
limit. They’re very discreet and won’t
contact your parents if you’re under 18.
Now, you are to pick Tara up and take her there for a bloodtest. They’ll give you the results within an hour. You do this together, Mark. And….if the results are…..positive, just
remember you have people around you who love you and who’ll help you – your
father included. You’ll have to tell
your parents.”
Mark digested
everything, but was still nervous.
“I….I will, but only if there’s something to tell – which I hope there
isn’t.”
Scott rubbed
his back. “Lets hope so. But, like I said Mark. You’ve shown great responsibility showing up
here like this. It also shows me how
much you care about Tara.”
“I do, I
mean….I love her, its just….we’re too young and we’ve – well, she’s got
her life ahead of her. I still don’t
know what I want to do with mine. I
feel like such a screw up sometimes, which is why I didn’t want to tell my dad. Hell, I didn’t even tell Trevor. I don’t want anyone to know, but I had to
come to someone for help. I knew you’d
understand.”
Scott was
alarmed a bit. “Why….why would you
think I’d understand?”
“Well,
because….you know…..you got Aunt Chelsea pregnant when you were both 16, even
though you didn’t know about it.”
Scott blew out
a relieved breath. “Trust me, lad. I do understand. More than you know. Now,
make arrangements with Tara for the clinic.
They’re open on Saturday for convenience so go as soon as possible.”
Mark stood up
and nodded. “Okay. We will.
Th….thanks Uncle Scott.
I…..appreciate it.”
Scott closed
in on him and hugged him. “We’re here
for you lad – all of us, for both of you.
Don’t worry, okay?”
Mark nodded
against his uncle’s shoulder, but those words did nothing to appease his fear.
Chapter
73
That following
Saturday, Mark headed out around 11:00am, but not before running into his mum
first.
“Where you off
to so early?” Grace asked as she saw him leave through the garage.
Mark halted
and gulped a bit. “Oh, mum, I….I
thought you were in the exercise room.
I uh…didn’t want to disturb you so I left you a note. Um…Tara and I are going out for the day.”
Grace took the
note and glanced at it, then the clock.
“Its not like you to even roll out of bed until eleven on a
Saturday, Mark.”
“Oh, uh…..Tara
mentioned something about a countryside ride.
We heard it was supposed to be a nice day. Then have lunch.”
“Well, don’t
be too late,” Grace said. “Your father
will be back from London around three and then Uncle Scott, Aunt Chelsea and
the grandparents will be over here tonight.
Stephanie and Frank are in town and we’re all having dinner. It would be nice for you to be here.”
Mark would
agree to anything right now, if only to get out of the house. “Y..yeah, sure mum. I’ll be back in time. Bye.”
**************************
Several hours
later, Mark and Tara held hands as they sat in the waiting area, waiting for
the results of her pregnancy test.
Around them were a few young girls who were alone and probably there for
the same reason, along with two girls who were pregnant. Tara saw the uncertainty in their eyes and
squeezed Mark’s hand tighter.
Mark looked
down at their clasped hands as Tara squeezed his tight. He then saw where Tara was looking.
“Tara, don’t
worry luv,” he tried to reassure her.
“Remember, we have a lot of people behind us who’ll be there for us
if…..if the test is positive.”
Tara turned to
him with tears in her eyes. “Mark, I’m
so scared. This is all my fault!”
“What? Don’t be absurd! We both……”
“No, I kept on
encouraging you, even though you knew you had to stop. I told you not to stop. I….I couldn’t help it. It felt so good and….and I love you so much,
but a good feeling isn’t worth going through this hell.”
“I know,
luv. But it happened and all we can do
is wait. So…..you love me a lot, eh?”
Tara saw his
attempt to lighten the mood a bit.
“More now than I did a week ago.
Look at the girls here – they’re all alone. You took responsibility to find out when I was too chicken
too. And….you’re here with me. It says so much about you. Most lads would probably freak, but
you…….you’re acting like a man. And, I
love you for it. I couldn’t go through
this alone.”
Mark didn’t
think she could’ve said anything more precious to him. Those words made him feel like a man, when
he was feeling like a loser. He leaned
in and kissed the top of her head, as the girls in the waiting room with them
looked at Tara with envy.
“I love you
too, Tara. We’ll get through this
- together.”
Tara nodded as
tears of joy and fear rolled down her face.
Their moment was disturbed the the opening of the adjoining door,
followed by a voice.
“Tara
Spencer?”
Tara whipped
her head towards the door to see a pleasant looking nurse. “Yes?
That’s me.”
“Come on in,
lass….your young man too. Your results
are in.”
Chapter
74
Around 5:30
that evening, Sav sat in the easy chair in Tyler’s family room as he gritted
his teeth with agitation as Joe kept flipping channels with the remote.
“Dammit,
Joe…will you pick a bloody program already!
My eyes are bad enough as it is.
I’ll be blind by the evening.”
“Tough shit,
old man,” Joe bit back. “You plopped
your boney bum on the comfy recliner, so I get the remote.”
Sav unreclined
the chair and stood up. “Oh for Pete’s
sake, Joe….take the damn chair, you whiner, and give me the remote.”
“Too late,”
Joe said with a sigh. “Anyway, I’m
kinda hoping Ty’s got some unscrambled porn here somewhere.”
Sav rolled his
eyes as Joe went through every channel once and then….start again. “For the love of the queen, Joe…..find a
soccer game, a comedy…anything. Just…..pick
something!”
Joe turned to
see Sav’s vein that was almost throbbing on his forehead. “Better watch it, mate. Don’t want to put too much stress on your
ticker. Just give me a few minutes
to…..”
Joe stopped
when he saw Sav lean against the armrest of the couch and put a hand to his
chest and rub it, a pained expression crossing his face. Joe dropped the remote on the coffee table
and grabbed his arm.
“Sav? Sav, whats wrong? Do you have chestpains?
Are you having trouble breathing again?
Fuck, let me get Scott.”
As soon as Joe
got himself up off the couch, Sav sat in his place and scooped up the remote,
giving Joe a sheepish grin.
“Sucker!” Sav
teased him.
Now it was
Joe’s turn for his vein to pop. “You
bloody moron! You fucking little
poser! I can’t believe you did that,
taking advantage of me like that.”
“Oh, quit the
drama Joe. I just couldn’t resist. But, rest assured, I won’t be crying wolf
like that again in case it’s the real thing next time.”
“I don’t want
to hear about ‘next time’, Sav!” Joe emphatically stated. “There won’t be a ‘next time’!”
Sav twinkled
his still-blue eyes at him. “I love you
too.”
“Queer!”
“Will you two
quit bitching at each other,” Tyler said as he came in the room.
“Bite me Ty,”
Joe said as he took the prized recliner.
“Don’t you
talk to my son like that” Sav chastised him.
“You can bite
me too,” Joe retorted as he reclined all the way back. “Ahhh, Tyler, this chair is heaven. All that’s missing is a dinner tray in front
of me. Speaking of which….when are we
eating?”
Tyler looked
at his watch. “We’re just waiting for
Stephanie and Frank and……Mark. He was
out with Tara all day. He called from
his cell about three hours ago saying they were having lunch outside the city
and that he’d be back by 5.”
“He’s in love,
that one,” Sav grinned. “That Tara’s
seemed to tame him a bit. Before she
came along, Mark’s eyes roved all over the place.”
“Please, dad,”
Tyler jested. “Lasses have been scratching
at our front door ever since he turned 13 and hit puberty! And if they weren’t sniffing after Mark,
they were after Trevor.”
“Yeah, but it
seems as if they’ve both met their matches in these two lasses,” Joe
added. “Can’t blame them. They’re both lovely with great racks!”
Sav rolled his
eyes towards Joe. “You know
Joe……..nevermind! I give up!”
“Amen!” Joe
replied, as he closed his eyes. “Now I
can have some peace.”
Just then
Tyler put his ear out. “That’s the
garage door. Mark’s back.”
Tyler left his
father and father-in-law to go out into the kitchen. The door adjoining the mudroom opened and Mark walked in. “’bout time, lad. Where’ve you been?”
Mark took his
coat off as he saw Scott come into the kitchen as well. He flashed his eyes to his uncle before
answering his father. “Well, Tara and I
had lunch about 2:30 and we just got caught up talking about stuff. Is everyone here?”
“Just waiting
for Stephanie and Frank, whom I think just pulled up now,” Tyler said as he
left to go to the front door.
Scott then
approached his nephew as everyone else behind them were busying about. “Well?”
Mark sighed a
bit before flashing a gorgeous grin full of relief and shaking his head ‘no’.
Scott, too,
let out a held breath, thankful that his nephew was spared something that he
just wasn’t ready for.
Just then,
Stephanie and Frank made their entrance, along with Grace, Chelsea, Abby and
Paige twittering behind them. Mark
grinned at her.
“You
supermodels sure know how to cause a commotion when you make an entrance,” he
jested.
Stephanie
waved him off. “Its not my entrance
that’s causing a commotion, Markey-Mark.
“I’m pregnant again – 3 ½ months along and everythings safe and sound.”
Mark smiled as
Frank walked up to him. “I’m going to
be a father,” he said in his smooth, Italian accent. “What do you think of that?”
Mark eyed his
uncle Scott before looking at Frank.
“Better you than me!”
Chapter
75
Scott and
Chelsea came home after seeing Stephanie and Frank off to their hotel. Scott saw Trevor’s Pathfinder in the garage
and was glad that he was home.
“I’m just
gonna go downstairs and let Trevor know we’re home,” Scott said to Chelsea.
“Okay. I’m gonna get changed and fall right into
bed. I’m bone tired.”
Scott nuzzled
her neck kiddingly. “Too tired to wait
up for me?”
Chelsea
grinned as his stubble tickled her neck, giving her gooseflesh. “Never!”
Scott smacked
her bottom before going downstairs to the family room. Trevor was sprawled on the couch in Old Navy
pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. The
floor below him was littered with used Kleenex and a bottle of Nyquil restd on
the coffee table. He looked up when he saw his father come downstairs.
“Aye
dad…a…a….achoo!”
“Bless you,”
Scott replied. “Guess that cold’s
getting worse.”
“I feel like
bloody crap! I gotta kick this before
the game Tuesday.”
“Trevor, if
you’re sick, you can’t play.”
“I have to
dad,” he protested. “I don’t want to
miss one game. This year is so
important. If I can’t play because of a
stupid cold than I’m a sissy.”
Scott grinned
over his son’s persistance and dedication to his sport. He frowned upon the bottle of Nyquil on the
coffee table. “Uh…how much of that did
you take Trevor?”
Trevor looked
at the Nyquil. “That? Oh, uh….I don’t know. I think I had two capfuls. Maybe three. About ten minutes ago.”
“You’ll be out
cold soon. Trevor, that was way too
much. Didn’t you read the directions?”
“What
for? Besides, that my nurses
responsibility, who didn’t come over tonight because she doesn’t want to get
sick.”
“Can’t blame
Emily for that,” Scott said.
“Um…speaking of which, do….do you mind if I say something Trevor.”
The Nyquil was
beginning to kick in as Trevor fought to keep his eyes open. “Uh…yeah dad,” he
slurred a bit. “What?”
“You like
Emily a lot, don’t you?”
Trevor grinned
in his medicated state. “Mmm,
yeah! I love her. She’s totally hot.”
Scott couldn’t
hold back his laughter. “But, you do
care about her, right?”
“Mmmm,
yeah…..a lot. She’s reeeeeeeeeal special.”
“Well, I’m not
asking you anything directly Trevor, but instead, I’m just gonna say this once
and that’s it. I….I just want to make
sure that you and Emily are…..careful, that’s it. I’m going to bed.”
As Scott got
up after delivering that awkward message, Trevor began to snicker.
“Ohhhh, we’re
careful dad,” he drunkenly giggled. “We
use condoms alllllll the time.
Mmmmmm…….zzzzzzzzzzz”?
That was the
last thing Scott heard before Trevor fell into a deep sleep, but not before
getting more information than he wanted.
Well, maybe it’s the only way to find out about your kids – drug them
with cold medicine. He’d be naïve to
think that Trevor and Emily were innocent, since they’ve been together since
the summer, but to actually hear his son confess it, even under the influence
of antihistimines, was tough to take.
His only solace was that they were, indeed careful.
Scott’s mind
was put at ease as he went up to bed, grinning when he remembered his wife
waiting for him. However, all he found
was Chelsea fast asleep.
“So much
for a quick shag,” he mumbled to himself as he got undressed and fell into
bed beside his wife. As soon as he
closed his eyes, he felt Chelsea roll on top of him and straddle him.
“Fooled ya!”
Chapter
76
Grace rubbed
the small of her back after spending almost an hour cleaning up after everyone
left. Tyler had come downstairs to see
what was keeping her, just in time to see her take the vacuum cleaner out.
“What are you
doing, woman?”
Grace rolled
exasperated eyes at her husband. “I
have a vacuum cleaner in my hands and a rug under my feet. Figure it out!”
“Sassy wench,”
Ty murmured. “Grace, put that
away. The cleaning people come
tomorrow. You’ve done enough tonight.”
“My back is
kind of sore,” Grace said rubbing it.
Tyler pulled
her away from the vacuum cleaner.
“Upstairs. Go take a nice hot
shower, then I’ll rub your back in bed.”
“Who can say
no to that!” Grace said as she ascended the stairs.
As Grace went
in the shower, Tyler remembered something that he wanted to give to Mark. He knocked on his bedroom door then entered
to find Mark lying on his stomach in bed watching tv.
“Aye, just
wanted to give you this that I got this afternoon,” Tyler said, tossing his son
a CD.
Mark looked at
it. It was Fusion’s debut CD. “Aw, thanks dad! I bought this when it came out, then like a stupid wanker, lent
it to Wesley who left it in the sun. This
was a mega CD.”
“Yeah, well, I
remember you saying you had it and lost it or something. I met with their producers at the London
studio yesterday and today. They’re
gonna begin recording their second album next week. Should be interesting.”
“Why?”
“Well, from
what I hear along the grapevine, one of the founding members is a major pain in
the arse to work with. He and his
brother, who plays guitar, put the group together. The brother’s a likable chap, so I’m told, but the other guy…….”
“……Zak Silver,
the drummer,” Mark filled in. “Yeah, I
heard about him. He’s a major
asshole……uh…..pain. Sorry.”
Tyler frowned
a bit at Mark’s language before continuing.
“Well, unfortunately, you’re right.
The guys who produced their debut album don’t want anything to do with
the second album because of Zak’s outbursts.
His brother, Rob, the guitarist, is just hoping that these new producers
can recapture their sound that made their debut a success.”
“Yeah, me
too,” Mark said. “I’ve got two of these
songs programmed into my tape machine downstairs before I lent it to Wes. If anything, Zak is a mega drummer.”
“Well, we’ll
see,” Tyler said, before looking around Mark’s room. He squinted and shook his head.
“Mark, how’s about cleaning up a bit in here. Your mother does enough that she doesn’t have to be your maid.”
Tyler bent
down to pick Mark’s leather jacket off the floor. “Uh, this was an expensive Christmas present lad. What’s it doing on the floor…..”
Just as Tyler
picked it up, pamphlets on teenage pregnancy, contraception, along with a strip
of condoms, fell out of the pocket.
Chapter
77
Mark stared at
the pamphlets and condoms that fell out of his jacket pocket and onto his
bedroom floor. He briefly met his
father’s questioning eyes before he squeezed his own shut and turned away.
Tyler bent
down and scooped the items up off the floor then sat down on the edge of Mark’s
bed.
“Is there
something you need to tell me Mark?”
“No,” Mark
mumbled embarrassedly. “Well, not
anymore.”
“Not
anymore? What does that mean?”
Mark sat with
his head down, not wanting to look at his father. But Tyler wouldn’t relent.
“Mark, listen
lad….you can tell me anything. I mean
that. Are you…….is Tara….?”
“No, dad, she
isn’t,” he quickly said.
“But, you
thought she may be?”
Mark only
nodded.
“Is this where
you were all afternoon?”
“Yeah,” Mark
replied. “I picked her up so she could
get a blood test. There’s a clinic
outside the city. We had to find out
for certain. When the test came back
negative, one of the counselors sat us down and talked to us about safe sex and
stuff and gave us those.”
Tyler was
relieved that Tara wasn’t pregnant, but was concerned about his son. “Mark, you could’ve come to me….”
“Dad, there
was no reason to tell you anything because we didn’t know if there was anything
to tell. We needed to find out
first. We…..it was only one time that
we didn’t use……..n…nevermind, you know what I mean. We made a big mistake and we regretted it.”
Tyler knew
that his son paid the price for his irresponsibility. He had the thought of possibly being a teenage father instilled
in him and it frightened him. That, in
itself, is enough to steer him away from making anymore mistakes.
“Mark, its
okay. I’m not mad. Concerned, but not mad. If anything, I’m proud that you took matters
into your own hands to find out. And,
you stood by Tara. I’m sorry you had
to go through that, but, well…….I’m sure you learned your lesson. You don’t need me hounding you, however, I
can’t help but worry and be concerned about you being safe and responsible. You’re almost 18 with your life ahead of you
and you don’t need a careless moment tying you down.”
Mark met his
father’s eyes for the first time.
“You’re proud of me?”
Tyler
smiled. “Very much. Since the day you were born. And my pride hasn’t waivered. Never will.
Always remember that, lad.”
Mark smiled
with relief. “Thanks dad – for not
flipping out.”
Tyler grinned
a little wickedly. “Yeah, well I’d be a
hypocrit if I did. You didn’t do
anything different than I did at your age.”
Mark perked up
a bit. “Yeah? Was it mum…or some other lass?
No…wait! If its mum, I don’t
want to know. I just can’t picture…..”
“Oh stuff it,
lad,” Tyler shot back. “And no, it wasn’t your mum.”
“But….I
thought you guys have been together since you were teenagers?”
Tyler sighed a
bit, remembering a time so long ago. “Well,
we officially began dating right after I turned 17 and your mum turned 15. But…..well…..that summer, we all went out to
California for Rory’s wedding. His
future wife’s 19 year old niece was there and…………”
Tyler rolled
his eyes to finish what he couldn’t say with words. Mark’s mouth dropped as he caught on. “You mean….you and her?
While you were dating mum? While
she was there?”
“Yes, yes
and….yes,” Tyler replied sheepishly.
“It was a mistake, a big, big mistake, but this lass caught me at a weak
moment and, well, I was only 17 and not really in a position to turn something
like that down. But, I was filled with
guilt afterwards.”
“Did mum ever
find out?”
“Unfortunatley
she did, much later on. Right before I
left for university to be exact. She
broke up with me right before that, but after the band began to take off, we
got back together. Only to break up
again before we left on our first official tour.”
“Why’d you
break up the second time?” Mark asked.
Tyler
remembered as clear as day the hell that broke loose at his father’s house when
he found out that Scott had gotten Grace pregnant. He remembered the cruel words he flung at his brother and at
Grace.
“Well, let
just say that your father had his moron moments,” Tyler offered as an answer. “The important thing is, I got your mother
back and that’s all that matters.
Speaking of your mother, my hands have a date with her sore back.”
Tyler stood up
and looked down at Mark. “I’m just glad
that you and Tara are okay. I know you
care about her a lot and it shows.”
“I do,
dad. And….thanks again. G’night.”
“’night, lad.”
Tyler shut the
bedroom door behind him and let out a much relieved breath. “Oh Lord, that was close,” he
thought, but knew that Mark learned his lesson from this scare.
He went into
his bedroom to find Grace in bed, under the covers, lying on her stomach.
“I’ve been
waiting for you,” she said with a wicked smile.
Tyler threw
back the covers and gasped to find her gloriously naked.
“I’ve decided
on a full body massage. Back and
front, if you please!”
Tyler
straddled his wife’s nude body and flipped her on her back. “I’ll start with the front first, which
means I may not even make it to the back!”
Chapter
78
Two months
later
April, 2044
It was a
beautiful, spring Saturday and an early morning soccer practice was in session
in preparation for a huge game on Tuesday.
The winner would go the the championship semi-finals and the loser would
go home.
Trevor was the
first one to practice so he could work on drills with the goalie coach. The coach advanced towards him on the field,
kicking the ball at him from all angles.
Trevor never let one get by him.
When the rest
of the players arrived, Trevor was tested with double and triple teams, which
sharpened his ability to defend the left, center and right side of the goal
simultaneously. The team they were
facing on Tuesday had brilliant goal line strategy using as many as four
players to set up goals. Trevor had to be prepared to have them come at him
from all angles.
After
practice, he went home to shower. His
father was on call and his mum was out on errands all day. No sooner than he walked into the kitchen
from the garage, the doorbell rang. He
opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to find Emily.
“Aye luv, I
just got home.”
Emily eyed him
as she walked. “Mmm, I can tell. Didn’t think a sweaty lad could look so
sexy. Anyway, mum let me take the car
to do some errands. I figured I’d drop
by to see if you got home yet.”
Trevor blushed
and realized that he had the house all to himself. “Um, how many errands do you have to do? I mean, can you stay a bit?”
“Sure,
probably for only an hour thought.”
“Great! Let me hop in the shower really quick. You can wait in my room if you’d like. My um…parents are out.
Emily flashed
a shy grin as she followed him up the stairs.
Ten minutes later, Trevor came out of the shower, realizing that he
hadn’t brought any clothes in with him.
He towel dried his hair and ran his fingers through it before wrapping
the towel around his waist. He went
into his bedroom to find Emily lying on his bed on her stomach flipping through
a soccer magazine. She looked up at his
barely naked damp body and her eyes gleamed.
Trevor caught
her look and became very warm. “Uh, I
forgot to bring clothes in with me.”
“Don’t be shy
Trev, I mean…..we have seen each other naked before.”
Just the
though of Emily’s tight naked body was causing a reaction behind his towel.
“Speaking of
which, you don’t need to get dressed so fast on my account,” Emily cooed as she
sat up and crooked her finger at him.
Trevor’s body
was fully aroused now at the thought of what Emily had in mind. He walked towards her and watched her eyes
instantly wander down to what was tenting his towel. She hooked her finger at the waist of the towel and looked up at
him with naughty eyes.
“Hmm,
someone’s awfully happy,” she mused.
“No, someone’s
awfully horny,” Trevor corrected her.
Emily ran her
hand along his flat, hard midsection and licked her lips. “Hmm, maybe I can help you out a bit.”
Trevor’s
breathing was becoming a bit rapid.
“Yeah? How so?”
“Oh….,” she
drawled as her eyes continued to drink in his tall, lean physique. “….I thought maybe I’d try out a little
something I read in a magazine when I was babysitting last week.”
Trevor was
about to die of excitement. “Yeah?
What’s that luv?”
Emily’s finger
pulled at the towel, causing it to drop to the floor. She then glanced up at Trevor with liquid, topaz eyes. “This,” she answered with a whisper before
bending her head to lick him.
Trevor’s knees
almost buckled beneath him. “Holy shit,
Em!” he gasped.
Emily then got
up and pushed him down on his back.
“Don’t want you collapsing on me,” she said as she crawled beside
him. “Now, I’ve never done this before
so let me know if I’m doing something wrong.”
Trevor could
care less if she bit him right now. He
was in too much ecstasy to care. Emily
innocently and naively swirled her tongue around and up and down his erection
as her soft hand caressed his inner thighs.
Trevor’s breathing was getting more labored while his groans were
getting louder.
“Let me know
if my teeth scrape you,” Emily whispered.
“What?” Trevor
barely acknowledged before he almost came off the bed.
“Bloody
fucking hell!” he
screamed as Emily’s tight, wet mouth took him all the way in. “Jesus….Em…..oh….God, don’t stop! Don’t bloody stop!”
Emily
continued to suck him with long, even strokes, but not for long. The spontanaeity of the act, combined with
Trevor’s 17 year old hormones, wouldn’t let him last.
“Em….Em…I’m….I’m
gonna come. Now!”
Emily pulled
back a bit and took what she could into her mouth. Being her first time, she wasn’t able to take it all the
way. She kept stroking him with her
hand until he was depleted.
She
straightened up and took his towel off the floor and wiped her mouth and hand
before wiping the remnants of his orgasm off his stomach.
“Was that
okay?”
“Okay?” Trevor
questioned, still panting. “That was
bloody fantastic. I think I’ll get you
a subscription to that magazine. Thank
you luv. That was an incredible
surprise.”
Just then they
heard a faint buzzing sound coming from under the house. Trevor’s eyes flew open.
“Shit, that’s
the garage door opener. Someone’s
home!”
Emily flew off
the bed and bounded down the stairs to the kitchen. She got to the table just in time to see Scott walk in through
the garage door.
“Hello Dr.
Savage,” Emily grinned.
Scott smiled
back. “Hello lass. I was wondering who’s car that was out
there.”
“Oh, I’m
running errands today and I thought I’d stop by and see Trevor when he got home
from practice. I think he’s finishing
his shower.”
No sooner than
she said that, Trevor came down the stairs and into the kitchen dressed in
jeans and a t-shirt, his face still showing signs of his surprise blow job.
“Dad? What are you doing home?”
“Came home for
lunch. Whats with you lad? You look like the cat who got the cream.”
Trevor softly
snickered then looked at Emily. “More
like the other way around,” he whispered.
“Hmm?” Scott
asked.
“Nothing!”
Chapter
79
The following
Tuesday, on a very balmy April afternoon, Westfield didn’t even have to break a
sweat as they easily made the semi-finals with a 5-0 win. Mark scored two goals, Sean and Wesley one a
piece and Kyle Foster added to the embarrassment by scoring the last one with
less than two minutes remaining.
But it was
Trevor who shined the brightest. Their
opponent, Sherburn High School, found themselves at Westfield’s goal around
twenty times during the course of the game, and couldn’t get in once. Trevor’s superb goaltending, concentration
and agility helped to seal the shutout.
In the stands,
a very proud Tyler and Scott sat on either side of an even prouder Joe and Sav
who thanked God every day for allowing them to live this long to see their
grandsons play. It was a true joy to
their lives that made them swell from within.
Two rows
behind them, Emily, Tara, Morgan, Jessica and Brenda were squealing over their
respective lads’ performance on the field today as they also silently giggled
how they’d ‘reward’ each one of them tonight.
After the
game, the coach gave the lads a hearty congratulations in the locker room,
along with a pep talk on how crucial they next two playoff games will be.
Outside,
Tyler, Scott, Joe and Sav waited outside so they could congratulate them before
the lads went out for the mandatory pizza celebration with their
girlfriends. As they were standing
around, a man with a small briefcase and clipboard was leaning against the car
next to Tyler’s Mercedes SUV. Joe
noticed him too and slowly made his way over to the man.
“You a scout,
young chap?”
The man looked
up and smiled at the elderly gentleman.
“Now why would you think that?” he mused.
“Aw, c’mon,
you can tell me,” Joe pressed.
“What’cha got written down there?”
Tyler came
over and took Joe’s arm. “Don’t bother
the man, dad,” Tyler said, before looking at the man. “Excuse my father in law, he’s not exactly the shy type.”
“Oh, not a
problem,” the man said. “Just assessing
the talent, is all. All those Westfield
lads who scored today are mega players.
However….their goalie……well……”
Scott and Sav
joined them when he heard them talking about Westfield’s goalie. “You mean…Trevor Savage?” Scott asked.
“Yes, he’s the
one,” the man said. “All I can say
is………he’s worth watching.”
“That’s all
you can tell us?” Joe half-shouted.
“C’mon, just a little……”
“Uncle Joe,
leave him alone,” Scott said. “And…not
a word of this to Trevor. I don’t want
any thoughts put in his head that’ll distract him from the championship game,
got it?”
“Why are you
directing that at me?”
“Because you
have the biggest mouth, Joe,” Sav answered.
The man looked
at Scott. “You know this Trevor?”
Scott smiled
so wide that he thought his face would split.
“He’s my son.”
All the man
did was smile and nod his head before heading back to his car.
Just then,
Mark and Trevor came outside, followed by Sean, Wesley and Kyle. The other three lads went over to Morgan, Jessica
and Brenda respectively to receive hearty kisses of congratulations.
“See you at
the pizza place mates,” Wesley called over.
“Be there in a
few,” Mark called back, before turning to his dad. “Well?”
“Brilliant,
lad. Just brilliant. Both of you.”
Joe put an arm
around each of his grandsons. “Being
able to be here and see this is worth my extra time on this earth alone,” he
said.
“I second
that,” Sav said. “I’m just glad the
weather held out. And, I hope it holds
out till the championship. I missed it
last year and I’m not gonna miss it this year.”
“Aw, grandpa,
you don’t know if we’re gonna make it that far again,” Trevor humbly said.
“Bet your ass,
you will,” Joe stated. “The way you
lads are playing. Why, that chap over
there…..”
Joe was cut
off by Tyler loudly clearing his throat.
“Well, that
didn’t last long,” Sav said with sarcasm.
“What?” Trevor
said, looking around. “What chap? Was…was it a scout?”
“Uh…uh, no
lad,” Joe stammered, trying to save himself.
“Actually, it was a fan of Sherburn, that’s how good you lads played.”
Scott took a
deep sigh of relief as Trevor and Mark seemed to have bought Joe’s lie.
Suddenly,
Emily and Tara joined them, each giving Trevor and Mark a kiss. Joe held his arms out to Tara.
“Aye, don’t I
get one?”
“You didn’t do
anything to deserve a kiss, Joe,” Sav snarled at him. “Stop fishing for affection, will ya?”
“Oh, that’s
okay,” Tara said as she kissed Joe on the cheek. “How are you, grandpa Joe?”
“Better now,”
Joe replied with a smirk.
“And, not to
leave you out,” Tara said, giving Sav a kiss too. Sav then gave Joe an arrogant look. “See! And I didn’t have
to ask!”
“Still trying
to upstage me after all these years,” Joe huffed.
“Alright, this
isn’t a contest you two,” Tyler said. “Why don’t you lads head on out for pizza. We’ll see you at home later.”
“Thanks dad,”
Mark said, before Tyler hugged him.
“I’m so proud of you Mark.”
Scott, too,
gave Trevor a hug. “You were bloody
brilliant, Trevor. You’re gonna make it
lad, don’t you worry.”
Trevor and
Mark then took Emily and Tara’s hand and took off to their vehicles while the
older men piled into Tyler’s Mercedes SUV.
Trevor was floating on a cloud, but Mark was beaming.
Today was
enough for him to decide what he wanted to do with his life.
Chapter
80
After pizza,
Mark took Tara for a ride so they could be alone a bit before taking her
home. They went to the soccer park just
as dusk was falling over Sheffield. No
sooner did they park were they all over each other – hands were furiously
fighting for any exposed skin as they drove their tongues inside each other’s
mouth.
Tara had
unzipped her jersey top and unfastened her front clasp bra and leaned
back. Mark practically lunged over the
center console to get his hands on her breasts and was rewarded with gear shift
in his right side.
“Ow! Bloody hell,” he spat as he rubbed his right
side.
“Problem?”
Tara mused as she lay there with her upper half bared.
“Other than a
puncture wound in my side and a stiff dick, no,” Mark replied with a leer.
Tara sat up
and pulled her jersey together. “I
don’t think this is gonna work up here.”
Mark opened
the center console and frowned. “I
don’t think this is gonna work at all,” he groaned. “I don’t have a condom.”
That was
enough to make Tara zip up for good.
“Guess that settles it. I’m not
in the mood for another trip to the clinic.”
Mark slammed
the console top down. “Damn!”
Tara leaned
over and stroked his face. “Calm down,
sweetie. You’ve been in a good mood all
night. Exceptionally good – like you’re
pumped about more than just the win today.”
Mark
remembered his decision and, even though he wanted to keep it to himself till
the end of the season, he felt confident telling Tara.
“Well, I’m
feeling a lot better about my future since I’ve made a decision.”
Tara sat up
with interest. “You did? What?”
“Soccer, what
else? I mean, I’ve played all my
life. I’m good at it. Not as good as Trev, but I think good enough
to be considered. I’m just gonna really
apply myself during this playoff run since that’s when the scouts come out
and…..”
Mark cut off
when he noticed Tara’s concerned face.
“What? You’re not happy for me?”
“Its not that
Mark,” she replied. “I want you to do
what makes you happy, but is soccer truly it?”
“Of course it
is! Why would I lie?”
“I’m not
saying your lying to me, Mark, but you may be lying to yourself,” Tara
reasoned. “Mark, since I’ve known you,
you’ve never once spoke about wanting to play pro. Yes, you love to play and you’re fab, but your enthusiasm ends
there. Trevor is different. You’ve told me that he’s been kicking a
soccer ball since he was probably old enough to walk and has dreamed of playing
pro for years. You just made this
decision suddenly. If its what you
really and truly want to do and you have a passion for it, then by all means, I
support you. But Mark…..don’t do it
because you think you have no other options and soccer is your last resort.”
Mark was
dumbfounded that Tara was able to see right through him. His mouth dropped open before he squeezed
his eyes shut and let his head fall back against the headrest.
“Crikey,” he
mumbled.
“Is that what
you were thinking, Mark?”
Mark blew out
a frustrated breath. “Tara, you don’t
understand. You know what you
want to do, I don’t.”
“Yet!”
Tara stresed. “You don’t know yet. Mark, not every kid knows what they want to
do after high school. I just happen to
like to draw and design clothes, so I’m gonna perfect that. You could apply to a local school if you want.”
“Its too late
for me to apply for the fall semester,” Mark said dejectedly. “Plus, even if I did go, what do I do?”
“Talk to the
guidance counselor at school. Talk to
your parents. Hell, I’ll help you come
up with something. Mark, I love you and
I want to see you happy. I just don’t
want you doing something because you think you’ve got no other choice.”
Mark turned
and looked at her, disbelieving how lucky he was to have such a wonderful,
understanding lass. Who loved him.
“I love you
too, Tara. I’ll…..think about it, but
I’m not ruling soccer out. Now…as for
other options…what do you suggest for this since we have no condom?”
Mark stressed
his question by taking Tara’s hand and placing it on his fly. She responded by squeezing him as she watched
the pleasure wash over his face. She
then had him unbuttoned and unzipped in a flash.
“I’m sure I
can come up with something,” she purred against his lips before her head dipped
down to make him forget about his troubles.
Chapter
81
A few days
later, Tyler took the opportunity to go visit his parents. He was surprised to find Abby and Joe there
as well. He found his mum and Abby
sitting on the deck off the kitchen enjoying tea on a warm afternoon.
“Aye you two,”
Tyler mused. “Talking about young
chaps?”
“Aye lad,”
Paige replied as her face lit up upon seeing her son. “What another nice surprise.
Abby and Joe just dropped over.
We’re enjoying this lovely weather while the other two hide out inside.”
Tyler
laughed. “Nothing ever changes. After all these years, you still find
yourselves at each other’s doorsteps.
Well, let me go in and say hello so you gals can talk dirty.”
“Thanks, we’d
hate to make you blush lad,” Abby said with a naughty tone.
Tyler went
inside and was aghast to find Joe and Sav sitting side by side in the family
room going through photo albums. They
both looked up when Tyler entered.
“Aye, look
what crept in,” Joe stated
Tyler looked
out the window and up at the sky.
“Looking for
something Ty?” Sav asked.
“Uh,
yeah. A raincloud, perhaps. You two, sitting in here all nice and civil,
especially next to each other, only means that we’re in for one hell of
a storm.”
“You know,
you’re not too old to have that smart mouth slapped,” Sav said.
Tyler took a
seat next to them and looked at the photo albums. They were pictures of when he, Scott and Grace were children over
the course of several years. There were
pictures from school, parties, graduation, their weddings and especially
pictures from the hospital when Mark, Trevor and Abby were born.
“What brought
on this trip down memory lane?”
“Well, the
fact that our children and grandchildren are so extrodinary is the only thing
we agree on, we decided to peruse the years,” Joe said.
They came upon
a picture of Chelsea lying in the hospital bed with a newborn Trevor in her
arms. Beside her was Scott and 9 year
old Stephanie.
“Wow, even at
9 Stephanie was photogenic,” Sav marveled.
“Scott was so
ecstatic that day,” Tyler reminisced.
“He missed out on the first 6 years of Stephanie’s life that when Trevor
was born, he didn’t know what to expect.”
“And you felt
the same exact thing when Mark came along two months later,” Joe reminded him.
Tyler grinned
with agreement. “Yeah, you’re
right. I mean, every man wants a son,
I’m sure. I just didn’t expect that
feeling to be so……damn, I still don’t have a word for it.”
“And you never
will,” Sav said. “I was speechless when
you and Scott were born.”
“Yet you found
a way to get over that affliction,” Joe joked.
“Sorry dad,”
Tyler laughed. “I saw that coming a
mile away.”
“That’s okay,”
Sav said, waving off Joe’s little dig.
“I’m just glad I’m alive to be made fun of.”
Sav looked at
Joe with sheepish eyes before Joe looked away.
“Okay, okay! Don’t get all smarmy
on me!”
Sav smirked
and turned the page. Tyler craned his
head to see what it was and the light left his eyes. It was a picture of him and the band from the last of the five
shows they did in California.
“Ha, remember
that night Ty,” Sav said. “That was the
night that the guy from that other band….what was his name, Jason I think…yeah,
he had your amp wires cut and then you found out that he was a closet
homosexual.”
“That was a
riot,” Joe agreed. “Remember, Ty?”
Tyler had put
his head down and rubbed his temples.
“Yeah…yeah, I remember,” he whispered.
“Whats wrong,
lad?” Sav asked.
Tyler looked
up and a mist of tears pricked his blue eyes.
“Its….its just that, after all these years, its hard to look at Mark and
Randy looking so……alive, especially when they’re dead. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever accept
it. To this day, I kick myself for not
going out with them that night.”
“Tyler, stop
it!” Sav scolded him. “If you went with
them, you could’ve been dead yourself or severely injured like Kevin was.”
“Maybe not,
dad,” Tyler retorted. “Maybe I would’ve
seen that drunk driver coming at them and warned them to get out of the
way. Maybe I would’ve driven home that
night and had better reflexes.
Maybe…..maybe….”
Tyler put his
head down again and shook it back and forth.
Joe put a hand on his shoulder.
“Tyler, don’t beat yourself up after all these years.”
“I’m not uncle
Joe, its…..its just…..its just that I never got to say goodbye. There was no closure. Going to the cemetary doesn’t satisfy
that. At least Kevin was with them that
night, even though he didn’t know they died until he woke from his coma. I just feel so…..guilty.”
“Don’t,” Sav
said. “You’re not to blame, Tyler. And, if they knew, I’m sure they’d feel the
same way. That’s how Joe and I feel
about Steve. Lord knows we tried
everything under the sun to help him, but he still killed himself anyway. We couldn’t help but think that there was something
else we could’ve done, but it didn’t matter.
We could’ve locked him behind bars, and he still would’ve found a way to
drink and destroy himself.”
“Yeah, but
Steve chose it, dad,” Tyler said. “Mark
and Randy didn’t choose to die.”
“I know lad,
but it was an accident, plain and simple.
Its hard, but we must move on and take solace in the fact that they’re
in a better place.”
Although his
father’s words made sense, it did nothing to assuage the heaviness that weighed
upon his heart for the last 24 years.
Chapter
82
That afternoon
at school, Mark and Trevor were at practice preparing for the first semi-final
game. As usual, Trevor was on top of
his game as he played with sharp precision at the goal. However, Mark was just the opposite.
He blamed his
poor performance on the fact that he hadn’t been feeling well the last two
days. His stomach was upset, he felt
feverish and he had a nagging pain in his right side, which he figured was from
the gear shift in his Jeep the other night when he and Tara were going at it.
He tried
fighting it off, thinking it was some 24 hour thing, but it still
persisted. It made him feel weak and
sluggish, and it showed at practice.
During a
timeout, Mark went over to the sidelines to sit down and take some deep breaths
to ward off a wave of nausea. Trevor
came over and slapped his back.
“Aye,
cous…..you alright?”
“Not if you
keep jarring me, I won’t be,” Mark gasped as he held his right side. “I’ve been sick to my stomach for a few days
and this pain in my side hurts like hell.
Tara and I were fooling around in my Jeep and I landed on the gear
shift. Probably bruised something
inside.”
“Maybe you
should go home and take something and rest,” Trevor said. “You don’t want to be sick for the first
semi-final.”
“I can’t go
home, Trev,” Mark stated. “I need to
stay. If I can’t play sick, then I
don’t deserve to play at all. I’m not
some sissy lad. Hell, you played with a
cold last month! Just give me a moment
and it’ll pass. I’ll be fine.”
“If you say
so,” Trevor said as he heard the coach call everyone in a circle.
“Okay, lads,
listen up,” the coach rallied.
“Ironically, our first opponant is Bootham, who we beat in the
championship last year. No doubt
they’re gonna be out for revenge. They
posted a slightly better record than us and they’re much sharper this year, so
we’ve got to be on our best if we want any chance of defending out title. I want you lads to go out on that field
like you own it! Like the champs that
you are and not give into any kind of intimidation, you got me?”
All the lads
shouted and high-fived each other in agreement as they got themselves pumped up
by their coache’s words. However, their
loud cheering drowned out the sound of Mark crying out in pain before he
collapsed to the ground.