Chapter 97

November 27, 2017

Dear Ms. Diary,

In Meka’s Suburban on the way to school, I broached a subject, saying, “After tomorrow and the completion of post-season squaring-away of soccer stuff, Coach’s staff will be able to go home after 7^th Bell.”

Before I could go further, Liya gasped and said, “Oh, god. Brit!”

Meka raised her head rapidly and looked in the rearview at me, saying, “What can we do? She doesn’t live all that far away. We could bring her to the house and hang out, then take her home after 5?”

“That would work if we can’t come up with something more interesting. I was thinking about how she took to stretching, warmups, and laps at practice. She seemed to like it. The Go6 has been talking about more-intense weight work once soccer season is done, as well as some conditioning work. Do you think she’d be interested in or, at least willing, to join us? We’ve been thinking of Wednesdays for the gym, and we could put together a daily program on other days – perhaps three a week – at the practice pitch to keep everyone’s wind up by doing stretches, warmups, and laps there.”

“I was looking forward to less-hectic school days but as we’ve been casually discussing for weeks, staying in shape through the winter would make it easier on us. At least, I’ve never been ready for all the running at the beginning of soccer season.”

“Beth,” Gracey said, “you and Rhee are right. We’ll be the seniors on the premier team, and it would be good to set an example. Remember Ann at the beginning of ... hell, each of the past two years? Laps and wind sprints didn’t faze her, presumably because she’d kept her wind up all winter.”

As there seemed to be no pushback, I said, “I’ll set Wednesdays up with Dad, but we need to broach this with Brit and Cera ... and, I guess, Brett today.”

“I’ll tell the seniors. I’m pretty sure Katie will be interested, as she’s mentioned the problem of staying in shape for premier soccer.”

“We’re going to instigate a stay-in-shape regimen on Wednesday and thought we’d invite you three to participate. We’re thinking about a gym day on Wednesdays for weight training and three other school days – probably Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – at the premier team’s practice pitch, where we’ll do stretches, warmups, laps, and maybe some other things to keep our wind up, like wind sprints. We’d do it right after school. Meka will...”

“Meka and Katie will be taking part,” Meka said as she approached with Katie, the two of them placing their trays on the table and causing us to, as Meka says, budge up. “Wow, I get to sit next to our favorite boy. If I start having palpitations, you’ll know why.”

“I guess I could do CPR and mouth-to-mouth for you if that happens.”

There was much laughing.

Meka extended her right arm, pulled Brett’s head toward him and kissed him on his left cheek.

Brett’s face showed shock and ... wonder, and he had no verbal response for quite some time, but finally managed to get his mouth to work.

“I’m not worthy, Goddess.”

“I’ve moved you into the Absolutely Definitely Consider category, so you’re getting close to being worthy. There’s almost certainly going to be heavy breathing in your phone some night.”

There was much laughing.

Brett grinned, but then his expression flattened to a more-serious mien as he slowly looked clockwise around the table at each of us. The moment seemed to impress itself upon each of us, as even Meka and Heather, our most irreverent two, waited to see what he would do.

“I want to thank you, Meka, and you Katie, Rhee, Brit, Heather, Cera, Liya, Beth, and Gracey. You’ve all helped me become much more comfortable with girls. I’ve very much enjoyed hanging with all of you here at our table ... and on the team. You’ve made my life very much more enjoyable than it was before September. Thanks.”

There was silence, until Meka – we were all waiting for Meka – responded, “You’re more than welcome. We’ve all greatly appreciated your presence here, showing us, particularly the freshman girls, that there are nice, respectful, funny, attractive boys, even though you’re something of a rare gem.”

“I agree with Meka completely,” added Brit, “as I have too much experience with your polar opposite. Thanks, Brett. In fact, if I may borrow from the seniors’ prerogative, Gracey, please kiss him on the cheek for me.”

Gracey did just that, then said, “Just so you know, you’re the first boy I’ve ever kissed. Although it wasn’t a boyfriend-type kiss, I can easily imagine kissing you like that if and when I’m ready for such.”

“Just so you know,” Brit said, “what Gracey said is true for me, too.”

“And for me,” Cera added.

“Wow! You’re quite the Lothario,” Katie remarked with a smile.

“If I remember correctly, there’s a fourth girl here whose first kiss was ... not with, but, I guess, on me.”

“That would be me,” I informed. “Of course, we were ... What, Brett? Seven?”

“Yeah, seven, at the end of first grade. You kissed my right cheek as we were leaving school.”

“You deserved it, getting that boy to stop pulling my hair. Oh, my god! That was Br ... Lord Bradley! I can’t believe you still remember that, and in such detail.”

“Are you kidding? Even back then you were the prettiest girl in class.”

My face heated, as did his. He had managed most of the banter without going red, though he did go a bit pink at times.

“You didn’t tell me that,” Rhee accused.

“It didn’t seem all that significant, although I will admit that it’s one of the reasons that I’ve been hoping Brett would emerge from his shell. He seems to be doing that quite nicely this year. Thanks for your quiet friendship-of sorts all these years, Brett.”

“No. Thank you. I’ve wanted to be a better friend to you for a long time. Then you began gathering a bunch of the other smart and pretty girls in class and you girls kept protecting the ... more vulnerable kids, kids like me.” He turned his head slightly to look at Rhee and added, “You decking that bully, Robert, in 7^th grade, provided the final straw that got me to ask my cousin Lana for help in ... being around girls. You may not be aware, but your action put a huge ... dent in the amount of bullying that went on in school for quite a while. You were one of the prettiest girls in school, so it would have taken a real fool to mess with you, yet you still made a positive impact. Many of the picked-on were in awe of you.”

Rhee’s face went through a few expressions rapidly, a bit of embarrassment and a slight smile, until she said, “I guess we didn’t really know about that, that we were having an impact, but we certainly were not going to let such crap pass when it happened right next to us. And thanks for the compliment.”

Discussion eventually got back on the proposed exercise regimen.

A little after it got restarted, Brit said, “How much of this is to give me something to do outside of home after school?”

There was silence as the rest of the Go5 looked at me, so I responded, “None of it, actually. However, you are the primary reason that I broached it with you three. We’ve been discussing the regimen off and on for weeks, but I have to admit that it dawned on me on the way to school today that this might be helpful for you. If you’re not interested, we’ll still do it, although we also want to keep you ... safe. You’re part of our lunch gang and of the team, and we’d do almost anything to help you if it’s within our power.”

Brit looked across the table at me for nearly half a minute, lowered her head, then lifted it.

“I’d never been interested in ... running and ... exercise, which shows, unfortunately.”

I began to open my mouth in response, but decided against it, as she was right, and platitudes were not going to help her.

“Thanks, Beth, for not arguing, as we all know I’m right.” She looked around the table quickly, then continued with, “I’m...” She inhaled a deep breath, released it, and said, “I’m interested.”

Both Rhee and Heather patted her on the back.

The gods conspired, apparently, to get Mom and me at the house with no one else home this afternoon. She had come home early, and Carol took the other girls to pick up Inez at the airport. The two of us were prepping for dinner.

“Mom, I’ve been thinking about something for a while, and...”

I found myself having difficulty articulating a question. After ten seconds or so of silence, Mom said, “Certainly you must know you can ask me anything, talk to me about anything. Beth, you and I have had sex with your father at the same time on multiple occasions. If you can manage that, is there really anything that you and I can’t discuss?”

I turned my head to look at her next to me at the island and nodded, then dropped what I was doing and hugged her.

As I stepped back to my task, I continued with, “That does help put it in perspective and provides an intro to the subject. Something’s been bugging me about, I guess, the public aspect of having sex with Dad. It just seems so ... focused on ... orgasms.”

When I turned my head back to her, she was looking at me with an expectant air. When I said nothing further, she nodded.