before the game the players have to be
in bed by nine o’clock and they can’t risk getting caught. I hate the thought
of breaking the rules and getting caught but I also can’t resist Tate. The idea
of spending the night sleeping in his arms instead of over the phone is too
much to resist. I want to feel the warmth of his body pressed up against mine
as he pulls my back into his front and spoons around me. I want to feel him
kiss my hair and whisper, “Good Night” into my ear.
After school on Friday we all rush home, get our stuff and meet back at
the high school parking lot to board the bus. They are making us travel on
Friday night so they can be sure all the players are in bed early and then we
won’t have to travel the day of the game. Tate and I sit together on the bus
and have to endure some teasing from the older kids. Sometimes it’s hard being
the only freshmen on the team.
“We Don’t Have to Take our Clothes Off” is playing on the radio and some
of the senior boys take that as an opportunity to tease Tate.
“Hey, listen everybody it’s the little lover’s theme song!” Lots of kids
start laughing and Tate responds with a snide “Fuck off, asshole”.
“OOO, tough guy in front of the little lady? You better hope you’re that
tough on the field tomorrow and that you don’t get your head knocked off out
there.”
“Yeah, well do your fucking job out there and block for me instead of acting
like a fucking pussy and I’ll be fine” is Tate’s response that works well
because after that they all start laughing and high fiving him. Boys are so
weird. Meanwhile the girls are now telling the boys to leave me alone or they
won’t be taking their clothes off anytime soon for them.
We arrive at the hotel and Tate
has to go right to his room, they have to have their lights out in half an
hour. The cheerleaders are all meeting in the captains’ room; we don’t have a
curfew so we’re having a party.
Wendy and I go to our room to put our stuff away and get our uniforms
ready for the game before we head to Bridget and Lynnie’s room.
“Time to party, honey” is all she says as she leads me out of the room by
my hand and down the hall.
When we get to Bridget and Lynnie’s room they all jump on me, “Party”
they all yell and someone turns on the radio. “Nasty” by Janet Jackson starts
playing as the girls all start to dance.
The night goes by, “Let’s Go All The Way” comes on and Bridget asks me if
Tate and I have done it yet or if the guys on the bus were right. I tell her
that we have not and she persists with that line of questioning asking, “Well,
how far have you guys gone, I mean when I was a sophomore I didn’t let any boys
touch me but that’s just me, most of the other girls at least got to third
base.”
“No, it wasn’t that you didn’t let them touch you. It was because they
didn’t have to touch you, you were on your knees giving them all blow jobs so
they figured why bother?” one of the other girls says while smiling at Bridget.
“Oh, shut the fuck up” is her reply.
“Okay, seriously Brook, let us help you. I wish I had someone to talk to
before I did it, okay maybe not someone whose drunk and high but we’re all
you’ve got” Wendy says.
“Tate and I promised each other never to talk about sex stuff and what we
do with anyone; I don’t want to break my promise.”
Lynnie explains, “Don’t think that Tate won’t be running his mouth off as
soon as you let him have some. He agreed to that promise now because he has
nothing to tell but believe me once he has something to tell he’ll open his
mouth. Even the nicest ones do.”
I sigh and tell her that we made out but that’s all.
“Ok, time for sex ed. class” they all say in unison like one of our
cheers. They tell me everything they know and not just the stuff from our
actual sex ed. class,
Terri Reid
Justin Gowland
Dana Marie Bell
Celia Fremlin
Daisy Banks
Margaret Mahy
Heidi Ashworth
Anna Roberts
Alice Adams
Allison Brennan