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===================
Thats good
newyearduck #482269
Games that I like to play
<a href=http://www.gamestotal.com/>Multiplayer Online
Games</a> <a href=http://www.gamestotal.com/>Strategy
Games</a><br><a
href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/>Unification Wars</a> -
<a href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/>Massive Multiplayer
Online Games</a><br><a
href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/>Galactic Conquest</a> -
<a href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/>Strategy
Games</a><br><a
href=http://www.stephenyong.com/runescape.htm>Runescap
e</a><br><a
href=http://www.stephenyong.com/kingsofchaos.htm>Kings
of chaos</a><br>
oldmudrat wrote:
> Orange County Babylon
>
> PART FOUR
> by
> Michael Dalton
>
>
>
>
> IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION
>
>
> If you have received this work in your e-mail box and do not know
> why, it is because your Internet service provider is forwarding posts
> from Usenet newsgroups to your account. It has *NOT* been e-mailed to
> you by the author. You must contact your ISP for help.
>
>
> This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons
> is unintentional and strictly coincidental. Although this story refers
> to many real places and organizations, such mention should not be taken
> to imply either a relationship or approval of any sort. This work
> contains explicit descriptions of sexual activity, and anyone offended
> by such things should read no further. If reception of this work is
> illegal due to your age or other repressive local regulations,
> liability for downloading it is your problem, not mine. This work is
> intended solely for the quiet and private enjoyment of adults, and any
> other use is a violation of the copyright.
>
>
> This work is Copyright 1998 by Michael...@aol.com and is
> protected by United States and other international copyright law.
> Reposting and archiving is permitted, except where a fee of any sort is
> required or earned for access, provided this disclaimer and note remain
> attached to the story. All other rights, specifically rights of
> commercial use, are reserved. Commercial use here is defined to
> include membership web sites, banner-funded web sites, and those
> protected by fee-based age validation methods (such as Adultcheck and
> Adultsights). However, exception is specifically made for web sites
> (such as DejaNews) that provide archiving and access to all Usenet
> posts in a particular group without editing or selection for content.
> No modifications may be made to this story without express permission
> from the author. Any questions regarding use of this work can be
> directed to the address above. Failure to contact the author prior to
> use is presumptive evidence of bad faith and may expose you to
> significant criminal and civil liability.
>
>
> AUTHOR'S NOTE
>
>
> This novel was first published in August, and has remained one of
> the most popular and most requested works I have written. From the
> vast amount of feedback I have gotten over it, I have been able to make
> some revisions and corrections that warranted a repost. This is still
> the same story, mind you--what I have changed were a number of factual
> and grammatical errors pointed out to me by my readers. In particular,
> I want to thank Neverless and Lee Vine for assistance in that regard.
>
>
> With eight or nine months of hindsight (I wrote the first draft
> of OCB in March), I have to say that I am not entirely happy with this
> thing. Among other problems, I think it starts too quickly and the
> behavior and personality of some of the characters in Part One are
> inconsistent with what occurs later. None of this appears to have
> dimmed the enthusiasm that has greeted the story, but it bears pointing
> out.
>
>
> If you haven't read this before, a few words of warning. This
> novel (and it *is* a novel--it runs to over 98,000 words) should not be
> taken too seriously. It is best described as a silly, sappy, high
> school soap opera. The protagonist has more good fortune and more wild
> experiences in one year than most people have in their entire lives. I
> don't just mean the sex, either. Although there is plenty of sex in
> this story, there are also long stretches of action where nothing
> remotely sexual occurs. This is because the story is supposed to be a
> full depiction of the protagonist's life, not simply a catalog of his
> sexual behavior. As in the real world, sexual activity has certain
> consequences, and that is what I have tried to accurately describe.
>
>
> The reader will note fairly quickly that this story appears to
> fall into one of the worst stereotypes of low-grade erotica: the
> football player and the cheerleaders. To this appearance, I freely
> confess--but there is a great deal else going on in here.
> Nevertheless, should you have a congenital allergy to football, you may
> want to skip this, as there is plenty of explicit sports to go with the
> explicit sex.
>
>
> Those of you familiar with Orange County, California, will note
> that I have taken certain liberties in my descriptions, particularly
> with the locations and athletic programs of area high schools. I did
> this solely out of laziness--I wasn't interested in researching the
> actual composition of the local high school football conferences.
>
>
> This work is, in many ways, a satire. The views expressed herein
> should not be taken as serious commentary on either the County of
> Orange, the Roman Catholic Church, or the United States Marine Corps.
> I make one exception to that disclaimer, however. My descriptions of
> the Orange County foster care system do not in any way resemble
> reality. The actual system is currently in very dire straits, and few,
> if any, children who go through it have experiences as easy and
> pleasant as the protagonist's. Sexual abuse of foster children is
> unfortunately not uncommon, and in real life, the consequences are far
> different from what I have described here.
>
>
> One last note: Please do NOT e-mail me for missing pieces. This
> is a very large file and mailing it is a pain. All the pieces of this
> story should be available in the ASSM archive, the address for which
> can be found in the header above.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> XVIII.
>
> Summer held his hand and leaned against his shoulder on the drive home.
>
> "I don't know if I've ever been happier than I am now."
>
> "Me neither."
>
> "I want so bad for this to work. I couldn't stand losing you or Becky."
>
> "I know."
>
> "It's different than it was in the beginning. It's different when it's
> someone you love."
>
> "Yeah."
>
> She was silent a moment. He pulled into her driveway.
>
> "Jack?"
>
> "Hmm?"
>
> "I know this may be a lot to ask . . . and I don't know how we could make
> this work, but . . ."
>
> "What?"
>
> "I want you to stop sleeping with Karen and Kisu. I don't know how to do
> it, but it hurts knowing you are. It really hurts knowing she might want
> you now, when you get home."
>
> He sighed. They had just resolved one problem, and here she was creating
> another. But she was right. He didn't know how he could go back to the
> other girls after this night with her and Becky.
>
> "I'll try. Think about it. I can't do this alone."
>
> "I know. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do."
>
> He thought for a moment.
>
> "I don't know about Karen, but there's a way with Kisu."
>
> "How?"
>
> "You've been to her house?"
>
> "Sure."
>
> "Do you know a way in?"
>
> "Yeah. They've got a spare key near the door in back, under a rock."
>
> "If we can figure out a way so her mom finds out about the pillow book, I
> bet she'll back off. She won't want to risk it again."
>
> "I know where her mom keeps it. She showed me once. You want me to go in
> and mess up her mom's closet? So she knows someone was in there?"
>
> "That could be a way."
>
> "Okay. I'll do it. Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of it."
>
> "I'm supposed to see her tomorrow."
>
> "Call her and tell her you can't. When she's at the library, I'll go over
> there."
>
> "I feel bad doing this to her. She may get in a lot of trouble."
>
> "It's the only way. I can share you with Becky, but not anyone else. Kisu
> doesn't love you. Neither does Karen. Becky and I do."
>
> "I know."
>
> "Should we tell Becky?"
>
> "I will. She needs to know so she can be prepared."
>
> "All right. Let's do it, then."
>
> She leaned up and kissed him.
>
> "I love you."
>
> "I love you, too."
>
> He kissed her again, and then walked her to the door. On his walk home, he
> thought of what they were about to start.
>
> It might work. Maybe.
>
> The next morning, Jack had his usual attack of guilt. He felt better
> knowing they were trying to end it, but then felt worse thinking about how
> they were going to do it. He dealt with it the only way he could,
> flagellating himself during Confession.
>
> Father Roberts had gotten used to it.
>
> "Jack, God loves an honest man, but you shouldn't be so hard on yourself.
> Humility is a virtue, to be sure, but it can be taken too far."
>
> "I know, Father. I'm sorry."
>
> "You have more strength of character than any of the other students in your
> class. I want you to know I gave you the best recommendation I could for
> the Academy. I think you'll make a fine officer. Your father would be very
> proud of you."
>
> He struggled with himself for a moment.
>
> "Thank you, Father."
>
> "All right, one Our Father and three Hail Marys, and remember what I said
> about not overdoing it."
>
> "Yes, Father."
>
> When he got home, he called Kisu.
>
> "Hello?" It sounded like her mother.
>
> "Can I speak to Kisu, please?"
>
> "Who is calling, please?"
>
> "Um, Jack O'Leary, ma'am. I'm a classmate of hers."
>
> "Why do you want to speak to her?"
>
> "It's about the homework for Monday. We have English class together."
>
> There was a moment of silence.
>
> "All right. Just a moment."
>
> Kisu came on the line a moment later.
>
> "Jack?"
>
> "Hi."
>
> "Hi. What's up?"
>
> "I don't think we can get together today. I was out kind of late last night
> and I have some stuff to do today around the house. I'm sorry."
>
> "Oh, that's okay. No problem."
>
> "Your mom thinks I'm calling about the English homework. Is she standing
> there?"
>
> "Yes. Let me go upstairs and check. Hold on."
>
> She put the phone down and returned a minute later.
>
> "We're supposed to read Chapters 10-15. We might have a quiz on it."
>
> "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."
>
> "Bye."
>
> Summer drove by Kisu's house at three. No one seemed to be home. Both cars
> were gone. She parked down the block and walked casually up to the house as
> if she were visiting. If Kisu were home, she would just claim to have
> dropped by to hang out. She had done it a few times in the past. No one
> answered when she knocked on the back door. She pulled a pair of white
> cotton gloves she sometimes wore to Mass out of her jeans and put them on.
> Glancing around, she got the spare key from under the rock and let herself
> in.
>
> Knowing she had just committed a felony, she tried to work quickly. She
> never got tired of looking around Kisu's house at all of the Asian art and
> furnishings they had, but now was not the time for gawking. Kisu's parents'
> room was upstairs in the back of the house, and she found her way to Kisu's
> mother's closet. The pillow book was on a closet shelf, inside a shoebox
> behind several jewelry boxes and other items. Summer reached in, pulling
> the book out until just the edge of it was peeking out from under the lid.
> Not too much--just enough to make it look like someone had been reading it,
> then shoved it quickly back in the box while on the verge of discovery.
> That would have to do.
>
> She felt bad doing this to Kisu, but what choice did she have? Jack
> belonged to her, her and Becky. Kisu would get over it.
>
> She left the house quickly, locking up behind her and returning the key to
> its hiding place. She removed her gloves and returned to her car as if she
> had been unable to find her friend. She drove home, heart pounding in her
> chest.
>
> Karen stuck her head into Jack's room.
>
> "You're not going to see Kisu?"
>
> "I'm not in the mood. I had some stuff to do."
>
> "Oh, well. More for me tonight, then."
>
> At dinnertime, Jack professed to be feeling sick. Marcia felt his forehead,
> then his cheek.
>
> "I just feel sick to my stomach."
>
> "It might be something you ate. Why don't you go lie down?"
>
> He went back up to his room. Marcia entered a while later with some chicken
> noodle soup and toast.
>
> "This should help your stomach."
>
> Then she gave him some Pepto-Bismol. When she was gone, he ate, and went
> back to studying.
>
> As he expected, Karen appeared in his room that night.
>
> "Do you still feel sick?"
>
> "Yeah. Sorry."
>
> "Darn. I was horny. Oh well, I hope you feel better."
>
> "Thanks."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> XIX.
>
> Monday morning before English class, when Kisu entered the room, he could
> tell right away that something was wrong. She gave him a weary smile, but
> otherwise avoided his gaze. He saw Becky glancing at him, and realized she
> had seen it too.
>
> After class, Kisu followed him out of the room.
>
> "We have a little problem."
>
> "What?"
>
> "My mom found out I've been reading that book. I don't know how, but she
> did."
>
> He tried to act shocked.
>
> "Oh, boy."
>
> "Yeah. She went completely postal. She even wanted to take me to the doctor
> to see if I was still a virgin."
>
> "Uh-oh."
>
> "My dad talked her out of it, thank God, but I'm still in deep shit. She
> was giving me the third degree about why you called yesterday. I'm actually
> glad I didn't see you. It would have been harder to lie."
>
> "Yeah."
>
> "Anyway, I'm grounded for the foreseeable future. So I think we have to
> cool it for a while. Just to let my mom calm down. I'm sorry."
>
> "It's okay. I understand."
>
> "Thanks. But the other girls should keep you company enough."
>
> She smiled at him and walked off. Becky came up behind him a moment later.
>
> "So?"
>
> "It worked."
>
> "God. I feel so bad doing that to her."
>
> "She seemed okay. I guess she's used to her mom acting like that."
>
> "I hope so. I hate doing stuff like this, even if it is for a good reason."
>
> "She's not the problem. Karen will be."
>
> "I know."
>
> He found Summer after lunch.
>
> "So it worked?"
>
> "Yeah. Easier than I thought it would be."
>
> She sighed.
>
> "I hope to God she never finds out. She'd never forgive me."
>
> "I don't see how she could find out."
>
> "Okay. What next?"
>
> "I feigned being sick with Karen last night, but I can't put her off
> forever. And if we do anything this soon after Kisu, she'll get
> suspicious."
>
> "I know. It's okay."
>
> "Besides which, I don't have a clue what to do."
>
> "Me neither."
>
> "I'll try to think of something."
>
> She looked at him sadly.
>
> "Me too. And do what you have to. Just think of me when you're doing it. Me
> or Becky. Then it's not so bad."
>
> "Okay."
>
> She kissed him on the cheek and went off to class.
>
> He tried thinking about Summer and Becky that night, but it was hard. Karen
> just felt too different.
>
> "Can you believe what happened to Kisu?" she asked afterward.
>
> "Yeah. It was bound to happen eventually."
>
> "I don't know. She's usually pretty smart. She told me she didn't know how
> her mom figured it out."
>
> "She must have done something to disturb her mom's closet. Something that
> tipped her off."
>
> "I guess so. Well, you'll have to make do with what she taught you
> already."
>
> She rolled over, propping her head up on her hand, smiling at him.
>
> "Do you love Summer?"
>
> He froze, not sure what to say.
>
> "Why?"
>
> "Because I'm asking. Do you?"
>
> "Does it matter?"
>
> "Answer me. Although I think I know the answer now."
>
> He sighed.
>
> "Yes."
>
> "And Becky?"
>
> "Yes."
>
> "I know you don't much care about Kisu or Corinne or Michelle. What about
> me?"
>
> He was momentarily at a loss for words, and it was a moment too long.
> Seeing his reaction, Karen's face dropped, and she rolled back onto the
> bed, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling.
>
> "Karen--"
>
> "Don't."
>
> A second later she threw back the covers and grabbed her pajamas off the
> floor. Not looking at him, she jerked them on, and stalked back to her
> room. He lay there in a daze. What the hell had just happened?
>
> Karen ran back to her room and threw herself into bed. She held back the
> tears until she got under the covers, but then the dam burst, and she
> sobbed into her pillow. She cried like she hadn't cried in years--seven
> years, to be exact. Only one other event in her life had caused her to cry
> as she did now, and she felt her heart breaking all over again, just as it
> had all those years ago.
>
> Kelly heard her, and had an idea about what was up. She wondered why it had
> taken this long.
>
> Karen completely ignored him the next morning, leaving for school on her
> own before he did. Her eyes were red and it didn't look like she had slept
> too well.
>
> When she heard the door shut, Marcia turned to Jack.
>
> "Was that Karen?"
>
> "Yes, ma'am."
>
> She glanced out the kitchen window.
>
> "Why would she leave by herself?"
>
> "I don't know."
>
> She screwed up her face in concern.
>
> "Hmm."
>
> Karen favored him with only a few glares through the rest of the day and
> otherwise refused to speak to him.
>
> "What's up with Karen?" Summer asked that afternoon. "Did something
> happen?"
>
> He wasn't ready to explain the previous night, not sure himself what had
> happened.
>
> "I don't know."
>
> Karen was shut up in her room when he got back from football practice. She
> didn't come down until dinnertime. When she did, she glared at Jack once
> and then ignored him.
>
> "How was football today, Jack?" Marcia asked.
>
> "Fine, ma'am. We're playing Newport Harbor this weekend. It's going to be a
> very tough game. They're the defending conference champions. We're tied for
> first place with them."
>
> "How exciting. Sacred Heart lost to them last year, didn't they, Karen?"
>
> Karen shrugged but said nothing. Marcia stared at her in displeasure for a
> moment.
>
> "Well, I think they did. I bet you must be excited."
>
> "I am."
>
> "Are you going to score another touchdown?" Kelly asked.
>
> "Probably not. It's pretty unusual."
>
> "I liked it when you scored last week. Everyone was cheering."
>
> "They were, Jack," Marcia said. "Summer most of all, from what I saw."
>
> "She was only cheering because she knew it got her more votes for
> Homecoming Queen," Karen said.
>
> Marcia gasped.
>
> "Karen! That's a horrible thing to say. Apologize this instant."
>
> "I'm sorry," she sneered.
>
> Marcia slammed her hands down on the table.
>
> "That's it. If you can't be civil at this table, you're not going to eat
> with us. Get up to your room now."
>
> Karen shoved her chair away from the table and marched up to her room. Jack
> heard her door slam.
>
> "Honestly. I don't know what is with her today."
>
> Kelly giggled, obviously thrilled at seeing her big sister in trouble.
> Marcia pointed her finger at her.
>
> "Quiet. This isn't funny."
>
> After dinner, Jack went up to his room to study, but Marcia was waiting at
> the top of the stairs. She motioned for him to come into her room. He did,
> and she shut the door. She had him sit in the chair by her bed, and she sat
> on the end of the mattress.
>
> "Jack, I'm sure you've noticed how Karen has been behaving. I want to tell
> you a few things so you'll understand."
>
> "Okay."
>
> "Karen was very close to her father. She really was Daddy's Little Girl, so
> much so that Kelly sometimes got jealous. She was only ten when he died,
> and I don't think she's ever completely adjusted to it. She used to be a
> very vivacious and outgoing child. Since her father died, she's withdrawn
> into this shell. She keeps everyone at a distance, I think because she's
> afraid of getting hurt again. She has these episodes of nastiness every now
> and then, no matter how much I yell at her to behave. She pretends to be
> very tough and mature, but I know deep inside there's a very hurt little
> girl who still misses her father. Kelly has dealt with it much better than
> she has.
>
> "The reason I'm telling you this is because I think you may be
> unintentionally making the situation worse."
>
> He started.
>
> "I am?"
>
> "Relax. You're not doing anything wrong. It really isn't anything you can
> control. It's just that you're very much like my husband. We met when he
> was a second-year midshipman at Annapolis, and I was a senior in high
> school. He was only a year or two older than you are now, and I can't tell
> you how much you remind me of him. The same drive and ambition, the same
> commitment to doing what's right. How polite you are, and how you care so
> much about people's feelings. It startles me sometimes."
>
> "Really?"
>
> "Yes. So much so that it makes me a little sad every now and then. So I
> know that Karen is going through the same thing, even if she doesn't
> realize it. I'm sure you remind her of her father, and it's dragging up all
> these feelings she's never really dealt with. And I hate to say this, but I
> think she may be jealous of your relationship with Summer. Not in a
> romantic way necessarily, but how it takes some of your attention away from
> her. She really does like you, even if she doesn't know how to show it. I
> know her well enough to know that."
>
> "Wow."
>
> "I'm sorry to dump all this on you at once, but I thought you should
> understand. Karen isn't a bad person. She's just been hurt very badly."
>
> "Okay."
>
> She got up and kissed him on the cheek.
>
> "You're released. Go study."
>
> Karen didn't come into his room that night, but it took him a long time to
> get to sleep anyway.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> XX.
>
> Of the six girls on the cheerleading squad, Corinne and Michelle were the
> only ones who had known before the Spring Cheerleading Overnight that one
> or more of the other members might be into girls-- specifically, each
> other. They had become good friends about a year before, and bit by bit,
> began to suspect that they, rather than any boy, were the one they wanted
> to be with. Though no one else knew it, they had actually been sleeping
> together for several months before the Overnight.
>
> Oftentimes, when they got an itch for each other, they would tell their
> parents they were going over to each other's houses to study, when in fact
> they drove to a nearby park to make out in Corinne's car.
>
> Wednesday night was one of those nights. After coordinating their stories,
> Corinne went down to her car to go pick up Michelle.
>
> Joe Dickson's obsession with Corinne's breasts had not come about by
> accident. He and Corinne had grown up across the street from each other,
> although they had never been particularly good friends. They had been less
> friendly as her chest developed and Joe began obsessing over it. Corinne
> wasn't stupid, and she knew when people were staring at her breasts. Like
> most large-busted girls, she was quite self- conscious about it. Joe made
> no secret about his desires--the locker room was hardly the only place he
> talked about her--and that poisoned any chance he had with, even had she
> not been a lesbian.
>
> Joe spent many nights staring out his window, trying to get a glimpse of
> Corinne across the street. Not once was she ever careless enough to undress
> with the blinds open--she suspected Joe might be watching--but now and
> then, though she was unaware of it, she managed to backlight herself,
> throwing her voluptuous silhouette against the window shade. Joe noticed it
> one night, and thereafter rarely missed a chance to spy on her. He became
> very sensitive to her comings and goings, lest he miss a chance to see her.
>
> He was on the phone with Randy when he saw her going down to her car.
>
> "Huh. Corinne is going somewhere."
>
> "Now?"
>
> "Yeah. I wonder where."
>
> "Maybe over to Michelle's."
>
> "Oh, shit. You think so?"
>
> "Where would she be going on a Wednesday night?"
>
> "I don't know. Sometimes I see her going out like this at night. Not any
> particular day, though."
>
> "Oh, man. I bet she is."
>
> "Should I follow her?"
>
> "You got anything else to do?"
>
> "No."
>
> "Then, go, man. You got everything together like we talked about?"
>
> "Yeah. I'd just have to grab my dad's camcorder."
>
> "Then do it before she gets away."
>
> "Okay. Bye."
>
> He hung up and grabbed a black sweatshirt out of his closet. He pulled it
> on rapidly, then grabbed a black ski cap that was next to it. He shoved it
> in his back pocket and went down to the den. He got the camcorder and set
> it by the back door. Then he found his father.
>
> "Dad? Can I borrow the car? I'm going over to Randy's."
>
> "Sure. Don't be out late, though. It's a school night."
>
> "I know."
>
> He grabbed the car keys from the kitchen and then got the camcorder. He
> backed rapidly out into the street and drove off. Corinne was gone, but if
> she was heading to Michelle's, he should be able to catch her. He knew
> where Michelle lived, having been there once while double-dating with
> another guy on the team who had dated her briefly.
>
> He pulled around the corner to Michelle's house. Still not really believing
> this could be happening, he saw Corinne's car pulling away. As they passed,
> he saw that Michelle was in the passenger seat, and he ducked down lest
> they see him. It was true!
>
> He spun around in the cul-de-sac at the end of the street and followed
> them. He kept his distance, quickly thinking he knew where they were going.
> They got to the bottom of the hill, and sure enough, turned into the big
> park behind the shopping center. He shut off his lights and pulled in,
> parking as far away from them as he could. Feeling like a character in a
> movie, he pulled on his ski mask and called Randy on his father's car
> phone.
>
> "They're here, man! They're here!"
>
> "Where?"
>
> "The park behind Pacific Park shopping center. They parked way over in a
> dark corner by some trees. I'm parked at the other end."
>
> "Oh, shit, I knew it! Are you filming them?"
>
> "Not yet. Get your butt over here."
>
> "I'm there. Get over and start. I'll find you."
>
> Joe hung up and slipped out of the car with the camcorder. Very carefully,
> he worked his way around the park, trying to get up behind the cluster of
> trees they had parked next to. He got about as close as he dared, about
> thirty feet away behind a trash can. Still in a daze that this was actually
> happening, he could see that the two girls were locked in a serious grope.
> He realized as his eyes got used to the light that both of them were, at
> the very least, topless.
>
> Finally, after all his years of work, he got a good look at Corinne's naked
> breasts. She was sitting on Michelle's lap, and Michelle was sucking on
> Corinne's nipples. Hands shaking and dick stiff, he turned on the
> camcorder. No matter what he and Randy did with this tape, this was
> beat-off material for the ages.
>
> He watched for about five minutes as they kissed and fondled each other.
> Then he saw Randy sneaking across the park toward him. Randy was too big to
> hide, and Joe waved his arm at him violently to get down. Randy dropped to
> the ground and crawled the rest of the way.
>
> He got up next to Joe about a minute later and looked toward the car.
>
> "Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! They're doing it!"
>
> Joe smacked him.
>
> "Shh! They'll fucking hear you."
>
> "Give me that thing."
>
> Joe handed him the camera. Randy fiddled with the controls a second.
>
> "Leave it alone. It's already zoomed in."
>
> A moment later, Joe realized Corinne had dropped out of sight. From
> Michelle's behavior, it was obvious what she was doing.
>
> "Did you get that?"
>
> "Oh, God, yes. She went straight down on her."
>
> From then on, there wasn't much to see beyond Michelle's slow writhing
> around. A few minutes later, Corinne rose back into view and kissed her.
> They embraced, kissing deeply. Then they switched positions, and Michelle
> dropped to the floor.
>
> "Oh, Jesus, oh Jesus," Randy said. "I wish we could get closer."
>
> "Don't fucking move. They'd see you."
>
> "Then you do it."
>
> "No."
>
> "Sneak around behind the car. Just stick the camera up to the window.
> They're too busy to notice."
>
> Joe fidgeted. He was terrified of being discovered, but he also desperately
> wanted to see what they were doing.
>
> Randy nudged him, handing him the camera.
>
> "Come on, just do it."
>
> Joe took the camera, crawling around behind the trees, then behind the car.
> Heart thumping in his chest, he twisted the viewscreen down so he could see
> where he was aiming. Very slowly and carefully, he moved around to the
> driver's side window and held the camera up to the very edge of the lower
> corner.
>
> On the screen, he could see them. Both were naked. Michelle's head was
> buried between Corinne's thighs, and Corinne was holding her breasts,
> playing with her nipples. Neither of them seemed to notice the camera. He
> zoomed in on Michelle, not getting much of a view because of the low light,
> but he could see her tongue moving around. He moved up, getting a close-up
> of those breasts he had long lusted after. At that point, his courage
> failed, and he pulled down the camera. As carefully as he could, he
> returned to where Randy was hidden.
>
> "Did you get them?"
>
> "Yes, oh, God, I got a fucking close-up. Michelle with her face right in
> Corinne's snatch."
>
> Randy fought his desire to squeal in delight, pounding the dirt beside him.
> Joe repositioned the camera, watching the end of the encounter. Michelle
> reappeared, kissing Corinne. A few minutes later, they dressed and drove
> home.
>
> When they were out of sight, the two boys exploded in laughter, rolling
> around on the ground for a good five minutes at what they had done.
>
> "Fuck, man," Randy said when they had recovered. "What do we do now?"
>
> "I don't know."
>
> "Ten kinds of shit will hit the fan if this gets out."
>
> "I still can't believe it. Two of the cheerleaders getting it on in a car."
>
> "I know. Back the tape up and let me see what happened before I got here."
>
> Joe rewound the tape and started it from the beginning. Randy watched,
> moaning in amazement.
>
> "I'm wondering if we can really tell anyone," Joe said.
>
> "I know. They'd know we were spying on them. How could we explain being
> down here like this with a camera? It would look like we were stalking them
> or something."
>
> "Well, we were."
>
> Randy laughed.
>
> "Yeah. Let's just wait and see. Maybe they'll come out of the closet at the
> Prom."
>
> "I don't know if I can sit on this for six months."
>
> "Me neither."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> XXI.
>
> Thursday morning Becky and Summer grabbed Jack during their free period.
> They sat down in a quiet corner of the quad.
>
> "Okay," Summer said, "what the hell is going on with Karen? Something must
> have happened."
>
> "She's stopped speaking to both of us. I haven't seen her in lunch since
> Monday. I don't think she's even eating lunch."
>
> Jack sighed.
>
> "I'm not sure what it is."
>
> Becky cocked her eyebrows at him.
>
> "But something did happen?"
>
> "Sort of."
>
> "What?" Summer asked.
>
> "Monday night, we were in bed together." He watched for the hurt in their
> eyes, and it came. He looked away. "We were talking about Kisu, and all of
> a sudden, she asks, 'Do you love Summer?'"
>
> "Oh, no," Summer said.
>
> "Yeah. I didn't know what to tell her, but she insisted I answer her. So I
> said 'yes.' Then she says 'And Becky?' I said 'yes' again. Then she says,
> 'I know you don't care about Kisu, Corinne, and Michelle. What about me?'"
>
> "What did you say?" Becky asked.
>
> "I didn't know what to say. Then she just jumped out of bed and ran back to
> her room. She hasn't said a word to me since then, except for a nasty
> remark she made about you at dinner the other night."
>
> "What was it?" Summer asked.
>
> "Something about your only caring about my scoring on Friday because it got
> votes for you."
>
> Becky leaned back, breathing heavily.
>
> "Oh, my God."
>
> Summer looked back and forth between him and Becky, forehead creased in
> distress.
>
> "This is bad."
>
> Jack looked at then in confusion.
>
> "What?"
>
> Becky's eyes widened, and she punched him in the arm.
>
> "Don't you see? Karen is in love with you. I admit she's hidden it pretty
> well, but here she finally opens up to you and you blow her off."
>
> "I didn't blow her off."
>
> "Yes, you did. You tell her you love me and Summer, and when she asks about
> her, you go, 'Uh.' You might as well have stabbed her through the heart."
>
> Summer put her hand to her forehead.
>
> "What are we going to do?"
>
> "What can we do?" Becky asked. "It's not like we can make her stop loving
> him."
>
> Summer looked hard at Jack.
>
> "Do you love her?"
>
> Becky stared at him as well. He would have given anything to be a million
> miles away at that moment. He had no idea what the right answer would be.
> He closed his eyes. The truth was probably the best.
>
> "I don't know."
>
> Becky pulled his head up.
>
> "Look at me. I know we put you in this position, so we're to blame for it.
> We'll figure out what to do with Karen. You have to figure out what's going
> on inside your head."
>
> Summer took his hand.
>
> "Jack, you know we love you."
>
> "Yeah."
>
> "Things like this may hurt, but they don't change how we feel about you."
>
> "Yeah," Becky said. "We still love you no matter what happens with Karen."
>
> "Okay."
>
> "Just stay out of her way. We'll handle this."
>
> Jack was so distracted during football practice that the coach finally
> pulled him aside.
>
> "Jack, what's the problem? We've got to have you at 100%. This is the
> biggest game of the season."
>
> "I'm sorry, coach. I was sick earlier this week."
>
> "With what? The flu?"
>
> "No, something I ate just didn't agree with me." In the back of Jack's
> mind, he suddenly thought how accurate that statement was, although not the
> way the coach understood it.
>
> "Well, let's get it in gear. I can't have you playing like this on Friday."
>
> "I will, coach."
>
> "All right. Get back to work."
>
> Jack had Biology with Kisu, and she was usually his lab partner (they had
> often joked in private how apt that was). The next day, while they were
> dissecting a fetal pig, she leaned over and whispered to him.
>
> "Karen is pissed at you, huh?"
>
> "Yeah."
>
> "I noticed. I knew this was going to happen sooner or later."
>
> "You did?"
>
> She snorted.
>
> "I swear, guys are so clueless. You realize she's nuts about you, however
> she acts?"
>
> "I don't know."
>
> "Trust me. She'd walk over hot coals for you if you asked her to."
>
> "Huh."
>
> "I realize she gets very witchy at times, but believe me, she loves you."
>
> "Okay. I'm sorry what happened with your mom. I kind of miss studying with
> you."
>
> She tried not to grin too hard, and looked away.
>
> "It's cool. Don't worry about it."
>
> She didn't want to hurt Jack's feelings, so she didn't say anything else.
> The truth was, she had been about to call things off when her mother
> discovered the thing with the pillow book.
>
> Two weeks before that incident, Kisu's period had been four days late, and
> she nearly had a heart attack thinking she was pregnant. It had been, of
> course, an enormous relief when she found out she wasn't, but it had made
> her realize what a risk she was taking. She had her own ambitions for her
> life, no matter what her mother harped about, and getting pregnant was the
> last thing she needed. Kisu had also begun to realize what was going on
> between Jack and the three other girls, and she thought it was probably
> time to ease herself out of the picture. She liked Jack, they were good
> friends, and she had enjoyed their afternoons together, but that was really
> as far as it was ever likely to go. Her mother's spaz attack had simply
> given her a good excuse to end it.
>
> She watched him picking at the miniature pig in front of them and shook her
> head. If he could just get a clue about Karen, everything would be fine.
>
> Karen was her usual silent self that night, and disappeared into her room
> after dinner. Marcia seemed to accept it, thinking it was just a phase.
>
> "Jack, would you mind helping Kelly with her homework tonight?" she asked
> while he was doing the dishes.
>
> "Sure."
>
> "I got a call from her teacher. She's having trouble in Math."
>
> "Okay."
>
> "Thanks."
>
> Jack had never given much thought to Kelly, what with all the other
> concerns he had to deal with. They were friendly to some extent, but he
> didn't spend a lot of time with her. She tended to play the baby of the
> family, although she would be fifteen in March. He sensed a certain amount
> of rivalry between her and Karen, and Kelly seemed to go out of her way to
> be the things Karen wasn't. Where Karen was serious and sharp-tongued,
> Kelly was impetuous and giggly. She didn't much like to be serious about
> anything, so he wasn't surprised that she was having some trouble with
> school.
>
> Kelly appeared in his room around eight.
>
> "Hi."
>
> She wore only a T-shirt and boxer shorts, and carried her books with her.
>
> "So what's the problem?"
>
> "Algebra. I hate it."
>
> "So did I. But it's not that difficult once you get used to it."
>
> Kelly pulled in a chair and sat next to him at his desk. For two hours,
> they worked over her Math homework.
>
> Then Kelly leaned back to stretch, arching her back. Jack suddenly realized
> that she was no longer the prepubescent girl he had seen with Karen that
> August. Though he hadn't been paying attention, she had started to develop
> that fall. Her breasts, if anything, were slightly bigger than Karen's, and
> she wasn't wearing a bra under her T- shirt. He looked away in
> embarrassment at having noticed.
>
> Kelly didn't seem to have seen him looking, and she flipped her long hair
> around behind her back. He didn't think she had gotten a haircut that Fall,
> because her hair was even longer now, almost down to her lower back.
>
> "Is this making any more sense now?" he asked.
>
> "A little. I really appreciate all this help."
>
> "No problem."
>
> She smiled at him.
>
> "I know why Karen is mad at you."
>
> His blood went to ice in a split-second.
>
> "What do you mean?"
>
> "She thinks I don't know about all the times she comes in here at night,
> but I do."
>
> "It's not what you think," he spluttered.
>
> Kelly glanced at the bathroom door.
>
> "Really? What do I think it is?"
>
> "I don't know."
>
> She giggled.
>
> "Don't worry. I won't tell Mom. But I know Karen is jealous of you and
> Summer. I hear you guys talking. Sometimes I sneak into the bathroom and
> listen."
>
> "Oh, God."
>
> Kelly laughed again and lowered her voice.
>
> "Do you know she was crying the other night?"
>
> "She was?"
>
> "Yeah. For like twenty minutes after she came back to bed. She almost never
> cries, too. Did you guys have a fight or something?"
>
> "Something like that."
>
> She looked at him a second.
>
> "So you really do have something going with both of them? Karen and
> Summer?"
>
> "It's not like that."
>
> "But she is jealous of Summer. I can tell that much."
>
> "Yeah."
>
> She narrowed her eyes.
>
> "There's something you aren't telling me. I can tell when people aren't
> being straight with me. Everyone says I always know when they're lying."
>
> Jack leaned back, sighing, and rubbed his temples.
>
> "Kelly, do you believe in God?"
>
> She sat back in her chair, startled.
>
> "Of course."
>
> "Do you believe in the sanctity of Confession?"
>
> Her eyes got wide.
>
> "Yeah. It's between you and God, right? The priest is only like a conduit,
> or that's what Sister Catherine tells us."
>
> "But without the priest, you can't make that contact with God."
>
> "Well, I don't know. I've never understood that. Doesn't God know
> everything anyway?"
>
> "He does. But I think He wants us to go through the ritual, as a way of
> demonstrating our commitment to Him."
>
> "I guess. What does that have to do with Karen?"
>
> "I can't tell you this unless you swear before God you won't tell anyone.
> You have to treat it like Confession. I haven't told Father Roberts about
> this. I've been taking Communion without being absolved. But I have to tell
> someone, someone who isn't involved in this. But I can only do it if I can
> confess to you like I should have to Father Roberts."
>
> Kelly's face had gone white.
>
> "But I'm not a priest."
>
> "If you can promise me to treat it like Confession, I think God would
> understand just this once."
>
> "Did you kill someone?"
>
> "No. It's not like that. But it's serious."
>
> She seemed to shrink in the chair, reverting to the young girl he had met
> that summer.
>
> "Okay." Her voice was very faint. "I promise."
>
> So he told her everything, almost every detail, keeping his voice as low as
> possible. He watched her eyes getting like dinner plates, watched her
> running her hands through her hair, breathing heavily. Yet as his story
> went on, she settled down, getting more and more into it. When he finished,
> she was almost smiling.
>
> "I knew it. Well, not knew exactly, but I knew something was up. I could
> hear stuff sometimes, things that sounded like you guys were doing it, but
> I couldn't believe it could really be happening."
>
> "It was."
>
> "Wow."
>
> She stared at the wall.
>
> "And now you think Karen might tell everyone, because she loves you and you
> don't love her?"
>
> "I didn't say I didn't."
>
> "Well, she sure as hell loves you. I could tell that much from how she was
> crying. At first, I thought she was laughing about something, but then I
> realized what it was. I can't remember the last time I heard her really
> cry. Not since our dad died."
>
> "Your mom thinks it's because I remind her of your dad."
>
> "Really?" She stared at him a moment, then looked away. "I was only seven
> then. You do sort of look like him. Or what I can remember. I know Karen
> was his favorite."
>
> She looked down at the floor sadly. Jack put a hand on her shoulder to
> comfort her before he knew he was doing it.
>
> "I don't think that's what it was. Parents don't always think about the
> things they do. I know he loved you as much as he loved her. If he was
> anything like my father, I know he did."
>
> She leaned into him, and he hugged her.
>
> "It's okay. I just miss him."
>
> She lay against his chest for a minute or two.
>
> "I used to sit in his lap like this sometimes. I remember when he died. One
> of the guys from the air base came to the door and Mom started shrieking
> and screaming. Karen and I started crying. We didn't even know what was
> going on, just that Mom was really upset. Then she told us. The chaplain
> was there. He spent the night on the couch. Karen and I slept with Mom, and
> she cried all night long. She held us so tightly she left marks on my arm.
> I cried every day for a month, I think. But Karen just went into this box.
> She hasn't been very nice to anyone since then. So maybe Mom is right."
>
> There was a knock on the door, and Marcia peeked in.
>
> "How's it going?" Then she saw Kelly in Jack's arms, and her eyebrows went
> up slightly.
>
> Kelly leaned back away from him.
>
> "We were just talking about Dad."
>
> Marcia's face melted, and she came over to hug Kelly.
>
> "Oh, honey, it's all right. I still miss him too."
>
> "I know. It's okay."
>
> Marcia reached out and hugged Jack to them as well.
>
> "How is the math coming?"
>
> "Good. Jack really helped me."
>
> "All right, don't keep him up too late."
>
> "I won't."
>
> Marcia hugged Jack again.
>
> "Are you okay?"
>
> "Yes, ma'am. I'm fine."
>
> "Kelly, why don't you just come to bed. It's getting late."
>
> "Okay."
>
> The two women got up and left him alone. He worked on some of his own
> homework for a little while, then got in bed.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> XXII.
>
> About eleven forty-five, he heard the bathroom door open. He froze,
> wondering what in God's name Karen was up to now. A body slid into bed with
> him. He tried push her away, but got a handful of hair instead. With a
> shock, he realized who it was.
>
> "I'm not coming in here like Karen does. I just liked having you hug me
> before."
>
> Kelly squirmed next to him, and he put his arm around him. She rolled over
> until her head was on his chest.
>
> "What about Karen?"
>
> "She's asleep. I know because she snores sometimes."
>
> "She does?"
>
> "Not loud. Just sometimes she makes these squeaking noises."
>
> They lay together for a few minutes.
>
> "I miss my dad."
>
> "So do I."
>
> "It must be so hard for you. At least I still have my Mom. I don't know how
> I could have survived with just me and Karen."
>
> He swallowed hard, and she hugged him tighter.
>
> "This is nice," she said a while later.
>
> "Yeah."
>
> Jack had gotten an erection. He prayed she wouldn't notice. He could sense
> the firm pressure of her breasts against him, but tried not to think about
> it.
>
> "How can you love two people at once?"
>
> "I don't know. I just do. Didn't you love both your parents?"
>
> "Yeah."
>
> "Different people you love in different ways."
>
> "Do you love Karen?"
>
> "I don't know."
>
> "Please don't hurt her. I know she loves you, even if she doesn't act like
> it. I can tell. I've found a few little things around our room, notes with
> stuff like "Jack and Karen" inside a heart, doodles and stuff like that.
> Things she probably meant to hide but didn't do it well enough."
>
> "Seriously?"
>
> "Yeah. So I knew something was up. Please don't make her cry again like she
> did the other night. It really scared me."
>
> "I'm sorry."
>
> "If Summer and Becky understood about each other, couldn't they understand
> about Karen? You said they said things were different because you loved
> them, and they loved you. If Karen loves you too, shouldn't that make it
> the same?"
>
> "I don't know what they're going to do."
>
> "You know what I think is making this so hard? You're letting them make all
> the decisions. You have to take some initiative or something. Sister
> Catherine is always telling us that God helps those who help themselves.
> You haven't been helping yourself. Maybe that's why you're in so much
> trouble. If you really did confess to me, that's the Penance I'm giving
> you. Don't let them handle everything."
>
> "Maybe you're right."
>
> "Things could get worse if you don't. Karen might do something crazy if you
> don't fix this somehow. Then you'd probably have to leave, and I don't want
> you to leave."
>
> He lay there thinking for a long time. He had often wondered if there was
> someone under that shell Karen wore, if that brief connection they had made
> when they first met hadn't been an aberration. It wasn't that he didn't
> like her--he just didn't like the way she often acted. Was anything there
> between them? He certainly had strong feelings for her--they argued too
> often to deny it--but were those feelings love?
>
> At two a.m., he woke up and realized he and Kelly had fallen asleep
> together. He woke her, and she went back to her room.
>
> Karen disappeared the next morning before he could say anything-- not that
> he knew what to say to her--and he walked to school with Kelly. When he got
> there, he gave Kelly a brief one-armed hug and went to his locker. He found
> Becky waiting for him.
>
> "No good. She just told me to 'fuck off' when I tried to talk to her.
> Summer didn't have any better luck."
>
> "Well at least we know what the problem is now."
>
> "Yeah. No mystery."
>
> "I think I'm going to have a talk with her."
>
> "No. It's better if we handle it. It's really between the three of us."
>
> "I don't think so anymore. This is something I have to deal with."
>
> Her eyebrows creased.
>
> "Jack, you've already gotten her upset. What are you going to do?"
>
> "Fix this. I'm not letting it go on any longer."
>
> He gave her a hug and went to class.
>
> But despite his newfound resolve, Karen was nowhere to be found. She
> skipped the classes she had with Jack the rest of the day, and neither
> Becky nor Summer had seen her. She wasn't at the house when he got home
> that afternoon, and she didn't show up before he had to leave for the game.
> Through warm-ups and the coach's pre-game talk, Jack was thoroughly
> distracted. When they ran out onto the field, he went straight to the
> sidelines. He looked around for a minute before seeing Marcia and Kelly in
> the stands. He ran up the bleachers to where they were sitting.
>
> "Mrs. Lynch, have you seen Karen?"
>
> "Why, yes. She got home late, but she came with us now. What's wrong?"
>
> He glanced around at the field where the other cheerleaders were standing.
> He didn't see her.
>
> "I didn't see her today. I thought maybe she got sick."
>
> "She wasn't at school?"
>
> "I didn't see her in class."
>
> "How odd. She came home around six. She's still in a bad mood, but she
> didn't seem ill."
>
> "Okay. I'm sure she's all right. I have to go play."
>
> "All right. Good luck."
>
> The game started on a bad note. Sacred Heart got the first ball, but
> fumbled on the fifty-yard line. Newport Harbor got the ball and drove
> straight down the field to score. They had apparently designed several of
> their plays around Jack, double-teaming him every time they ran up the
> middle, and it worked. Jack would have had trouble on a good day, but with
> his worrying about Karen, his game was seriously off.
>
> By halftime, Sacred Heart was down 14-0, and the coach was having a fit.
> Jack followed his dejected teammates back to the locker room. On a glance
> upward, he saw a flash of yellow near the edge of the roof. He realized it
> was someone standing up there--someone in a yellow and green Sacred Heart
> cheerleading outfit.
>
> Jack bolted away from the team, running into the school building. He ran
> down the hall, trying to remember where the stairs to the roof were. He had
> never been up there, no one was supposed to be, but the door to the roof
> was near his English class.
>
> He almost slipped on his cleats rounding a corner, but he found the door.
> He tore it open and thudded up the stairs, crashing through onto the roof.
> Karen was by the edge, looking out at the field.
>
> She turned and saw him.
>
> "Stay away from me."
>
> "Karen, don't do this."
>
> "What the fuck do you care? You have Summer and Becky now. I should just
> throw myself off the roof and the three of you could be happy together
> without me."
>
> "I care about you."
>
> "Bullshit. I saw the look in your eye other night when I asked you if you
> loved me. Like you were horrified at the very idea of it."
>
> "Karen, I didn't understand. You just took me by surprise. I didn't think
> you cared a thing about me. You've never acted like you did."
>
> "Yeah, well, I'm good at that. You don't let people close to you, you don't
> get hurt."
>
> "I've been talking to Kelly and your mom. I didn't understand a lot of
> this. I see now what was going on."
>
> "Fuck them! They don't know anything about me. Neither do you."
>
> "Karen, I just didn't know."
>
> She turned away from him, wiping the tears out of her eyes.
>
> "Stay where you are. Don't come any closer."
>
> "Karen, I know about your dad. I know you still hurt because of him. God
> knows I'm going to miss my dad forever."
>
> "Shut up!" she sobbed. "Don't talk about him. Don't talk about my dad."
>
> She held herself tightly, wiping at her tears, shaking as she cried.
>
> "It's not an excuse to hurt yourself. People do care about you. I care
> about you. I was telling Becky and Summer that they have to understand that
> you can love more than one person, you just love them in different ways. I
> didn't realize until I saw you up here how I really felt. I love you,
> Karen. I don't want you to hurt yourself. I can't be a replacement for your
> father, but we can help each other deal with it. I can't get that from
> Becky or Summer. They don't understand; they never will. But you can.
> You're the only one who can help me deal with this. We need each other too
> much."
>
> Karen broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, and Jack approached her slowly.
> She let him take her in his arms, and she collapsed against him.
>
> "I miss my dad," she sobbed. "I miss him so goddamned much."
>
> "I know," he said, feeling the tears rising in his own eyes. "But it will
> be all right. We have each other."
>
> She wailed in despair, going completely limp. He picked her up, and for the
> first time noticed people down on the ground watching them, players,
> students, and parents. When they saw him pick her up and carry her away
> from the edge, they began cheering and applauding.
>
> Karen hugged him tightly, sobbing against his shoulder. When he got down
> into the school, he saw Marcia, Kelly, and several teachers running up.
> Marcia tried to take Karen, but she held onto Jack with a vise-grip.
>
> "Is she all right? Is she all right?"
>
> "She'll be okay. It was about her father, like you said."
>
> "Oh, God, oh, honey, I'm sorry."
>
> She pulled at Karen, hugging her. Karen gradually let go of Jack, and
> dropped her feet to the floor, grabbing at her mother.
>
> "Mom!" she wailed.
>
> "I'm here, honey, I'm here."
>
> Someone pulled up a chair, and Marcia sat down, holding Karen. Karen got
> into her lap, and continued sobbing against Marcia's shoulder. Kelly looked
> at them, then at Jack, in distress. Jack put his arm around her, and she
> hugged him, watching them.
>
> "Should we call an ambulance?" one of the teachers asked. Karen shook her
> head violently.
>
> "No, it's all right," Marcia said. "Just let me sit with her for a while."
>
> Jack stood with them, not sure what to do. After ten or fifteen minutes,
> Karen's tears dried up. Marcia kept rocking her as if she were five years
> old.
>
> "Why don't you guys go back to the game," Marcia said. "We'll be all
> right."
>
> "Are you sure?" Jack said.
>
> "Yes. Thank you, Jack. You don't know how much it means to me that you
> helped her. You're going to be a wonderful officer. There's no one I know
> who deserves it more than you."
>
> He swallowed.
>
> "Thank you. I'm sorry this happened."
>
> "It's all right. Don't miss the second half. You still have a game to win."
>
> The second half started late, and somewhat tentatively after the
> disruption. Newport Harbor's rhythm appeared to have been thrown off, and
> after getting the opening kickoff, they punted after three ineffective
> plays.
>
> Sacred Heart drove down the field, but the drive stalled at the Newport
> Harbor twenty-yard line. Their kicker missed a field goal, and Newport
> Harbor got the ball back.
>
> Jack returned the to the field, determined to make something happen. On
> third down and eight yards to go, Newport Harbor set up in an obvious
> passing formation. Jack dropped back when the ball was snapped, watching
> the quarterback. Their tight end crossed in front of him, and Jack picked
> him up. Randy had broken through the line, and threatened to get at the
> quarterback. He tossed up a wobbly pass in the tight end's direction.
>
> The pass was somewhat behind, and the tight end had to slow down to get it.
> Jack saw his opportunity and stepped in front of him as the ball came down.
> He grabbed the pass out of the air and raced around the corner of the line.
> He was through before the other players realized what had happened, and by
> then, there were only twenty-five yards of grass between him and the end
> zone. He scored, spiking it hard, and the Sacred Heart stands went berserk.
>
> On his way back to the sidelines, both Summer and Becky ran out to hug him.
>
> "Is Karen all right?" Summer asked.
>
> "She'll be okay. But things are going to be different. It wasn't just me.
> It was also about her father."
>
> "We'll do whatever we have to."
>
> "I feel so bad for her," Becky said.
>
> They hugged him again and returned to the other cheerleaders. The coach
> pulled him aside, slapping his back.
>
> "Do you know you just set a conference record?"
>
> "I did?"
>
> "For defensive touchdowns by one player in a single season. The old record
> was four. You just scored number five, and we've got four more games to
> play."
>
> "Wow."
>
> "Celebrate after we win. But great work."
>
> Newport Harbor took the kickoff, but again could do nothing with it. They
> punted after just three plays, and Sacred Heart took over on their
> forty-yard line. Jack's touchdown seemed to have revitalized Sacred Heart's
> offense, and Billy was back in his zone. He directed a quick, sharp drive
> to the opposite end, tossing up a five-yard pass to tie the score. The fans
> again went nuts as the third period ended.
>
> Newport Harbor was not ready to give up. They took the ensuing kickoff to
> midfield, and then almost scored on a long pass that their receiver dropped
> on the ten-yard line. Second down brought another incomplete pass, leaving
> them at third and ten.
>
> The coach called for a blitz, knowing they were going to pass. When Newport
> Harbor lined up for the play, Jack sensed something was off. The
> quarterback dropped back, and Sacred Heart's defense rushed in, but he
> handed off to the fullback on his way backwards, and the back squirted
> through a hole in the line.
>
> Jack had expected this somehow and had held back out of caution. The
> fullback got five yards before Jack caught him, bringing him down and
> ending the drive.
>
> For another ten minutes, the two teams traded ineffectual drives, and when
> the two-minute warning sounded, it seemed as if the game would end in a
> tie. Sacred Heart had the ball, but had to punt.
>
> Jack was normally not on the punting team, but the coach grabbed him as
> they set up.
>
> "I want you to get in there for Ramirez. Try to see if you can make
> something happen."
>
> "Yes, sir."
>
> Jack ran in, slapping hands with the player he replaced. He lined up on the
> line, and when the ball was snapped, took off toward the other end. The
> ball came down about fifteen yards away, but he was blocked away from it.
> He scrambled around just in time to see the ball pop out of the carrier's
> hands as he tried a tricky move around a Sacred Heart player. No one had
> hit him--he had just gone one way while the ball went the other. Toward
> Jack.
>
> Jack dove in, scooping up the ball, but got only five yards before he was
> tackled. He got up when he was free, screaming and jumping around in
> triumph. Sacred Heart got the ball back on the Newport Harbor fifteen-yard
> line.
>
> Two plays later, with thirty seconds left on the clock, Billy dropped a
> pass into the corner of the end zone, putting Sacred Heart up 21-14.
> Newport Harbor tried three wild passes when they got the ball back, but
> nothing happened. As time expired, Jack ran across the field toward the
> stands, cheering his lungs out. He ran into Billy, and they embraced.
>
> "Great game, man!" Jack yelled.
>
> "You, too. You're all right, O'Leary."
>
> They hugged again, and then broke loose, jumping around the field. He
> turned toward the sideline to see someone running toward him. It was Karen.
>
> She jumped into his arms, wrapping herself around him. He hugged her
> tightly.
>
> "I love you, Jack!"
>
> "I love you, too."
>
> She laughed.
>
> "I love you! I love you so much."
>
> He hugged her again, seeing Becky and Summer circling around them, smiles
> on their faces. Marcia and Kelly were approaching too, and Jack leaned his
> head back, laughing at his good fortune.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Go to Part 5 -->