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Subject: {ASSM} Once More With Feelings - Chapter 27 NEW! {Night Hawk} (ff, mff, mFF, Time Travel, Rom, Con, Sci-Fi)
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Date: Mon,  2 May 2005 15:10:02 -0400
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"Once More With Feelings"
===================
A new story by Night Hawk
(C) 2004/2005 by Night Hawk
Chapter 27: On the Road Again
_________________________
Anyone who ever thought pheromones don't affect other people has never lived 
in a girls' dorm.  It's like a secret code the Goddess built into us to help 
us find our companions in life.  Scientists might never be able to prove it, 
but the evidence has been there for years.  It's not only to attract others 
to us, but I think it helps identify those who we can trust, and it helps us 
to get in tune with them.
It was downright amazing to me to see first hand how quickly these little 
secret agents worked at identifying kindred spirits.  When I first met 
Wendy, and I had my first period in this female body, Wendy was due about 
two weeks later.  In a matter of just five months, Wendy and I were only a 
day apart.  Not so strangely, Linda and Julie were also synched, but the 
irony of our relationship was that we were starting to move in on their 
schedule.  Being younger, we were more flexible, and a day late or early was 
no cause for alarm.  I guess this really hit home for me when Saturday 
morning Julie was complaining of mild bloating, and I knew that Annette and 
Mandy had started their periods during the week.  Aside from Patrick, who 
enjoyed watching us go through what he had long ago grown accustomed to and 
no longer had to endure himself, the only one who seemed unaffected was 
Linda.  She said she was feeling great.
"Must be all those male hormones I've been getting injected with," she 
confided to us on the bus.
Yes, once again on the bus, this time on our way to the University of 
Western Ontario for the Regional showdown.
I don't mean to sound blas� about it, but the night before, I had witnessed 
a genuine emotional meltdown caused by premenstrual syndrome, something that 
I had, as a man, always laughed off as an excuse for any behavior out of the 
ordinary.  My mind was tired after spending most of the night comforting my 
Sweetheart.  Physically, I knew that I could go a few nights on less sleep, 
but it was hard to concentrate on anything other than my Honey.  Most of the 
team was quiet this morning on the ride over.  While none of us felt any 
real pressure to win, the idea that news reporters were doing historical 
searches for records that we were breaking did tend to make one 
introspective.
The only sure winner out of all of this was the Sick Children's Hospital.
Our fans and supporters must have wondered about our solemn demeanor as we 
got off the bus.  They probably thought we were concerned about the 
competition we would face today, and it was only after Sister Gabe told us 
to smile and wave that I heard our brass band playing.  We stopped at the 
auditorium doors, turned, waved, and smiled to all the loyal fans and the 
new fans we had gained as we were now representing London.
Teams from other cities and areas had ridden in on longer bus rides, some 
from as far as 300 Km away.  London was and always had been the host city 
for the Regionals as it was the most central of the area.
Annette had asked if we were going to do the hair thing again today but I 
told her that everyone was going to be expecting it.  We'd save that for 
another day if we made it through this one!
She laughed and in the dressing room told everyone to play loose and not to 
risk injury.  "We can afford to let our opponents get a few points," she 
said.  "Winning two out of three is all we need to win in each match.  Of 
course if we lose one game, the record will end even if we do go on to the 
Provincial level."
Unlike Fanshawe, this place was really huge, but I think with all of the 
attention we had received over the past few months, we just tuned out all 
the distractions.  The press and TV crews were just background noise now as 
were all the fans and supporters.  Aside from noticing Mike, Ann, and 
Einstein--even Tom and Rita had managed to make it today--Wendy and I didn't 
go out of our way looking for any other familiar faces.  Today it just 
seemed like a job.  I sighed.  We needed a bit of spirit if we were going to 
keep this fun.  Einstein seemed to know.  Ever since we had switched bodies, 
Einstein and I had developed a near-psychic bond.  We couldn't communicate 
or transmit thoughts or anything like that, but we seemed to know when the 
other was off-kilter--like when he had passed out the day Father Bob hit me.
After we had changed into our uniforms and checked all our laces and other 
odds and ends, we headed out the door to enter the 'arena.'
As the announcer was introducing the eight teams competing for the 
Southwestern title, I saw Einstein heading to the control booth with a box 
under his arm.  I looked to Mike and he gave me a wink and a smile.  Oh, 
good Goddess!
The eight contenders for the Regional title were the Windsor Spitfires - 
something that Jim had told us was a given - the Sarnia Hornets, the 
Leamington 57's, (damn I was glad I lived in the Forest City.  Imagine your 
team named after the one big industry in your town and it being the Heinz 
ketchup plant!)  The Chatham-Kent Hawks, the Woodstock Angels, the Goderich 
Stingers, and the Niagara Lakers.
Somewhere, sometime in the last week, some anonymous representatives for the 
boards of education covering the region had tallied scores and wins and 
decided who would face whom in the first match.  As we took our benches and 
Sister Gabe was telling us who our opponents would be, the loudspeakers in 
the auditorium cut loose with a recorded version of our very own brass band 
playing our theme song!  Real loud!
All eyes turned to the control booth, and I started laughing.  I could see 
Einstein's smiling face behind the recently vacated control booth, with 
somebody, who I assumed was the announcer, and two security guards banging 
on the door demanding he open it.  By the time someone with keys made it to 
the booth, the song had finished and the mostly London crowd was on its feet 
whooping it up.  The supporters and fans of the other teams were not as 
amused and crossed their arms or openly booed.  We didn't care.  This was 
just the kick in the butt the team needed.  We jumped off our bench when we 
saw security take Einstein away.  All the girls knew him by now, and Annette 
said, "Let's win this one for Patrick!"
I've got to say this for the Hawks, our first opponents of the day, and one 
of the best teams in the region, they played hard and fair, with none of the 
dirty tricks we had seen pulled before.  It didn't help them in the end, as 
we easily defeated them 25 - 6 and 25 - 4.  We shook hands with all their 
players and congratulated them and their coach for a well-played game.  It 
was the most challenging match of the day.  The Spitfires went down 25 - 3 
and 25 - 1, and I could see Jim Blake writing furiously as we met the 
Woodstock Angels for the final match of the Regional tournament.  25 - 1 and 
25 - zip was all she wrote, and after cheers and photographs we were 
homeward bound.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
I was pleasantly surprised to find Einstein waiting for us at St. Ursula's. 
It turned out that he had a bit of outside help getting out of the mischief 
he had created.  Mike and Einstein had recorded the band earlier in the 
week, and then Mike had shown him how to bypass the lockout on the PA. 
Armed with a portable cassette deck from the shop, Einstein had shown the 
security guard his "official" papers as an audio tech and simply walked into 
the booth, which was unlocked.  "After all," he said.  "Who would ever think 
of hijacking an audio booth when the sound board is locked?"
"You goof!"  I said.  "That's the kind of stunt that can get you into 
serious hot water!"
He looked at me like I was from another planet.  I just didn't get it.
"Patti," said Annette, "do you really think any London cop is going to 
arrest someone for being a Saints' fan?  Huh?  All he did was to play some 
music real loud, and Mr. McKay was ready to step in, just in case!"
I turned to Annette.  "You knew about this?"
She laughed.  "No, Daddy told me after the game.  I was worried about 
Patrick too."
Mike and Ann arrived about this time, and Mike was just laughing to beat the 
band.  He put his arm around Einstein and told him that he had retrieved the 
tape deck, and that Patrick had done it just right!  "Pity you had to miss 
the game though, Son."
I felt just like Linda Blair in "The Exorcist."  My head must have spun 360 
degrees!  Mike had just called Einstein, "Son!"
"That's my boy," said Tom with a grin of pure delight on his face, and Rita 
was hugging him all up, saying how proud she was of him.  Of course everyone 
wanted to hear the whole story and we saw Robert and Hilda striding our way.
"Glad to see you didn't get into any trouble over that," said Robert. 
"Damnedest thing I've ever seen, and I've seen some stunts in my time!"
"Robert, your language please," said Hilda, putting her arm through his. 
Annette was trying to hide her smile.
"Oh, tarnation, woman," said Robert.  "You know how I get when I'm excited," 
and then he blushed as he realized what he had just said.
Einstein laughed and then told us how the security guards had whispered to 
him that they had to make it look good for fans of the other teams.  As soon 
as they got out of the auditorium they released him and regretfully escorted 
him to the front door where a big, shiny, black Lincoln limousine was 
waiting with its engine running.  Mr. McKay was in the back seat.  His 
chauffeur drove them to the school, even though it was a nice day for 
walking.
"So who came up with this idea?" asked Mandy.  That was what I wanted to 
know as well!
Mike spoke up.  "Patrick and I were working late on Monday when he mentioned 
that athletes sometimes suffer a mild depression after achieving one goal. 
He said the Saints might need something drastic to pep them up.  When he 
asked about tapping into Western's PA system, I got thinking about how we 
could do it.  I called Tom and Bob, and we sat down and went through the 
logistics of it.  Wednesday, Bob had the band at the garage where Patrick 
and I recorded them.  I borrowed a four-track from a band I do repairs for, 
and we did a proper recording, then we tweaked it and converted the four 
tracks into two, and now we have stereo cassettes!"  He laughingly dug 
copies out of his suit jacket, handed Wendy and I one, and gave the rest to 
Annette for the other team members.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
That night after the celebration party and jubilation by all the parents and 
fans, the team did its own recap of the day.  We had never taken time off 
for any game, but the Provincial title was going to be this Friday!  Robert 
wanted to drive us down, but Sister Elizabeth decided that the team was 
going via train, and that we would leave on Wednesday.  That was a shock! 
She said she wanted us well rested in time for the game on Friday, which was 
going to be played at the University of Toronto.  "We'll call it an official 
Social Studies field trip," she said.  "You girls can take in the Royal 
Ontario Museum on Thursday and perhaps do a bit of shopping later in the 
day."
It felt kind of strange knowing we wouldn't be playing to a hometown crowd, 
but then--except for the team from Toronto--all the others would be from out 
of town as well.  We were looking forward to the train ride.  Sister Gabe 
and one of the novice nuns would be coming with us, as well as Julie.  Linda 
was going to keep the school healthy, and continue trying to get knocked up. 
THAT was another thing.  Mike, Ann, and Einstein wouldn't be there.
Still, the best part of the day was hearing what Jim had penned for his 
headline on the outcome of the Regionals:  "Saints Clip Angels' Wings!"
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Sunday was almost a repeat of the previous week with a blood test, a checkup 
from Doctor Gary, who we teased again, followed by some private quiet time 
with the team.
Once again, family and friends joined us later for the TV replay, and I was 
surprised to see Krissy occasionally holding hands with her roommate Oz - 
right in front of Krissy's parents!  I looked at her father, a big bear of a 
man, but his expression was just one of paternal fondness, and her mother 
looked happy as well.
I felt an arm go around me and a quiet voice said, "I hope they're happy!"
I looked at Ann to see her gaze towards Krissy and Oz.
She looked at me, adding, "It can be hard to be different from what people 
expect of you in this world."
I felt myself blushing at her implied meaning, but Wendy just replied 
matter-of-factly, "They're very much in love, Mom."  She sighed, and added, 
"And we're going to lose them come September, and Annette and Mandy too!"
Wendy saw us staring at her.  "What!?"
"You're going to miss them, aren't you, Honey," Mom said softly.
Wendy nodded a little.  "This is the first time I've ever had. real friends, 
you know?"
Mom caught her hand and gave it a little squeeze.  "You know we love you, 
Honey!"
"I know," Wendy replied a little tearily, hugging her.  "Now I've got the 
best Mom and Dad in the world!"
"Yeah, me too!"  I made it a three-way hug, feeling my eyes tear up a bit.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
A little later, I saw Krissy preparing a tray of snacks for her father from 
the selection of fresh fruits and vegetables on the side table, which made 
me think.  Of course everyone in the team knew about Krissy's blood-sugar 
problem after last week when her parents whisked her off to see the doctor, 
but the look on her father's face when she handed him the plate -dismay 
combined with resignation - gave me a clue that there was more to it than we'd 
been told.  It looked as if Krissy was determined to help him lose that 
large spare tire around his middle!
But what really amazed me was how he and his wife just. well. ignored how 
Krissy and Oz were touching hands and looking so totally in love!  I mean 
Mom could see it, and some other adults had puzzled looks, but Mr. and Mrs. 
La Plaine looked as if it was totally normal.  Or they were absolutely 
clueless, and I knew parents were never that dumb.
Watching the games and highlights on CFPL TV didn't hold much interest for 
me.  Like Wendy, I was just coming back to normal after my period, so I was 
content to just relax, but I couldn't take my eyes off Krissy and Oz!  Man. 
her folks must be real understanding 'cause there was no way that kind of 
handholding at their age could be construed as anything but love!  I just 
prayed that Ann wouldn't ask if we were as happy!  Wendy could be so 
brutally honest!  I don't think that girl knew how to lie.  Not that I would 
want to lie to Ann or Mike, but I would feel easier if I could avoid that 
particular question for the time being.  I knew there was something about 
Ann that I didn't know, and Einstein had never discovered it either when he 
had Ann for his mother.  My heart was racing.  We had never openly displayed 
our love in front of Mike and Ann, but we hadn't done anything to deny it 
either.  Oh, Goddess, my head was swimming with all kinds of thoughts and 
emotions when I heard Ann's voice, which brought me back to the present.
Ann said she could see how losing the graduating seniors would hamper the 
team for a bit but added that she was sure that next year's team would be 
comprised of more players and every bit as talented with the right amount of 
coaching and practice.  I was close to hyperventilating!  What if Mom did 
ask?  Would I be strong enough to be as honest as Wendy?
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Mass that afternoon was something else altogether.  Einstein made sure to 
sit next to me as we watched Father Ed conduct his service under the 
watchful eye of Bishop Carter.  We both knew that in 10 years, the Bishop 
would be named Cardinal.  Einstein didn't have to tell me when he nudged me 
and nodded.  I might not have been a Catholic in my past life, but when the 
Bishop was promoted, it had made national news.
As always, Father Ed made the sermon about our lives, not just as students 
and daughters of parents, but for the parents as well - talking specifically 
about the sacrifices we had all made.
After mass, and another fancy meal in the cafeteria, Sister Elizabeth seemed 
more at ease and announced that Tom O'Donnell had built and donated a brand 
new trophy case to be mounted in the foyer, which by the end of next week 
would have at least two trophies in it.  She restated Annette's wishes that 
the team would be accepting no trophy until we had played our last game, so 
she would delegate someone to accept the Regional trophy on our behalf.
I gave Tom a big thumbs up, and a smile.  Einstein had given him the son he 
had never had.  (Any lingering doubts or feelings about whose parents 
belonged to who had been settled.  They had been mine the first time, and I 
had fucked up royally.  Einstein was a much better son than I had been, but 
as he constantly reminded me, I was a much better daughter to Mike and Ann 
than he had been.)  What was strange though, was that in my first run 
through in this game called life, Tom and Rita didn't have any close 
friends - and certainly didn't attend church.  Now they were benefactors to 
St. Ursula's and very much involved in life outside of home with friends 
like Mike and Ann and Robert.
Robert - He was another enigma in this lifetime.  From all I remembered from 
my previous life, Robert Denure had been a bitter, miserly, reclusive 
businessman, but now he was openly courting his housekeeper and entertaining 
regularly.  I knew that he was a bit upset at not being able to drive the 
big blue coach to Toronto with the team on board, but I had a sneaking 
suspicion that he was not going to let a little thing like technicalities 
get in the way of seeing his daughter, or his team play!
Einstein interrupted my train of thought.  "You girls have been so busy, you 
totally missed or forgot about Valentine's Day," he said.
"Oh damn!" was my lame reply.  "Well, we haven't really been out of the gym 
long enough in the past month to realize it," I added.
Linda and Julie, who were sitting next to us, laughed.  "We couldn't very 
well get you girls a box of chocolates either," said Julie.  "We had our own 
little party at our house with Patrick," Linda added in a whisper.
I looked at Einstein who had a smug look on his face.  I leaned closer to 
him, pulling Wendy along with me, as I whispered to him that both Wendy and 
I had started on the pill.  That brought a million-watt smile to his face.
Wendy said that we would be looking forward to the end of the season so we 
could see how much fun we could have!  She was fast becoming incorrigible!
Somebody, however, had mentioned the Valentine's Day oversight to someone 
with some pull at the school, and after dessert was finished, Sister 
Elizabeth announced that the volleyball team had been invited to the Denure 
residence for an evening of swimming and relaxation before we left for 
Toronto.  All the details had been taken care of, and there would be 
adequate parental supervision.  My curiosity was driving me nuts.  I was not 
used to not being in the know about what was going on!  But I would have to 
wait for Monday night when the Saints' bus came to pick us up.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Classes flew by on Monday, and we were all set to go, waiting by the front 
doors when Robert arrived with the bus.  By five, we were getting off the 
bus and entering his home, which was lavishly decorated with hearts and 
streamers.  I never thought I could be so romantically touched, but I really 
enjoyed all the special care that had gone into this.  Of course it came as 
no surprise to see Father Ed there with Tom and Rita and Mike and Ann.  They 
were keeping company with Robert and Hilda.  Linda and Julie had ridden over 
with us, and they changed into bathing suits as quickly as we girls did. 
There were platters of great food and I could see Hilda's handiwork in all 
of it.  One thing I knew for sure.  If Robert and Hilda ever got together in 
a relationship, he would eat well the rest of his life!
Besides the food, there were little boxes all wrapped up in shiny red paper 
with gold ribbons.  Each of them had a nametag on it.  Robert called for and 
got instant quiet.  He was talking with a cigar that he kept using to point 
out certain things, and I had to bite my tongue to stop from laughing as I 
watched Mike and Tom puffing away on the same type of cigars, and then I 
realized that Father Ed was enjoying one of these as well.  In his other 
hand was a glass of what I can only guess was cognac or maybe brandy.  Mike 
and Tom had bottles of beer in their hands.
Robert said as soon as he distributed the gifts, he, Mike, and Tom were 
headed off to the basement recreation room to watch the basketball game. 
Father Ed reckoned he would enjoy the game as well, as long as there were 
cigars downstairs!
I kept looking around for Einstein till Julie noticed me and moved closer. 
"If you're looking for Patrick, you won't find him.  Mr. Denure invited him, 
but he's studying for mid-terms."
I don't know why I missed him, but I did.  Somehow I liked his version of my 
life much better than I had my own.  I had a lover and friend in Wendy, and 
I had developed lots of good friendships with a lot of other people - a lot 
of good, close friendships.  It was just that Einstein and I had a special 
bond.  Something that defies description, as it was something I had never 
heard of before.  For our entire lives, he would be me, and I would be him. 
Nothing could change that fact.  And I was damn proud of him!
My reverie was broken when Wendy nudged me and I heard Robert call my name. 
He shook my hand and handed me one of the little red packages.  I saw a lot 
of the other girls already holding one and realized my mind had been very 
far away.  I was about to turn and walk back, but then on impulse, I threw 
my arms around him and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.  "Thank 
you, Mr. Denure," I said softly.  "Hilda's a very lucky lady."
Robert squeezed me tight when I said that.  "Thank YOU, Patti," he said in a 
voice so low I had to strain to hear him.  "Annie has told me all about what 
you and your friend have done for the school."
I leaned back and looked into his eyes.  "Which friend?"  I asked with a 
mischievous smile.
He swatted me on the butt as I scampered away, which got a laugh from the 
parents and my teammates.  Annette just smiled, and I crinkled my eyebrows 
at her to let her know we had to talk.
When all the team players had gotten their packages, we opened them all 
together and were shocked to find gold brooches inside.  They were miniature 
volleyballs with lopsided halos and the year 1975 stamped on the front with 
the initials SUC underneath for St. Ursula's College, and the name, Saints. 
They hung from a small ribbon with the school colors but had a pin so that 
we could wear them on our uniform blazers without the ribbon.  It was the 
lopsided halos that got me laughing.  Not only had someone gone to an awful 
lot of trouble and expense getting these made, but from the halos, it showed 
that a lot of thought had gone into it as well.
After all the proper ohs and ahs and other forms of thank-yous, the men 
headed off to the recreation room to watch the Detroit Pistons make their 
mark, leaving us girls under the watchful eyes of Ann, Rita, and Hilda, as 
Linda and Julie joined us in the pool.  Many of the girls on the team 
grouped together since their roommates or lovers had not been included in 
the invitation.  This was supposed to be the team's reward for having worked 
so hard at getting to the point where we were -heading to the Provincial 
tournament.  Linda and Julie were doing laps with sure and practiced 
movements.  Wendy and Mandy ducked off for the shallow end again, as Mandy 
had made it a personal goal to make sure that Wendy could swim before 
summer.  After all, there had been talk about a swimming pool coming to the 
school, and with the basketball team's early wins, St. Ursula's was no 
longer thought of as just a school of refried brains.
Many of us on the volleyball team had originally signed for the basketball 
team as well, but with our extended playing season, brought on by a bid for 
the championship, we had to be content to watch our schoolmates make their 
own mark.
Annette and I just hung on the side in the deep end beside the diving board, 
our arms on the tiled edge while we churned water with our legs behind us. 
"So, Annie," I said to her.  "Your dad tells me you've been talking out of 
school."
Annette laughed.  "It's funny, Patti.  I used to find it so hard talking to 
my dad, but you've really changed a lot of people."
"ME???  What am I getting blamed for this time?"
Annette laughed again and bumped my hip with hers.  "It's your attitude.  I 
mean, I know I'm older than you by three years, but I feel like I'm learning 
so much from you about life and relationships."
I was quiet for a minute.  It was ironic that as a male, I had probably hurt 
more women in my life, but now as a girl, I was a model for good 
relationships.  "I guess that I just don't care to waste time bullshitting," 
I said quietly.  "I've got a life to live, and I just don't see the point in 
wasting a minute of it pretending to be something that I'm not or hiding 
what I am."
"See!" said Annette.  "That's just what I mean.  You don't dance around your 
words; you just say what you're thinking.  A lot of us have been trying to 
do the same thing and it works!  I came right out Saturday night and asked 
Daddy what his relationship with Hilda was going to be.  Was he planning on 
hiding his obvious love for her from me forever, or was he going to treat 
her the same around me as he does when they're alone?"
I was impressed.  Annette had certainly taken that bull by the horns!  But I 
remained quiet so she could finish her story.
"Anyway," she said.  "Daddy came back at me on Sunday with the same 
question.  He said he thought my relationship with Mandy was more than 
roommates and asked if I could I be as honest around him as I asked him to 
be around me.  Boy!  Was I ever caught off guard, Patti!"
I arched my eyebrows.  "And?"  I prompted.
"I decided to do what you would do when asked a direct question.  I told him 
that I loved Mandy and that she loved me.  I thought he would blow a gasket 
or something, but he just smiled and asked if I was happy.  Can you believe 
it?"
Actually, I couldn't believe it, then I remembered that Robert had other 
children older than Annette.  I don't know what kind of father he had been 
to them, but I remembered Christmas and the explanation that they couldn't 
stay long.  Maybe it had been him, maybe it was them.  I was in no position 
to judge.  I knew the Robert Denure from this lifetime and he was happy, his 
daughter was happy, and I liked the man.  Kids, no matter what age, can 
become estranged from their families for a number of reasons, and since I 
didn't know them, I could draw no conclusions.  I only knew the here and 
now.
"Are you happy, Annette?" I asked her.
"You know I am, Patti.  And not having to hide it from Daddy any longer 
makes it all the easier."
I looked over to where Ann and Rita had Hilda sandwiched between them.  They 
were laughing and smiling, obviously into a deep conversation.  Ann looked 
up just in time to see me looking at her, and Annette's words came back to 
me allowing my reply to her to haunt me.  "I guess that I just don't care to 
waste time bullshitting.  I've got a life to live and I just don't see the 
point in wasting a minute of it pretending to be something that I'm not or 
hiding what I am."  Would I be able to live up to my own words, or would I 
have to eat them?
Krissy paddled up to join us.
"I haven't had a chance to tell you guys," she said, "but my dad's arranging 
a couple of special side trips for us when we're in Toronto."
Right!  Krissy was from Toronto.  It's hard to remember that most of the 
girls at St. Ursula's had roots someplace else because we were so secluded.
"What's he got in mind?" asked Annette.
"Well, after donating a few cases of his best Ice Wine to the school," said 
Krissy, "Sister Liz allowed him to take us all to Casa Loma.  He booked a 
special, private tour for us!"
"Wow," I said, thinking that someone had laid out some serious bucks for 
this!
"And," she continued, "He told me that on the ride back to the hotel, the 
driver has been told to take a detour and drop us off at Square One in 
Mississauga for some shopping time!"
Hmmm.  I was trying to remember Square One.  Before the opening of the West 
Edmonton Mall, and the Mall of the Americas, it had been the largest indoor, 
self-contained shopping mall in North America.  I wasn't sure if it still 
held that title in 1975, but I did know that we'd never have enough time to 
see all of it and do any shopping!
"I guess practice will be out of the question eh?" I ventured.
Annette laughed.  "Patti, if we don't have our act together by now, another 
few nights of practice won't help.  Personally, I'm looking forward to 
seeing the Royal Ontario Museum again.  It's been a few years since I was 
there, and I'm sure there have been some major changes."
"Don't forget the Ontario Science Center," said Krissy.  We'll be there on 
Thursday for most of the day.  Pity nobody has any long hair left or we 
could watch it go crazy on that oversized static electricity gadget!"
"Hey!"  I said without thinking.  "How about trying to get Sister Gabe up to 
the moon platform of the CN Tower?"
Both Krissy and Annette looked at me like I had lost my marbles.  DAMN!  It's 
only 1975.  The world's tallest building, coming in at just under 2,000 
feet, was probably nowhere near that mark now.  I let myself slip under the 
water, hoping to cool the burning in my cheeks.  I felt so stupid!  I'd have 
to watch my mouth a bit closer so as not to screw up like that again.  I had 
to think quickly.  I had to recover from that goof and I was running out of 
air!
I sputtered my way to the surface and started laughing and gulping air. 
"God, I feel stupid," I said.  "I was watching a news special on the 
building of it, and they were talking about the two observation levels.  I 
must have thought it would be finished already."
Annette looked at me curiously for a minute.  I could see her brain working, 
but she quickly picked up on the idea and said, "You've got to stop watching 
so much TV, Patti.  It will ruin your brain."
Krissy laughed and said that it was already messing with my memory.  Thank 
the Goddess they were letting me off without further question.  I pulled my 
feet up under me and holding on to the side with my hands, I planted my feet 
against the wall and pushed myself off with such strength that I was 
airborne before my hands sliced back into the water in a fantastic shallow 
back dive.  I crossed the length of the pool underwater, watching, searching 
for Wendy.  I surfaced between her and Mandy.  As I came up I turned back 
just in time to see Annette do a perfect full gainer from the diving board. 
If she didn't land a scholarship based on her academic powers, she was still 
a shoo-in for an athletic scholarship.  I was looking forward to the track 
season.  Annette and I still had a bet on about who was the fastest, and for 
someone who had never had participated in any sport except for loudest 
belcher or fastest to the leftovers, I was enjoying this trim, athletic body 
and intended to keep it in this shape forever!
I gently took Wendy's hand and apologized to Mandy for stealing my lover 
away, but said I was hungry and had done about all the swimming I wanted for 
today.
Wendy noticed the look in my eye, thanked Mandy for the lessons, and 
followed me out of the pool and to the showers.
"You flubbed, didn't you?" asked Wendy after I closed the door behind us.
"Is it that obvious?"  I asked her, and then told her about my screw up with 
the completion of the tower and my thoughts about Annette's suspicions.
"When did they start building this tower," Wendy asked.  When I told her 
that I wasn't sure about the start date, I added that I did know it was 
completed in the mid seventies.
Wendy was thinking as she absently soaped up her hands to wash me.  "Okay, I'll 
make a joke about it if Annette says anything," she said.  "I'll say we 
watched it on the news during the Christmas break."
Bless that girl of mine.  She was no slouch in the brains department, and I 
knew I could always count on her to cover for me should the need arise. 
But, I did have to learn to be more careful.  Annette might appreciate my 
way of saying what was on my mind, but my mind might not be aware that some 
things simply hadn't happened yet!
The food was as good as I had predicted, and I made a point of complimenting 
Hilda on her culinary skills.  When all the girls had left the pool and were 
eating, the men came up from the basement recreation room to join us.  It 
was close to eleven o'clock when Robert dropped us off at the school.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Tuesday just blurred by, and at the end of the day, the team got together 
for a final short practice.  Sister Elizabeth arrived near the end along 
with a few students and handed out customized and personalized gym and 
travel bags that would be used for our trip.  Sister Gabe made a point of 
saying that in her entire time of being the coach for St. Ursula's, this was 
the first time the team, any team, was leaving town to play.
We packed our bags carefully, being extra careful not to wrinkle our 
uniforms and had them sitting by the door by the time we finally crawled 
into bed.  Someone very thoughtful had provided us with extra toothbrushes 
and other new toiletries so we wouldn't have to take our regular stuff with 
us.  I often wondered about these mysterious benefactors and how they knew 
exactly what we would need and when.
Wednesday morning, all decked out in our Sunday uniforms and sporting our 
new ribbons and brooches, we were marched across the stage in the auditorium 
as Sister Elizabeth led the entire school in a massive pep rally.  I'm not 
sure who was more excited about the Saints playing for the Provincial title. 
Sister Gabe wanted it so bad she could taste it, but Sister Elizabeth seemed 
to be basking in the light.  Father Ed led the school in prayer, and I 
wondered if it was sacrilegious to pray for a win, but I had faith in the 
Goddess that this, this moment of glory for St. Ursula's, was preordained on 
my second trip through life.
I had come to accept the only inevitable conclusion that I could reach from 
the circumstances that had brought me back to life seven months ago.  It was 
not to give me a second chance to prove my worth, but instead, I was to use 
this life to better the lives of those around me.  If there was a greater 
purpose, I had yet to discover it, but I was sure the Goddess would reveal 
the rest of her plans for me in due course.
One of London's best photographers had been brought in to take a picture of 
the team as we stood proudly between Sisters Elizabeth and Gabriella.  We 
looked so innocent in our blazers and knee-length skirts with the white 
stockings and white blouses.  No one could have imagined the sheer force of 
power behind those innocent smiles.  We'd be in heaven two minutes before 
the devil knew we were gone!
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
The platform at the train station was crowded with well-wishers and our 
brass band.  We were allowed a few minutes with our parents, stopped by the 
press and TV to pose for pictures once more, and then we marched onto the 
train that would take us to Toronto, a carry bag in one hand and a gym bag 
over our shoulders.  Linda and Julie had both been outfitted with official 
St. Ursula uniforms, which consisted of a more mature version of what we 
girls wore.  They had also been given slacks and tracksuits that were 
clearly labeled with the white armband and Red Cross in the middle to show 
their positions.  They hugged goodbye just before Julie boarded the train 
with us.  As we took our seats, which in the '70's were still large, soft, 
and comfortable, I could see out the window that Ann had her arm around 
Linda.
I rested my head back on the seat and waited for the train to start up. 
When it did, I joined Wendy at the window in waving goodbye to our 
ever-growing family.  Finally the train cleared the station, and I let my 
head fall back on the cushion, and I closed my eyes.  I wasn't tired as much 
as I was overwhelmed.
We were facing the rear of the train, or at least I was.  Wendy was sitting 
across from me with wide-eyed anticipation of everything that was coming our 
way.  Julie sat beside me and Krissy sat beside Wendy.  Annette and Mandy 
were across the aisle, also facing forward but that was just so we could 
have a conversation without having to strain our necks.
The weather in the first week of March was mild by Ontario standards.  That 
meant lots of snow, which made the countryside bright and beautiful.  The 
train traveled faster than any car on the 401, but with stops in Hamilton 
and other smaller towns along the way, it was still a three-hour ride.
Pulling out of Hamilton I started feeling frisky, and I pulled a blanket 
down over my exposed legs.  I suggested that Wendy do the same, and she 
looked at me in puzzlement when I told her to use the other end of my 
blanket.  Once we had the blanket up over our legs, I slipped off my shoe 
and slowly let my foot creep over and up under her skirt.  I had to slump 
down a bit in my seat to make proper contact, but Wendy soon realized why I 
wanted the one blanket over the two of us.  It looked innocent to people 
passing by in the aisle, but Julie soon realized what I was doing and gave 
out with a stage sigh.  Krissy laughed when she saw Wendy's hips slide down 
so I could make better contact.  This got Annette and Mandy giggling, which 
of course caught Sister Gabe's attention, and I quickly straightened up 
leaving my lover frustrated.
By two o'clock we pulled into Union Station and followed the pedestrian 
tunnel under the street to the Royal York Hotel.  Pretty fancy digs for a 
high-school volleyball team, but we had decades of alumnae backing us.  A 
porter was waiting for us and loaded our bags onto a cart, and we crammed 
into elevators to get to our rooms.  No discount rooms for us!  We had nice 
rooms, and it looked like we all had a great view of Toronto from every 
window.  We were told we had twenty minutes to freshen up, and then a bus 
would be arriving to take us to Casa Loma.
Hmm. twenty minutes.  Just enough time to complete what I had started on the 
train!
Looking very satisfied, Wendy led the way out of the room after we had 
relieved our bladders and hung our stuff up.  I remembered Casa Loma from a 
few previous visits to Toronto in that other life, and I explained to Wendy 
how the place got its name and why the city now owned it.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
I read to Wendy from the brochure we were handed at the door.  I had seen 
the place before, and though interesting from a historical viewpoint, once 
you've seen one castle, I guess you've seen them all.  Besides, in later 
years Casa Loma would be heavily used in movies and television shows like 
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, and The Relic Hunter (with Tia Carrerra!) and 
used in movies like Tom Cruise's Cocktail.  Film has a way to make a dream 
look even more fantastic.
Wendy was walking around with her mouth hanging open as she explored the 
secret passages behind bookcases and in alcoves that led to private bedrooms 
for late-night rendezvous.  The solarium was nice and proved you could grow 
stuff all year round, but Wendy was more amazed with the dining room, which 
was big enough for us to have a volleyball game in, and of course the indoor 
bowling alley.  (It was just two lanes but how many people had this in their 
house?)  All this kept her mesmerized while I read to her.
Casa Loma is the legacy of Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a prominent Canadian 
financier, industrialist, and military officer of the early twentieth 
century.  An unabashed romantic, Sir Henry engaged the noted architect E.J. 
Lennox to help him realize a life-long dream - the creation of a 'medieval' 
castle on the brow of a hill overlooking Toronto.  Based on a life-long 
fascination with European castles, Sir Henry borrowed the most pleasing 
elements of Norman, Gothic, and Romanesque styles to create Casa Loma.
Unlike many homes built during this time, Casa Loma was designed with 
several technological features we take for granted today.  The house was 
wired for electric power; fitted for a central vacuuming system; and had its 
own telephone exchange with 59 telephones.  The castle's original ovens in 
the kitchen were so big that they could cook an entire ox.  Sir Henry Mill 
Pellatt was a leading financier in Canada around the turn of the century, 
and a decorated commander of the Queen's Own Rifles.  His wealth was 
accumulated through a variety of ventures, including land speculation in the 
west, prior to CP Rail's trans-continental extension, and a monopoly on the 
provision of electric power in the Toronto area.
This wealth allowed Sir Henry to build a grand home for his wife on a 
25-acre country estate, then north of Toronto.  This estate originally had 
only a hunting lodge, but when Sir Henry decided to build stables nearby, it 
was not long before he also decided to build the home of his dreams. 
Construction on the castle was begun in 1911, and continued until the castle 
was very nearly finished, in 1914.  This undertaking employed three hundred 
men, and cost the exorbitant sum of 3.5 million dollars. (And THAT was a lot 
of money in 1914!)
In addition, Sir Henry spent another 1.5 million dollars on furnishing the 
castle lavishly.  Unfortunately, in a series of financially unsound moves, 
Sir Henry's wealth seemed to evaporate, as the City of Toronto presented him 
with an astronomical property tax bill.  In addition, Sir Henry had to 
contend with the cost of forty servants and price of coal to heat the 
enormous structure.  After several attempts (which included an auction of 
much of the valuable furnishings and materials) to preserve ownership of the 
castle which he and his wife had occupied for only nine years, Sir Henry had 
to sign ownership of the castle over to the city in payment of his taxes in 
1924.
When the City of Toronto acquired the Pellatt estate north of the city, it 
was commonly considered an eyesore.  Popular opinion after the city's 
acquisition was that the castle should be demolished.  While city councilors 
were deciding what to do with the building, it was stripped of any remaining 
valuables, boarded up, and, for all intents and purposes, abandoned.
In 1937, the Kiwanis Clubs of Toronto petitioned the city to allow them to 
take over the building, restore it, and operate it for the benefit of the 
public.  Since that time, Casa Loma has been the venue for weekly "big band" 
dances, and public viewing.
I might as well have been talking to a brick wall.  I sighed, exasperated, 
which caused Julie to laugh.  I doubt Wendy had heard a single word I had 
said, but Julie said that it was good practice for my public speaking 
skills.  I swatted her with the brochure.
I'll grant you the shower with the hundred-plus nozzles was a wonder to see, 
but all I could think of was that it had no wall on which to hold my Baby as 
I washed her.  The tour ended with the underground tunnel to the stables 
that were much better built, and with fancier tiles and woodwork, than most 
houses I've seen.
The bus that Krissy's dad had chartered took us away and soon we were 
heading down the 401.  Just past Pearson International Airport was the 
turnoff we wanted for the city of Mississauga, the city that would 
eventually grow into and become part of the "Greater Toronto Area" as 
Toronto became the center of the universe.  Five miles down the road, or 
eight kilometers as I reminded myself, and we pulled up to the main door of 
Square One!
Sunday shopping hadn't arrived yet in Canada, and most malls were just 
starting to stay open till nine through the week instead of only Fridays, 
but Square One was ahead of its time.  This Wednesday night, it was full of 
shoppers.
There were many food courts in the building and plenty of stores to distract 
us.  Julie and Krissy stayed with Annette, Mandy, and Wendy and me.  We hit 
the food court first as we were starving!  Since we weren't playing tonight 
or tomorrow, we indulged ourselves in pizza and root beer.  Annette made 
sure to include Julie and Krissy in every decision as to where we wanted to 
go.  Both of them felt a little lost and lonely without their partners.  I 
had expected Krissy's father and mother to join us on our adventure, but 
Krissy explained that her dad had a business to run and her mother joined 
him whenever she could.
When we finished eating, we started walking the mall.  Wendy of course was 
tireless and wanted to see the whole place, but I reminded her that if we 
did that, we wouldn't get any shopping done at all.  And I had something in 
mind that I wanted to pick up.
Technically, we should have all stayed together as a group, especially in a 
place as big as Square One, but Sister Gabe had said as long as we stayed in 
groups, we could wander around till closing time.  It took a little looking 
and a little asking, but I finally found a small appliance store that 
carried what I wanted.  Annette snickered when she saw what I was looking 
at.  Mandy was dumbfounded.  Wendy just gaped, and before Krissy could add 
her comments, a clerk came over to see if she could help us.  We were still 
dressed in our Sunday uniforms, and with the name clearly visible on our 
winter jackets, we thought it best to leave before word got back to London. 
Julie was a great sport though, and after taking off her coat and blazer, 
which would identify her as being a part of the school, she went into the 
store and bought one for me, one for Annette, and one for Krissy.  We stood 
outside of the store giggling as we watched Julie calmly pay for the 
purchases.
Only in the '70s could you walk into a mall store and buy penis shaped 
'personal body massagers!'
Wendy still didn't know what the big deal was, but that would become clearer 
to her later tonight.  Annette noticed there were four packages and asked 
why the extra one.
"Just in case I get too lonely tonight," said Julie.  I laughed and asked 
who she was rooming with!
It turned out that her roommate for our stay was Jeannie.  Jeannie was one 
of the few girls I had never seen with another girl in her lap, nor had she 
ever been on anyone's lap.  Jeannie was a good player and would be with us 
next season as well, probably taking over as team captain when Annette 
graduated.
We rushed off to Woolco to get packages of C-cell batteries, and made it 
back to our rendezvous point with time to spare.  We sat at one of the 
specialty coffee shops and had some blackberry tea.  Wendy wanted to know 
why we needed the batteries!
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
The bus seemed to take forever getting back to the Royal York, but finally 
we pulled up to the front doors, and after a head count, Sister Gabe sent us 
all off to bed.
After we had showered, not bothering to put anything on afterwards, I showed 
Wendy just why we needed the batteries.  The buzzing of the vibrator against 
her clit proved just how multi-orgasmic she really was, and I was happy that 
I could be the one to hold it for her, and then I slowly inserted it while I 
nibbled on her clit!  After a lot of hair pulling, (my hair), Wendy finally 
couldn't take any more and rolled into a fetal position, clutching and 
clawing at one of the pillows that was wedged inside her mouth.  Cleaning 
the vibrator while Wendy continued to spasm on the bed, I couldn't shake the 
thought that, had I paid half as much attention to my wife in my other life, 
things might have been a whole lot different.  But.  I wasn't ready to trade 
this life back for anything!
To be continued.
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