“Don’t worry, I’m not paralyzed. Thanks for asking,” Shannon muttered. We were all silenced by the bang of a door closing. “It’s them!” Shannon mouthed.
Blair silenced everyone by holding her arm out straight while she watched through the binoculars. A tall guy was now getting into Liz’s Miata. Patrick had stayed inside and his dad and dog were walking up the street toward us.
“Who is that? That’s not Liz…” Ruth said.
“That’s my waiter from PoFolks!” Shannon said.
“Wait a minute, doesn’t Liz’s twin brother work at PoFolks?” Blair questioned.
“Wait. Liz has a twin brother?” Ruth asked. “Why doesn’t he go to Gramercy?”
“Yeah, her brother was recruited to play basketball for St. Mark’s. He must be friends with Patrick if they work together,” I speculated.
Blair breathed a loud sigh of relief. Blair had the information—Patrick was not dating Liz. He was just friends with her brother. Patrick’s dad and dog were getting closer. As soon as Liz’s car passed us, Blair mouthed, “RUN!”
My feet were in motion and I rounded the turn of the street hoping I was staying in the shadows. Seconds later, I had the cold handle of the Oldsmobile in my hand and pried it open. I dove into the plush backseat. I heard the snaps of three other doors and the rumble of the engine. Ruth floored the Olds and we took off down the street. My lungs were burning. I think I forgot to breathe as I sprinted back to the car.
As the residences of Colonial Estates went clipping by, Blair smirked and said, “I love it when a plan comes together.” The line Hannibal made famous from the A-Team reminded me of another thing Blair and Patrick had in common—their endless movie quotes.
My heart was still pounding from the run. “Does that mean that Operation Proof is finally mission accomplished? He is totally NOT dating Liz.”
“OK. OK. I agree. I don’t think Patrick is dating her either. I think it’s a wrap. This stakeout was our best one yet, ladies. It was fun, wasn’t it?” Blair asked.
“Until I broke my back!” Shannon answered.
“Easy, Black Beauty. Do you want another snack or do we need to put you down?”
“Forget the granola bar. I need Moons Over My Hammy!” Shannon squawked.
“Midnight, turn this boat around. Denny’s is on me!” Blair said. Ruth put on her blinker and we lumbered into a U-turn. The sunshine of Denny’s bright interior was soon on the horizon.
An hour later, Blair reminded me of our field hockey game and dinner at Coach’s house the next day when Ruth dropped me off. It was not that late but I knew I was going to be tired tomorrow.
The excitement of the game pumped me up. I didn’t know Reid was there until I walked out to center field. I saw him out of the corner of my eye standing with a bunch of other football players near the fence. Their practice started later in the afternoon but their coach usually kept them contained in study hall. I popped my mouth guard in to soften its tough grip on my teeth. We won the toss, and I stood next to Holly outside the center circle.
The white ball perched on a thick spot of turf. I ran my cleat impatiently through the lime waiting for the start whistle. Holly stood still, holding her breath, ready to pass the ball to me and run like the wind toward the goal. We had practiced this hundreds of times.
The ref’s silver whistle finally cut the air with a short, shrill sound. The game had begun. Holly and I ran the play. I could see her black, shiny ponytail sprint down the line as I looked up to pass. The grass was thick; I was working hard to dribble the ball but I had to get it airborne. I flicked the ball up in Holly’s direction and took a hard check from the other team’s halfback.
I landed hard on the ground. The whistle pierced the air as a signal to stop playing. I looked up at the sky and hoped Reid had left. I had the wind knocked out of me. The burning in my chest started to ease and I saw the ref yellow card the girl who hit me. I stood and took a deep breath.
I lined up for the free hit leveled against the other team for dangerous play. I couldn’t consider looking near the fence. I sensed he was there even though I told myself he had left so I could keep my focus on the field. I saw our right forward, Cheryl, raise her hand to me. I nodded and gave the ball a wallop toward the right side of the goal. Cheryl sprinted to the ball and Eileen, Holly, and I swooped in behind. Cheryl cranked it toward the goal and the rest of us rushed the net in case there was a rebound. There wasn’t. We were on the scoreboard.
Cheryl’s arm was slung tightly around my neck and her stick was high in the air. My ears were ringing from the screams of the goal from Eileen, Holly, Cheryl, and me. We trotted back up the field and I allowed my eyes to drift toward the fence. I met Reid’s stupefied gaze and I raised my stick a little in his direction. It flashed through my mind that I didn’t know if he had ever been to a field hockey game before.
“Whitney, I promise you, this is not about me. Those girls have big wooden sticks! Some of them are practically Amazons! You got knocked down—like a pancake—by that one giant brute. That game is not fun…” Reid protested the minute he laid eyes on me. His hair was slicked back and his face was still red from the excursion of his practice. He had his bag slung across his chest.
“No, really, it IS totally fun,” I said, grinning. I laughed, realizing that I was right in suspecting that he had never been to a hockey game before. “I don’t usually get checked that hard. That’s why she got the yellow card and we got the free hit. We DID win, right, Blair?” I asked, looking for a little backup. Blair had her eyes on the wooden door of the guys’ locker room.
Patrick came out with his wet hair sticking up in a million different directions. He hadn’t bothered to brush it after he toweled it off and he grinned sheepishly when he saw Blair and me. I raised my eyebrows at him. I noticed Blair scratching her temple as if she was trying to make sense of him.
“What are we talking about?” Patrick asked, running his fingers through his hair as a makeshift comb.
“The field hockey game today. Whitney took a hard fall. Reid now wants her to play in bubble wrap,” Blair joked as we walked down the hall.
“Oh yeah, I saw that hit. A bunch of us went to your game today before we had to report to study hall. You know, a little school support and whatnot. Blair, what is your position called?” Patrick asked.
“Halfback. Same as in soccer,” Blair said, falling into step beside Patrick. I was giddy watching the two of them together. I could barely contain my grin.
“Can you all go grab a bite to eat with us?” Patrick asked. I noticed he was only looking at Blair when he said it. I felt Blair’s disappointment that it would be impossible tonight.
“No, we have to go to Coach’s house. Team tradition,” Blair explained. Eileen was in the Jeep waiting for us. She turned it on. We needed to go.
Reid grabbed my free hand. I was distracted watching Blair and Patrick. He interrupted my thoughts. “Call me later, OK? I miss you.” I felt the connection between us and tried to let go of his hand. “Too late, I already know you miss me too.” He kissed me before I could start laughing.
I heard my teammates howling at us. Reid didn’t seem to care. I fought with myself to regain control of my thoughts. It was difficult.
“Should I turn the car off? I’m already running low on gas,” Eileen called. Reid let go of me and I climbed into the Jeep. I smiled and turned away. I didn’t want him to see how much he unnerved me.
We arrived at Coach’s apartment community directly across from the parkway. The garden-style apartments were built in the 1950s. It was across from the river and full of landscaped flowerbeds, tree-lined streets, and wide stretches of lawn. The apartments were spacious and full of thoughtful architectural details like arched doorways, black-and-white tiled bathrooms, large windows, and built-in shelving. But the real reason Coach, like a lot of other single women, lived here was because of its dating potential. This was bachelor utopia. The proximity to the outdoor activities was like
a testosterone magnet. Coach was still looking for her Mr. Right and she gave it all she got. She had found a new appreciation for biking, hiking, and nature photography along the parkway hoping she would cross running paths with her soul mate.
Eileen drove past the shopping center and onto Potomac Avenue. I laughed as I caught sight of what was known as the “Singles” Safeway—the grocery store named for its social scene more than its produce. Yes, Coach was tactical, no doubt about it.
We parked the Jeep and I jumped out the back. Eileen had left the doors and top off. The tree canopy sheltered the street as we walked down the shady sidewalk to the brick building marked 6608. There was no buzzer, so we climbed the blue-carpeted stairs to the second floor landing. We rapped on the door marked B and were greeted with yells to come in from inside. Blair opened the door and the three of us stared at our own reflection as we faced the mirrored front closet.
“Aren’t those attractive girls?” Eileen joked. She blew herself a kiss. Blair and I laughed and followed her lead across the amber-stained, hardwood floor. Coach had decorated her apartment with a rustic flair. She had three This End Up love seats with Wellington boot green cushions. The wooden block furniture was softened with yellow pillows and matched the green pineapple stencil that bounced repeatedly around the walls.
A dried flower arrangement sat on the wooden coffee table. There were so many different colored grasses and shriveled flower buds that it looked like an allergy attack had sprung from a crock of glazed pottery. It made me want to sneeze.
“We’re in here!” Coach’s raspy voice called. I could hear Melissa’s Cookie Monster laugh and Holly asking a question. I inhaled the hefty smell of starch from the rice and the snap of garlic and scallions. It was the tantalizing waft of the Chinese restaurant, Royale Hunan.
I was almost blinded by the kitchen. The counters, appliances, cabinets, and walls were all white. It looked very, very…white. I wondered if she used her kitchen for anything other than storage.
Barbara and Cheryl had walked in behind us followed by Maggie and Lindsay. We all stood in the kitchen doorway and Coach quickly put us to work. We set the boxes of Chinese food on the dining room table, along with serving spoons, plates, and napkins.
In a few more minutes, the apartment was crowded with all the girls from the team. Coach ordered us to fix our plates over the loud chatter of multiple conversations. I helped myself to chicken fried rice, vegetable lo mein, Kung Pao beef, and then my eyes landed on my favorite sweet and sour shrimp.
I was glad I landed a spot on a couch near a side table. I usually had trouble balancing my plate on my lap with my fork, knife, and drink. Eileen was sitting nearby and I asked her how Zeta pledging was going. She rolled her eyes, “I wouldn’t call it fun,” she said dryly. “More like a test of endurance. They aren’t letting your friend, Karen, off the hook that easily. The sisters are making her earn it.”
“That sounds interesting,” I said, waiting to hear more. I took a bite of my shrimp. The sweet and sour sauce was warm and tangy. I stirred it into my bland rice. I hated anything too boring. Reid was certainly not ever boring, I caught myself thinking.
“I’ll say. She strutted into our first pledge meeting like she knew everything already. The Z-X-O overheard her telling some of her fellow pledges she would reveal some of the secret rituals of hell night in return for favors. You can imagine how well that went over. Karen might as well have raised her hand and nominated herself to be the pledge the sisters could make an example of.”
“What happened?” I said, bursting into a grin. I noted how Eileen had called Zeta’s president, Georgia Alexander, ZXO, for Zeta Executive Officer. She wouldn’t be able to call her Georgia while she was a pledge.
“Unfortunately, I can’t say. And neither can she. But be on the lookout for her tomorrow,” Eileen said, giving me a knowing smile.
Zeta Executive Officers could impose vows on pledges that made their life miserable by altering their lifestyle. A pledge may know which Zeta Executive Officer is imposing the vow or she may not, but all vows were respected and enforced by the entire ZXO triumvirate: the president, vice president, and social secretary. Not being a pledge, I didn’t know all the vows that were used, but most of the school knew about the vow of silence that varied in duration and limitations. There was also the vow of poverty that meant no designer label of any kind, including riding in status symbol cars that left most girls taking the bus or walking to school. A vow of simplicity was the one I thought was the worst, and that meant no make-up, hair products (including shampoo or conditioner), or deodorant. The pledge was given a bar of caustic Ivory soap for a week. I had heard rumors about vows of chastity and vows of obedience but I didn’t know much about them.
I made a mental note to mention this to Blair. She would get a kick out of it. The other seats quickly filled with our friends. We were all laughing so much that Coach had to start reminding people to finish up so she could hand out the fortune cookies.
Coach was superstitious. No one could pick their own fortune and we had to all eat the entire cookie first, folding the scrap of white paper in our hands before reading it—aloud—to the entire group. Her one caveat was that we added the words “on the field” at the end of the fortune. As expected, this all led to even more laughter as we told our fortunes.
I managed to crunch down and swallow the eggy cookie while listening intently to how we would fare this year “on the field.” I read last because of where I was sitting. I cleared my throat and read, “Others will look to you in times of trouble—on the field.”
“Excellent timing, Whitney. I think I will take this opportunity to announce that you and Eileen will be this year’s team captains. You both have everything I look for when I choose a captain. You work hard, you have a good attitude, you encourage others, and you care about your teammates. Ladies, please stand up so we can congratulate you.”
I stood up because that was the only thing Coach just said that made sense. I was overwhelmed and moved at the honor. The room was full of applause and cheers. I looked at Eileen. I gave her a funny salute of recognition of the accomplishment and sat back down again. I was never one to seek the spotlight and I felt uncomfortable as Coach and my friends beamed smiles of congratulations at me. My face felt hot. From the safety of my seat, I started to absorb the magnitude of my new responsibility. No matter what I did, I always seemed to have people depending on me. Little did I know, this was the tip of the iceberg.
Chapter Thirteen: Still Standing
The dirt tasted bad and I wanted to spit it out. Instead, I swallowed it and pretended it didn’t bother me. Eileen’s bad news was not what I wanted to hear.
At the same time, I watched Reid crash to the ground and I winced. Watching a Friday night football game was nothing new, but it was a new experience to be dating the quarterback. Every time a defensive player came into the pocket, my eyes trained onto Reid to try and will him to stay upright.
Eileen had motioned Blair and me away from our friends to tell us she had overheard Karen Eubanks and Shelly Bandit in the bathroom discussing her car. Karen told Shelly that Reid had promised to do anything for her and she intended to take him up on it. When Shelly asked, “What about Whitney?” Karen’s reply had been, “What about her?” Eileen had waited in the bathroom until they left and then came to find us.
“I told you she is trouble. Whatever you do, do it from a distance. Dirt like her splatters so remember you want to avoid her at all costs,” Eileen advised. “I get the feeling Karen thinks she has Reid in the palm of her hand and I’ll do my best to figure out why.” I nodded in tacit agreement. She disappeared back into the crowd to find Gary and their friends in the bleachers.
I hated the lurking feeling that Reid might not be telling me everything about Karen. I didn’t feel like he owed me an explanation about his past relationships, but what if this relationship wasn’t as obsolete as I thought? Was that why I couldn’t seem to shake the image of the two
of them out of my mind? Dwelling on it made me feel edgy.
I was so distracted thinking about Karen Eubanks that I almost missed Reid get sacked. As he fell, I caught sight of his eyes and chills ran down my neck. It was the start of my dream that prompted me to call Dr. West over the summer. He stood up and looked dazed. I thought I saw him wipe blood from his lip. In the next play, he went down again. He was not being well protected and I wanted to scream at him to get off the field like I had in my dream.
I fought the impulse, recalling its futility, and fought to focus on the dream’s purpose. He was going to show me something, but what? How many times he could get knocked down? I kept my eyes on Reid.
“Who is number forty-five?” I asked Blair. That was the offensive tackle that should have been guarding Reid but had not decided to play his position. It was third down, and Reid moved quick and sure footed in the pocket. In fact, it was too quick and too graceful.
“Kevin Flaherty. He’s having a terrible game. Our coach should pull him.” Blair kept her eyes out on the field. Kevin seemed to miss every linebacker that moved across the line of scrimmage. In the next play, Reid distracted the blitz with a pump fake and allowed two defensive ogres to collide into each other.
“Yeah, hopefully, before Reid gets a concussion. Kevin is intentionally not blocking. It’s like he wants Reid to go out of the game.” It was third down and Reid ducked and spun his way out of a tackle. His evasion ability was better than anything he could have learned at football practice. Even my dad would have been impressed, I thought to myself.
Blair crossed her arms. “Maybe so he could get his old position back? Don’t forget, Kevin was the JV quarterback before Reid came to Gramercy. Reid is fast on his feet. He should scramble and run up the sidelines.”
“Hmph. I’ve been watching his footwork. See if it looks familiar to you.” I was focused on Reid.
“As in Mr. Parks familiar? Is that what you are thinking? I’ve noticed a couple of his defense strategies, which at first looked like nothing. I thought he was getting sacrificed out there. Ouch! Did you see that? He moved back and Kevin took that hit—finally. I think he is now schooling both Kevin and the defensive line. My head was buzzing that he was a classic crane. That takes an amazing amount of instinct, training, and patience,” Blair said, analyzing the game. I was glad her thinking and mine were aligned.
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