The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

“Fine.” Robbie read it. “One summer when Jenny was eleven, she had a crush on a kid named Chris. She fooled this kid, planned the wedding, and everything. She even dressed up. She was heartbroken when she found out Chris was a girl.”

  The room applauded.

  “Excellent. Excellent secret,” Blake commented.

  “Thanks.” Robbie flashed a smile.

  “But Jenny didn’t give. Jenny, spin that wheel.”

  Chanting quietly, “Please let it be Robbie.” Jenny gave a spin.

  “Ben!” Blake shouted with excitement.

  “This is easy.” Jenny handed Ben a card. “You should give just on the basis of that suit.”

  “Ha.” Ben scoffed. “Before long it will be the new rage.” He glanced down. “Well.” He handed the card back.

  “Should I read it?” Jenny asked.

  “Sure. Go on.” Ben folded his arms.

  Jenny’s mouth opened.

  “Wait.” Ben halted her. “Wait.” He took a deep breath. “I give.”

  “And Ben is gone!” Blake shouted eagerly. “Robbie . . .”

  “Already writing here, Blake.” Robbie leaned over the counter. With a ‘ha-ha-ha’. Robbie, standing tall, handed the slip to Jenny.

  Jenny went pale.

  “Jenny?” Blake asked.

  Jenny breathed heavily.

  “Jenny, we need an answer.”

  “She gives, Blake,” Robbie said.

  “I need an answer from Jenny.”

  Jenny handed the slip to Robbie then slowly leaned into her microphone. “I . . .” She smiled “Want you to read it.” She looked smug.

  “What? Fuck.” Robbie shook his head. “Fine. When Ellen and Frank were broke up, Jenny offered herself to Frank. She undressed in front of him, tried to be seductive, even . . . made a pass., but my big brother . . .” Robbie made a gun with his finger. “Shot her down.”

  “Tension is mounting,” Blake said. “Jenny, your turn. Give that secret to Robbie.”

  Jenny handed him the card.

  Robbie read it and handed it back.

  “Robbie?” Blake called him.

  Robbie looked at Jenny, then to Joe, then to Ellen. “I give.”

  Jenny’s arms shot up in the air with a loud ‘yes’. As Robbie sadly turned to walk off of stage, the crowd roared. End of round one.

  Despite the best attempt of Todd from Fabrics to hold that ‘applause’ sign, the audience still had a shocked hesitation in applauding when they saw Frank, but they warmed up.

  Robbie, Henry, Ben, and a smug Jenny sat in the new front row. Perhaps it was an intimidation tactic. There were two empty chairs next to them for the dreaded first two ‘I give’ people to leave the stage.

  First to last the order was simple. Dean, Frank, Hal, and Elliott.

  Dean wiped the sweat from his hands. Not that he was nervous about being on the newest version of television, but more so his mind was drawing a true blank on what he would say for a secret about anyone. He swore his mind was full of delightful tales and quips about each person on that stage but, for the life of him, he couldn’t remember.

  Hoping against hope that he’d get Frank, Dean spun the wheel.

  “Great.” Dean mumbled when the wheel stopped on Hal.

  “Hal.” Blake spoke brightly. “Dean?”

  “One second.” Leaning into the counter, Dean rubbed his eyes. He felt Frank peeking. “Do you mind?” he snapped at Frank. Shaking his head, he finally wrote something down and handed it to Hal.

  Hal read it and snickered. “Go on.” He handed it back to Dean.

  Murmuring, barely heard, Dean read what he wrote. “Hal picks on people smaller than him.”

  The audience laughed.

  “Dean,” Frank chuckled. “That sucks.”

  “I’m drawing a blank,” Dean defended.

  “My turn, oh, yeah.” Frank reached back to the wheel.

  “It’s Dean,” Blake announced.

  “Ha.” Frank pulled out his cards and adjusted his glasses. “Let’s see, this one . . . um, no, ah, this one.” He gave the card to Dean.

  Dean’ mouth dropped one. “What is wrong with you?”

  Frank tilted his head. “Dean? Do you give?”

  “No.” Dean gave the card back. “Read it . . . asshole.”

  “Fine.” Frank shrugged and inhaled. “Dean jerks off all the time into the cups in his lab and claims it is in the name of science.”

  Both Hal and Elliott looked over at Dean.

  Dean shook his head. “You’re an ass, Frank.”

  “Ooh, good secret,” Blake commentated, “but Dean is still in the game. Nice try, Frank.”

  “Thanks, Blake.”

  “Hal, take a spin.”

  Hal did. It landed on . . . Frank.

  Frank smiled “Hit me.”

  “I wish.” Hal lifted his pencil. “Let’s see,” he thought. “Got it.” He wrote quickly then handed it to Frank.

  Frank peeked and smirked. “Read it.” He gave the card back to Hal. “Lame.”

  After a double look at Frank, Hal shrugged and read. “Frank believed in Santa Clause until he was fifteen years old.”

  The audience enjoyed that.

  “Ha.” Frank laughed. “For all you know. That was Robbie.”

  “No it . . .” Hal paused. “You’re right. It was.”

  Robbie from the front row lifted his hand. “Thanks guys.”

  Frank nudged Hal. “That’s good one.”

  Blake moved the game along. “Sgt. Ryder, spin the wheel.”

  Elliott reached back and spun.

  Frank blasted an ‘Uh’ of excitement. “Hal. This should be good.”

  “Sgt. Ryder?” Blake called upon him.

  Writing, Elliott felt the peering of Hal and he turned his body for privacy. After finishing, he handed it over.

  Hal looked at the paper, looked at Elliott, then took a breath. “Read.” He handed it back.

  Elliott opened his mouth.

  “If . . .” Hal interrupted smug. “That is, you truly want to say that about your commanding officer.”

  Elliott hesitated then crumbed the paper. “Blake, I’ll pass.”

  Amongst the ‘oohs’ from the audience, Frank balked like a chicken.

  “Fuck, Ryder.” Frank shook his head. “Why are you afraid of him? What was it?”

  Elliott looked at Frank.

  Frank smiled. “That’s good.”

  Hal gasped and spun to Elliot. “Good? God, did you just think that message to my brother?”

  Smoothly, Elliott shook his head.

  “You’ll pay.” Hal warned. “You will pay. You better hope I don’t get you.”

  It was Dean’s turn again and he dreaded it. His mind was still a blank. He spun the wheel and it landed on Elliott. “Swell.” Dean shook his head and picked up his pencil. After writing, he passed it to Elliott.

  When Elliott read it, it took all he had not to laugh. “Please reveal.”

  Frank smirked.“This has to be lame.”

  Dean mumbled, “It is.” he revealed as requested. “Elliott Ryder has two different ears.” He hunched expecting ridiculing moans from the audience but was shocked when he didn’t get ridiculed at all.

  Hal turned to Elliott. “Do you really?”

  Frank was just as shocked. “No, way. Does he, Hal.?”

  Hal looked “He does. My God, I’d be embarrassed to walk around like that, Elliott.”

  Frank nearly jumped over Hal. “Let me see. Oh! He does. Good call, Dean.”

  Dean nodded. “Thanks.”

  Blake rushed over. “I have to see this.”

  Todd from Fabrics was on stage just as quick.

  Elliott hands went to his ears. “Gentlemen, please.”

  Blake backed up. “That’s amazing but we must return to this game.” He faced the audience. “This is a great round, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Todd held up the applause sign.

  Everyone clapped.
/>   “Frank, your turn,” Blake instructed.

  It didn’t take long for Frank to reach onto his pocket after the wheel landed on Hal. “Yes.” Frank gave a card to Hal.

  Hal was aghast. “I do not.”

  “Do too.”

  “Do not,” Hal was adamant.

  “You know Hal, we can all check like we did with Elliott’s ears.”

  “Funny. Very funny. I do not. So . . .” Hal gave the card back to Frank. “Say it.”

  “Fine.” Frank put the card in his pocket. “Hal has hemorrhoids. Anyone want to verify?”

  Todd smiled.

  “Asshole,” Hal quipped and spun the wheel. “Ah.” he smiled. “You again.”

  “Go on. Give another Robbie secret,” Frank taunted.

  “No, need to.” Hal quickly wrote and turned to slip of paper over to Frank.

  “Ha!” Frank gave it back to Hal. “Read.”

  “It’s your reputation.” Hal took a breath. “Frank played with Barbie dolls when he was a young boy.”

  Smug, Frank leaned into his microphone. “And look how sensitive I am to women now.”

  A roomful of groans came from the audience.

  “What?” Frank asked. “I am.”

  “Sgt. Ryder,” Blake called upon him. ‘Your turn.”

  Elliott spun the wheel.

  “What!” Hal blasted. “Me again?”

  Elliott pondered and wondered. He had another secret and he wrote it down.

  Hal looked. “Fine. Read.”

  Elliott opened his mouth to speak.

  “Again . . .” Hal spoke. “That is if you want to say that about your commanding officer.”

  Elliot huffed out, “I’ll pass.”

  The audience moaned.

  Hal smiled.

  “You have to fuckin stop that, Ryder,” Frank warned. “One more time and you’re out.”

  “He’s right,” Blake said. “Dean.”

  Dean was growing antsy. He spun.

  “Good God!” Hal blared out. “What? Is that wheel rigged? Me again? I would think that there is little . . .” He was handed Dean’s paper. “What? You have one already?” Hal read it. “You’ve got to be kidding? You can’t think of anything better?”

  “It’s more viable coming from me.” Dean said.

  “Fine. Read it.” Hal tossed it back. “This is absurd.”

  Dean read his secret. “Hal does have hemorrhoids.”

  The audience clapped.

  Hal rolled his eyes.

  Pleased, Frank grabbed the wheel. “Yes!” He clenched his fist. “Prepare to go.” He reached into his pocket.

  Dean cringed and took the paper.

  Frank grinned.

  Dean handed it back and spoke in the microphone. “I . . . I give.”

  “Yes!” Frank stuck the card in his pocket. “I’ll save that so no one sees it.”

  “Let’s hear it for Dean!” Blake edged the audience. “We finally have lost a player. Good round, Dean.”

  With a loser lift of his hand, Dean walked form he stage and took his seat.

  Jenny gave him a pat on his knee. “Good job.”

  “Thanks,” Dean answered.

  “What was the secret?”

  Dean just looked at her.

  Hal spun the wheel. It landed on his name and he reached again.

  “Hold it,” Blake stated. “You can’t spin again.”

  “But it landed on my name. The goddamn wheel likes my name,” Hal defended.

  “The rules state that if it lands on your own name you have to reveal a secret about yourself or give.”

  “What? When were we told those rules?” Hal asked.

  “You weren’t. I forgot. But those are the rules,” Blake stated.

  “Can’t I pass?” Hal asked.

  “Nope,” Blake answered. “Secret or give.”

  “Fine.” Hal huffed then thought. “Fine. Father, I apologize, but when I was twelve, I used to pay your fifth fiancée fifty cents to see her breasts.”

  Joe’s loud, “What?" carried from the audience.

  “No, way.” Frank looked at him. “Vicki showed you her breasts.”

  Hal smiled “Several times.”

  “Good secret.” Frank nodded.

  “Thanks.” Hal grinned.

  “Sgt. Ryder., spin the wheel,” Blake instructed.

  Elliot grew nervous. He really hoped it didn’t land on Hal’s name again and it didn’t. It landed on Frank. After a few seconds of thought he wrote and handed the sheet to Frank.

  Frank nodded. “El told you this, didn’t she?”

  Elliott shifted his eyes to the front row ad to Ellen. “Yes.”

  Ellen gave a wink to Elliott.

  “Well, as good as this is, read it.” He gave the paper back to Elliott.

  Elliott did. “Frank once held a job as a towel boy at a gay bath house.”

  Ellen’s laugher seeped out above all the excited applause.

  Frank’s head went side to side. “It paid well. I quit when I realized all those men weren’t there just to have male bonding time. Now . . . It’s my time to eliminate some people.” Frank reached for the wheel and gave it a spin.

  “It figures.” Hal tossed up his hands.

  Frank began to write.

  “What?” Hal asked. “No cue cards.”

  “Nope.” Frank finished and handed the card to Hal.

  Hals’ eyes widened. “This is cheating. This was Elliott’s secret about me.”

  “Yep.” Frank nodded.

  “You can’t do that.”

  “Yes I can and I won’t wuss out. I’ll say it.”

  Hal exhaled, folded the paper into four, and stuck it in his pocket. “I give.”

  “Ha!” Frank pointed. “Yes. You and me Ryder.”

  “Another one bites the dust,” Blake announced. “Is this a good game or what? No more wheel spinning. I see Sgt. Ryder is already writing something down. Does he want to win this game or what?”

  Elliott stood up straight and handed the paper to Frank.

  “Fuckin El.” Frank shook his head. “She fuckin tells you everything. El! What the fuck!”

  Ellen shrugged a sorry.

  Frank huffed and tossed the paper back to Elliot. “Tell it. Go on.”

  “Okay.” Elliott didn’t need to read it. He just said it. “Frank was so naive about sex that he thought the condom went inside the woman, not on the penis.”

  For the first time, Frank winced when the audience roared with laughter.

  “Frank?” Blake called him. “Your turn.”

  Frank reached into his pocket. He didn’t have much on Ryder. He thought for sure Hal would have eliminated him. He breathed few times in thought and picked up his pencil. It hovered over the paper.

  “Frank. we need a secret,” Blake ensured.

  “Give me a second.”

  The audience was quiet and Hal’s clearing of his throat was the only noise.

  Frank looked up and made eye contact with Hal. Frank grinned. “Oh, yeah. Thanks.” He began to write diligently.

  Horrified Elliott looked at Hal.

  Hal just glanced back with a smirk.

  “Here you go.” Frank gave Elliott the paper.

  Elliott was fearful. Slowly he opened it. Swallowing, he looked at Hal, to Frank, to Ellen then back at Frank. He put the paper in his pocket. “I . . .” he echoed. “I give.”

  The crowd roared and Frank, as if he stood on a springboard, jumped up and down with glee, but it wasn’t over. There was still the final round.

  “Here we go,” Blake said. Things were so quiet a pin could be heard dropping. Frank and Jenny stood side by side. A big red button was before each of them. “This is the final round. The winner gets their own mini satellite dish to pick up DBS in their home. I will ask eleven questions. Each is worth ten points. There are no ties here. If you know the answer, hit the big button. Just so there’s no confusion on who buzzed in first Frank, your button makes a
buzz sound. Jenny, yours makes a bell sound. Understand?”

  They both nodded.

  “The first to ring in, state your answer. If it’s correct, you get ten points. If it’s wrong, y7ou lose ten . . .”

  “We’re not idiots!” Jenny blasted. “Start the damn game.”

  “May the best man or woman win.” Blake flipped the card.

  Jenny stood straight. Her handed hovered the button.

  Frank had a more relaxed look. One arm leaned on the counter, his other hand just above his button as well.

  “Here we go.” Blake started. “Name the . . .”

  Buzz.

  “Frank.”

  “John Matoose.

  “Correct answer.”

  “What?” Jenny asked. “How is he . . .”

  Blake continued, “Who was the first . . .”

  Buzz.

  Frank answered, “Scott from Mechanics.”

  “Correct. When was . . .”

  Buzz. Frank again. “Two years ago, November 17th.”

  “Correct. Who was . . .”

  Buzz. “Sheldon.”

  “Correct.”

  “Oh my God!” Jenny screamed. “He can’t do this. He’s . . .”

  Blake ignored Jenny and continued.

  Frank still had that look of determination on his face, his eyes locked on Blake.

  “Name the two . . .”

  Buzz. “Ben and Todd from Fabrics.”

  “Correct. In which . . .”

  Buzz. “Plastics and glass.”

  “Correct. This little . . .”

  Buzz. “She has six toes on her right foot.”

  Correct. “Name the four.”

  Buzz. “Bob from Glass. Luke. Gary and now Maryann from the House of Lesbians.”

  “Correct. And now . . .”

  Jenny moved her hand and buried her face. Like the game show was called, she just gave up.

  Jenny pretty much waded through the final three questions. She knew Frank was cheating somehow. She held her composure very well until Frank was declared the winner. Then Jenny graciously dropped the lady appearance and, at full force, attacked Frank.

  ^^^^

  “I searched, you know.” Jimmy spoke softly, his face lit by the small campfire as he poked it with a stick. “I did, with all my heart. It wasn’t as if I gave up. No, I didn’t. I just kind of knew the odds weren’t in my favor, but I never gave up hope, just the search. I guess the search found me. Home is where your family is. I’m going home.”