by Kitty Berry
“Brook?” Tate asks when he sees the look cross my features but as quickly as it registers Tate’s voice is gone, I realize I am on the floor, the room is starting to spin and dull then it turns black and I am there alone in the darkness.
************
I feel strange, as if I am watching myself from above, like I’m dreaming. I am back in high school, its senior year, Tate is doing much better emotionally and basketball season is under way. I go on a one girl crusade to get some of the boys to agree to be cheerleaders for our competition season that is quickly approaching. Tate forces a few of the freshman and sophomore football players to comply even though he will not have anything to do with it himself. I even try to convince him that these other guys are going to be able to look up my skirt but he just laughs and says, “Not one of them will even attempt it sweetheart. I promise you that. And I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work. I talked five guys into doing it for you, that’s going to have to be enough.”
I start to whine to try to get my way, “But Bobby’s doing it for Asia, it’s not fair, I’m captain and I want you to be my partner. I should have the strongest best looking partner. Come on, you are so strong and muscular” I rub Tate’s arms very seductively, or at least I think I’m being seductive but it doesn’t seem to be working. “You can throw me fifty feet in the air by yourself. Please. Please. Please” I continue. Tate is unfazed by my latest approach.
“First of all Bobby is so pussy-whipped now that he’s back with Asia and getting it all the time, he’ll do anything to keep her. Now forget about it. It is not going to happen. But I will be your biggest fan in the stands at the competition and this time I promise to be sober.”
Next I see myself on the night of the State Finals. Tate has been a nervous wreck all day. He’s been alternating between throwing up and drinking Gatorade to stay hydrated. The scouts from UNC are coming to watch the game and he wants to impress them. I have tried to make everything perfect for the game tonight. The cheerleaders and I spent all day after school and into the night decorating the gym. I made all these great posters for Tate and hung them all around the gym. Huge ones with pictures of him playing, guarding someone, taking foul shots, dribbling the ball. Some of them have sayings on them like “Tate is gggreat” with a Tony the Tiger on it. Our school mascot being a tiger made this an easy one to come up with.
I pick up Tate and drive him to the school early so he can practice shooting and warm up before the game. I watch him from the stands and can’t help but clap when he sinks every foul shot. I help him stretch out a little and I give him a little preview of my new panties that are under my cheer briefs so he’ll know what’s in store for him later in the night. Tate moans and says, “Don’t distract me. I have to be completely focused on my game and I can’t be sporting wood in front of the scouts okay?” I laugh and give him a hug.
“You are going to play awesome like you always do and we are going to win so don’t worry. The scouts are going to be in awe of you and you’ll get accepted to UNC and play there and be a huge star. Just promise you won’t forget about me” I beg.
He laughs and kisses me on the lips pulling me close to him before saying, “Let’s go and you can give my shoulders a massage to loosen me up. Just no rubbing up against me or any funny business Adams” he warns. “You got it Taters” I respond.
The game starts off with the tip off and the ball goes to the other team. Their point guard gets the ball and Tate leaps into action. “D-D-D-Defense” we start to cheer and the crowd joins in. Tate tells me that even though he loves me and I look hot in my uniform he pays no attention to the cheering during the game. I don’t really believe him and tonight we are all cheering our loudest and the fans are fired up. Tate tries to swipe the ball away a few times but can’t get it. The other team passes the ball to the inside and they score. We inbound the ball and Tate pushes it up the court, their point guard tries to get the ball away from Tate but he does this stutter move where he changes speeds and blows right past the kid. He plows down the center and manages to score while getting fouled. He swishes his foul shot and we are up by one point. The game remains close, only a point or two apart the whole first quarter.
The second quarter is not good. Tate gets the ball over the line but can’t seem to drive in anymore, there are too many players on him and they are shutting his shot down. Because of this we end up down in the second quarter and going into half time we are down by five. I see Tate start to puke on his way out of the gym. He leans over into the garbage can then comes up wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. I run out on the court and we do our half time routine to “Bust A Move” with the dance squad.
In the third quarter Tate is a boy possessed. He has never played better in his life and the whole team is on fire right along with him. I don’t know what their coach did to them in the locker room but it sure worked. Tate stops trying to drive in and he starts making his three point shots from the center instead. Two other players are also hot and making their three point shots from both sides. After the first four minutes we are up by twelve points and the crowd is going wild chanting, “Taylor, Taylor, Taylor” every time he sinks a three. I look up in the stands and I try to find Tate’s parents. I finally spot them sitting directly across from me and I notice that his father has a look of pure pride on his face. I wish Tate could see that. He always focuses on the times his father is being hard on him, he only hears the negative things he says to him. I wish they could have a better relationship.
The fourth quarter makes the game a blow out. Tate makes the kid guarding him fall down three times while trying to steal the ball from him and Tate does steal the ball from him two times from in front of him and one time from behind scoring each time. But in this quarter its Tate’s passes to his teammates that make him a stand out. He bounce passes to them without even looking in their direction, he passes the ball behind his back and over other player’s heads. We win 84-35 and Tate gets the MVP award.
After the game the scouts from UNC are waiting for Tate to come out of the locker room. When he comes out he doesn’t even notice them, he hears everyone cheering for him and he sees me. He comes over to me and lifts me up in one arm while he holds his bag in the other. He kisses me on the lips then puts me down and smacks me gently on the ass as the scouts are approaching him. He speaks to them alone for a few minutes before his father approaches and joins their conversation. I walked away when they approached to give him some privacy and now I can’t wait to know what they said.
When Tate walks back over to the crowd of students waiting for him everyone goes crazy and he has the best smile on his face. He looks around for me and when our eyes meet I know what the scouts said, I know he’s going to UNC. Now I just need to figure out a way to tell him I still want to go to Kentucky. When he reaches me he smiles at me and asks, “How are those panties of yours doing? I am going to rip them off you the minute we get into your car!”
I laugh and smack him then kiss him and beg, “Tell me what they said, Tate.” He tells me that they are very interested in him playing for them and that they will need to sit down with him and his parents and work some things out but it’s pretty much a done deal. They told him his grades are great but that he has to keep his GPA up, lots of seniors let their grades slide at the end of the year. They tell him to keep working out and to try to put on a few more pounds of muscle.
When we get into my car Tate tells me to wait till everyone has cleared out then to drive my car around the back of the school. When we get to the back he tells me to turn the car off and come with him. I follow him to the back entrance of the gym and he pulls a key out of his pocket that unlocks the door.
“Don’t ask, it’s better if you don’t know” he says as we step into the now dark deserted gym. He pulls a flashlight out of his basketball bag and takes me by the hand. “Come with me” he says as he leads me just past center court, right to the spot where he loves to stick his threes from, the spot th
at made him hot tonight. His tongue enters my mouth. He moans deeply into me then breaks our kiss.
“That was amazing tonight wasn’t it?” he asks. “I can’t believe I played that good. I was so fucking scared, I puked at half time but I brushed my teeth in the locker room after the game, don’t worry. Coach called me a fucking pussy and told me to pull it fucking together” he admits. “I’m glad you were there to see me play like that. It is a game I will never forget.
“I love you” he tells me as he’s looking into my eyes. “I’m going to marry you some day, Brooklynn Adams.”
My knees go weak and I stretch up to kiss him. Tate eases me to the floor and we make this spot on the court his favorite in another way.
Now that his season is over Tate agrees to help me with the music for our cheer routine and he blends together a segment of “The Look” and “She Drives Me Crazy” for us to start with. We start out with the dance portion of our routine then enter into the cheer and stunt portion and finally end with “Wild Thing” where we cheer, dance and do stunts. The whole routine is less than five minutes but it’s the most grueling I’ve ever done. I am taking a huge risk but my coaches all agreed that the shock value may just be what we need to give us an advantage or it can backfire and get us last place. The other girls have been great and working hard. They want to win this year as bad as I do. The dance routine is very sexy and seductive, the stunts are what they are doing on the college level and just barely allowed at the high school level but this year now that we have guys we need to compete in the co-ed division and it’s the only way I can see us placing. Our cheer is strong and I really think we have a good chance. The only problems I see are the guys. They continue to get better but clearly they are not cheerleaders.
I have choreographed the routine and I need it to be perfect. I know the people that I work for in the summers from UCA and the people from NCA are going to be there. I also hope some college scouts like the one from University of Kentucky will come as well. I haven’t pressed the issue with Tate about college yet but we’re going to need to talk soon. I have my heart set on cheering at the University of Kentucky but he wants to go to UNC. Neither of us wants to be apart from the other one for four years of school.
The guys Tate has forced to be on the cheer squad are horrible, one is worse than the next, Bobby included. They can’t remember one motion or word to any of the cheers. They are awkward in their movements and I can’t even begin to try to teach them the dance routines. The only thing they are going to be any use for is lifting the girls up in stunts. Even there they have a lot of work to do. We practice every day after school for two hours through basketball season then for three hours a day during the month leading up to the competition.
The day of the competition all the girls do their hair and makeup together. We are wearing our hair in pigtails with ribbons. I want to play up the cute innocent side while doing our sexy and seductive dance. Paula Abdul is my favorite choreographer right now and she’s brought back the sassy sexy style of dance when she did “Cold Hearted Snake” and that’s the feel of this routine as well. We do a lot of hip rolling and bends with straight legs and our asses up in the air. All of our moves need to be crisp and sharp and spot on during our performance.
The other squads in our division play it safe with their stunts and their choreography; this will either work to our advantage or be the death of us. We are called and run onto the mats, the music begins and from what I can tell the routine is flawless. Even the guys who I managed to somehow work into the routine without having them move much were errorless. The crowd goes wild when we finish and give us a stand ovation.
We were last to perform in our division and for the competition, we don’t need to wait long for the results. The judges only debate for a few minutes before the announcers call all the squads onto the mats. Our JV squad that my sister is on places 2nd place in their division and then the Varsity teams are called to the front. For the third year in a row we win 1st place. When interviewing me and my coaches the announcers comment on the risky chance we took and pulled off with our routine and my coaches’ credit me. The announcer ends with, “Well, fans there you have it, the 1st place High School Varsity cheerleaders for the third year in a row. Keep your eyes on that one cheer fans. Brook Adams is certainly one to watch out for.”
************
I think I hear Katrina and Tate’s voices and I’m trying to fight through the darkness but my body feels so heavy. “As beautiful as ever Tate Taylor” my sister says. Tate replies, “Sorry baby, you’re not my type” to which they both laugh. This has been how they have been greeting each other for years. Katrina and I look like twins.
“I am exactly your type; I look just like your wife. I always forget that until I see her. How is she?”
How am I? Why, what’s wrong with me. I try to ask them but I can’t talk through the darkness.
“Hey Fruit Loop, my nephew is gorgeous as is your hubby. Wow he’s holding up well for a guy with a baby. You picked em’ well” my sister says to Michael.
Why is everyone here with me but I’m not able to talk to them?
“How’s the baby Tate?” Katrina asks and then I remember. My baby. I don’t hear Tate’s response, Katrina says something about the girls being at the beach and I drift back off again. I startle awake confused as to where I am and what’s happening.
“Welcome back baby. Did you enjoy your rest?” Tate says as he kisses me on my dry lips. I franticly look around the room trying to adjust to my surroundings. I am hooked up to monitors in a hospital room and my first words to my husband are, “Please no, Tate. No, I didn’t lose the baby again did I?”
Tate smiles at me and says, “No, you didn’t lose the babies!”
It takes me a minute to understand what he has just said to me. I look up at him with a questioning look on my face.
“Yeah, that’s right, twins. It’s still too early to know the sex for sure but they are not identical so it could any which way. Your doctor has been in to see you and said you can go home soon. You fainted at my office and I called an ambulance, they brought you here. The babies have been fine the whole time. I’ve been watching them on the monitors.” he informs me.
“Damian’s here, he’s talking to your doctor. They apparently do know each other. I don’t even want to think about what kind of kinky position he has her in right now” Tate laughs trying to lighten the mood.
Tate comes to me and we just lay in my hospital bed holding each other, listening to our babies’ heart beats on the machines until Dr. Baxter comes in with Damian trailing behind with a sly look on his face. I notice the he is shaking out his hand like its sore, I can only guess why. Something tells me my doctor won’t be sitting down any time soon. Tate glances at Damian and they share a look before Damian laughs and takes a seat next to my bed to listen to r. Baxter’s report.
She tells me that my babies are fine and that my fainting spell was most likely caused from a drop in my sugar levels that she wants to continue to monitor so I will be meeting with her on a regular basis until she’s comfortable that it’s nothing more serious.
Dr. Baxter excuses herself and goes to leave the room. Before she slides out of the door she turns to Damian. “Always a pleasure Mr. Stone. Call me when you’re in town again and I’ll do the same if I’m in the city.”
“What the fuck, man? Are you serious?” Tate asks him.
“What? She’s an old…friend I guess you could say. When I’m here or she’s in the city we like to hang out.”
“Hang out my ass. You like to spank her and God only knows what else” Tate retorts.
“That I do man, that I do.”
“You need to settle down with a nice woman and stop all this nonsense, Damian” I warn him.
“Yeah, I know. Alex has been telling me that very same thing. I will. Someday soon, I promise. I just need to meet the right one to get me to want to is all.”
“You will, just give it time” Ta
te says.
“This coming from a man you met the girl of his dreams at fourteen” Damian laughs.
I’m discharged with an appointment for the following day. Tate and Damian help me to the car, both treating me like I’m made of glass. It shocks me that neither of them carry me. It’s not for lack of trying however.
The following day Katrina takes me to my doctor’s appointment while Tate stays back at the hotel with Bobby and Damian. Bobby is taking his pending divorce hard and Tate knows I need some time alone with my sister. Katrina is excited to come with me as are the girls who can’t wait to see their new cousins. I cautioned Katrina about telling them in case I can’t carry them to term but she insists that everything is going to be fine this time. She says she can just sense it somehow, not wanting a fight I let it go.
Dr. Baxter says everything is fine and that she doesn’t need to see me again for another month. She asks if Damian is still in California and I tell her that he’s planning on heading back later in the week. I ask about diet and exercise and she tells me I am allowed to work out as I have been for the time being but when I am further along I may need to cut back a little. I am not allowed to eat sprouts, deli meats or hummus. I need to try to eat a balanced diet and give up wine and alcohol.