Part 3B

"Son, there isn't an easy way to say this. Because of the man you are, I am just going to say it. Your Dad's small plane went down about two hours ago. No one made it out alive.", he said softly.

The words echoed around my brain, i went into shock. No one made it out alive.

I took a deep breath and turned to look at Ashley, I could see tears streaming down her face.

I stood up and walked over to her wrapping my arms around her. We both cried as Coach Mike quietly left the room. I don't know how long we stood there, it seemed like forever. I led Ashley back to one of the chairs and helped her sit down, I sat in another. A minute or so later there was a knock on the door, Coach Mike opened it just wide enough to stick his head in.

"Can I come in for a moment ?", he asked.

I nodded to him and he stepped in and closed the door behind him . He moved over and sat on the corner of the desk, the weight of this was bearing down heavily on him. He was one of my Dad's best friends, I knew this was killing him.

"Brian, I want you to take Ashley home right now. Don't even go back to the locker room, go straight home. I don't know how I am going to tell the team but it was on the radio at least an hour ago, people in the stands are going to know. I can't let the kids find out like that.", he stated.

Ashley nodded quickly to him, he got up and headed back to the locker room. I got up and reached for Ashley's hand, which she placed so gently into mine. As bad as I felt for myself, I felt worst for her. She stood up slowly and turned to the door. I guess we took about three steps, the sound of my cleats were deafening on the gray painted concrete floor, before she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Brian, I don't know how you feel and if I am way off base, please tell me.", she said, "But personally, I think your Dad would want you to play tonight, for him."

It took a few seconds for what she had said to sink in. I could see she was sincere in her words, she was not saying this for my benefit.

"Brian, if these roles were reversed and we had just lost you, he would be devastated. But he would still lead those young men in that locker room onto the field tonight. He would hate to be out there without you, but he would do it.", she ended.

Again I thought for a moment, hard as it was to think about, she was right. My Dad lived for this game, now he had died for it. I stood there looking into her eyes for several moments. I knew she was right. I moved over and hugged her once again, her arms holding onto me tightly.

I walked out of the small office hand in hand with Ashley. I left her at the locker room door, she wished me well, saying she would be watching. As I opened the locker room door, everyone was kneeling, their heads down, a lot of tears were being shed. Most of these guys in here had played for my Dad at least one year, some of us three years. As hard as he was on us, everyone to man, respected him. Everyone looked up as I entered the room, some in disbelief.

"Coach, I had a talk with Ashley. I'm going to play, for my Dad. All I ask is that everyone act normal, give me some space.", I said calmly.

Coach Mike stood up and walked over to me. He put his arms around me and hugged me as only a coach could. He stepped back and looked me in the eyes.

"Brian, you're quite a man. But make sure you are doing this for the right reason.", he said, "Not for us, but for you."

"This is not for me Coach. This is for him.", I answered, walking past him to pickup my gear.

We hit the field several minutes later to a packed crowd on both sides of the field. I looked up into our stands, a lot of familiar faces were present. I could see from their demeanor just about everyone in the stadium knew by now. Coach was right to tell the team when he did. The game started with our offense getting the first possession of the night. I sat on the end of the bench as they went on a long drive. I could feel the anger and hate boiling up in me as I sat. I was not sure who I was angry with but I knew who I was going to take it out on. With barely four minutes off the clock, our offense punched a touchdown in the end zone. I got up, putting on my helmet and gloves, preparing to take the field. I saw our quarterback Jason talking to the official in the end zone, then turn and jog off the field towards me. He stopped a few feet ahead of me, walking the last few steps.

"This is for your Dad. And we're not done yet.", he said, extending the ball to me.

"Thanks Jason.", I said, taking the ball.

We kicked off and they started their first drive from their own twenty six yard line. I was already on the line kneeling down when they broke the huddle. As they lined up, I looked into the backfield to see their all-state running back strut around the backfield like a rooster. Now I knew who would be the victim of all of this anger.

The entire game seem to move in slow motion for me. It was like I knew what they were running and where it was going. I ended the night with twelve tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. We won easily 28-7, their only score coming late in the fourth quarter when most of the seniors were off of the field.

The next few days were really hard, thankfully Ashley handled everything. The funeral was held Thursday morning, it appeared the whole town turned out. In fact I was told that my mother and my grandparents were there, which really surprised me. By end of the day all I wanted to do was be away from people. I know everyone meant well, it was just a very long and sad day.

We arrived back home about three thirty in the afternoon, I undressed and laid down for a while, Ashley did the same. When I got up about six o'clock she was in the kitchen making soup and sandwiches. We ate, cleaned up and watched TV in silence, nothing really needed to be said. I took Friday off from school, I told Coach Mike I would meet the team at two o'clock the next day at school. We were playing out of town so we had about a ninety minute bus ride to their stadium. We were two games away from the State AAAA Championship, a goal that still seemed so far way.

We won our next game in a close hard fought battle, the score was 14-10. Defensively we didn't play well, we allowed them to convert too many third downs, letting drives continue. In the end we won, but I didn't play well, most of us didn't. Coach Mike let us know about it too after the game was over.

I went back to class on Monday, Ashley went back to teaching her class. I pretty much went through the motions that week at school, nothing seem to really matter. We practiced every afternoon getting ready for Friday's game. A win would insure us of a spot in the State Championship game. Emotions were running high at school, despite what had happened.

We played the next game at home, our record was better overall, giving us the home field edge. Everyone stepped it up a bit, the defense was exceptional, we won easily 21-7. We would play in the State Championship next Saturday night in Midway, a large town 150 miles away. We would play in a college type stadium with an artificial surface, something we had never experienced.

School was absolutely crazy the following week, everyone was riding a very tough emotional year. No team from this town had ever been in a State Championship game, no one had ever gotten even close. The news media showed up at school on Tuesday for an interview with our coaches. After the interview with Coach Mike, one of the reporters asked to speak to me.

"How does it feel to be this close to a State Championship Brian ?", he asked.

"Good I guess. It still doesn't seem real, I guess.", I replied.

"It only seems fitting that after your Dad's accident, his former school should be here.", he stated.

"I guess, I dunno. I am sure he is happy.", I answered.

"You're being touted as possibly the best defensive player in the State. Any idea's on where you would like to go to school ?", he inquired.

"No sir, not at all.", I replied.

The interview was on TV that night, I basically came off looking like an idiot, at least I thought so. Thursday morning's paper ran a five page special article on the entire team and what we had been through this year. It listed all the players and their respective resumes. It was really a nice article, until we got to the last page. They had interviewed the coach of the opposing team, Parkview High, a powerhouse school with eleven state championships to their credit. Their coach got extremely personal in his article about me.

{ "You know, there is a difference between a great team and a very good team. Yea, they're good, but we're great. Other than the freak they have on defense, they're a pretty mediocre team. And by the way, that kind of size and strength is not normal, if you know what I mean. I'm just saying....that's all..... }

I had to read the article three times to let it sink in. In this day and age, it was surprising an opposing coach would give his opponent billboard material to add fuel to the fire. Yep, we were the small school, we were the underdog, but still you never know. As I walked down the hall in school that day, apparently everyone else had read the article as well. I was getting some pretty strange looks from everyone. At the end of fourth period, I was headed to lunch. Courtney caught up to me and we sat together in the corner of the cafeteria.

"Brian, is what they say in the newspaper true ? Have you taken drugs to get this big ?", she asked quietly.

"Courtney, it's not worth talking about. All they are trying to do is get in my head. They can say what they want, I will answer them Saturday night.", I answered.

We took the school bus to the stadium Saturday, we left town about noon, the game was for seven thirty that night. There were close to fifty cars that followed the bus up to the game, it looked like a parade. We arrived at the stadium about three o'clock, we had stopped for a meal on the way. We went out on the field at our allotted four o'clock slot and got our ninety minutes of work in on the artificial surface. I found it to be very fast, I liked it a lot. As we were winding up, the opposing team gathered at the tunnel on the north end to come out. Their head coach walked out and shook hands with Coach Mike. I never took my eye off of him, I stared him down the entire time. We left the field quickly, beginning our pre-game rituals. I was taped up and ready to go an hour and a half before kick off. I just sat quietly in the corner, my eyes closed, waiting for what would be the biggest game of my life thus far. About thirty minutes before kickoff one of our assistant coaches came back in the room and walked over to me.

"Brian, every major college in the region has someone here son. And apparently, they all are here to see you.", he said as he patted my shoulder.

"Thanks Coach, I hope I don't let them down.", I replied.

I couldn't speak to anyone about a scholarship until after the season was over, but that was almost here. My Dad had warned me that I would probably get an offer or two immediately after the game. He told me we would take it all in, relax then make a smart decision down the road. I had until May 1st to commit, it was still early.

We exited the south tunnel at exactly 7:11 pm Saturday evening, I noticed the clock as we ran out. The stadium was packed, we were greeted with a warm reception. As one of the teams co-captains, I would be allowed to go to mid-field for the coin toss before the game. As the referee explained the ground rules and the coin toss, I looked over at their quarterback. He looked extremely nervous, his eyes darting around. They were known as a wide open passing team, he knew the game depended on his having a good night. We lost the coin flip and had to kickoff. They started from their thirty four yard line.

My opponent for the night was a 6'2", 260 lb. sophomore left tackle, who according to their coaches would play major college ball. As I lined up across from him for the first play, he looked up at me for the first time. He did not appear to be very confident to me.

They ran a few plays, got a first down and moved the ball out to the fifty yard line. They liked to play action pass on first down, in fact they were pretty predictable. We set a pass rush for first down banking on that, holding our linebackers in case they ran. We were running a cross stunt up front with the tackle stepping over to my man, I was going inside on his. As the ball was snapped I delayed a half count as I was taught. Our defensive tackle slid over on my man, his man slid with him giving me a clean shot to the quarterback. I accelerated through the hole as he stepped up in the pocket. I have never hit anyone that hard in my life. His body collapsed under me, my weight landing on him as I drove him into the turf. I heard "ball, ball , ball", which meant fumble. As I got up, I saw we had recovered the ball at their thirty eight yard line. I looked down to see him slowly getting up off of the field, I knew he was still feeling the hit.

Our offense took over and we scored quickly giving us the lead, 7-0.

They came back out on the second possession and loaded a tight end on my side, which was something I was used to by now. They opened with a few running plays between the tackles, which we ate up. They threw and converted on third down, giving them a fresh set of downs. On first down, they ran a toss sweep to my side. I had the play diagnosed quickly and was moving in to make a tackle went I was taken out by two players. One hit me helmet first in the my side, the other took out my legs. I immediately knew I was hurt. I couldn't catch my breath, I had a shooting pain in my side. I trotted off the field, the trainers meeting me halfway.

"Where Brian ?", he asked immediately.

I was pulled to the training area immediately as I pointed to my upper side. My jersey was yanked off, my pads next, then my shirt lifted. As the trainer pressed on my ribs, I felt a shooting pain. You could already see the bruising, the blood coming to the skin.

"I think you may have broken ribs, Brian. I'm sorry.", he informed me.

"No way Doc, tape me up, shoot me up, do something. But get me back in this shit now.", I demanded.

"It's gonna be painful, hard to breath. But before I can do that, I have to get an X-Ray, come on.", he answered.

They drove me off of the field in the golf cart, back to the locker room. There were medical techs on hand for this type of thing. I was quickly escorted in a tent like enclosure where several X Ray's were taken. A few minutes later our trainer came back, the X-Rays in hand.

"You have two fractured ribs, the good news is they are still intact. I could tape you up, pad you, but it's gonna hurt Brian. It's gonna be a struggle just to breathe.", he warned.

"I don't care Doc, get me back in it.", I begged.

They took me back to our locker room and stripped me from the waist up. I was given two injections into the side by needle, then taped up. A padded shirt was put on, then my shoulder pads. They then brought out a flak jacket device that quarterbacks wear to protect themselves. They attached the pads to my shoulder pads, then my jersey was pulled back on.

"How do you feel Brian.", the trainer asked.

"Let's do it.", I told him.

They brought me back on the field quickly , we were mid-way through the second quarter. They had the ball and were driving at our thirty five yard line. My defensive coordinator sent me in immediately, I ran into the huddle. Devon, our middle linebacker slapped my helmet as I entered the huddle.

"Good to have the beast back, baby.", he roared, "Let's inflict some pain B-Boy."

By now I was down right insane. They intentionally tried to take me out, there was no doubt about it. My hands were shaking as I lined up in my stance. My opponent sensed it too, I could see the fear in his eyes. I knew they would test me quickly to see if I could hold my own. They didn't waste anytime. The next play was another toss sweep my way, but this time I saw the block coming and side stepped it. I met the running back right at the sideline and violently drove him out of bounds right in front their bench. They immediately began yelling and trying to pull me off of him. I felt a lot of hands on me, I started pushing back. It took a few seconds but I heard Devon get there, jumping in the pile.

"Way to go B-Boy, you blew that fucker up.", he yelled.

The referee's stepped in quickly, separating players and coaches. We held them to a long field goal attempt which they missed. We took over and went on a long drive to finish the half with a field goal of our own, we had a 10-0 lead.

By halftime, the medication was wearing off, it was becoming difficult to breath. I motioned to the trainer, who came over quickly. I quietly asked if I could have another injection before the second half. He agreed but telling me only one more. Right before we went out on the field, I was given another injection.

We opened the second half with the ball and on the second play our running back broke two tackles at the line of scrimmage and ran sixty two yards for a score. As improbable as it was, we were leading 17-0 early in the third quarter. Late in the third quarter our other end had wrapped up the quarterback and he was going down. Devon arrived a second later and put his helmet right on the ball, which popped up right in front of me. I quickly pulled the ball in and ran twenty seven yards to the end zone scoring my first ever touchdown in high school. I was buried under a sea of bodies, a mass celebration in the end zone.

We now had a 24-0 lead with just a little over one quarter to play. Suddenly the dream seemed very real, we were very close. They scored on their next two possessions closing the lead to 24-14, a two possession game, we were suddenly brought back to reality.

On the ensuing kickoff, our return man fumbled the ball on our own twenty five, which they recovered. It was our first serious mistake of the night. With just over seven minutes left, they could cut the gap to three points. The defense took the field again, we needed a stop bad. They tried a quick trap on first down which Devon sniffed out and stopped for a one yard game. On second down, I was able to sack their quarterback for a nine yard loss, giving them a long third down.

They completed a short pass on third down, leaving them fourth and eight to go for a first down. With 5:13 left on the clock, they had no choice but to go for it, they may only get the ball back once more, if they don't. As soon as they lined up Devon recognized the play, he immediately hit an audible.

"Kill, Kill, Kill ... Power left, Cross, Fire Left.", he screamed.

He had recognized a pass play and immediately put us in a blitz call. The linebacker over my shoulder was going to go on a blitz, I would drop back into coverage in his spot. I was worried about this call, running full speed was hard, I could barely breathe, the tape compressing my ribs. The tackle completely missed our linebacker, barely getting a piece of him. I back peddled immediately getting in the left middle passing lane looking for a receiver. The quarterback saw the blitz coming, there was not a lot he could do. There was a receiver maybe seven yards behind me, he threw the ball high trying to fit it in. I jumped as high as I could my fingers tipping the ball on it's point, sending it tumbling end over end down the field. I turned just in time to see our free safety pluck the ball out of the air and run down the sidelines. He was knocked out of bounds at midfield, the crowd was roaring.

Our offense was not able to get a first down however, we were going to have to punt the ball back to them with about three and a half minutes left. As I standing on the sidelines waiting to go back in, Coach Mike walked up to me.

"Brian, we have this in hand, you don't have to go back out there. Just so you know though, you're one tackle away from a state record for most tackles in one year. You're tied right now, it's up to you.", he said, smiling.

I didn't even respond, I simply buckled my chin strap and ran back onto the field. With fifty six seconds left in the game, I got the tackle I had been looking for. The stadium announcer's voice boomed through the public address system informing the crowd what had just happened. At the same time, my replacement trotted on to the field slapping my helmet. Coach Mike was stepping back, giving me the moment. I slowly trotted off the field, the crowd yelling it's approval. Coach Mike met me halfway, grabbing me in a bear hug.

"Your Dad is smiling Brian. We did it, you did it. We are State Champs.", he yelled.

I watched the last two plays from the sidelines, trying to catch my breathe, the pain finally registering in my brain. The game ended, the teams met at mid-field and paid their respects. I was grabbed by the trainer and hustled off to the medical tent again. As soon as I walked inside of it, people began to pull gear off of me. Within minutes I was back on the table, another set of pictures being taken. By now my entire side was beginning to turn purple, the pain was coming back. I sat back up and waited for the doctor to read the X Ray's again. A few minutes later our trainer came back, a smile on his face.

"Everything's ok Brian. Nothing changed, it's gonna hurt like hell for a week or so but you will be fine. Come on, take a shower and I am gonna tape you up for the night.", he said.

I quickly showered as the team whooped it up in the locker room. I climbed up on the table and he re-taped me, just not as tight as the last time. He handed me a bottle of extra strength pain reliever telling me to take two every six hours. He told me if I continued to have trouble breathing, go to the doctor at once. I thanked him and rejoined the team in the locker room. Everyone was finished dressing and ready to board the bus for the trip back to town. Coach Mike informed us there were some reporters waiting outside to interview people as well as a few recruiters who were looking to get a leg up on their competition.

The team began filtering out of the dressing room, I finished packing my bag, emptying my locker. I was one of the last players out, I was walking with the trainer who had worked on me during the game. As soon as we exited the hall into the main lobby several people rushed towards us. A lady with a microphone was the first to arrive jamming the device into my face.

"Brian, you played an incredible game. You went out early but came back. Can you tell me the extent of your injuries ?", she asked quickly.

I had already been told by the coaches to downplay any questions about my injury and the treatment I received. Technically I knew that I should not have been allowed to go back in the game with cracked ribs, much less be given pain killers.

"It was no big deal, I had the wind knocked out of me. I was having some trouble breathing for a few minutes but it passed.", I answered.

"It appeared to me that you were favoring your ribs after you returned to the game. In addition it appeared you were wearing extra padding after you came back in. Did you injure your ribs ?", another man asked with a smirk on his face.

"I had the wind knocked out of me. My side was a bit sore for the rest of the game but it was nothing serious.", I answered, "Thank you so much for the time but I really have to catch the bus back home."

I began to move away from the reporters when a tall man in a very nice business suit approached me. He introduced himself as a recruiter for a college in Alabama and wanted to talk for a while. I thanked him but explained I had to catch a bus and moved on. The media followed us to the bus still screaming out questions, unrelenting in their desire for information. We were the last on the bus, the doors closed and we pulled out of the parking lot. My ribs were extremely sore, every breathe I took was painful, every jolt the bus would hit, I felt.

We arrived back at school at twelve thirty Saturday night, it looked like the entire town was there to meet us. There were people everywhere, cars lined the streets for miles. As we pulled up and stopped, everyone rushed the bus to greet us. One by one the players filed out, I waited until last with the trainer to exit the bus. As I stepped down I saw Ashley standing near the front of the bus. I moved over to her, I could see she had tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close to her.

"Your Dad is so proud of you Brian. You played like you were possessed, I have never seen an effort like that in my life.", she whispered in my ear.

"Ashley, please not too tight, my ribs are broke.", I softly said as I winced in pain.

"Broke ? You played the game with broken ribs ?", she asked loudly.

"Shhhhhhhhh. It's not bad, I am just really sore. It was my decision to play. They wanted to me to sit out. Just please don't say anything to anyone.", I begged.

I could tell by the look on her face she was not overjoyed but she promised she would keep quiet. Several people walked over to us all congratulating me for my effort and on the state record. It had been a long day, I was tired and hurting, I asked Ashley if we could leave. She agreed and pointed in the direction where she was parked. Before we could head that way Courtney and her parents walked up to us. Courtney ran up to me and jumped into my arms, wrapping hers around me. The impact about doubled me over, I almost went down to one knee.

"Brian , oh my God, what's wrong ?", she cried out, stepping back.

"It's ok Court, I am just really sore.", I answered.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know.", she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

I reassured Courtney I was ok and hugged her gently. Her father stepped up and extended his hand.

"Great game Brian. You were head and shoulders better than anyone on that field. I can't remember watching someone dominate a high school game like you just did.", he boomed.

"Thank you Mr. Timmons.", I replied, shaking his hand.

As we spoke for a few minutes it was clear he was as excited about the win as we were. He had been an athlete in high school and college, he loved football. Before we parted he informed us that the entire town was putting on a huge celebration in a few weeks at a large open facility just outside of town. The entire town was going to be there. We excused ourselves and headed to Ashley's car which was a few blocks away.

We arrived home quickly, I went in my bedroom and undressed, getting ready for bed. I went to the kitchen to get a couple of pain relievers and ran into Ashley who since I wasn't wearing a shirt, saw the bruises on my side.

"Oh God Brian, you're hurt bad. I need to take you to the hospital right now.", she exclaimed.

"It's ok Ashley, I had two sets of X-Rays, they are fractured but not broke. I will be fine.", I replied.

I went back in my room and laid down in my bed trying to unwind from the long day and all of the excitement. I laid there for a few minutes, the pain seem to intensify, my side was now throbbing. I sat back up and after a few minutes the pain did ease up a bit. I grabbed a blanket and a pillow and made my way to the family room. I sat down in the large recliner and tilted it back a little. I was able to sleep on and off for a while, mostly waking whenever I moved. Early the next morning, I felt someone's arms around me. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Ashley looking down on me from behind the chair.

"How are you feeling?", she asked sincerely.

"I'm ok, I just feel better sitting up then laying down.", I replied.

Even though Ashley had been married to my Dad, the fact that she would be twenty eight a few days before I would be nineteen, in my mind every now and then, I couldn't help but think of her as just a woman. She was always stunningly beautiful, her body was flawless and she always smelled so good. Now her hands were rubbing my shoulders and chest ever so gently, I could not help but think of things I shouldn't.

"How about some breakfast ?", she asked.

"Sure, sounds great.", I answered.

We had just sat down to eat breakfast when the phone rang. Ashley got up and answered it, a strange look crossing her face. As she was talking on the phone, I heard my cell phone ringing in my bedroom. I got up and walked down the hall and picked it up. It was a long distance number which I didn't recognize so I just ignored it. By the time I got back to the kitchen the phone was ringing again. After the second call Ashley sat down, a smile on her face.

"The first call was from Alabama, the second from Texas, they both are sending someone out here to talk to you hotshot.", she stated.

"I just got a long distance call on my cell phone too. I wonder who that was from.", I answered.

For the rest of the day and night the phone rang constantly, recruiters trying to set up an appointment to come out and talk to me. I had no idea what to do, I was relying heavily on my Father to handle this situation, without him this was going to be a mess. I decided to call Coach Mike and try to meet with him to get some guidance.

I met with Coach Mike after school on Monday for several hours, we laid out all of the criteria that I was looking for in the next phase of my football career. First and foremost was a great education, the chance of playing football past college was a very long shot. I also wanted to play if not close to home, near enough that coming back home was not a problem. Lastly I wanted to play hopefully, at a major college and for a program that would push me as hard as possible.

All week recruiters were filing into school in hopes to get a chance to talk to either me, Jason or Devon, all expected to get major college offers. By the end of the week it had gotten so bad, Ms. Carter decided to shut it down. She set aside our lunch period as the only time we could meet with recruiters or coaches. I had somewhat narrowed my choice down to schools in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas. All had great programs and all four had expressed a possibility of offering me a full or partial scholarship.

By the time Friday rolled around, I seriously needed a weekend off. I was physically and mentally exhausted, as was Ashley. We decided to unplug the house phone for the weekend, we would only answer personal cell calls. Courtney and I were just going to go out Friday night and take it easy, maybe a movie or something. When I arrived at her house to pick her up, there were cars everywhere. I had to park down the block and walk up to the house. I rang the bell and Courtney's mother answered the door.

"Hi Brian, nice to see you honey, come on in.", she greeted, waving her hand behind her, "Please ignore my husband, he has one of his famous all guy parties going on. They do this once or twice a year."

"Thank you Ms. Timmons, nice to see you too." I replied.

I followed her to the family room where several dozen men were either sitting or standing around, all drinking beer or eating. Courtney's Dad jumped up and quickly crossed the room.

"Brian, hey come on over and meet the guys.", he cried out.

He grabbed me by the arm and drug me into the middle of the family room excitedly, like I was his new toy.

"Guy's this is Brian Stevens, Courtney's boyfriend, and defensive end from our State Championship Team.", he exclaimed.

I waved to everyone, somewhat embarrassed by my introduction, and stood quietly next to Mr. Timmons. One guy who was standing right next to us spoke up.

"Jesus H. Christ son, you're only in high school ? I find that hard to believe.", he stated.

"I'll be nineteen in a few days sir, I will graduate this year.", I answered calmly.

Everyone started asking questions all at once, I did my best to try and answer them one by one. Courtney's mother came to my rescue after a few minutes.

"Ok, that's enough. Brian is here to see Courtney, not entertain you old geezers.", she said.

She grabbed me by the hand and pulled me out of the crowd and into the kitchen. She told me Courtney would be down in a few minutes, to make myself comfortable. Less than five minutes later, Courtney came down ready to go. We started out passing through the family room when her Dad called out to me.

"Wait before you go Brian, come here for a minute.", he called out.

I looked at Courtney and shrugged my shoulders, what could I do ? I walked over to where he was standing with another man, apparently they were engaged in a friendly argument. He pulled me over to where they were standing.

"Brian, this is Steve Donnelly, he graduated from Parkview High, years ago, we made a bet. You have to settle it for us." he roared.

"I'll try sir.", I answered.

"He doesn't believe you played the entire game hurt, he says you were one hundred percent for four quarters.", he stated.

I really did not want to get into this conversation, much less have to settle a bet. I gave some lame excuse about just having the wind knocked out of me, that it was no big deal. No one outside of our locker room and Ashley really knew the true extent of what happened.

"Brian, I know better. You're a very polite and well mannered young man, so don't lie to your possible future father-in-law. And do not cost me money.", he shot back, "I know for a fact, one of your teammates told me."

I didn't know what to say, I really did not want to cause any problems for the school, coaching staff or the trainers. I figured I better at least try to settle it with the least possible detail I could.

"Ok, I did play three quarters with bruised ribs, no big deal.", I answered.

Before I could say anything, Courtney's dad reached over and pulled my tee shirt up, exposing my bruised upper torso. By now the bruising was extensive, wrapping around my chest and back.

"Oh my God.", Courtney cried out, her hands covering her face.

"Oh damn Brian, I am so sorry son.", Mr. Timmons said softly.

"It's ok really, I am fine.", I replied, pulling my shirt back down.

Courtney grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room, which had become very noticeably quiet. We were out of the front door in a flash, walking down the street. Courtney apologized for her Dad, she told me he got carried away when it came to football. She said for the last few weeks he had been wrapped up in planning the large celebration next Saturday night that would celebrate our big win. We went down to local diner and grabbed a bite to eat, then went to the late show at the movie theatre. We got back to her house just a little after midnight, there were still several cars in the driveway. We went in and entered the family room to see her Dad, Mom and two other guys seated on the sofa talking. I sat down on the end of the large sectional, Courtney went to the kitchen to get us a glass of iced tea.

"Brian, any news on where you might be headed next fall ?", Courtney's mother asked.

"No mam, not yet. But I have narrowed it down to a few schools, I am waiting on offers.", I replied.

Courtney rejoined us and we sat down and more or less followed along with the adults. It was getting late so I decided to say my goodbyes and head home. It was about one thirty in the morning when I arrived home, all the lights were out. I very quietly opened the kitchen door and went in, closing the door behind me. I pulled off my shoes as to not make any noise and wake Ashley up. As I walked down the hall towards my room, I could see Ashley's door was slightly ajar but the light was out. As I entered my room, I heard a very faint sound come from Ashley's room. I stopped and stool still, the house was extremely quiet. I sat down on the bed and began to take my shoes off when once again I heard a very faint noise. Once again, I sat still and listened, only this time I heard it several more times. I quietly got up and walked out in the hall towards Ashley's room pausing at the door. I looked in the slight crack in the door and frame, I could see Ashley lying in the bed flat on her back. As I looked closer I noticed she was wearing a tee shirt and panties, her right hand was inside of her panties. She was moving her hand back and forth across her pussy, she was oblivious to everything except the feeling her fingers were giving her. I knew I shouldn't be watching but I couldn't help myself. I eased myself over and leaned against the door frame, my eyes fixed on Ashley's movements. I sensed from her body movements she was getting close to an orgasm, something I really wanted to see. I shifted my weight against the door to get a slightly better view. When I did, the wood frame cracked sharply with the change in pressure. I quickly stepped away from the door and hurried down the hallway to my room. I closed the door quietly behind me and moved to my bed. I had no sooner sat down when I heard a knock on the door.

"Brian, you home ?", Ashley said softly.

"Yes mam, you can come in.", I replied.

The door opened and Ashley stepped in, she had put her on her robe to cover herself. Her face was still flushed, her hair disheveled. I kept my head down, taking off my shoes.

"Did you just get in ?", she inquired.

"Yes mam, just a second ago, why ?", I replied.

"I thought I heard something in the hallway." she said, her eyes staring intently into mine.

"That was probably me opening my door.", I responded, but from her demeanor, I could tell she was not buying it.

"Well... Ok, goodnight.", she said, slowly closing the door.

As I laid in bed that night I felt both guilty and excited at the same time. I felt bad about watching Ashley and invading her private moments alone. But another part of me was so aroused at what I had witnessed. I went back and forth in my mind until finally I drifted off to sleep. The following morning I woke about seven thirty, I could smell breakfast cooking. I got up and headed for the kitchen, Ashley was standing at the stove.

"Hey.", she said.

"Good morning.", I replied.

I could instantly feel a chill in the air, now I was certain Ashley suspected I had watched her last night. I really felt terrible now. Ashley had always been wonderful to me, I felt awful about embarrassing her. I thought for a while, should I bring it up or just see what happens ? I decided to just keep quiet for the time being. We pretty much ate in silence, which was extremely rare for us. I helped her clean the kitchen then went to my room to get dressed for the day.

The rest of the weekend went pretty much the same, a total awkward feeling between Ashley and I.

By early the following week, I had narrowed down my choices to three schools, Texas, Alabama and Louisiana, They were all three in the process of setting up visits for me. The phone was ringing off the hook, three different recruiters and head coaches all keeping a constant eye and ear to my movements. I had started to heal up from my injuries but I was still staying away from the gym. I had decided to take four weeks off to make sure I had completely healed and was well rested before resuming any serious weight program. Everyone in the town was excited all week about the huge celebration that was planned for this Saturday night just outside of town. We would receive our State Championship Jackets and Rings, everyone would be there.

Soon it was Friday afternoon, we were out for the weekend. Courtney and I had planned an evening out tonight. I got to her house about seven o'clock, she was ready to go. One of her friends was having a party at her house, a few dozen people would be there. We arrived about eight o'clock, it looked like a bigger than expected crowd. One of Courtney's best friends, Jasmin was hosting the party. She was one of the head cheerleaders for our school, as well as a very talented basketball player on the girl's varsity. She was a very light skinned black girl, her complexion made her appear to be more Latin than African American. She was about 5'11, one hundred twenty five pounds with a very fit, athletic body. She had a beautiful face, with long straight jet black hair.

She greeted us at the door and invited us in. Most everyone at the party went to school with us or had recently graduated. I am really not big on these types of events. It always seems someone drinks too much, the wrong thing is said, then people want to fight. I guess we had been there for about an hour when I noticed Courtney mixing a drink at the table. I had never seen Courtney drink alcohol before so I was surprised to say the least. When she finally made her way back to where I was sitting, I confronted her.

"Since when do you drink ?", I asked.

"Oh God Brian, it's one drink. Chill out.", she replied exasperated.

I didn't say anything more, but I noticed her back at the liquor table several more times that night. By the time we left, I could tell she was not her normal self. I was really quite put off, I didn't want her parents getting upset with me, thinking I had anything to do with it. She could tell on the way home, I was not too happy. By the time we arrived at her house, it was close to two in the morning. All the lights were out in the house, I pulled into the driveway along side the large house. Almost as soon as I turned the key to the off position in the ignition, Courtney slid over in her seat. She reached over and pulled me close to her, her mouth pressing to mine. I could still taste the alcohol on her lips and tongue, very bitter and sharp. Her hand immediately reached down and began to squeeze my cock through my jeans. I could tell the alcohol had just about wiped away any inhibitions she may have had, Courtney was never this aggressive.

She reached down and quickly unzipped my pants, pulling out my hardening cock. She didn't hesitate for a second, she lowered her head in my lap and sucked my cock deep into her mouth. She had never did anything even remotely close to this before, I was somewhat stunned. In a matter of seconds, her lips and tongue had my cock rock hard and throbbing. She continued to bob her head up and down on my cock, her lips sucking me relentlessly. I knew I was just about to cum, I was not going to be able to hold back.

"Court, baby..... I'm gonna cum.", I whispered.

"Nooooooooooooo,", she cried, releasing my cock from her mouth.

She got up and looked me square in the eyes as her hand continued to stroke my cock slowly. He reached her other hand down between her legs and began to rub herself through her jeans. She leaned in close, gave me a quick kiss, her tongue licking my lips as she pulled away.

"I want you to fuck me, Brian. Right now.", she whimpered.

"Court, I can't. I don't have any thing with me, we can't take that chance.", I warned her.

"It's ok Brian, you can pull out of me before you cum.", she urged.

My Dad had warned me about this exact thing a few years before. In fact this is what he and my mother had did years ago, she came up pregnant anyway.

"I can't Court, no way. I will get a condom for next time ok ?", I asked.

"God dammit Brian, you're more like a Dad than a boyfriend. I want to fuck now, come on.", she said.

"Sorry Court, I can't. I have too much riding on my future to make a mistake now.", I answered softly.

"Your future ? So I am not part of your future ? Thanks a lot, Brian.", she snapped sharply.

"Court, that's not what I mean. We can't do this right now, no way.", I shot back.

"Fine, be an asshole Brian.", she spat at me, flinging open the truck door, and jumping out.

She ran up the steps quickly and unlocked the door. Before I could get out, she went in, slamming the door behind her. I stood there for a few minutes, thinking she would come back out and least say goodnight, but she never did. I walked back to my truck, pulled out of the drive and went home. I grabbed a Coke out of the refrigerator and went and sat down in the family room. I was just sitting there in the dark, when I heard Ashley behind me.

"What's wrong Brian.", she asked.

"Nothing.", I replied quickly.

"Brian, what's wrong ?", she asked.

"Courtney and I had a fight, no big deal.", I responded.

"You want to talk about it ?", she asked, "I can give you a female's point of view."

"No, thank you.... I am going to bed.", I answered.

I had a hard time falling asleep that night, I really had never saw this side of Courtney before. Perhaps it was the alcohol that was talking, I had never seen her drink that much, that had to be it.

I woke up early Saturday morning and went to the gym, it felt good to be working out again, I was beginning to get lazy. I got back home about eleven that morning, Ashley was out shopping. So I took a long shower and changed clothes. The State Championship Celebration would be tonight, the entire town was buzzing with excitement. The celebration was scheduled to begin at four in the afternoon and would last until midnight.

I still had not heard from Courtney, so I decided to call her and ask what time she wanted me to pick her up. Her cell phone rang three times, she picked up.

"Hello", she said in a very dry tone.

"Hey Court, I just wanted to know what time to pick you up this evening ?", I asked.

"Uh... I am going to ride with Jasmin and Kelly. I guess I will see you there.", she shot back, a certain chill was in the air.

"Oh, ok. I will see you there then.", I replied.

I left the house about four thirty and drove to the outskirts of town where the huge event had been set up. When I arrived police officers were guiding cars into a parking area in an open field. There were well over a hundred vehicles already there and a long line behind me to get in. I parked and started to make my way toward where the stage, music and food were setup. As I made my way through the crowd, I was continually congratulated on our historic season. I saw a few guys from the team huddled together with a few girls, I made my way over there. I guess I had been there for about thirty minutes before I saw Courtney, Jasmin and Kelly across the fields from where I was standing. Two guys from our school were standing with them. One was Kelly's boyfriend, the other I was not sure of. I made my way over to where they were standing, everyone greeted me warmly, except Courtney. I was beginning to get a bit tired of Courtney's attitude, I had done nothing to deserve this other than to think about both of our futures. I decided to play along for a while longer, see what happened. As I was talking to Jasmin, I noticed Courtney and the guy that was standing next to her walk off towards the food booths that were at the far end of the field. He was a baseball player named Darren, I knew who he was, but we never really spoke. Everyone else noticed too, both Kelly and Jasmin gave me a funny look. I shrugged it off and kept talking to Jasmin, I was not going to let Courtney ruin my night.

I walked toward the food booth's myself to get a drink, I ran into Courtney's Mom and Dad, her Dad had put this event together. He pulled me to the side and spoke quietly.

"Brian, what's wrong. Why is Courtney with this other guy ?", he asked with concern in his voice.

"I don't know Mr. Timmons, I guess she is mad at me.", I replied.

"You guys get into a fight ?", he inquired.

"Not really sir. We had a disagreement about something. I didn't think it was serious at the time but maybe it is.", I answered.

I walked over to the drink booth and grabbed a Coke, I turned to head back to where I was. I noticed a bunch of students over by a cluster of trees, Courtney and Darren were there with them. I could see someone with a bottle of whiskey pouring shots into the Coke cups, everyone was lining up. I walked back to where Jasmin and Kelly were, we resumed our conversation. About seven that night, the awards celebration started, Ms. Carter was hosting the event. She introduced Coach Mike who took the stage and gave a short speech recalling our memorable season. He then called each one of the players up to the stage and one by one, presented us with our State Championship Jacket and Ring. Once the entire team was on stage, pictures were taken as a group. We all exited the stage and made our way back to where we were standing. Ms. Carter once again stepped up to the microphone and took charge.

"Ok everyone, please settle down. We have a couple of special gifts we want to present at this time.", she said.

She motioned to several of the faculty that was behind the stage to start coming forward, one at a time. The first teacher came up the stage carrying a full size football in a clear square display case. I knew what this was, all the members of the team had signed a football for Coach Mike several weeks ago.

"First and foremost, to Coach Mike, who has done a wonderful job this year in lieu of extraordinary circumstances. We would like to present you with this small token of our appreciation for your efforts.", she said, turning and motioning him to join her.

Coach Mike joined Ms. Carter on the stage, they hugged briefly and he accepted his gift with much thanks to all. She then turned back into the microphone, her familiar voice once again resonating through the public address system.

"Next, I want to give an honor to a senior who epitomizes this year's struggle for the State Championship. He has been the anchor of this team for the past two years and has played through some unforgiving circumstances. I would like to ask Brian Stevens to join me on stage please.", she said, scanning the crowd.

Everyone was cheering as I slowly walked up towards the stage. I saw Ashley right in front, a huge smile on her face. I slowly climbed the stairs to the stage and joined Ms. Carter near the microphone. We were also joined by two teachers who were holding a large, thin square object, draped in a sheet.

"This is the first time in the history of this town, this type of award has ever been given. Brian, I am so excited to be able to tell you that we have decided to retire your jersey forever in tribute to your efforts since you have been with us. This is your's, however an exact duplicate of this will hang in our gym for all to see.", she shouted.

The teachers removed the drape and their was my home jersey,

# 99, framed with an eight by ten action photo of me during one of the games. I had won a few awards up to date but nothing even came close to this. Everyone was applauding loudly as I stepped forward and accepted the award, Ms. Carter hugged me tightly, then stepped back to the microphone.

"Any idea whose jersey you will be wearing next year Brian ?", she asked coyly with a devilish grin.

I quickly shook my head no, the crowd erupted into laughter. Ms. Carter then instructed the crowd to enjoy the rest of the evening, then walked me off the stage. As soon as I stepped down Ashley was there hugging me as well. She whispered that she was going to call it an evening but that she would take my award so it got home safely. I walked her to her car, loaded the frame carefully and made my way back to the crowd. I sought out Courtney's Dad, I knew he had a lot to do with this evening's festivities. I found him with his wife and a few of the other faculty members.

"Mr. Timmons, I want to thank you for the award. It really means a lot to me, it will always hang wherever I call home.", I said softly.

"You're quite welcome Brian. You deserve it son, you're an incredible football player and a fine young man.", he replied shaking my hand.

I went back to the group, accepting congratulations from Kelly, Jasmin and everyone else. I noticed that Courtney had rejoined the group but she was still with Darren, in fact I noticed they were holding hands until I walked up, when she pulled away quickly. I had just about had enough of this situation, I decided to attempt to talk to Courtney, try to sort this out. Courtney was holding a conversation with Kelly and from her loud voice and uncontrollable laughter, it appeared that once again she may have had a bit too much to drink. I found it strange that she would drink with her parents so close, she was never a reckless type of person. I moved slowly in her direction, she was still talking to Kelly intently, she never saw me come up behind her.

"Court, can we talk for a second ?", I asked, gently touching her arm.

She whirled around, her eyes foggy, her gaze cutting through me like a knife. I noticed that Darren had become very uncomfortable all of a sudden, this was the closest we had stood up to this point.

"Why ? What's the point of talking. I like to have a good time, you don't.", she spat at me.

Everyone was looking down very subconsciously, this was an extremely awkward moment. I decided to try one more time to reason with Courtney, we had been together for quite some time.

"Courtney, you know why I did what I did. It has nothing to do with having a good time.", I replied.

"Look Brian, I'm trying to have fun and as usual you want to be serious. You will never change, neither will I. Get over it, ok ?", she shot back in a sarcastic tone.

I have to admit, I was stunned that she blew me off so casually. I turned and walked back to where I had been standing next to Jasmin, the crowd was awkwardly silent. It took a few minutes for the group to get back to normal, it was aided by the fact that Courtney and Darren and a few others took a walk toward their secluded drinking area. Jasmin pulled me by the arm away from the others, quietly whispering to me.

"I'm so sorry Brian. What the hell is wrong with her ?", she asked.

"It's a long story Jasmin. I really don't want to get into it.", I answered.

"Is it because you wouldn't sleep with her ?", she asked quietly.

Well I guess I was the only one who was keeping our disagreement private. If Jasmin knew about it, I was guessing a lot of other people did as well. I really was disappointed in Courtney, I thought I knew her a lot better than this.

"That's part of it I guess.", I replied.

"So she is dumping on you for treating her with respect, I can't figure that out.", she said, shaking her head.

We talked for a few more moments before rejoining the group. By that time, Courtney and Darren had returned, I am guessing with fresh drink in hand. Courtney was now hanging all over him, I am guessing she figured our breakup was official now. I tried to act as casual as I could but the truth is it hurt a lot. I stayed around for a few minutes, then excused myself to go get another Coke. Half way to the food area, I decided against it, it was time to leave. I made my way to the parking lot, got in my truck and headed home. As I laid in bed that night, I thought about my Father, the advice he had always given me. He was always insistent that a man treat a woman like a lady at all times, no exceptions what so ever. I thought had did just that, apparently something had went wrong.

By the time we started school the following week, the news of what happened had traveled full circle throughout the school. When I got back home Monday night after working out, Ashley brought up the subject during dinner.

"Brian, I'm sure you know there's a lot of talk going around school about you and Courtney. Want to tell me what really happened ?", she asked.

"Not really.", I said.

"Well if what I heard is true and I think it is, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Did she really want you to have sex with

her ?", she asked.

This was great. If it wasn't bad enough everyone at school wanted to know what had happened, now it was Ashley's turn. I figured I might as well end it as quickly as I could.

"Yes, I refused. That and the drinking thing was the issue. I guess in some ways she is right. I am boring to be with.", I answered.

"Oh please Brian, because you're not irresponsible and foolish she dumps you ? Most women are looking for exactly the type of guy you are. It's her loss Brian.", she continued.

"I'm ok Ashley, really, just let it go.", I asked.

"I just don't want you to beat yourself up over this. Believe me the right woman will love you for the qualities you have.", she ended.

I helped Ashley clean up after dinner, we watched TV for a while then I went to bed. The rest of the week was pretty much the same, by Friday our breakup was almost old news. High school was like that, everyday was a new day, new gossip was always just around the corner. By the end of the week Courtney and Darren were apparently an established couple as well. I decided to concentrate on selecting a school that I wanted to attend the following year. I had upcoming visits scheduled, life was going to be every busy the next two months.

I quickly settled down into a routine of working out twice a day and going to school. I was back on a eight week cycle of anabolic's and HGH, I wanted to be in excellent shape for my visits. I scheduled my first trip to a school in Texas, following up the next week to Alabama. I had a week off before my next trip, that was to a university in Louisiana. Both of my first visits had went well, although nothing had really stood out at either school. While they both had great facilities for athletes, I more or less came away with the feeling that I was just another athlete they were trying to land, if they did fine, if not they would just move on.

Ashley drove me to the bus stop Thursday night for my last official visit, I would arrive there early in the morning. I had no sooner stepped off of the bus in the terminal when a man came up to me introducing himself as one of the assistant coaches and welcomed me warmly. As we drove toward campus he asked me a lot of questions, all were about me and what I wanted to get out of college. We arrived on campus and ushered me to the athletic compound, a sprawling area which was reserved exclusively for athletes and their training. It was extremely impressive, everyone was very friendly. After spending three days on campus with coaches, players and trainers, there was little doubt in my mind, I would play here for the next four years.

I arrived back home and was back in class on Tuesday morning, I had thirty seven days to commit to one of the three schools, or go against conventional wisdom and choose a school I had not visited.

I took the next month and thought about all three schools carefully and eliminated the school in Alabama from contention. I would either go to Texas or Louisiana, with the latter having the edge at this time. I was being called every day by both schools, each trying to get a leg up on the other.

By now Courtney and Darren were one of the elite couples at school, I had not dated nor shown any interest in anyone else, nor did I plan to. I would be leaving in a few months, no use in getting involved with anyone at this point. Soon the day to sign was here, I would make my decision at a ceremony in the gym at ten o'clock in the morning, the entire school would be present. Jason and Devon would also choose their schools as well, both receiving numerous offers.

As I entered the gym that morning, it was quite the scene. All the local media was there, including some larger out of town stations. Coaches from at least a dozen universities were represented, as well as teachers, students and parents. Devon, Jason and I were seated at two large tables that were joined, in front of us were hats to the universities that had offered us scholarships. When your time came, you simply would reach over, select the hat from the school you wished to attend, then placed it on your head.

Jason started the process out, taking his time, then selecting a large in-state university, about a hundred miles from town. Everyone applauded loudly as Jason signed his letter of intent, camera's rolling following his very move. Devon was next, he had four offers, he was very sought after. Devon played with an attitude, he was the kind of guy you like to have in your huddle. Not once did I ever see him back down from anyone. As was Devon's style, he played the crowd awhile before selecting his school, a major university in Florida.

Now all eye's were focused on me, I saw the Louisiana and Texas coaches pacing nervously. I had kept my decision pretty much to myself, even Ashley was not one hundred percent sure of where I would be going. There was a hush that fell across the crowd, everyone was staring at me waiting for my next move. As I looked up into the crowd, I could see Courtney sitting by Kelly and Jasmin, I wondered what she was thinking. I waited a few more seconds, pushed my chair backwards and stood up. I reached over and grabbed the Louisiana hat, placing it quickly on my head. Camera flashes began going off, people were cheering wildly, everyone rushing forward. The coach from Louisiana made his way through the crowd and extended his hand to me.

"You made an excellent choice Brian, you will never regret it.", he said.