Chapter 12: The Other Team

September 30, 1981

Our phone rang about 7:30pm. I answered.

“Hey, Steve!” It was Candice.

“Hey, Candice! How’s it going?”

“Good! This is the first unsupervised phone call I’ve had since, well, since.”

“It’s OK?”

“Yeah. I told them I was calling, and that I would tell you that, and tell you that if I act weird or you think I’m doing anything bad, you’d tell them. That’s a rule. I mean, for all calls. And they trust you would.” She chuckled. “For an excellent reason.”

“Well, yeah. So, anything special?”

“Yeah. Um ... and it’s funny because I just said, well, what I said, and the first thing is private. But it’s not bad. At least, I’m sure it’s not.”

“Oh?’

“I wanted you to be the first one to know. I’m, um ... kinda ... well ... seeing someone.” I was pretty sure that answered the question Angie and I had pondered.

“Tell me about her?”

Candice laughed. “Good guess and correct. Her name is Sherry, and she’s a sophomore. Smaller than me, but she’s just kinda ... well ... petite. Adorable. I’m not her first girlfriend, but that’s maybe good. I don’t feel like I’m the one leading her into temptation. So far, we’re at second base, which, um ... can be a lot like a home run. For both of us. You know.” I definitely knew.

“I’m happy for you. I mean that. And for Sherry.”

“You would say that. Thanks. I’m a little embarrassed about it, but I’m a lot more excited about it. I don’t see how I could’ve gone four years and, well, not. And now the ice is broken.”

“Candice? Don’t rush. Don’t go slow just to go slow either, but you know, savor every bit of the journey, and make sure you’re doing what’s right for you.”

“I will. I’m enjoying it so far. We’re not at the ‘three little words’ stage. Heck, we’re not even at the ‘girlfriends’ stage. I know I hit you with that too quickly.”

“I liked it.”

“I did, too, but, well ... you’re too smart not to have figured out that I was grabbing at you like a life preserver.”

“I’d guessed that was part of it, in retrospect. But not all of it.”

“No, not at all. It was at first, maybe, but when you were just a good guy, it became more. Which was a lot better for me, and worse, too. You know.”

“I know.”

“Angie told me about Max. I think the irony here is that I wouldn’t have tried to kill myself with someone like that, but it also would’ve been terrible for me. He’d have made me feel like crap, but crap that someone wanted. It wouldn’t have been so extreme. You know, trying to feel like a princess and shit at the same time.”

“OK, I’m going to ask. Is anything you’re saying now something I should report?”

She laughed. “No. I’m not going into that place. I want to talk about it and let you understand. I know some of it has to be weighing on you. You know, trying to imagine what I thought when you innocently said something that hit me wrong. And, Steve, that wasn’t ever your fault. That’s what I’m saying. Someone not as ... well, just decent ... wouldn’t have made me break, and I needed to break if I was ever going to get better.”

I would have to think about that. She’d let me off the hook, and in a way I could accept. I just had to make sure I could really accept it.

“I understand. Thanks. That means a lot.”

“I want to talk to Angie. Look — as always, I guess — anything I said you can share with her. You will anyway, and like I also said, I never want to be between you two. That would be wrong.”

“Thanks. I need to ask. Can I mention a couple things to Dr. Stanton — that you’re dating, and what you said about relating to me?”

“Yeah. She knows I’m dating. The parents don’t — I think — but she does. And the other part, yeah, definitely.”

“Thanks, Candice. I’ll tell Angie to get on.”

“Thanks, Steve.”

I went and knocked at Angie’s open door. “Pick up, sis. Candice is waiting to talk to you.”

“Oh cool! Thanks!”

I hung up my phone, smiling to myself.

9:30pm

Angie smooched me, then flopped, snuggling in. “That was ... expected.” She grinned and winked.

“This fast?”

She shrugged. “Candice knows what she wants, she knows how to get it, and she doesn’t have any moral hiccups about it. Plus, she knows her closest friends both know, and approve of, lesbian couples. All the lights are green. Yeah, this fast.”

I shrugged. “As long as she’s in a good place and happy, I’m happy.”

“I think she is. I could be wrong. If Sherry puts her on too high of a pedestal, she could always crash down. It’s less likely because it’s a girl and because Candice has lots of coping strategies. But anything’s a risk.”

“Which sucks, but yeah.”

“I think it’s the right thing. Not doing it could also make her crash. ‘If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.’”

I laughed. “Good song. It’s a favorite. I also think about ‘Subdivisions’, now, living here.”

“Doesn’t fit us at all, you know? And I don’t mean you or me. I don’t feel like study group fits ‘conform or be cast out’ at all.”

“Yeah. That’s part of it. We don’t live ‘in geometric order’ either.”

“Nah. Anyway. I think if she didn’t try, she’d spend her time fretting that she’ll never find love, and she’s not built to take that. That’s something her parents don’t get and can’t get. They think it’s just been a fourteen-year-old crush with a few dances and some kissing and then one night of meaningless sex. They don’t get that she’s experienced love and loss and now wants that kind of love again.”

“Yeah. If they get it ... well, it doesn’t make anything better, that’s for sure.”

“It might, in a few years. Just not now.”

“Really? You can see it coming out?”

“Yeah. Maybe. When she’s older. They’ll be able to accept it then, just not now. It’s what saved her life, in the end. If she hadn’t loved you, she wouldn’t have called.”

“If she hadn’t loved us, she wouldn’t have called. Otherwise, yeah, that’s true.”

She yawned. “Between school and karate, I’m beat. Sleepy-time.”

“Me, too.” A pause. “Oh.”

She giggled. “Love you, big brother.”

“Love you, too, little sis.”

We snuggled just a little tighter.

Oct 2, 1981

Today’s tournament wasn’t as far away. We were heading up to Cypress-Fairbanks High School — Cy-Fair — which is about half an hour from Memorial. As before, we changed at Memorial, then drove up there around 3pm. We settled in and were ready when the first round started at 5pm.

Cy-Fair managed to stay nearly on time, and we were out by 10pm. Which got me to bed just after 11pm. Which isn’t bad at all for a tournament weekend.

I checked with Angie and Sue. Everyone felt pretty good about the day.

Oct 3, 1981

Day two was a bit more chaotic. Breaks came out at 2:30pm. Cammie and I broke in both events; so did Angie and Gene and Sue and Amit. Megan and Anne made it — again — which was awesome for freshmen, and Janet and Lizzie also broke. Our other junior and senior teams didn’t break, but we had eight Extempers in quarters. Plus two LD’ers, Janice and Callie.

Angie and Gene lost in quarters in CX, where Cammie and I lost in semis. Lizzie and Janet won the whole thing. Amit placed first in Extemp. I got fourth, behind two non-qualifiers, so again one slot out of state. Angie made it to semis in Extemp too, as did Megan.

So, overall, not the smashing success that Clear Lake had been, but we had nothing to feel bad about.

Oct 4, 1981

Cal updated us on football. We’d lost, 24-10, to Klein Forest. The season was still OK, but it didn’t look like we were heading for a repeat of last year’s magical season.

This was another exam week. Besides naps, we were all busy and focused.

Oct 6, 1981

Study group had a big surprise waiting for me.

Mel and Cammie got up to head off for their nap. As they walked past, Mel grabbed my hand. “This is an abduction. Come along peacefully or else!”

There was some laughter; I imagine it might have been because I looked like I had another concussion. I got up and followed. Of course, my thoughts went where you’d expect them to go; that might also have led to the laughter.

And my thoughts weren’t wrong. They led me into the bedroom. “OK, you. Strip. Shower first.”

I blinked. “Um ... OK.”

They started undressing, too. Each other. Playfully. Well, OK then!

I watched, and stripped. Mel stopped me when I was down to my underwear. “I get to do that.” She crouched down and tugged. My cock popped free and both girls said “Sproing!” together, then giggled.

Mel grabbed my cock and tugged. Towards the bathroom. Naturally I followed.

Cammie talked while Mel squeezed. “This is a lucky coincidence of timing. First, Mel would like to try again.” Mel nodded, firmly. And without blushing. “Second, I’m feeling curious. I doubt it’ll amount to anything but, you know ... curiosity killed the cat, or messed with the pussy ... or something.” Mel squeezed a little more. “And also, we decided you need an intervention. And we talked with a few other girls, who agreed. Your last time was with Nancy, right? No sneaking off that Angie doesn’t know about?”

“Nancy, yes, right.” I may have squeaked a bit. Mel’s hand was squeezing again. And that was more true than not true. I assumed Angie hadn’t told them about our adventures, but even if she had, we agreed that it didn’t ‘count’.

“It’s our opinion that you need something else in between. Something with a girl you can’t date seemed to work. A quick fling.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Duh. Of course we don’t. See reasons one and two for why we are, anyway.”

“I won’t argue too hard. You know you’re both extremely tempting.”

“Goodie!” Mel giggled. “Now, in!”

They didn’t make the guest room shower for three people. Nevertheless, it can work if you’re friendly, which we were. I was a bit surprised by the arrangement; I might have assumed that Cammie would put Mel in the middle. Nope. I was in the middle, meaning I was touching a fair bit of Cammie. Including the occasional bump of my cock against her. Which she giggled about.