Date: Fri, 20 May 2016 17:39:45 -0500 From: Eric Trager Subject: It Is What It Is: Chapter 5 Please don't forget to donate to Nifty if you enjoy reading the stories! Email feedback can be sent to trager2275@gmail.com. © 2015 by Eric Trager. Yahoo group: https://groups.yahoo.com/IIWII CHAPTER FIVE At exactly 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning, Sean wheeled his Chevy Equinox into the Churchill's driveway. Normally, he'd give a couple quick taps on the horn, but not at this hour. He exited the vehicle just in time to see Andy bound out the door with two thermoses in his hands, and his iPod. "Hey, And, ready to roll?" "You betcha, Sean-o! Hey, I got coffee like I said, and here's a couple donuts I five- fingered from the cabinet on my way out of the house – we can skip Dunkies, then. Let's just get on the road!" "OK, but I gotta set my GPS first. Here – read me the address of the school and then I'll put it in!" "OK, here's the address..." Andy dutifully gave Sean the address of the school, and the GPS announced that their trip time would be one hour and 31 minutes and a distance of 71 miles. "Shit, that puts us at the school late – I'll hafta park and go in – we better beat cheeks and try to shave a few minutes off the trip! Damnit!" "Oh, we're going to the school first?" "Yeah, and here's how that's gotta go, And... Don't hate me, but when we get there, I'll introduce us to the Coach, but when I meet with him I hafta do it alone. If I take someone in, it'd be almost like I was too much of a pussy to do it myself, ya know?" "I hear ya – how long will the meeting be anyway?" "Maybe half hour, tops. That OK?" "Yeah – no worries. I can look around at the school some, maybe then and let ya know what it's like!" "Cool." The two boys then set out on the 71-mile trip. Sean was a little perplexed that the roads were mostly two-lane highways between the two towns, but he did manage at that early hour to make up enough time so that by his GPS they'd be on time for the 9:00 meeting. Besides, the drive through the late Summer Wisconsin countryside was idyllic with the corn high, the soybeans an emerald green carpet, and the small towns dotting the landscape offering visages of places that hadn't changed much since the 1950's. Presently, on the horizon the two boys could see a town looming in the distance that appeared to be much larger than the small farm communities they'd been through on the way so far. They could see modern industrial buildings, what looked to be an interstate highway in the distance, and the road went from two lanes to four. After about another mile, with the town coming into clearer view, came the sign proclaiming, "Janesville, Population 63,575." "Jeez, dad was right, And – this is a lot smaller of a town than Kenosha!" "Yeah, I guess it is. Well, let's see what it's like – I never been here before!" "I was last year when we played Craig. Funny, innit – we played `em and lost and now I'm gonna be talking to their Coach. That's just weird, And..." "Life is weird, Sean-o. I mean, look at us – most people would think you and I are like oil and water, but here we are after all these years! Let's just see how the day goes, bud, OK?" Andy reached over and ruffled Sean's hair a little bit. Sean looked over at his friend and let fly with one of his smirky smiles, patted Andy on the thigh, and said, "Thanks, And. This is hard, ya know..." The boys noticed now that they were driving past a large park on their right hand side and what appeared to be a golf course on their left hand side. The road in front of them was descending a hill at the top of which behind them had been a freeway ramp onto Interstate Highway 90, and then the road went downhill, took a dog leg to the right and then the left after ascending another fairly steep hill. At the top of the hill, Sean's GPS instructed him to turn right onto Randall Avenue, which he did and then immediately on the right side of the street there was a huge, buff-colored brick building identifying itself as J. A. Craig High School. "Shit!" proclaimed Sean, "We're here, but I dunno where the fucking coach's offices are!" "Settle down, Sean-o. Hey, look over there!" said Andy pointing in about a 2 o'clock direction. "That huge part of the school that looks like a big box, that's gotta be the gym just like at Tremper – go in there and park wherever you can!" "OK, let's do this!" Sean said. He parked the Equinox, and the two boys got out and made their way to the first entrance door that they saw. One inside the school, they could see that the building was in excellent condition, and appeared to be a 1950's design judging by the color of the floors and the tile on the walls. It was a large school, appearing to the boys to be about the same size as Tremper, give or take. "Hey, I think I guessed right!" Andy said. "What makes ya say that..." "Dumbass! Can't you smell the pool chlorine? We're on the gym end of the school for sure!" Just then, a gentleman looking to be in his mid-50's dressed in a dark suit appeared coming out of the men's room, looked at the two boys and asked somewhat incredulously, "OK, guys, what are you doing here? School hasn't started yet. I don't recognize either one of you two! State your names and why you're here!" "Sir, my name's Sean Wyman and I drove over here from Kenosha this morning. I have an appointment in five minutes with Coach Slater. Would you be so kind as to direct me to his office?" Sean said in the most adult fashion that he could muster under the circumstances. "And who might you be?" the gentleman asked, looking at Andy. "I'm Andrew Churchill, sir, and I came along for the ride to keep my friend Sean here out of trouble..." "Well, OK, then, guys – Coach Slater's office is down there, third door on the left, then go down the hall on the other side of the door and you'll find it on the left hand side." With more than a little trepidation, Sean's legs carried him down the hall toward the third door on the left. Andy could tell that his friend was getting butterflies in his stomach, and at the last minute, checking to see that there was no one else in the hallway, he spun Sean around and told him, "Look, Sean-o, take some deep breaths. This will all be OK. I'll be right here if you need me!" Sean smiled at Andy, and blinked back a tear – he knew at that moment how truly lucky he was to have Andy Churchill as a friend. Andy had never asked Sean for anything, but for the second time in two days, Andy was Sean's rock. "Thanks, And, you're right, too! Sean Wyman does not get rattled! Let's do this!" "And, Sean-o, give `em your standard door knock!" "Dickhead, And! OK, if you say so!" Through the third door on the left and a little way down the hall there was a door with a large glass window to the left of it. Although the blinds were drawn, Sean could see that the lights in that office were on, and the name on the door said, "Robert Slater, Head Football Coach." Sean took a deep breath, and gave the door the "shave-and-a-haircut-two-bits" knock. "Way to go, Sean-o! You just be the guy I know and this will all be fine!" After about five seconds, the door opened, and in the doorway stood a man rather smaller than one would expect of a head football coach. He looked to be in his late 40's with a short flat-top haircut, and he was dressed in an athletic warm-up suit. "Good morning, gentlemen. Which one of you is Sean Wyman?" "Crap!" Andy thought to himself, "who would ever think I was a varsity quarterback – I'd get killed before the first half was out, and I can't throw for shit!" "That's me, Coach! I'm Sean Wyman, and it's a pleasure to meet you!" Sean said extending his hand, which the Coach took and gave a manly handshake. "Nice to meet you, too, son, now who's this guy?" Coach Slater asked, smiling and nodding in Andy's direction. "Coach Slater, this is my friend, Andrew Churchill. He came with me for the ride and all. I've asked him to remain outside while we have our meeting." "Well, that's unusual," Coach Slater thought, shaking Andy's hand, "the kid brings a friend but he's grown up enough to know that the friend has no reason to sit in on our meeting." "That's fine." Coach Slater said. "Mr. Churchill, if you wish, the school cafeteria is in the rear of the building on the lower level. They're serving breakfast to the staff for another fifteen minutes, and if you're hungry you could go down there. If they give you any crap have them call me, or if you'd rather, you could wait in the gym which is through that door over there, or outside on the school campus." "OK, thanks. Sean, I'll see you outside by the car when you're done." And with that, Andy made his exit. "Alright, Mr. Wyman. The first thing I'd like to take a quick look at is your report card from last semester, and your physical card from last year. Then we'll weigh and measure you which will take two seconds, then we can come back in here and sit down." Sean handed over the documents. "I see your grades are rather good – 3.9 average so far in your time at Tremper. You're smart. The physical card looks legit, so let's step outside to the scales. Oh, almost forgot, take your shoes off!" Sean took his shoes off, and stepped up on the physician's scale for the Coach. "OK, It looks like the height is six feet, one inch. Weight is, let's see here, 189 lbs. Good, you look to be in fine shape, there, son! Your last physical here says six feet even and one-eighty, so you've grown an inch and gained nine pounds. You might grow another inch, or so, before you're done, but like I said, you look to be in good shape! Let's step back into my office!" "OK, Coach." Once in the office, Coach Slater bade Sean to sit down in one of the two chairs that faced his desk. Slater walked behind the desk, sat down and opened the meeting by looking at Sean and saying, "Son, I know this isn't easy for you. I know what you're going through. I've been coaching kids like you all my life, and I've seen a lot – some good, some bad and some ugly. I gotta tell, ya, though, it took a lot of sack for you to show up here by yourself today, without a parent, for this meeting. Now, let's get started, shall we?" "Sure, Coach, and thanks..." "OK, Mr. Wyman, last night I reviewed the tape from our game with Tremper last year. Here's what I saw: you've got decent arm, not the absolute best I've ever seen, but much more than good enough. I know that game was only the second one you played as a starter, so I can give some allowance for that – most guys improve with experience. What I also saw was that you are excellent at reading a defense, and quick to make a decision. Do I hand it off? Do I throw? Is there a hole for me to run through that can make the play? Am I in trouble and need to throw it away before I get sacked? You were very good at getting on top of our defense, and if we were playing you at home instead of the other way around, you guys might have won that night. I think you've got good speed. The biggest thing I noticed is that no matter what else happened on the field, you looked calm. A quarterback's gotta have that, son. You do. Any high school in the state would probably be glad to have you as their starting quarterback." "Thanks, Coach. I appreciate that." "You're welcome, son, but this is where the rubber meets the road. Here's the deal and I'm going to be straight with you: a week ago I'd have already known who my starting quarterback would be for this season. It doesn't make my life easier that now I might have a decision on my hands that I hadn't planned for, and with real short notice, too, I might add. Last year's quarterback was a Senior, and he graduated. Last year's backup will be a Senior this year. And he's good. There are some differences between you and him, but he's good, son – maybe as good as you. I've been doing this for too many years to play favorites. I coach young men to be the best they can be, I don't run a social club, and I coach my teams to win as many games as they can. That's how I've kept my job, and it's been the job of my dreams all these years. I have the community, the school, and the character of my young men to answer up to. But, back to the team: the rest of our team this season is talented and deep – we didn't lose all that many Seniors last year compared to most years, and we had one of the stronger Jayvee programs in recent memory with some really good players coming up this year. I expect at the varsity level we'll have one of our better years in a long time this season, and the best chance I've seen in a while to win the Big Eight conference championship, and maybe even State. That's what I will be coaching for this year – the championship. So...if your family ends up in Janesville this next school year, and I know that would be very soon, I promise you a fair tryout for the position of starting quarterback. That's what I will offer you, Mr. Wyman – a fair tryout just like anyone else would get. Now, you tell me, what exactly was it that you expected to hear from me this morning?" "Coach Slater, I didn't come into this meeting with any expectations at all, and I certainly didn't come here expecting that I'd just waltz in to a school where no one knows me and be offered the starting quarterback position because I had a couple of good games last year. I'm only 17, but I've been in sports all my life. I'm smart enough to know that the team has to go with what's best for the team. That's what a team is all about. You have offered me a fair tryout, sir, and that is all anyone could reasonably ask for. You have my word that once my dad and I make our decision whether to stay in Kenosha, or come to Janesville, I will let you know just as soon as that decision is made. And if I do come here, I will give it my best shot just like I did last year. Yeah, I felt bad when Steve Gimmel got hurt in the Bradford game, but when Coach Anderson sent me out there, he sent me out there to do a job for the team. He didn't send me out there to fuck it up, the rest of the team depended on me, and I didn't fuck it up, sir...oops, sorry...anyway we won that game, and we won our conference championship, too. I did what I was sent out there to do. I did my best. That's all anyone can do. So, I understand that if I am at Craig this year that I will have to compete for the quarterback job. And if I don't get the job, I will still do my best and I will be a team player. It is what it is." "Holy shit, this kid has balls the size of China!" Coach Slater thought to himself. "Very good, then, Mr. Wyman. From where I sit, I'm satisfied. Will there be anything else this morning?" "No, Coach, I think we covered it all." "Very well," Coach Slater said, rising from his chair, "It's been a pleasure meeting you, son. Please remember to call me once you know how this is going to go. And however this goes, and I mean this, the best of luck to you!" "Certainly, Coach. It's been a pleasure meeting you, too, and same to you." With that, Sean exited the Coach's office, made his way down the hall, down the main hall toward the exit and back to the parking lot. "So, what happened in there, Sean-o?" "OK, so I met with the Coach. I'd get a `tryout' for starting quarterback because they have a Senior who's good. He said I don't have the absolute best arm he's ever seen, but he thinks I have good field skills. That's about it..." "So, like, what'd you tell him?" "Well, I told him that was fair, and then I showed him some sack!" Sean unleashed his best smirk. "Ya know, when it's all said and done, you do have a huge set of balls, Sean-o. Here – I'm gonna play a song – this is just for you, bro!" Andy plugged his iPod into the USB port in the Equinox and queued up "Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty. Well I won't back down, no I won't back down You could stand me up at the gates of hell But I won't back down Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out Hey I will stand my ground And I won't back down Well I know what's right, I got just one life In a world that keeps on pushin' me around But I'll stand my ground and I won't back down Hey baby there ain't no easy way out Hey I will stand my ground And I won't back down No, I won't back down Sean laughed and said, "Hey, I just tell it like it is – what the fuck, man... Anyway, thanks again, And, thanks for coming – when the chips are down, that's when ya learn who your real bros are, man!" "Sean-o, look, later I got something I wanna tell ya, it's no big whoop, but let's get through the rest of the day and just say `what the fuck!' OK, bro?" "OK. Hey, let me pull over here, I gotta put the Realtor lady's address in here so we can see how people live in this town!" "OK, here ya go – here's the number, and here's the street." "Got it, bro!" Five minutes later, the Equinox pulled up in front of the address they were given for the real estate office. "Sean-o, this is someone's house! This doesn't look like an office! You sure this is the right address?" "Yeah – this is the address on the card," said Sean. They were in front of a long, low, large mid-century modern ranch home located in what appeared to be a well-to-do neighborhood of similar homes. The one odd thing is that there was an oversized driveway big enough to hold about six cars. Sean spied a plaque attached to the siding of the home next to the garage door. "Hey, man, let's see what it says on that sign!" Sean got out of the car, read the sign, and called to Andy, "Hey, And! This is it – it's got her name on it and says for real estate to ring the lower bell on the front door!" "OK, well, ya see somethin' new every day, don'tcha!" Andy rang the lower doorbell, and presently a 65-ish looking woman with suntan wrinkles and jet black dyed hair in classic `realtor hair' style came to the door. "Hello, young men! I bet one of you is Sean Wyman! Which one of you two cuties is it..." She asked, eying them both up and down. "That's me, and I bet you're Ginny, right?" Sean said. "Ginny Miller, glad to meet you!" she shook both their hands, and bade them come in. "Down the hall and to the right, guys!" Ginny called. "I'll get us each a cup of coffee and we can sit for a minute before we leave!" Sean and Andy made their way to a conference room with a long, walnut table and comfortable looking leather chairs. Presently, Ginny showed up with a small tray, three cups of coffee and cream and sugar in case they wanted it. "OK, Sean, so who's this guy – you didn't say you had a brother!" "Oh, no, this isn't my brother. I'm sorry, this is Andy Churchill, a friend of mine, and he came with me today just to be a second set of eyes and keep me out of trouble!" "Well, with your looks, Andy's gonna have his hands full keeping you out of trouble, young man!" Sean blanched, and Andy guffawed. "OK, Sean, let me tell you how I work and why you're here. I've been doing real estate in this town for over 40 years. I'm semi-retired now. I don't need the money. I've made plenty, trust me, and I don't need a separate office. I cater to higher end clients. I work by request, or on referral, and I pick the clients I work with. I'm not one of these Brokers who are out there 24/7 beating the streets at ungodly hours trying to drum up any business I can find – I don't need that crap. Been there. Seen it. Done it. I ran the biggest office in this town for more years than I care to remember. There's a good chance that the house your dad ends up buying I will have either listed it, or sold it before. There isn't an inch of this town I don't know. The President of the City Council came to me and asked me personally to handle finding your home." "Wow" Sean and Andy said simultaneously. "OK, gents, here's how this is gonna go. Sean – you've already told me that you like older homes, and you need to be in the Craig High area of town. That means basically the east side. We're not going to waste our time on newer homes, or the west side, or the south side. I've got five homes lined up for us to see, so let's get a move on! I think you'll like all of them, hun. I'll meet you out front, and we'll go in my car." Ginny saw them out the front door. Presently, the garage door opened, and an imperious, black Mercedes S-class sedan made its Germanic presence known in the driveway. "Hop in, guys!" And off they went. "OK, now the first place we're going to see is the smallest one. It's in the Columbus Circle neighborhood, which is one of our historical preservation areas. It's a 1930 Crafstman at 2,200 square feet. It's got a great kitchen and all the original details." "Um, OK..." Sean said. "You said it's a Craftsman. You mean like from Sears?" "Dumbass, Sean-o!" Andy interjected. "Craftsman is a style of home! Jesus!" "You two are just full of piss and vinegar, aren'tcha!" Ginny laughed heartily. "Now, Sean, when we go in any of these homes if you know right away it's not for you then we might as well just leave – no sense wasting our time!" "That makes sense!" Andy said. "At least you're not going to stand there and feed us a line of BS!" "Oh, no, hun, Ginny Miller doesn't feed BS. If there's a house for you, I've already been in it!" Sean smirked. "You got a helluva smile there, young Mr. Wyman. That's not fair to an old lady like me!" Ginny said with a wink. Ginny wheeled the big Mercedes into the driveway of a neat, brick home that looked to be about the age of Sean's house in Kenosha, but a good bit smaller. "This looks kinda small compared to what I'm used to, Ginny!" Sean said. "Let's just go in and if you don't like it we can go. The price on this one is $249,900. It's 4 beds, two-and-a-half baths and it's got a finished basement." Upon entering the home, Sean was impressed with the condition of the home, and its detail, but not with the size. "Can I just run upstairs quick and check the size of the bedrooms? Sean asked. "Sure, kiddo. I'll wait here." In less than a minute, Sean came down the stairs, and said, "I'm sorry, Ginny, but the bedrooms are way smaller than what we have now – I think we'll pass on this one." "OK, on to the next place, then, you two Indians!" The next home Ginny showed them was a beautiful, old Victorian but it had a postage-stamp lot with an alley-access garage and was on a main street. Sean said that wouldn't work, either. The third and fourth homes weren't any better – one a Lannon Stone Italiante mansion that was stunning, but needed too much work to just move into while Joe got used to a new job, and Sean to a new school, and the other one having only a two-car garage. "OK, boys, I saved the best for last! Sean, this home is over 5,100 square feet. It's a Spanish-style Vila with a four-car attached garage. There's a separate servant's quarters over the garage which is now an apartment, and while the side does face the main street, it's on a 2.7-acre lot which is unheard of in a neighborhood this old. It's been exceptionally well maintained with age-appropriate updates, and there have been some well-known people who owned it. It's not a Craftsman, and it's not a Victorian, but it's really got that Old World charm. It was built in 1920. It's one of Janesville's signature homes. Locals call it The Alamo. Homes like this rarely come to the market. There's six bedrooms, four bathrooms, three half baths, living room, parlor, dining room, butler's pantry, study, office, and a full finished basement with a media room. The price on this one is $600,000 and that price is firm. I sold this home to the present owners 21 years ago. This is a private listing; it is not in the MLS. It is only shown to the most well-qualified Buyers, and only by appointment with me." Walking up to the front door, the boys noticed that there were no keys – one entered the home by entering a combination into a keypad. After pressing the keys and hearing the whir of the lock, Ginny turned to the two young men, and said, "You guys are in for a treat!" Ginny swung the two-inch thick solid wood front door open on its wrought iron hinges, and said, "OK, men, step into history!" Upon entering the home Sean and Andy looked at each other, mouths agape and exclaimed in unison, "Holy fucking shit!" Ginny giggled to herself. "Boys will be boys!" she thought. There were exquisite oak-beamed ceilings, leaded-glass Art-Deco panels in the china cabinets, pocket doors, a grand central staircase with Spanish iron work, Spanish plaster on the walls, inlaid hardwood floors – the one in the dining room being herring-bone. The kitchen obviously had been updated recently with a 48" Wolf range and Sub-Zero refrigeration, but the original cabinets and pantry were there, as were the original, massive soapstone sinks and marble counter tops. The study, which included the original wet bar, and the office were large. The study struck Andy and Sean as like an old-time men's club. Upstairs, the six bedrooms were large, and the bathrooms all tile with separate tubs and showers. The basement media room was an ultra-modern set up, but someone had spent the money to co-ordinate the finishes with the rest of the home. After spending close to an hour in the home, Ginny turned to the boys and said, "So, boys, whadya think? Be honest with me!" "This house is the freakin' balls!" Andy exclaimed. Poking Andy in the ribs with his elbow, Sean said, "Ginny, I like it. I really like it. It's so big, but it's homey! It's got everything we'd be looking for. I'm going to promise you the same thing I promised the Coach this morning: I don't know how this is going to go, but as soon as we decide, which will be in the next few days, I'll give you a call and let you know. This place is like a dream!" "That's all I can ask, Sean. I'll wait for your call. OK, let's head back, I imagine you boys have a long trip in front of you back to Kenosha!" Looking at Andy and giving him the fingers-across-the-throat sign in back of Ginny, Sean said, "We do, Ginny, and we so appreciate your time today. You were a lot of fun, and I mean that!" "So were you and Andy. You have no idea what spending some time with two handsome young men does for an old lady like me! And you two are a couple of Princes, I tell ya! If only I was 40 years younger! Well, you two will be my age someday, and then when handsome young men come along you'll know what I mean!" Sean and Andy looked askance at each other, which did not go unnoticed by Ginny. "Oh, I'm sorry, it just that you guys...well, I know so many different people of every stripe, I just thought you guys might be a couple. You know how it is these days – I might be old, but I keep up with the times!" "We're not a couple, Ginny." Sean said, "But no offense taken – we're more like brothers. Most guys our age would be mad that you said that, but we don't care. It's kinda nice, actually." Sean flashed a huge smirk at that one. "Yeah." Echoed Andy. Pulling back up to Ginny's house, they said their good-byes. "You call me now, Sean – you're just absolutely delightful!" "I will, Ginny, and thank you so much. This trip was not a waste of time!" "You, too, Andy, you little Devil!" "Bye, Ginny, and like Sean said, this was a nice trip!" The time was now 5:30 p.m. and the boys had to decide what they wanted to do. "Hey, And, do you think we should head back now, or in the morning?" "I dunno, what's your schedule like?" "Well, I got all my lawns done through tomorrow so I guess we can do what we want. Wanna drive around the town and see what it looks like? "OK, sure, let's go!" After about ten minutes of driving around, Sean exclaimed, "Jesus Fucking Christ, how the fuck did they lay out this town, anyway! There's no numbered streets, and it looks like they just stuck a street wherever the fuck they felt like! And these fucking hills! I have no fucking idea where we are! I mean, I have a GPS and we can get to where we need to be, but these streets are just fucked up!" "Hey, Sean-o, why don't we do this: let's go to the Country Club, have dinner like we were supposed to and ask the folks there if they have a map! I can navigate off a map – it's like a GPS only on paper and it doesn't move, ya know?" "OK, I'm frustrated anyhow with these streets. I got the Country Club address, so let me pull over and let's put it in." "OK, here ya go..." And off the boys headed for dinner at the Janesville Country Club. "Hey, And! Look at this bridge! This is cool! Anyhow, all we have to do is keep going straight on this street, over the bridge and it's a while up on the left. Nice!" Once over the bridge, Andy spied something of interest on his side of the road. "Hey, Sean-o, turn in here! Right now!" Jesus Christ, And, what the fuck, man! What the fuck are you talking about!" "Look, man! It's a drive-through liquor store! Let's give it a try and see if we can get some beers!" "OK, but we better ask for Miller Lite, or something usual because anything unusual and the chick at the window might wake up..." "You're right, man, I think this is a Miller Lite town – I've seen Miller Lite signs on all the bars while you been driving!" "Well, let's give it a shot!" Here, gimme your baseball cap! I'm gonna pull my hair under it, and put it on so that she can't see my face, and I didn't shave today, either, so we'll see..." "OK, well, here ya go!" Sean took Andy's baseball cap, put it on, and proceeded up the lane to the liquor store drive up window. Pulling up to the window, Sean saw it flip open and the girl said, "What'll ya have?" She was texting on her cell phone and didn't look at Sean. Sean said, "Miller Lite 24-pack" and handed the girl a $20 bill through the window. The girl handed Sean the beer and the change, answering back, "$17.99 out of $20. Have a good one!" Sean was shocked. "And, man, you hafta be fucking shitting me! That chick just took my money, gave me the beer, and that was it? She never even looked at me! Fuckin- A! Oh, well, at least we have beers for a few nights!" "Yeah, I can't believe that shit, either!" "We'll figure out where we can go and have some beers later, but first we gotta eat - I got that ticket to the Country Club, and I'm fucking hungry! At the instruction from Sean's GPS, Sean turned into the Janesville Country Club. It was behind a well-manicured entrance with the suitably understated look of Old Money. Sean parked the Equinox, and the boys got out and headed for the main entrance. At the entrance, they were greeted by the Doorman and upon entering the main foyer there was a Hostess who greeted them with a smile, "Good evening, gentlemen! How can I help you?" "Hello, ma'am. I'm Sean Wyman and I have reservations for dinner this evening. I think we're here just a little early, and I hope that's alright. I'm in from out of town, and, well, we just got hungry!" Sean flashed the Hostess his best klieg-light smile, and gave her a somewhat demure look that he hoped would get them in to eat – sometimes, Sean was not above using his looks to get his way. "Certainly, gentlemen! The dining room is fairly open at this time, and we are serving the dinner menu, however, are you aware that for men jackets are required?" "No, ma'am, we didn't know that. Does that mean we won't be able to eat here tonight?" "Not at all. We maintain a selection of jackets that we loan out just for situations like this. If you let me know your sizes, I'll be right back!" "I'm a 42 long," Sean said, "and Andy here looks like about a 38, or 40 regular." "Yup, 38 regular!" Andy confirmed. "I'll be right back then, gentlemen! Please make yourselves at home!" After a couple minutes, the Hostess returned with 2 matching dark blue jackets for the boys. The jackets were of good quality, and it was obvious that the jackets had been cleaned and pressed. "Are these satisfactory, gentlemen? Comfortable?" "Mine fits fine." Andy said. "Mine, too!" smiled Sean. "Excellent, if you would care to go to the top of the stairs then, gentlemen, we will have you seated right away. Your server will recite the special offerings this evening! Enjoy your meal, and if there's anything you need, please let any of the staff know." At the top of the stairs, the boys saw a large dining room in front of then with a placard letting them know that this was the Trophy Room. The Host appeared immediately and asked, "Two this evening, gentlemen?" "Yes," replied Sean. "Do you have a preference for a table?" Looking around, Sean answered, "I think over there next to the windows would be nice. What's beyond the windows?" "Beyond the windows is our golf course, sir. I think you'll find it lovely. It's the oldest golf course in Wisconsin, the sixth oldest in the entire country, and dates from 1894. It was designed after the golf courses of Scotland." "Wow, that's old!" exclaimed Andy. Sean poked him in the ribs and winked. Once seated, the boys looked out the window at the golf course. Sean said, "Jeez, And, that does look like an old golf course! It looks like it's been there forever, dunnit!" "Well, Einstein, a hundred and twenty years is pretty much like forever. Doh!" Andy replied. "Fuck off!" Sean snickered, flipping Andy the bird. Dinner was uneventful. Sean ordered the surf & turf with the steak done medium rare. Andy had one of the evening's specials, grilled salmon with dill vinaigrette. After leaving the Country Club, Sean looked at Andy and said, "Where to, now?" "I dunno – we could hang out at a park and have a couple of beers, ya know?" "Yeah, but I dunno where any parks are in this town. Hey, I have an idea, let's go down by the stadium where we played Craig last year – I think there's a park right by it, or at least it looked like there was from what I remember anyway..." "OK, but you better call that bed & breakfast place and let `em know we'll be there in a couple hours, or something." "Yeah, good idea..." Mark Braden and Joe Regent sat in Braden's car at the park waiting on the other guys to show. "Jesus Christ!" glowered Mark Braden in a voice dripping with disdain. "Can you believe this shit? I just don't fucking believe it! We'll be a laughing stock! God fucking damn!" "Whadya thinkin'?" Regent asked. "I dunno, Rege, but this calls for something drastic, I tell ya. I'm gonna bring it up at the team meeting. I was gonna do that all along, but I wanted the guys to come tonight so everyone's on board. This ain't gonna be easy if ya think about it..." "I guess I see what your sayin,' yeah. But the thing is, I don't know how far you can push this even if it's real. Are you sure this is the real deal? I mean we gotta be sure, Brade, we gotta be a hundred percent sure..." "I'm sure. I mean, I know what it is, and so do you!" "Well, I guess so, but be careful. Sometimes it's better to be careful what you wish for because you might get it, ya know..." "Look, Rege, I know what I'm doin' here. Trust me...I got a plan how I'm gonna spring it." Braden and Regent waited for about five more minutes until they saw that most of the guys were gathered in the park pavilion where they said to meet. They exited the car and started walking toward the pavilion. "Hey, guys, thanks for coming out. Look, I'll make this short. I'm gonna pass my phone around and I want you to look what's on it. OK, here you go!" The first guy to get the phone was linebacker Zack Sperry. "What the fuuuuuuuuuuck!" Sperry gasped. "What the..." "Hey, don't say anything until everybody's had a chance!" Regent said. "We don't wanna take all night!" After about fifteen minutes, Braden's phone had made the circle. Braden put the phone back in his pocket, looked at the ground and said, "Look, guys, I don't think we can have this. There's too much of a chance this'll blow up. We'll be the laughing stock of the conference. We gotta nip this shit in the bud, and fast! I'm gonna bring it up at the team meeting. We can't put up with this shit!" "OK, but how ya gonna bring it up...and once ya do, then what..." Asked running back Jim Nolan, a Senior. "You might not have all the facts, and even if ya do, so what? This is bullcrap. I'm not puttin' my name on shit like this." And with that, Nolan got up and walked toward his car. "You're a loser, Nolan!" Braden yelled out after him. "OK, guys, who's in to put a stop to this?" One by one, each guy said they were in, although notably absent was Greg Tillman who remembered at the last minute that his family had a pre-arranged dinner with his grandparents that evening. "OK, guys, here's how this is gonna go..." Braden then laid out his plan. They all agreed, some more enthusiastically than others, and then they all went their separate ways for the night. "OK, Brade," Regent said, "Do you have a Plan B if this backfires? I mean if this goes south, we're in deep shit, man!" "Don't worry about it, Rege. People in our position don't give up their standing. Doesn't happen. This will be OK. It's best for the team, and best for all of us." "Well, I hope to God you're right, Brade. I hope to God you're right..." "OK, what's the name of the stadium?" Andy asked. "I'll put it in the GPS so we don't get lost again! Too bad they didn't have a map at hte Country Club..." "Fuck you, And!" Sean said, laughing. "It's called Monterey Stadium." "OK, I got it – here ya go! I'll push the button for ya!" "Thanks, man..." About ten minute later, Sean thought he was in a part of town that looked familiar from last year. It looked to be a very old part of the town, and a lot of the homes looked like they could stand some repairs and painting. "I think the park is behind the stadium, off the end zone, over there next to the river. Yeah, there it is! OK, let's park and you stick some beers in your back pack, And." "Sounds like a plan, Sean-o!" Sean parked, and spied a large, round, flat-topped rock at the river's edge. It looked like a good place to hang out, and if they needed to they could ditch the beer into the river. "Let's go over by that rock over there!" "Yeah, looks cool!" The boys clamored up the rock, and found the top was a great place. "Hey, look across the river there!" Sean pointed. "Holy crap, that's the GM plant! God damn, the thing's huge! Well, I guess now I know where dad might be working!" "Wow!" exclaimed Andy. "Hey, Sean, you remember today when I said I had something to tell ya?" "Yeah, And. What's up, man?" "Well, um, this is kinda hard so just stay with me and don't interrupt me until I'm done, OK?" "You got it, And. Is this where I'm here for you now?" "Yeah, I guess..." "OK, well, you remember the other night when you came over right after you found out you might be moving?" "Uh-huh..." "And you remember what happened in the garage?" "Um, yeah. What's this all about, And? You can talk to me." "OK, well, we kissed. I think it was an accident because I wasn't trying to kiss you..." "I wasn't trying to kiss you, either, And. Now what's this all about? Is this where you tell me you're done being my friend? After all the years we've known each other?" "No way, dude! That's not what I'm sayin' at all!" "OK, And, I'm confused. I'll just shut up and listen like you asked me to." "OK, well, um...OK, fuck it! I'm just gonna say it! Sean-o, after we kissed I felt like I loved you. I don't really have any close friends except you. Oh, sure, people come over and buy my weed, they stay a few minutes, and they're nice and all, but otherwise, they don't talk to me, or give me the time of day. I make a lot of money off of it, and that's cool, but it's lonely. Mom and step-dad treat me good, but it's never been the same since dad died, and I was only eight years old. Anyway, when we kissed – wait a minute, let me back up here - when you came over and told me you might be moving, and I could see how much you were hurting, Sean-o, my heart broke in two. All these years, man, all these years you've just always `been there,' ya know? Yeah, now that we're gonna be Juniors, you're Mr. Star Quarterback, and all, and you got all these jock friends that mostly wouldn't spit on me, but you've never changed. And, anyway, so my heart was breaking for you, I knew I hadda be there for you, but when we kissed, I don't think I felt so close to someone since my dad died. Sean, I spent the next day wondering what the fuck happened. I'm gonna lose you. I know it. I love you, man, and I don't give a damn!" "Um, wow..." Was all that Sean could muster. "Sean, so...are you gonna throw me under the bus? After all these years, is this it, man?" "And, what kind of bullshit is that? For the last two days I leaned on you, and you were there for me. Hell, you're here for me now in a town we don't even know. Yeah, I fell into the `Mr. Star Quarterback' thing as you call it, but I never asked for it. I didn't seek it out – it fell on me. And yeah, I have jock friends, but you and me, man, you and me go back forever. Did you think if you said you loved me that I'd not be your friend any more? Is that what you thought?" By now, Sean had tears in his eyes. "I dunno, man. I didn't know what to think because I never felt this way before. I gotta tell ya that when we kissed at first it didn't really feel like anything more than a hug, but then I liked it. I liked kissing you, Sean! Does that make me a fag? Am I a pervert? Do you hate me because I liked kissing you? Are you grossed out? Tell me the truth, man! If this is it, I wanna know..." "And, man, look at me! Look at me now! Andy looked up at Sean. Sean noticed that Andy's eyes were red, and there was a pleading look on his face. "And, man, no, this isn't the end. It's not even the beginning of the end. You and me will always be friends. You gotta believe me when I say that. You liked kissing me? Well, guess what, ass-wipe, I liked kissing you, too. So there! We're even! I knew right then that someone cared enough to stick with me when the going got tough, and that was you. Hell, you're here with me now - that means more to me than you will ever know, and it was your idea. Don't think I didn't notice that. Now, let's get going over to the bed and breakfast before they lock it up for the night. We can talk more back there if you want. Oh, by the way, I love you, too, And!" "Really?" Andy croaked. "Really! OK? Hey..." "What?" Sean planted a kiss right on Andy's lips. "There ya go. Does that tell ya whatcha need to know? I'm not going anywhere, And. Oh sure, I might end up moving to Janesville – we both know that - but as far as us being friends, I'm not going anywhere! Ever!" "Thanks, man..." Andy smiled. The ride to the bed and breakfast was quiet. Sean looked over at this friend deciding that Andy might still need a little bucking up, so Sean placed his hand on Andy's leg and gave him a gentle squeeze. Andy looked up to see Sean already in full smirk and at that moment Andy knew he hadn't lost his friend. Andy placed his hand on top of Sean's, and to his surprise, Sean didn't move his hand. "Welcome, guys! Don't worry about the hour, and we've got your room ready for you! Let's just get you guys checked in, and up to your room!" "Thanks, ma'am." Sean replied. "We've had a long day, and we'll be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning, probably by no later than 8:00." "That's just fine. If you don't see anyone at the desk, just put the keys in the drop box right here." "Awesome!" "Say, your friend over there looks tired – is there something I could get for him?" "I don't think so, ma'am. Like I said, it's just been a long day..." "OK, so here you are – you'll be in Room 5. It's on the right hand side when you get to the top of the stairs. Everything should be in order, but if not, just ring down here and we'll get you all set!" "Thank you, ma'am, and good night!" "Good night, gentlemen!" Opening the door to the room, the boys were greeted by a large room in authentic Victorian decorating with two large dressers, a 46" television on the wall, and two queen size four-poster beds. Although it was dark by now, they could see out the window that the street went down a fairly steep hill to the river, and the lights of the downtown. "So, And, whadya think of Janesville? If I have to live here will I die?" "Shutup, dick-weed!" Andy answered. "I dunno, it's kind of a cute town. It's smaller than Kenosha, for sure, but it's not THAT small... I mean there's all the same shit here there is in Kenosha and stuff. I thought that last house was primo, and the real estate lady was a fucking trip." "Yeah, she thought we were a couple!" Sean laughed. "We're bros, Sean-o." "Forever." "Sean, I'm just emotionally drained after tonight. I think I need to go to bed. Is that OK?" "I hear ya, bro. Just let me send dad a text that we'll be back in the morning, and then I'm ready for bed, too..." "OK." Sean texted his dad, then waited a couple minutes for the reply to acknowledge that Joe knew Sean would be back the next day. He was pretty sure he heard Andy sniffle a couple times. Sean turned the lights out, stripped off his clothes down to his shorts, and got in the other bed. Again, he thought he heard Andy sniffle. "You OK, bud?" Sean whispered. "I'm sorry" was Andy's reply. Just then it hit Sean – he needed to go to his friend and make sure the events of the day wouldn't hang over into tomorrow. "Hey, And, man, move over. You think it's OK if I crawl in with you for a little bit?" "I was hoping you'd ask. I really need someone to hug me right now!" Sean crawled in next to Andy, spooned him into his larger body, ruffled his hair, whispered "I love you, man," and both boys fell asleep. END CHAPTER FIVE