Written by: TVM (mrtvm@mrtvm.com)

Archive: www.asstr.org/~TheVertManArchive/Stories/Scent/Index.html

Summary: In the ALL NEW 85th episode of 'Scent of a Girl: Sophomore Year', the rematch between Mintzler Prep and arch-rival Twilight Hills Academy takes center stage. Again live on KRTF, this time though the game is highlighted by more than fantastic pitching, timely hitting and stellar defense. Also, after 10 days, Chloe finally calls to break the news of her Dad's condition but also has to deliver some OTHER news that will leave the recipient gasping in shock.

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"Chloe, Chloe Morgan?" a man asked as I sat tapping away on my tablet and waiting on my flight to board. I turned to see a holla cute guy just a couple of years older than me. Vaguely familiar. "It is you. I'd know that mop of red hair anywhere."

"Do I know you?" I asked as he sat down beside me.

"Tommy Ray Newman from down the street," he said as my eyes opened in surprise. He turned out great. "You remember my folks?"

"You're Old Man Newman's boy," I said as we shared a laugh. Something I hadn't done much of since leaving Mintzler behind.

"That joke never gets old," he laughed. "So what are you doing in this part of the world?"

"Going home and hoping my Dad is still alive when I get there," I said. "I was at school when he had a heart attack. So I'm trying to get home."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Tommy said. "So how did you end up in Omaha? It's a bit out of your way isn't it?"

"A really bad storm and they had to divert to here," I said, "I'm waiting to board again now. Probably be another three or four hours."

"You know your Dad gave my band our first job," Tommy remembered.

"Yeah it was my 11th birthday party and you clowns played Highway To Hell and got fired halfway through it," I said as we laughed.

"And it didn't help that the church members decided to attend last minute," he said as we laughed harder.

"My Dad was piiiiiissed."

"To say the least," he agreed.

"What is a 13 year old playing that song for anyway?" I asked.

"Everyone in the band was metal heads and that was our favorite song," Tommy said. "Still is."

"You still play music?"

"Yeah we were just up in the Pacific Northwest touring," Tommy said as I gave him a shocked look. He reached into his bag and pulled out a CD before handing it to me.

"Chocolate Covered Chicken is the name of your band?" I asked as he laughed with me.

"Like it?"

"I sure do," I said as I looked at the track listing. "Do I owe you 15 bucks for this?"

"19.99," he said and actually held out his hand as I laughed again. "Don't go anywhere I think they've got my car ready. Let me check."

"OK," I said as he ran off to check and I turned back to the CD's track listing, "Roasted Heartbreak (with Mash Taters)? Serial Killer: A Love Story?"

"Good news my car is all ready," Tommy said as he came back to see me laughing at the tracks on his CD. "Is this for real?"

"Yeah it's our first parody album," he said as he picked up his coat and put it on. "We're really a blues band but everyone wanted us to do a parody album so we did."

"Strange," I said as he nodded his agreement. "You're leaving already?"

"Yeah I'm tired already and don't feel like waiting another five hours for a flight home," he said. "I can be there driving in like 3 so I'm just gonna do that."

"Wish I had that option," I said.

"Why can't you?" he asked as he put his bag across his shoulder. "It's not like we're strangers we've known each other all our lives. You can ride with me."

"I don't know..."

"If Mama finds out I left you stranded at the airport in Omaha and me with a car she'll brand me," Tommy said as I smiled. "Now call Mackenzie or Hayden or Grandpa Max and tell them you'll be there in about 2 hours or so."

"It's at least a 3 hour drive from here," I said as I got up and put on my jacket and put my tablet back into my bag as that went across my shoulder.

"Not the way I drive it ain't!" he said as I laughed out loud.

"Now what?" I grumbled as I opened my door and saw Mindy standing there with a hopeful smile on her face but dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. "Yes?"

"Are you going with me?" she asked. I though, was blanking at this moment.

"Going where?"

"I'm shooting my scene for the Trial of Kendra Lockmore," she reminded me. That was the name of the movie she snagged a bit part in 10 days or so ago. "You promised you'd go with me, remember?"

"That was before my life fell apart because of what we did," I said.

"I know what we did," Mindy fired back. "I've been trying to forget it for 10 days now. But it's damn near impossible."

"I know," I said as I took a deep breath. "I just finished my homework, somehow, and now all I wanna do is lay down and cry for a while."

"That's all you've been doing," Mindy said.

"Well pardon me for having a broken heart when my girlfriend catches me in bed with my best friend," I said. "And now she's 800 miles away with her Dad in a coma and refuses to answer any of my calls. So pardon the fuck out of me for being a little depressed."

"She won't answer my calls either," Mindy fired back. "And please tell me what it was that was different than the time you caught us in bed? Why couldn't she just join in?"

"The time I caught you in bed I was coming back from the snack machine and knew you two would do that," I said as Mindy giggled. I had to smile too. "When she caught us it really hurt her. She thinks we were cheating on her and now she hates us both. And she's right."

"If I hadn't come out of that closet in Maggie's bedroom you guys would still be a couple," Mindy said.

"Chloe is the one who started this," I said. "She came up with the idea of doing a threesome not you, not me. We fucked up majorly but this was her idea to begin with not yours. So no Mindy that wasn't your fault."

"It was at least half my fault after what we did in that bed," she said as she pointed to the bed. "It's pretty hard to forget that."

"Yeah for a number of reasons," I said.

"So, anyway," Mindy said with a cleansing breath. "We both need to get out and you need to get dressed."

"Mindy, no, I don't feel like it..." I whined.

"Tough shit Molly Ann you're fucking going cause you promised me," Mindy growled at me as she opened the top drawer of my dresser and shoved a skirt into my hands. "Now put it on and do it now cause you're fucking going with me. I need you. You promised. Now Molly."

"Melinda Erin Sullivan what has gotten into you?" I asked as she blushed from head to toe. "Why couldn't you have done that when we were sleeping together?"

"Shut up," she said as she pushed my shoulder in protest, "Go with me please? I need you."

"Like I could ever say no to you," I said as I slipped on the skirt and off with my shorts. "Wait, what about Cindy's big game tonight at Twilight Hills?"

"I'm gonna have to miss it," Mindy said. "She's already pissed at me and this didn't help."

"She hates me too!" I said. "She won't even look at me at school."

"Maybe Chloe will finally call tonight and say everything with her Dad is fine and she's coming home," Mindy said hopefully. "You guys can work things out."

"I don't know whether we could if she did," I said. "I just don't know."

"We'll figure it together," Mindy said as she held out her hand. I smiled as I took it and she laced her fingers with mine. "I promise I'll always be there for you if you will be for me."

"Always and forever, Scooby," I said as she giggled. She ran her fingers through my somewhat spiky hair as she said, "Punky."

/\ {* ~ *} /\ MAXIE'S PERSPECTIVE /\ {* ~ *} /\
~ (OLIVER-STANTON HALL, MINTZ SUITE) ~

"SHHHHH, I'm watching the news," I said to the others as the 4o'clock news on KTRF was about to throw to the sports anchor, John Stonson. "Wanna see what they say about the game tonight."

"The game tonight is a re-match of the season opening thriller that took place in early march on the campus of Mintzler Prep," John said. "Tonights rematch will feature Wendy Traber, the firebrand right hander of Twilight Hills Academy, against Mintzler's Anisha Mac, who is coming off shoulder surgery about 10 months ago. This match-up could be a favorable one for the home team as Traber has logged twice as many innings so far this year than has Mac. Also of note is the impact this game could potentially have on the standings in the Northwest division. If Mintzler wins they would have a full 2 game lead over second place Twilight Hills heading into the second half of play. And of course we would then have a tie if Twilight Hills is able to pull out the victory and hand Mintzler its first loss of the season..."

"Well I'm all ready for the game," Shelby said as she sat behind me on the couch.

"Me too," Laney said. "It's gonna be on TV right?"

"...and of course you can catch all the action right here on KTRF tonight beginning at 7:00," John answered for us as everyone started laughing.

"So let's go out and show Twilight Hills and that troll doll Wendy Traber who the best team is...OK?" Cindy said to the collected masses that was our team as we stood near the steps of the dugout just moments before the first pitch of the game.

"CAPICHE!" came the collective roar that drew the attention of the aforementioned 'troll doll' Wendy Traber who was tonight's starting pitcher as a matter of fact. She was just finishing her warm-ups and gave us a look of pure disdain as everyone but Randi and Hana went back into the dugout. The chant of "3 win Wendy" echoed out of our dugout a few moments later as the person that was directed at glared at us again.

"Just 7 innings away from putting this league to bed," Raven chirped as she went down the dugout smacking high fives with everyone.

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched," I said to Raven as Randi stepped into the box to a smattering of boos from a pro-THA crowd.

"Yeah Wendy Traber may be a mouthy witch but she's a hell of a lot better than you might think," Lindsay said.

"Well if she is she's not showing it yet," Kennedy said as Randi lined a ball into the left centerfield gap for a lead-off double. "GO RANDI!"

"I'm trying to tell you to not get over confident," Lindsay warned us. But it was honestly hard to after the way the game played out in that first inning. Hana laced a single through the right side past a diving Christine Jennings to put runners on 1st and 3rd. Candy was next and when Wendy couldn't find the strike zone she ended up on first and loaded the bases for Cindy.

"GET IN THERE ICEY SO I CAN STRIKE YOU OUT!" Wendy teased from the mound and to the shock of the Mintzler dugout she did just that a few moments later. Cindy cussed up a storm under her breath as she marched back into the dugout. Allison stepped in next as it looked like Wendy may have done just as Lindsay predicted and found her groove. Not quite. A bloop base hit into shallow center by Allison made it 1-0 as Randi scampered home. Cally was up next and took the first pitch and rifled a sinker into right field for a base hit and another run in with Hana coming home. Might have been worse had Anna Longmeyer (THA right fielder) not gunned down Candy Fanning at home plate on a perfect throw. 2-0. "SMOOTH MOVE CANDYLAND!"

"It's OK Candy we got them," Kelly (Jones) said as she hugged Candy as she came back into the dugout. Candy half-smiled and sat down by me on the bench as Coach came over to check on her.

"You OK? You slipped coming around 3rd," Coach Newman asked Candy.

"I think I curled my ankle a little," Candy said as Chi stepped into the box.

"COME ON CHI!" Parker (Kinson) encouraged her as Coach took off Candy's shoe and looked at her ankle.

"Yeah it's already starting to swell," Coach said. "Kelly you're starting in right field tonight. Candy's out."

"Coach I can play with me ankle like this..." Candy started to say when Chi cracked a single into shallow left field to make the game 3-0 as Allison came home. "...Coach I can play I promise."

"Maybe but I'm not testing it," Coach Newman said firmly. "We'll rest it tonight get some ice on it and see how it is tomorrow. We've only got one game this weekend."

"What's going on?" Allison asked as she plopped down by Candy and saw her giving Newman a seriously dirty look.

"I've been benched because my ankle is shattered in three places," Candy said sarcastically.

"If it were I'd put you back out there," Coach said with his back to her as he watched the action. The bench erupted in laughter. Michelle Schrieber, now at the plate, took the first pitch she saw and cracked it deep into the night as our bench ran to the fence separating the field and dugout and watched Anna Longmeyer run it down on the warning track. "Loud crack, long out, completely useless."

"Come on Nisha mow 'em down girl," Randi chanted in the bottom of the first as Anisha took the mound. She did too as the struck out the first two THA hitters (Colleen Dewhurst and Christine Jennings) on 6 straight pitches.

"COME ON SIS MAKE IT THREE AND OUT!" Michelle screamed to her sister from centerfield. Pam gave her sister a death stare before topping the first pitch into the ground and forcing Chi to throw her out at first base. Anisha beamed from ear to ear as she came off the mound.

"Coach I need a rest room break," I said at the top of the third inning.

"OK, but hurry back," Coach said as I took off for the porta potty's. I did my business and came back out just as the sides switched my cell phone began buzzing on my hip. "Hello? I can't talk now I'm at the game."

"Oh, I'm sorry I'll call you back later," Chloe said as my stomach dropped out in shock.

"Don't you dare hang up," I said. "Where have you been for the last 10 days? You just disappear off the face of planet earth?"

"You know I came home," Chloe said. "My Dad was sick."

"And you couldn't manage to even call me or Molly, your girlfriend? Remember her? She's been going out of her mind over you," I rambled.

"I know she is," Chloe said softly. "But after the way things ended I couldn't face her."

"What do you mean how did things end?" I asked as Chi called off Anisha in front of home plate and caught a pop-up off the bat of Casey Kane.

"I came back from your room that day and caught Molly and Mindy together," Chloe admitted.

"Molly cheated on you?" I asked in shock.

"I don't know what you call it because I wanted her to in the first place," Chloe said. "So she was only doing what I wanted her to."

"She cheated on you," I insisted. "I should kick her ass. And Mindy's too."

"I made a mistake too," Chloe blurted out to interrupt my ranting. "I made a horrible mistake that Molly will never forgive me for."

"What did you do?" I asked as the bottom of the third rolled into the top of the 4th.

"I won't know how bad till Mackenzie gets back from the store," Chloe said cryptically.

"What did you do?" I asked in my most pleading voice.

"Dad needs me, I better go," Chloe said suddenly. "I'll call you later..."

"Nooo, how is your Dad, please Chloe talk to me I'm worried sick about you," I pleaded with her. "I won't tell anyone I talked to you just please don't hang up? How is your dad?"

"It wasn't a heart attack like Mackenzie thought," Chloe revealed. "Doctors say it was Angina, he got light headed when he stood up to fast to try and walk it off and passed out. He hit his head on the sink. Nasty cut and a concussion but he's doing better now."

"Thank god," I said as I leaned against the fence behind me and watched the top of the 4th wrap-up. We talked for a few more minutes until Mackenzie (Chloe's younger sister) arrived home and Chloe suddenly to had to go. She promised me that she would call me back after the game. I ran back for the dugout.

"Where have you been?" Coach asked as I came back inside.

"Got locked in the port-a-potty, sir," I said as the bench erupted in laughter.

"Very funny," Coach said. "Be serious."

"Had an important phone call," I said honestly. "I understand if you're mad."

"Don't let it happen again," Coach said. Anisha continued mowing them down in the fifth with her 9th and 10th strikeouts of the night. We were feeling really confident this game was in hand as THA came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth with the score still 3-0. But things never seem to be that easy against these guys. Kelly Markee began the inning innocently enough with a ground ball to Hana at short who picked and fired...about 5 feet over Allison's head at first. Anna Longmeyer was next and with no one out and one on she drilled a solid line drive over Randi's glove as she leaped in vain. 1st and 2nd and no one out with the pitcher Wendy Traber coming up. Randi and Cindy met Anisha in the circle and pumped her up as she grinned widely and twirled the ball in her hand. "COME ON NISHA, YOU GOT THIS GIRL!"

"NISHA! NISHA! NISHA! NISHA!" came the chant from our dugout as she rocked and fired the first pitch to Wendy. A rise ball for strike one. Wendy then turned her attention to moving the runners along as she showed bunt. The second pitch was low to even the count 1-1. Anisha rocked and fired the third time and saw Wendy drop a bunt down, not just a sacrifice but a drag bunt, and a good one. Anisha sprinted towards the ball and cut it off as Wendy charged down the line. Anisha snagged it about 10 feet in front of the first base bag and turned to tag Wendy out. But instead of slowing down and taking the out with a successful sacrifice Wendy charged harder and went out of the base line to crash into Anisha full force. A sickening thud could be heard as Anisha landed on her surgically repaired shoulder and started crying from the pain. Two runners scored as the ball trickled loose and Wendy made her way clean over to 3rd before Randi snatched it and fired it to Chi who was half way down the line at third.

A deathly silence filled the place as everyone froze with Coach running to check on Anisha. Chi arrived beside Anisha after a few more moments as the umpires reviewed what the call must be. Anisha got back to her feet holding her arm against her body as Chi helped her off the field and to the bus in the parking lot.

"The score is 3-2 with no one out and a runner on third," the umpire announced to our bench.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Coach screamed as he charged onto the field. "She went out of the base line to purposely knock my girl down. That's interference at the least."

"GET OFF THE FIELD NEWMAN," Coach Victoria Rowe screamed from her dugout steps. "YOU'RE EMBARASSING YOURSELF."

"I can't believe that bullshit," Coach seethed as he came back into the dugout a few moments later. "Kennedy you're in for Chi at catcher and Lindsay you're in at pitcher. Raven check on Anisha for me? Keep me updated."

"Right Coach," Raven said as she left the dugout.

After the unsettling events already unfolded in this inning it was hard to even fathom us getting out of the inning with a lead. But Lindsay came in blowing smoke as well against the top part of the THA line-up, striking out Colleen Dewhurst and Christine Jennings back to back. Pam Schrieber was next and took two strikes before she got around on one and gave it a long ride into deep center where her own sister, Michelle, may have saved the game for us with a highlight reel diving catch.

"Come on let's get some runs," Coach said.

"How is Anisha doing?" I asked Coach after he'd just been to check on her.

"Gonna need x-rays but nothing appears broken just really sore," Coach said as he watched our side go down 1-2-3 to the suddenly dominant Wendy Traber. "That girl is gonna cause someone to hurt her."

"Come on Lindsay!" Randi chanted from 2nd as the top of the last inning started and we only needed 3 outs for a second HUGE victory over Twilight Hills and a full 2 game lead in the Northwest division. "Try throwing a strike, huh?"

"COME ON BIG V!" Pam Schrieber encouraged her teammate from the dugout. Big V was Veronica Lake, Shrek, formerly of Mintzler, who was leading the league in home runs this year to the tune of 12. She took the first pitch from Lindsay and the second one, both missed the zone. Lindsay rocked and fired a 3rd time and saw that pitch get mashed right at Cindy at third who must have been thinking about Anisha cause the ball skidded off her glove and Veronica reached first easily. The crowd was chanting wildly by now as Casey Kane, the hometown girl, stepped in. It only took one more pitch...for Casey to lift one into the night and over the right field fence for a stunning, unbelievable two run game winning homer. The place simply went crazy as she rounded 3rd base and came home. Our bench was stunned to absolute silence. Final score Twilight Hills 4, Mintzler Prep 3.

"Can I watch the news with you I'm depressed after the way we got screwed out of that game?" Mindy asked from the door as I laid on the bed.

"Come on Scooby," I said as she grinned and crawled up the bed and made me giggle when she laid back and used my stomach for a pillow. "The sports are next after this commercial message."

"With that voice you could be on TV or in the movies, like me," Mindy giggled as I rolled my eyes.

"You're not in the movies," I said as I poked her forehead. "You did one scene in an independent movie that may not ever get released."

"If they see my performance it will be," Mindy said as I started laughing. "A star is born."

"A star? More like a burnt out light bulb," I giggled.

"Cindy used to call me that," Mindy said as I laughed. "Don't know why either. Pretty obvious I got the brains and the looks in the family."

"Yeah let's see how big your brains are come finals," I said.

"I'll have you know I've been studying my brains out," she said just as the news came back on and we quieted down.

"...and now for tonight's final wrap in sports, John Stonson," Max (the news anchor) said. "John."

"Thanks Max," John said. "Tonight's rematch between Twilight Hills and Mintzler was everything a fan would want and more. A blockbuster that delivered to every passionate fan in a way that it leaves you wanting more. It certainly had everything folks. Drama, tension, near violence, some questionable play and a heart stopping ending that leaves us with a tie atop the Northwest Division standings."

"Questionable play?" Mindy asked. "That's not what I'd call it."

"Calm down kitty," I giggled as Mindy looked up at me. "Shelby called and said the XRAY on Anisha's shoulder came back negative. It's just sore as fuck."

"I'd love to get Wendy alone in a room for like five minutes...damn phone," Mindy said as she rolled over and snagged my phone off the desk and tossed it to me as she stood and stretched. "Gonna use the bathroom, BRB."

"OK, hello?" I asked without bothering to check who it was though assuming it was Holly. "Hello?"

"Molly?" Chloe asked as my skipped a few beats in shock.

"Chloe?" I asked as my heart raced in excitement. "How are you, how is your dad?"

"He's OK, it was Angina not a heart attack," she explained. "He's doing a lot better now."

"Thankfully," I said. "How are you? Do you hate me?"

"No," she said simply.

"Then what? You're coming back to school I hope?" I asked.

"I'm gonna finish the semester at home," Chloe announced as my spirits fell. "Mr. Woods set it up for me online. I think it's best this way."

"No it's not," I said. "You should be here with me so we can work this thing out between us. It's just something that got out of control."

"I know and it's my fault," Chloe said. "I wanted you to do a threesome with Mindy and I couldn't handle it when you got as hot for her as I was."

"I cheated on you..." I started to say.

"No you did not," she cut me off. "I wanted you to do it with me and her..."

"But I did it without you," I reasoned.

"We both made huge horrible mistakes," Chloe said. "Especially me."

"Chloe nothing is so horrible that we can't fix it," I said. "You need to come back so we can work this out."

"No!"

"Yes please?"

"No Molly!"

"Chloe I love you with all my heart," I said honestly as Mindy came back to the door. "I want you back in my arms..."

"I can't come back cause you'll hate me," she said as she started to cry.

"Why would I hate you?" I asked. "You should hate me."

"I cheated on you too and I..." she cried as my whole body went numb and she cried in sobs. "...I just found out I'm pregnant."