The Team - Chap 6

[luvyalots]

Previously on The Team...link to Chapter 5

Chapter 6: Two


Dan knocked on the door of Marcus’ house. As he waited, he tugged his letter jacket closer to him. He hated wearing it; it constantly reminded him of the football team. But it was the warmest jacket he owned and the weather was getting colder quickly these days.

“Who is it?” a voice called. Dan immediately recognized it as Marcus’ grandmother, Josephine.

“Grandma Jo?” he answered. “It’s Dan Wilkins.” The door creaked open and a short, black woman with bright white hair appeared, her face lit up with a brilliant smile.

“Dan,” she greeted him. “Come in. I haven’t seen ya in a long time.” Dan followed her inside, walking slowly behind her as she shuffled down the hall.

Grandma Jo, as all the football players knew her, may not have been the most imposing person when you first met her, but she was feisty. Dan had seen that other side of her enough times to know that she was not someone he would like to cross. But she was sweet as hell…and she was a mean cook. Dinners at the Freemans’ were always an event with the football team, if nothing because of Grandma Jo’s legendary pulled pork.

“Have a cookie,” she offered, gesturing toward a steaming plate of chocolate chip sitting on the kitchen counter. “I just baked a batch.”

“Sure,” Dan replied, taking off his jacket and draping it over the back of a chair. “Thanks.” He reached for a cookie and took a bite.

“Marcus is still at football practice,” the woman answered Dan’s questioned before he asked it. “He should be back soon. Make yourself at home.”

“Thanks,” he said with a full mouth, holding up the remains of the cookie. He walked into the living room where the TV was tuned to Oprah. Dan sat on the couch, picked up the remote and switched to ESPN. Ugh, the Phillies and Nationals…boring. He clicked to ESPN2…BMX. That was fine.

“And don’t even think about putting your feet on the coffee table,” Grandma Jo chimed sweetly from the kitchen. Dan blinked and shook his head, smiling. Man, she was good, he thought. He was about to do just that. Instead, he sprawled his body out to get some shut-eye before Marcus came home. But then, something on the TV caught his attention.

“Tonight,” the announcer boomed, “the pageantry and artistry of drum corps come to ESPN2.”

Dan immediately sat up. Drum corps on ESPN? Sure enough, short clips of marching trumpet players, twirling flags and spinning rifles lit up the screen. The commercial continued:

“Join us as the musicians, artists and athletes of DCI fight for victory in the Drum Corps World Championships…tonight at 10pm eastern.”

Dan couldn’t believe his eyes. Drum corps had a world championship? Well, it kind of made sense. He remembered going to that competition to visit Jessie; he remembered how the crowd was like a football crowd, decked out in their team’s colors. This must have been their Super Bowl.

Just then, the front door slammed, signaling the arrival of Marcus from football practice. Almost instantly, Dan could smell his sweat, sending him into spell of nostalgia. He had come home with that same pungent scent for so many years, he actually missed it.

“Gram, I’m home,” Marcus’ voice rumbled through the house. Ignoring his grandmother’s response, Dan heard him opening and closing the fridge before heading into the living room. The room practically darkened as Marcus moved his huge bulk through the door, his football pads slung over his shoulder and half-drunk gallon of water clutched in his hand.

“Hey, man,” Dan mumbled. By instinct, he stood up, trying to match his buddy’s height. Of course, it was useless; Marcus had always been the bigger of the two, even before he started juicing.

“Hey,” Marcus answered, coming forward to clasp hands. The two hugged in a chest bump, Dan’s shirt sticking slightly to Marcus’ bare, sweaty pecs as they pulled away.

“How was practice?” Dan asked.

“Rough,” Marcus remarked, lifting the water for another long gulp. Dan noted how his gut hung over his football pants a little more than normal.
“You gettin’ soft, man.” Marcus looked at him and grinned.

“You know why,” he replied with a sorrowful glint. Their eyes met in understanding. Marcus had put on a considerable amount of fat since dropping the steroids. Dan had gained a little weight when he stopped, except not as much…probably since Marcus had been stacking far more intensely than he had. “What you up to these days?” he changed the subject.

“You know,” Dan shrugged. Marcus smirked.

“You still with that really hot girl?” His left eyebrow raised suggestively, a hint of jealousy in his eyes. Even though Dan was no longer on the football team, he at least held the honor of being with arguably the sexiest girl any of the guys had ever seen. He knew it made more than a few of them furious. “I heard she’s a crazy sex maniac.”

“Jessie? We still do it every now and then,” he smiled. “She has classes now, so…”

“I can’t believe you’re fucking a college chick,” Marcus shook his head, “even after…” He caught himself, knowing getting kicked off the football team was still a sore spot for Dan.

“Marcus,” Grandma Jo suddenly entered the room, “go take a shower. You keep standing around like that, I’m gonna hafta fumigate the house.” The woman was so short she barely came up to Marcus’ ribs, but he obeyed her, thrusting his chin at Dan before he left.

“See ya later, man.”

“That boy keeps getting bigger by the day it seems,” Grandma Jo mused. Dan bit his lip nervously. “I remember when he was a little butterball in diapers.” She brushed a feather duster around the coffee table as Dan sat back down. “By the way,” she continued, stopping in her tracks, “what’s this I’m hearing about you having perfect pitch.” Dan froze. He had only told Marcus about his conversation with Miss Haverhill, the piano teacher; he must’ve mentioned it to his grandmother.

“Well…um,” he stammered.

“You shouldn’t keep your talents hidden,” she said in a wise tone. “Lord knows how we could use a few folks with perfect pitch in the choir at church.” Dan chuckled. “Move over,” she flapped her hand to get him to make room on the couch for her.

“Grandma Jo,” Dan started to protest. He didn’t want to hear another lecture about how he should move on; his dad had given him plenty.

“Let me ask you,” she started before he could go on, “what do you like more?”

“Huh,” Dan peered at her, flummoxed.

“I know you’ve always been into the football…and the women,” she spoke in a hushed tone, jabbing him lightly in the side. Dan felt a blush reach his face. “I hear a lot of what is said when you boys come over here.” He glanced away uncomfortably. Grandma Jo leaned closer. “And I’ve heard how you’ve still certainly been keepin’ up with the women.”

“Well,” Dan muttered. Her rosy perfume stung his nose slightly.

“Listen…I love football as much as the next girl,” she went on, “but you also possess something that is far more impressive.” Dan laughed awkwardly, wondering what was she getting at. “I’m being serious, boy,” Grandma Jo stated, her eyes needling him with such sincerity, his face immediately became straight again. He could make out every wrinkle on her wizened face. “You have discovered a talent that very few people have. And that makes you stand out.” Dan subtly tolled his eyes. She was back on the perfect pitch thing.

“But what if I don’t want to stand out like that,” he objected. He liked being a jock, had always been one. He didn’t want to become a band dweeb. Grandma Jo shook her head and smiled.

“The good Lord gave you this gift for a reason,” she said, the scratchiness in her voice making her sound even more knowing. “What it is, you have to find out for yourself.” Dan looked away in disgust and disappointment; Grandma Jo instantly grabbed his arm, making his biceps jump. “On the other hand,” she continued, “God also gave you talents in other areas.” Dan gazed at her intently, listening to her every word. “Football doesn’t last forever; I keep trying to tell Marcus that,” she went on. “I tell him that an injury can come along at any time and take that all away from him. But you – like Marcus – are still young and strong.”

“But…” Dan started, attempting to remind her that he was no longer on the team anymore.

“But nothing,” the woman stopped him, holding her finger to her lips. “It goes back to what I asked you before: what do you like more?” She paused, letting her question settle in his brain. He was beginning to catch on to what she was saying.

“If it’s the football you want to go after – never mind the mistakes you’ve made in the past – then go after it. But if you want to pursue this music track, try it. Either way, you are one in a million and any young woman would be lucky to have you.”

Dan gazed in awe at the old woman’s wisdom. Why had he been so dumb and not realized this before? He had been wallowing in his own self-pity for so long that he didn’t see that this could merely be blip on the radar, a bump on the road, of his athletic career.

Looking at it now, Dan understood what everyone was telling him – whether they realized it or not. His dad had told him to move on; Marcus had forgiven him for distrusting his best friend; even his own body had automatically continued training without drugs, building itself up better than before.

They were all right: he had to move on, he had to forgive himself…he had to fight back.



Dan barreled down the hall toward the athletic director’s office. He knew exactly what he had to tell him, what he needed to tell him. If he wanted to get back onto the football team, he needed to be persuasive, aggressive even.

It was all he could think about the night before – he barely got any sleep, going over and over in his head the conversation he was going to have with the athletic director. He didn’t say anything to his parents at breakfast. And in the car on the way to school, he just glared out the window, completely focused.

As soon as Dan walked through the door, he headed straight to the sports wing. He didn’t stop at his locker, he didn’t visit the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat like he normally did; he didn’t even talk to Marcus or anyone else.

“Sir, I need to talk to you,” he announced, knocking lightly on the AD’s open office door. The man was on the phone, discussing a purchase order or something, but Dan wasn’t about to wait. The athletic director held up a finger telling him to wait a moment as he wrapped up the conversation.

“Yes, we need the equipment by Friday,” he said in the business-like tone that he had become known for. “Can you do that? Otherwise, our girls will not be able to play soccer this weekend and that wouldn’t be good.” His eyes briefly glanced up at Dan and then immediately averted away again. “Thank you…thank you very much.” He leaned back over his desk about to hang up. “And say hi to Pat for me. Ok…bye.”

“Sir,” Dan started.

“What is it?” the athletic director asked in a sharp voice.

“I need to be let back onto the football team,” Dan stated simply. There was an awkward pause broken only by the AD’s brusque snort.

“Absolutely not,” he replied, redirecting his attention to some papers piled on the end of his desk.

“Sir,” Dan rebutted, moving forward, having expected this response, “I’m clean now. I haven’t so much as touched a syringe or anything like that since getting cut.”

“That doesn’t matter.” The AD tried to cut him off, but Dan wasn’t about to be overruled. He actually laid his hands on the edges of the man’s desk.

“Do another blood test, take a urine sample,” he went on. “You’ll see I’m no longer juicing. Ask any of the guys on the team; they’ll back me up.” His voice was rising as he fought. “And look at me. I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been. Bring me to the weight room; I’ll show you my lifts.” He stopped for a moment, letting his words settle in. His heart was racing; he could feel it pounding against his chest.

“Dan,” the athletic director said softly, his eyes gazing directly at him now. He finally had his full attention. “You don’t seem to understand. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or what some new tests prove. And I don’t care if you’ve become the strongest kid in the school.” He sighed, shifting his jaw back and forth.

“Sir,” Dan began again, but the AD shook his head.

“Like I told you last spring, this is a zero-tolerance policy. There are no exceptions. Evidence was found, you tested positive, you were cut. It’s as simple as that.”

“Sir,” Dan repeated. The AD held up his hand.

“It’s done,” he said with an obvious inflection of finality to his voice. “There is nothing you or anyone else can do.”

Dan clenched his teeth together, trying his hardest to hold his composure. If only the athletic director knew about the other guys who had been juicing; if only he knew about what had been going on all year last year. How couldn’t the man have wondered where his drugs had come from? Shouldn’t he have suspected that if the sophomore JV quarterback was juicing that certainly other players were too, players on Varsity? All Dan had to do was say it, mention it, even just hint at it.

“I’m sorry,” the athletic director said calmly, the words merely echoing though Dan’s head. “Is there anything else you wanted to say?” Dan stared at the man curiously, seeing instantly in his eyes what he was thinking.

The AD had known there were other users, but was unable to prove it. Only Dan was dumb enough to keep a convenient stash at school where it could be found. And now he was expecting Dan to tell all. It made sense; the typical high school jock backed into a corner could usually be counted upon to squeal.

But Dan wouldn’t.

If he told the real truth he’d be opening a can of worms. Marcus would surely be at the top of the list of guys who would be penalized and Dan couldn’t betray the trust of his best friend…not after all he had done.

“No, sir,” he muttered. Just then, the warning bell rang, but Dan didn’t hear it.

“Go to class,” the athletic director ordered gently. Without a word, Dan turned and walked out of the office. He made eye contact with no one as he made his way down the hall, not even the girls who always looked him up and down as they passed. Biting his tongue, he opened his locker and grabbed his books for first period. Pausing for a moment, he looked down at the floor and sighed.

That had been the nail in the coffin. The faint glow of hope that an athletic career could be salvaged was now completely out. He wished he could go back and start all over; he wished he had never taken steroids.

“Hey, how’d it go?” Marcus’ voice boomed beside him. Dan had sensed his immense shadow overtake him, but had chosen to ignore it.

“Don’t wanna talk about it,” he seethed through his teeth, seeing out the corner of his eye how Marcus’ huge shoulders dwarfed the strap of his backpack.

“Sorry man,” he said. He stood there silent for nearly a minute, Dan silently telling him to just walk away. He finally did. Dan took in a deep breath, flexed his jaw muscles and headed to class.



Dan fell into the rhythm of his heavy breathing, the smack of Jessie’s breasts on his sticky pecs, the quiet gasps of her shrieks. Her head was thrown back, her mouth open, as they both reached climax together. It was obviously great sex for her, but Dan wasn’t feeling anything.

His knuckles grew white as he gripped the corner of Jessie’s bed, pumping her faster and harder. His breathing turned to grunts, drops of sweat falling from his face. Her hands held tighter around Dan’s torso, one hand flat against his lower back, the other drifting down his butt – her fingers flirting with his ass-crack. It clutched the back of his thigh as he unleashed a huge load into her.

“Whoa,” she panted, lifting her head up toward his ear. Dan rolled onto his back next to her naked body, his chest heaving up and down, the cool, open air hitting his warm pecs. “Rougher than you usually are,” Jessie commented.

“Hm,” Dan murmured. He stared straight up at the ceiling, though he sensed her turning toward him, her fingers about to play between his abs like she always did after they had sex. She loved how cut he was, she would tell him, though Dan didn’t care right now. He let out a big puff of air, his abs tightening as he did. Jessie giggled, but Dan quickly got out of bed, silencing her.

“What’s wrong?” Jessie wondered outloud.

“Nothing,” Dan answered, his back facing her. He was gazing instead at a picture on her desk. It was of her in her color guard uniform from drum corps. Her arms were held up in a dramatic pose, a flag in her hand and a smile plastered across her face.

“You really should give drum corps another try,” Jessie purred, apparently realizing what he was looking at. Dan heard the rustling of the sheets as she moved her body to the other side of the bed. He glanced at her behind him in a full-length mirror hanging on a closet door.

“Really,” he said, grinning.

“Yeah,” she replied. “You know, they dropped the drum major. He got busted over drugs or something.” Dan looked down at his bare feet, swallowing hard. Drugs. “The spot’s open now.”

“Drum major?”

“He’s the guy who stands in front of the corps and conducts them.” She shrugged. “It’s kinda like a quarterback.” Dan began laughing and shook his head. He couldn’t imagine himself doing something like that. “He’s also the guy who gets all the pussy after the show,” she added suggestively, “especially if he’s hot.” He felt Jessie stare lustfully at his tight butt. Looking at her through the mirror and then at his own reflection, his mind began racing.

He knew he had a fantastic body – his chest was pumped and flush, his arms bulging, his abs chiseled. His long, nine-inch cock dangled heavily between his muscular legs, half-hard in its post-orgasmic state. His body was the best it had ever been; it was ironic he could no longer use it for anything other than sex.

Hell, he had been out of the game long enough. If the other girls in color guard were anything like Jessie, he certainly wouldn’t mind being the leader of a team again, even if it was a glorified marching band. Dan felt his balls tingle and his dick grow to its full size once again. He turned around, Jessie’s eyes immediately widening at the sight of a full-frontal Dan Wilkins and licking her lips. Marcus was right. She really was a sex maniac!

“What the heck,” he said, smiling. “Why not?”

“Sweet,” she said, a demonic look of anticipation appearing on her face as she reached over for her cell phone. Wordlessly, she gestured for Dan to come toward her with her finger. He obeyed.

“Hey, girl,” she said into the phone, “you wanna come over tonight? The football player I told you about is here with me…” Dan felt a twinge of hurt hearing himself being labeled a “football player” by the girl he had been sleeping with all summer. She propped her body up so that she was now only inches from his fully erect cock.

“Yeah, the one with the really huge…you know…” Slowly, she stretched her lips around his dick and began blowing him. Waves of intense pleasure swept through Dan’s body. Jessie was amazing at giving head, he knew, and the ease with which she did it was nearly enough to make him weak. “I have my mouth around it right now,” she said to the other girl on the phone, her mouth full with Dan’s meat.

She closed her cell as she began to deep throat him. His heart beating faster, his breath quickening, he gently held onto Jessie’s head for balance. Then, her left hand moved down to her vagina. She moaned in ecstasy as she pleasured herself at the same time. The sight of this was too much for Dan as he blew another massive load straight down Jessie’s throat. The expert that she was, she swallowed all of it. She pulled away, relinquishing the last few drops still dripping from Dan’s exhausted penis, her mouth covered in cum. Her legs began squirming as she reached her own climax. Dan watched silently as her back arched and her shrieks filled the room.
“Who was on the phone?” Dan asked as she calmed back down. He moved his body over hers and onto the bed again.

“You’ll see,” she answered cryptically, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Dan felt the tingle in his balls as he became aroused yet again at the thought of a threesome. It was always like this, nonstop sex, but never before had they let someone else in on the action.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Her eyes still on him, Jessie got up and answered it. Another girl – practically a dead-ringer for Jessie but with darker hair – stood in the doorway. She was not quite as voluptuous, but her breasts looked great in the tiny, hip-clinging tank-top she wore. Her stomach was just as flat and tight and her ass was…

“Hey, Jessie,” she greeted her friend, their eyes meeting in a way that made Dan’s cock stand on end. They hugged, Jessie’s hand sliding down the other girl’s back and to her butt. Then, they did something that made Dan go crazy. They kissed.

“This is Heather,” Jessie introduced the girl, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. “Heather, this is Dan.” Heather gave him a little wave. Dan bit his lip as he propped himself onto his elbows. This was going to be interesting…



The next morning, Dan’s head was still spinning from the night before. It had been sex like he had never experienced before. And if that was a taste of what being in drum corps was like, then fuck football. Eight weeks traveling the country with girls hotter than any cheerleader just waiting to be fucked by a real man…hell, he knew he’d have no competition.

As he headed down the hall toward his locker, he passed by the choir room. He suddenly remembered what Grandma Jo had said about using his “God-given gifts.” That was true in more ways than one, judging by last night.
The choir was just wrapping up rehearsal as he snuck through the door. Avoiding their eyes – what would a guy like him be doing in the choir room – he got the attention of Miss Haverhill.

“Dan,” she recognized him, her bright smile beaming across to him. “How can I help you?” she asked, though it was obvious that she had an idea of why he was there. Dan cleared his throat, preparing for what he was going to say next.

“That independent study thing with you,” he began. Miss Haverhill nodded. “I’d like to take you up on that offer.”



Beginning in two weeks...Season 1 of The Corps and The Team comes to a dramatic conclusion...

[bobman]

The quality of writing in this series is fantastic. I look forward to future chapters in this well paired set of stories.

[DarthFlex]

I hope you will describe in detail a threesome in the next installment -- you are the best at depicting sex scenes.

[diegodominica]

Intriguing and hot. Really enjoying the Dan character. Looking forward to the conclusion of "season one."

[Ender]

Hmm... "The Team" comes to a dramatic conclusion? Well with Dan becoming the new Drum Major it does lose it's current principle player. At least for the time being... I can see a possible revival with Evan and Bobby replacing Dan and Marcus... and Marcus's underlings trying to get Evan and Bobby hooked and/or the Athletic Director pressuring Evan and/or Bobby to Narc for him. So maybe Dramatic Hiatus instead?

That story line would also give Dan a chance to redeem himself by keeping Evan and Bobby from making the same mistakes... The idea that Dan that uses anything he can for his own personal benefit; himself got used by the AD to squelch inquire into varsity steroid use or intended to use him to narc on them... Maybe the Athletic Director is involved with the steroid pushing...

Ender

[blondYT]

Grandma Jo shuffled down the hallway? What is this -- Gone With the Wind? Somehow this character knows everything about Dan and her only role in the story is to feed him and help him become who he should be...

It's bad enough that none of your white characters ever have their color pointed out and all the black ones do. But to have the black ones shuffling and going on and on about Jesus as well when no one else in the story does... This forced me to comment on what otherwise has been a very enoyable and well-written story. The great literary critic Leslie Fiedler wrote a great article about this phenomenon that still rings true -- it's available online. Please take a look at "Come Back to the Raft Ag'in, Huck Honey" and look at his discussion of childhood, interracial male bonding, homoeroticism (and its denial) run through American storytelling. Fascinating stuff that's seeping through here....

http://www.howardwill.com/Come%20Bac...ft%20Again.htm


My feelings: 1) There are very subtle and interesting things about the various ways black and white people interact -- things you could use to indicate who's what color without resorting to simulacra (copies of copies of movie black people who never existed). There's envy and admiration and bonding over racial insults and lots more. 2) If you really write better about whites in an all-white setting, then just leave blacks out of it. The story was totally enjoyable before this little interlude. But the insistence on black skin as something out of the ordinary and black people as having no goal other than to help out the white boy just tends to make some of us tired.