The Agreement
4 No Ma’am
“HEY, DENISE,” I said at lunch on Wednesday. “How about going to see that Tom Cruise movie on Saturday? Interested?”
“Well damn, paleface. I just told Dougie I’d go see that with him. Why don’t you grab someone and come with us?” I glanced around the table. Samantha raised her hand and waved at me.
“Samantha? Did you have something you wanted to say?” I asked.
“Yes, teacher. I was wondering if you’d like to go see that Tom Cruise movie Saturday afternoon with Denise, Dougie, and me.” I’d never heard Doug referred to as Dougie until Denise said it and when Samantha used the name he turned red.
“Samantha!” I said. “I was just wondering about that. I’d love to go. Thank you for asking me.”
“Dutch treat,” Samantha said. “I can’t pay for both of us.”
“No problem. I’ll even buy popcorn.” I looked at Denise and Doug. “For the two of us.” We laughed. Plans were flying around the table. Some of our group were going out this weekend and some weren’t. But it seemed that everyone was fine with it.
On Thursday, I approached Candace’s table and said ‘hi’ to everyone.
“I was beginning to think you wouldn't show,” Candace said, smiling up at me from her seat. “If you’d like to give me a kiss on the cheek, boyfriend, you could do that.” I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and set my tray down next to hers. “Everybody, I want you all to meet my boyfriend, Brian,” she said to the table.
“Wasn’t that just a publicity stunt you guys did on TV?” a pretty blonde said. She was a little… soft around the edges, but no one in his right mind would call her overweight. She just had really nice curves. “You guys were great on that TV show. Ms. Sullivan got a video tape and Ms. Abernathy showed it the first day of Home Ec.”
“Started out as a joke,” Candace said. “But I’ve fallen for this guy—and the other… sixteen?… in our dating group. Oh, Brian, this trashy blonde who asked personal questions is Mercedes.” I stood enough that I could reach to shake her hand. “I know what you’re thinking, and yes, she is a luxury ride. Ask anyone at the table.”
“Candace,” Mercedes hissed.
“I love you, sweetheart. You know I’m kidding.” Candace introduced me to the others in her group and we relaxed pretty quickly. They were all witty and the main theme was talking about the fall musical.
“Do you sing, Brian?” Mercedes asked sweetly. Fuck! She had just the right amount of makeup on to accent her blue eyes and her dress looked like a layer of gauze over lush curves. I forgot the question as soon as she asked it.
“Barritone or tenor, Brian?” Candace prodded.
“Uh, no. I don’t sing very well. I don’t think my voice has finished changing yet. And I was never much of a singer.”
“He’d make a great Martin, though, wouldn’t he?” Candace asked the group. She turned back to me. “Martin only has five lines and four of them are ‘Yes, ma’am.’ You could do that, couldn’t you, Brian?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said without thinking. Everyone at the table broke up in fits of laughter.
“He’s got eighty percent of the part memorized already!” a dark-haired guy on my left said. I didn’t remember his name, but it was obvious he didn’t consider me competition for any role he wanted.
“Auditions are on Tuesday afternoon next week. Come to them and I’ll take you home afterward,” Candace said. She turned on a fake charm that I recognized as Candace doing a role. “Your home or mine, I’m not sure yet.”
I guess somehow or other, I committed to auditioning for the fall musical on Tuesday.
The football game was an away game and none of us had transportation to go forty miles to watch our team get smeared. I knew what the results were going to be before the day ever got there. Reggie called me Thursday night.
“Hey, how’s college?” I asked.
“It’s kicking my ass from here to Chicago,” Reggie answered. “I wish you were here to take notes.”
“Like I’d understand what a college professor was talking about.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Even if you didn’t understand you’d have good notes. Hey. I understand you had words with Mad Chad.”
“It was nothing, really.”
“Yeah, I got more sources on the football team than Carter’s got little liver pills. You did good, but Chad’s an ass. It was a pain to protect him all last season, but like you said, it takes the whole team to win the game.”
“I think you said that.”
“Maybe. You got me to think about it. You know the starting tackle on our team here is two inches taller and forty pounds heavier than me? I feel like a fucking shrimp!”
“Welcome to the club.”
“Yeah. Anyway. You know the St. Joe Valley team sucks this season. Look, Whitcomb trampled them last week and that has to be the worst team I ever played against. I just wanted you to know that… uh… there isn’t going to be much offense this weekend. It’s not like the team is throwing the game. They don’t stand a chance against Rochester. It’s just that the front line has been feeling a little weak doesn’t want to get injured for nothing. If I were you, I wouldn’t even bother going to the game.”
“Thanks for the warning, Reggie. I don’t have a way to get there anyway. Besides, the only reason we came to the games last year was to see you smear someone.”
“Thanks buddy. I hear you’ve got a new girlfriend or a dozen. When I’m home on break you’ve got to let me in on the secret.”
“Hey, Reg. Classes or girls, it pays to study.”
Our quarterback, Mad Chad, was sacked seventeen times Friday night and we were behind sixty to nothing when he limped off the field and Coach Nolan put Rick Ambler in. Funny that Rick never got sacked in the last third of the game and we actually scored. We still lost.
I don’t know why I was so antsy on Saturday. I went out and rode the collection route with Hannah in the morning, but she sent me home before she went to the office. Our parents had all agreed that we could meet at the ranch and I could just see how excited Hannah was about it.
“But now you need to go home and shower,” she said. “And shave. I see a whisker.” She pointed at the left side of my upper lip. Right. “You need to be all fresh and ready for your date with Samantha. She’s so excited she can’t think straight.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with me going out with all these girls?” I asked. I really wanted Hannah to say that she wanted me to break the date and only go out with her. Dream on.
“Are you kidding? If she asked me, I’d go out with her. Have you ever really looked at her legs? They’re like… wow!” Oh, God. Her legs. They’re like silk. And where her legs came together… Fuck!
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll see you Monday.”
I rode home and showered and used the soap on my cock a lot longer than it took to get clean. Maybe I wouldn’t sprout a hard-on as soon as I saw Samantha. Denise’s father agreed to drive us that afternoon and she and Dougie were already in the back seat when they picked me up and then swung around to pick up Samantha. Denise’s dad drove a big Cadillac and all four of us sat in the back seat like we had a chauffeur.
“Thanks, Daddy,” Denise said as we piled out of the car.
“Movie gets over at four o’clock,” he said. “You go over to that diner and buy all your friends a malt after the movie. Here’s twenty bucks. You treat your little white friends nice now. I’ll pick you up at five-thirty.” Her dad didn’t say a word to any of the rest of us.
“Brian, may I hold your hand?”
“Yes, Samantha. May I put my arm around you?”
“Yes, Brian. Please hold me close. If there’s a good place in the movie, you can kiss me. If there’s a scary place, you can kiss me then, too.”
I watched for the first place where I thought it was appropriate to kiss Samantha. There it was! The hero leaned in to kiss the girl. I turned to kiss Sam and she pushed my head to the front until the scene was over. I felt her sigh and then she turned my face to kiss her. Right when they flew off for a dogfight.
Dogfight or kiss? Shit! I kissed Samantha. We missed the scary part of the movie. In fact, we really didn’t see the rest of the movie.
“I’m so excited! I’ve never been to a dude ranch before,” Samantha said as we got our malts.
“Huh?” I was so intelligent sometimes.
“I got permission to go to the dude ranch with you and Hannah in two weeks. I’m so looking forward to meeting our girlfriends, Jennifer and Courtney.” Somehow, I’d missed that anyone else was going.
“I don’t know about no dude ranch,” Denise said. “I don’t want to break a nail because I gotta shovel some horseshit.”
“It’s not like that, Denise,” I said. “I mean, yeah. I help out mucking out stalls and brushing horses. But I do that every day at home. I like horses. I’ve got two I take care of. But the ranch is a place where everyone fits in where they are comfortable. You learn to ride. You help with some of the chores. You laugh a lot with friends.”
“We should all do it next time,” Doug said. “I’ve been hearing for three years how wonderful this place is. We should plan for all of us to go over spring break or something.”
“What a great idea,” Samantha said. “I’ll check it out and let everyone know what it’s like so we’ll know what to pack.”
“I still don’t know about no horses,” Denise said. “Can I come visit yours sometime, Brian?”
“Sounds like fun. We’ll set something up later. This afternoon, let’s concentrate on our dates. I don’t know if you noticed or not, but you’ve got a hunk hanging on your shoulder and taking sips out of your malt.”
“Yeah, I noticed. We got half an hour before Daddy comes to pick us up. I figure there must be someplace near where I could lick some of that strawberry off his lips.”
We found a place. I got lost in Samantha's kiss for an eternity. Luckily, I happened to glance at my watch. We barely made it out front of the diner before Denise’s dad drove up in his Caddy. All the way home, I had my hand resting softly between Samantha’s silky thighs.
Auditions Tuesday were the weirdest thing I’d ever seen or participated in. Ms. Streeter was the faculty director. She was also the speech teacher. Nearly everyone who was trying out was either in her class or in the school choir. It was fun to watch some of the theater kids in action. Leo, who I’d just met, was a shoo-in for the male lead. He had a great voice. Watching Candace and Mercedes play off each other was cool but hearing them sing a duet was awesome.
“Brian Frost, please go to center stage,” Ms. Streeter called. Candace nudged me.
“Quick!” I jumped up and went to stand in the middle of the stage. No one gave me a script.
“Is this your first time on stage?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you have butterflies in your stomach?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you think you can relax enough to answer two more questions?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Are you willing to work hard and rehearse to make this musical a success?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She hesitated for a moment.
“Are you sleeping with anyone you have seen audition here this afternoon?”
“NO MA’AM!” I shouted. Shit! What was that about? Everybody in the auditorium who had already auditioned started laughing. When they finally settled down the auditorium got quiet.
“Well, since you already have the part memorized, I’ll give you the role of Martin. And do not be late for rehearsal.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“No ad libbing!” I had no idea why everyone in the auditorium was laughing so hard. I just got off the stage and Candace hugged me. That was okay. I could be hugged by Candace all day.
We had two away games in a row, so no one was planning to go to the game Friday night. There was a rumor that Rick was going to start at quarterback, but we weren’t interested enough to get rides to Goshen. Friday at lunch, Renee came to our table. I stood and welcomed her. I guess that was the cue for all the guys to stand. We all laughed. She looked around our table and smiled.
“Can I join you for lunch today?” she asked.
“Sure,” Brenda answered. “Didn’t you know this is a cheerleader table? Anytime you want to join us you’re welcome.”
“Brenda, you are so sweet. How are you doing with your cheer routines?”
“Okay, but they seem so elementary sometimes. We don’t really get much opportunity until basketball season.”
“How about if we have a joint Junior High, JV, and Varsity workshop soon. I’m sure I could arrange it. After all, you girls will probably be varsity next year. We need to get you ready.” Brenda and Rose both squealed. It was a happy time.
“I was wondering if I could borrow one of your guys tonight. I mean… date.”
“You have to ask the guy,” Rose said. “And agree to the rules.”
“I’ll say right up front that I agree to the rules. Brian? Would you ride along to the game with us as my date?” What was I going to do about this? Going to an away game with none of my friends there? I really wasn’t sure. I wondered if Renee was setting me up.
“I don’t know, Renee. Are you sure it’s okay? I mean, I’d just be in the stands by myself, so our date would just be a car ride there and back.” Renee stood up and I thought I’d really insulted her. How was I going to fix this? And why was I such a little coward? Renee whistled and three guys headed our way. Carl, Doug, and Lionel pushed back their chairs, then I saw Carl relax and laugh.
Carl’s brother Bill, Sammy D, and Jimmy Squires all approached our table.
“Bill, you and your boys going to the game tonight?”
“Of course, Renee. You know we come just to watch you and the rest of the cheerleaders. We don’t care about the game,” Bill laughed.
“I kinda invited Brian to travel with me. Can he sit with you during the game? You know, while we’re working?”
“Hell, yes,” Jimmy said. “Brian’s the man. I got his back.” I was blushing. They were laying it on a bit thick.
“Satisfied?” Renee asked me. Those three guys were a little rough around the edges, but they’d protected me through a lot of shit. I stood up.
“Renee, may I escort you to the game tonight?” I asked.
“Brian, would you? That would be so sweet!” The guys all said they’d see us later and left. Renee sat down beside me. “If we pick you up at five would that be okay?” she asked. I nodded. “Shelly is driving. Her dad has a seven-passenger van. Do I need to ask your parents or anything?”
“You know the family rule,” I said.
“I’ll come to the door.”
I have fourteen of the hottest girls in the freshman and senior classes—oh and two sophomores in Kokomo—as my stated girlfriends and three great guys as my best friends, and I’m going out with the captain of the varsity cheerleading squad. And the other four varsity cheerleaders. What the fuck?
I checked in with Mom as soon as I got home and told her I was being picked up for the game at five.
“Who all from your group is going?” Mom asked.
“Uh, just me. It’s an away game in Goshen. That’s why we’re leaving so early.”
“Who’s picking you up?”
“Renee. She’s the cheerleading captain. I guess the other four cheerleaders are riding with us.” I held my breath.
“Brian?”
“I’m taking a copy of the rules with me and I’m meeting Carl’s brother at the game.”
“Rules or no rules, curfew is still midnight.”
“Yes, Mom.”
I saw the van pull into our driveway and I grabbed my coat to go out and meet them. I was at the door when the bell rang.
“Hi, Brian. Do I need to say hi to your parents?”
“My mom and dad aren’t home from work yet.”
“And you still made me come to the door?” She got a fake scowl on her face.
“Rules are rules. When I told them I was going to the game, they decided to have dinner downtown. Uh, I have to make sure you know that I have a midnight curfew, though.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. We always ride to the game together, but often the girls split up after the game and ride home with their boyfriends if they aren’t on the team. Shelly’s been seeing Bill again, so he’ll probably ride back with us. That’s kind of why I wanted a date. I didn’t want… anyone to think I was available.”
“Okay.” We went out to the van and the middle seat was empty for the two of us. We buckled in.
“Thanks for coming, Brian,” the brunette in the front passenger seat said, turning to look at me. She had a nice smile. “I’m Flo. Since Renee has a date, I get to ride shotgun.”
“And we get to ride chaperone,” said one of the girls behind me. “We’ll be slapping you on the head if you get fresh.”
“I won’t be,” I said. “I have rules.”
“We heard that’s why Chad got busted by you. What are the rules?”
“I brought a copy,” I said. “Just in case Renee wanted to read them over.” I handed the folded sheet to Renee and she read through them. She was puzzled at one point and then smiled.
“I didn’t know about rule number four,” she laughed. “But thank you. I agree.” She handed the sheet to the girls in the back seat and they read them.
“You’re going to have to read them out loud,” Shelly said. “I can’t read them while I’m driving.”
“Flo can read them to you when we’re finished.”
“You really follow all these rules?” Syl asked. She was the brunette sitting behind me.
“Yes. It’s not that hard.”
“There’s so many of them,” Shelly said.
“There’s really only four that state what we have to do or not do. Number five is kind of an affirmation of our power to stop anything that is happening. The last three cover things that we might want to do sometime. My date with Renee falls under rule number six.”
“I may date others who have not signed this agreement if they agree to behave in accordance with this agreement.” Flo read. “So that’s why Renee said she agreed.”
“Right. That’s also why we came down so hard on Chad. He said he’d agree to the rules and then started pawing Brenda without her permission.”
“But you are out alone with us,” Sharon said. She was the other brunette behind me. Three blondes and two brunettes. Apparently, the redhead graduated last year. “What if we decided to ignore the rules?”
“First of all, coming with you was an act of trust.” I was getting a little nervous. Renee hadn’t even offered her hand to me this evening and these other girls were acting kind of aggressive. I realized I didn’t really know any of them and even though I trusted Bill, I wouldn’t see him until we got to the game. “Second, I’m not here with all of you, I’m here with Renee and she agreed to the rules. Third, anytime I can find a phone I can call any parent of any of the sixteen of us who signed the agreement and they will come to pick me up, no questions asked. And finally, there are sixteen of us. I waited two months with a broken arm after Kirby and his gang beat me to a pulp last spring. But they are in jail.”
“Shit.”
The car was quiet for a while and I saw Renee relax. I hadn’t realized she was so uptight.
“May I hold your hand, Brian?” she whispered. I smiled and held out my hand.
“Brian?” said Sharon from behind me. “We weren’t trying to be nasty. Renee’s been burned and we didn’t want to see it again. We think you—and your rules—are pretty cool.”
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