A Beautiful Secret, page 7
After her parents left, Gina turned to Tegan. “Call your dad and see if you can sleep over again.”
Tegan picked up her phone and dialed. “Hey, Dad. Can I stay over at Gina’s again? We want to watch football.” No mention of being home alone.
In the shower after swimming, Tegan closed her eyes and let the water cascade down her head and back. The door opened, and Gina came in and started undressing. Tegan turned off the water and tried to turn her head away while she reached for a towel, but watched her friend out of the corner of her eye. Gina stepped into the shower as Tegan stepped out. Tegan quickly dried her hair, then hurried to Gina’s room to get dressed, embarrassed that her friend had seen her naked. Or was it something else?
After tossing on a tank top and a pair of casual stretch shorts, Tegan followed her nose to the kitchen, finding leftover ziti and meatballs simmering on the stove. Settling on the sofa to find a game to watch, Gina sat beside her, holding two glasses of red wine.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Tegan asked her.
“Of course. It goes great with Italian food.”
“Won’t your parents notice any wine missing?”
“The box holds more than you think. I promise, they’ll never know. If they found out, it wouldn’t be a big deal. I can replace it from the pantry.”
The wine was more potent than the few beers she had tried, but had a pleasant taste that was better the more she drank. After a few more sips, her lips and tongue were numb.
“Have you ever had wine before?” Gina asked.
“No.”
“Then only take a few sips; I don’t want you getting sick.”
Tegan got the giggles. “I’m getting kind of buzzed.”
“Okay, enough for you. Let me bring you some water.”
During halftime, Tegan muted the TV, rested her head on her best friend’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Gina put her arm around her allowing Tegan to snuggle against her. She is so good to me. So nice. So soft. Tegan's lips came in contact with something not so soft. Gina's nipple. She sat up with a start. “I need to pee!” She hurried to the bathroom and splashed some water on her face to sober up.
When she came back into the living room, Gina held open the blanket for her. As Tegan slid in beside her, she realized Gina had taken off her shorts and was wearing only panties and a skimpy tank top with no bra.
They snuggled under the blanket, but didn’t turn the sound back on.
“Don’t you want to watch the game?” Tegan asked.
“In a minute, I’m resting.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes, everything is perfect. I just want to sit here a minute and enjoy it.”
“Mmmm. Good idea, “Tegan agreed. She lay down on the couch and rested her head on a pillow in Gina’s lap. With her eyes closed, Tegan felt Gina’s fingers caress her forehead as she shifted her hair away from her face. Tegan felt her nipples harden, and a tiny moan escaped from her lips.
Gina’s warm breath tickled her cheek and when she opened her eyes, her best friend’s face was only inches from hers. Gina’s dark eyes intoxicated her. Tegan was breathless with desire. She raised her head slightly to reduce the distance between them and Gina leaned forward an inch. Their lips were nearly touching when Gina leaned further forward and brought her lips down on top of Tegan’s.
Unable to move at first, Tegan returned Gina’s kiss. It wasn’t unexpected. The signs were there all along. Tegan knew she wanted this to happen but had been pretending to herself that they were just friends. How many nights did she lie in bed, wishing for this? Since Gina made the first move, Tegan reasoned it wasn’t her fault and plunged her tongue into Gina’s waiting mouth.
After ten minutes of kissing, Gina asked, “Do you want to go to my room?”
Tegan nodded, and Gina led her by the hand down the hall. They had been in her room so many times before, but not like this. Until this point in her life, she would have been finding an excuse to leave, a way to escape, but tonight, she would beg to stay.
“Are you afraid?” Gina asked her.
“No.”
“Liar.”
Gina pulled her close, and Tegan had no choice but to do the same. She felt herself getting pushed back to sit on the bed. Smooth hands slid up from her waist, ending up on her neck, raising her face up as Gina’s lips came down to hers. Thin lips were not sexy. Tegan wished hers were fuller as she tried to match the sucking. Their tongues touched with a tingle. Tegan wouldn’t and couldn’t have pulled away while she held on to keep from falling off the edge of the earth. When Gina broke the kiss, Tegan was still leaning forward with her eyes closed, her lips reaching out for more. She felt robbed, empty, until she heard Gina tell her, “Take off my top.”
Pulling up and off, everything she had dreamed about was right in front of her. “Now my panties.” Tegan realized that Gina was making her commit. To be sure this was what she wanted. When she raised her arms to allow Gina to take off her top and lifted her hips as her shorts and panties came down, she knew she was ready.
The pillows and sheets smelled the same as all the other nights—except tonight, her senses were heightened with anticipation, excitement and relief. Her fear had transformed into eagerness. The stress and tension had been replaced by warmth and desire.
With newfound confidence, Tegan pushed Gina down on the bed and straddled her, holding her down by her wrists. After a moment of panic, Gina looked up in eager anticipation as Tegan brought her lips down to cover hers.
Gina untangled their intertwined bodies and rested her head on Tegan’s shoulder. After a few minutes, she rolled off and looked at Tegan with a smile. “First time?”
Tegan didn’t trust herself to speak, and nodded instead.
“Did you like it?”
Tegan found her voice, “Like it? I loved it. It was amazing. I never dreamed it could be this good. I got chills everywhere. Every nerve in my body was tingling.”
“I’m happy when you are happy. If you like it, I’m sure we can do it again.”
Tegan kissed her. “Did you...?”
“Yes. Not like you, but yes. Thank you.”
Tegan’s recollection of the night afterwards was hazy. The last thing she remembered was cuddling in bed with Gina before falling asleep, wondering why this had taken so long.
Chapter 11
Life has many ways of testing a persons will,
either by having nothing happen at all
or by having everything happen all at once.
Paulo Coelho
The best month of Tegan’s life so far was that September. The hot, sticky Florida heat had finally turned into something almost tolerable. Her participation on the school paper, as well as being at the top of each of her classes, resulted in many new friends. She was crazy about Gina. Her art teacher allowed her to turn in the required assignments early for an easy A, and from then on, to work exclusively on her Monet project. Stories of Claude and Camille made her creative writing class a breeze and her history teacher made the class interesting.
On her former volleyball team, Tegan was the starting opposite hitter and captain but as the newest member of the team the coach alternated her with the other players. Coach Irwin spent time every practice drilling the girls on rotation strategy. Neither Tegan nor Mikayla could not figure out why the coach would not let the two on the court at the same time. Back in Louisiana, going to All-County was a certainty and All-State seemed likely as well. Playing second fiddle did not sit well with Tegan but instead of fuming on the bench she used the opportunity to take pictures and create summaries of the games for the school paper.
In the first two games, the Lady Warriors crushed the competition. Their third match pitted them against their cross-town rivals. Before the match, Tegan tightly taped her feet and ankles after pulling on her socks and shoes. She spent so much time in the air that the biggest risk would be if she came down on her team-mate’s foot and her ankle rolled to the side.
After falling behind in the first set, Coach Irwin called a timeout.
Tegan didn't need to listen to the coach. She knew her teams strengths and their opponents weaknesses. Deep in her zone, Tegan studied the people packing the stands. In the third row, two moms, three girls, and a little boy sat together watching intently. One of the girls had her flaming red hair pulled back in a bushy ponytail and a girl who looked like her little sister had reddish-blond hair cascading over her shoulders. Beside them sat a girl with dark hair pushed under a Scottish wool cap with stormy brown eyes.
Coach brought her from her reverie. “Tegan, you’re going in for Carrie.” Left-handed Mikayla took the outside (right side) while Tegan took the opposite. Facing the net they both could block equally well and while striking, each had the advantage of swinging across their bodies for power and accuracy. With Alicia between them, they created a wall at the net, forcing the Raiders to send the ball to the back of the court where Tara fielded the passes with ease and passed the ball to Shannon who set the ball for the front three to attack.
The Raiders had no recourse. Nothing they tried worked. Matches played for best three sets out of five. After losing the first three in a row, the Raiders were sent home utterly defeated. After the game Tegan recognized quite a few of the students in the packed stands.
Mikayla called her over. “Tegan! This is my mom, dad, sister, and brother. Family, this is Tegan. She’s the one I’ve been telling you about.”
Her family was handsome, and much darker than Mikayla.
Tegan greeted them. “It’s so nice to meet you. Mikayla has been very kind to me and it’s been a pleasure getting to know her.” With the chit-chat over, the girls hurried to rejoin the team. No bus ride from a home game, just a walk to the locker room to shower and change. As Tegan towel-dried her hair on the bench in front of her locker, Mikayla straddled the bench beside her and said, “My God, that was brutal. I could see them cringe when you went up to attack.”
Tegan laughed, “Look who’s talking!”
Mikayla looked at her. “So, aren’t you going to ask me about it?”
“About what?”
Mikayla laughed. “You are too polite. I get asked about it all the time. My Mom is from Haiti. My real dad is white, but split when my mom got pregnant with me. She got married to Darren, and he already had two kids. He adopted me when I turned sixteen, so that’s how a bi-racial kid has a black family.”
“Sounds like everything worked out for the best.”
“Yes, it did.”
What would it be like to have a brother, a sister, or both?
One of her teammates interrupted her thoughts to tell her the coach wanted to see her.
Why does Coach want to see me? I kept in my lane, but I know I can be bossy and insensitive in the heat of the game. I barked at Alicia when we collided. No matter how hard I try to improve, I can’t help getting angry when...oh, crap. Here we go again. Goddamn it. Can’t you keep your mouth shut?
Tegan reluctantly tapped on the door to Coach Irwin’s office.
“Come in, Tegan. Close the door.”
Tegan dropped her gear bag and sat down expecting the worst. She began to apologize when Coach Irwin said, “So. How did you feel out there tonight? Can you and Mikayla swap between alternating and playing together?”
Whew, it’s not about snapping at Alicia.
“Yeah, it’s awesome. “
“Yeah. You two are intense.” Coach brushed her hair behind her ears. “Coaching isn’t easy. The expectation of winning is always there, but being responsible for a team of teenage girls adds complications.”
In the silence, the tick of the clock on the wall sounded as loud as thunder. Coach Irwin continued, “We faced our toughest competitor on the schedule and we destroyed them. They were runners up to the state champs last year so I have no doubt we will win regionals easily and move on. I know you have family obligations taking up your time, but we will need to train harder and play matches once or twice per week and go on the road. This could mean a big difference in you getting a scholarship.”
“I’m not going to apply for a volleyball scholarship.”
“Why not? You have an excellent chance of getting one.”
“Plenty of reasons. I don’t have the support system required to compete for a scholarship. I would need to join a club to be noticed by the scouts. There’s just not the time or money for a serious try. Besides, there are so few scholarships available, I would probably have to leave the state.”
Coach Irwin pondered the implications and finally said, “I’m sorry you feel that way. I disagree. I think you can do it. But in a way, you’re right. My mom drove me to camps every summer for coaching and training and they supported me all the way. With that aside for now, I need to know if you will dedicate yourself to the team.”
Tegan thought for a moment. “My mom needs constant attention. She can’t take care of herself. I hate leaving her home all day without someone there.”
The solution came from Coach Irwin. They advertised in the school paper for a part-time home aide. A senior intent on studying nursing after graduation could earn nursing credits with a home-aid work experience program. She offered to take care of Marion every weekday afternoon, remaining there until Mr. Favreau came home. The arraignment suited everyone.
Relieved that her mom was safe, Tegan practiced harder than ever and spent every other day after practice in the weight room. The guys treated her like a little—though taller—sister. She didn’t need a spotter because she preferred the universal machine, but someone always offered.
With one hundred and seventy-five pounds on the leg lift, she looked across as Preston Palmer began working arm curls. The starting quarterback on the football team, at least as tall as Tegan and over two hundred pounds was a magnet for the college scouts. Their eyes locked as they began to pump iron in rhythm. As the burn in her quadriceps muscles approached the unbearable, his biceps bulged and the veins stood out from under his skin. Neither of them wanted to be the first to stop.
Tegan’s chest heaved with effort as the sweat poured down her face. I’m not going to beat him. Dammit!
On her last rep, Preston’s weights clanged down, and he started laughing. “I give up. I’m going to be sore for a week.”
Tegan stopped and said, “It’s a tie. We both stopped at the same time.”
He introduced himself. Tall, strong, handsome, popular, and perfect. Too perfect. When she went back to the locker room to shower, she had an unfamiliar queasy knot in her stomach.
The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays were fast approaching and filled Tegan with a sense of dread. Once per year her family would pack up the little travel trailer and visit her grandparents. Only twice did her mom’s parents come down to visit. It was blissful ignorance, not knowing what loneliness was because now she was afraid being alone would destroy her. Despite spending all the time they could together, Tegan and Gina found privacy elusive until a plan presented itself. The stable behind her house where they kept the boat and travel trailer. One night, Tegan and Gina sat on the dock as reflections from the light of the houses pierced the black surface of the lake and the moon bathed the mist over the lake in a mystic glow. At ten o’clock at night no one would miss them. Tegan rose from her chair, took Gina by the hand into the camper, and pulled her down onto the bed.
As Tegan left class on her way to lunch, she passed Preston leaning against the lockers talking to a couple of his jock buddies. He stood up as she approached. “Hi, Tegan. Are you heading to the cafeteria?”
“Hi Preston.” She held up her lunch bag. “Dang, I can’t fool you!”
“Mind if I tag along?”
This was a little weird. “Sure. So, how are you?” she asked.
“I’m good, you?”
“Meh.”
A little way down the hall, he said, “I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I like your pictures in the paper. They’re the best ever.”
Her pictures of the volleyball and football teams made it into the school paper every edition, elevating her status. “Thanks. Sometimes you get lucky.”
“I’m not the only one. The picture you took of Mark Mahon making that catch was superb. He has it taped inside his locker. And volleyball? I didn’t think anyone cared, but seeing the players and reading your articles has people talking. I’m impressed.” Preston opened the door to the auditorium/cafeteria/lunch room, so she had no choice but to step inside. “You want to sit with us?” he asked as he led her to the jock zone. “Hey, you all know Tegan, right?”
A chorus of “yeah,” “hey,” and a few “Hi, Tegans” welcomed her. The ratio of guys to girls was about equal.
“Hey, everyone.” Tegan set her backpack on a chair.
Preston looked at her. “I need to grab a sandwich. Do you need anything while I’m there? Or you could come with me and we can chat in line.”
She followed him. They put their trays on the stainless-steel rails and pushed them along. Preston picked up a turkey sub on whole wheat. Tegan settled on an orange and a Pellegrino. At the cashier, he insisted on paying cash for everything, although Tegan knew he had a meal plan card.
Back at the table, Tegan felt awkward, but no one else at the table acted like there was anything out of place. Two girls picked up their trays and moved to sit across from her, like they did it every day. In class after lunch, Tegan was not sure what just happened.
The middle of October marked Homecoming week. College football scouts were sure to be in attendance. Each year the top schools competed for the best prospects St. Mark’s had to offer and this year would be no different. The editor of the school paper entrusted Tegan with the best camera and included two production assistants to help carry the equipment and protect her on the sidelines as well as the five-thousand-dollar camera. The Warriors were facing their biggest cross-town rival, the Knights. Students, parents, fans, recruiters, and alumni packed the stands.
