by Laura Acton
Kimber was again startled after Dan left when Todd seized her arm, squeezed hard, and spun her around to him as he growled, “You are my girl. Don’t be staring at another guy like a whore.”
She yanked free and slapped his face, leaving a bright red handprint. Glaring at him, Kimber wished to do more. Her three brothers would expect her to dish out more than one measly slap, perhaps one of her effective right hooks, but she didn’t want to be expelled for fighting.
His action precipitated her next move. No sense in waiting until after school. “Todd Morin, that is the last time you ever touch me. We’re done. I am not your property, and you don’t control me. I possess brains and skills, and I plan to use them to make my own path. Go find someone else who will put up with your crap.”
Holding held her head high, Kimber pivoted and strolled away, leaving a gaping Todd in her past. Free at last. I deserve to be treated with more respect than Todd gave me.
Blindsided by Fate Again
9
February 11
Hillview High School – Boys’ Locker Room – 12:35 p.m.
Dan had no difficulty locating the lockers or Westwell’s office. He stood at the entrance and knocked on the open door to gain the man’s attention. “Mr. Westwell, excuse my interruption. I’m Dan Broderick. I enrolled today. I’m in your sixth-hour weights and seventh-hour PE classes, sir.”
Swiveling his chair and rising, Kevin Westwell scanned the new kid standing in his doorway with a military bearing, almost at attention. “Coach Westwell or Coach will be fine. Broderick, you say?”
“Yes, sir … Coach.”
“Any relation to General Broderick?” Kevin leaned on his desk, his eyes doing a quick peek out his window as the noise from the boys in the locker area grew in volume.
“Yes, he is my father, sir.” The coach reminded Dan of Corporal Ellison who was his daily minder this past year and also in charge of all his physical training at SFATB Yukon.
Kevin nodded, the answer explained a lot of what he beheld. “At ease, son.” As expected, the boy moved to parade rest. “So, Dan, did you play any sports at your previous school?”
“No, sir. I was homeschooled.”
“Do you like sports? If so, the spring teams are starting tryouts this week. Our rugby team is fair, and there’s always track and field. I’m doing time trials for cross-country after school today. Any of those interest you?”
“Rugby or cross-country sound interesting. I like to run, sir.” Dan had not ever considered playing team sports, but the idea appealed to him. He cringed inwardly. Shit, I’ll piss off General Never-Bother-Me-At-Work if I want to do this. He won’t like me calling one damned bit, but I’m gonna do it anyway.
“Good. We can see what you got at tryouts. Rugby trials will be next week, and as such, we will be playing the game during class today.” He turned and scanned a sheet on his desk, made a notation, then returned his gaze to his new student. “You can use locker five-o-seven. I take roll-call in the weight room which is next to the gym.”
Uncomfortable with not being prepared, Dan said, “Sir.”
“Yes?” The continual sirs were grating on Kevin, but he didn’t correct Dan because based on General Broderick’s reputation it was likely a habit for the young man.
“Two things, sir. First, I must obtain permission from the general to attend tryouts before I can commit to showing up. Second, I’m sorry, but I am unprepared for class. I did not bring gym clothes with me today, but I’m willing to participate dressed as I am. I’ll be equipped properly tomorrow, and it won’t happen again, sir.”
Westwell noted the rigidness combined with a fleeting nervous expression when Dan apologized. He is so soldier-like. The general is a hard man who never brooks soldiers being unprepared and he likely drilled that into his son.
Possessing firsthand knowledge of the harshness of General Badass from his time in the military, Kevin much preferred being retired and teaching athletics. If I have my way, I’ll help this boy relax. He is only a kid after all. There will be years ahead to be a soldier.
Kevin grinned. “Relax, son. Tomorrow is fine. I’ll write you a pass for the spirit store, and you can grab a t-shirt and sweats there if you want for today.” He glanced at Dan’s feet. “But unfortunately, they don’t carry running shoes. I can make an exception and wait until tomorrow to run your time trial when you’re wearing appropriate footwear.”
“No need, sir. I’ll run in my boots.” He came to attention to wait for the pass and directions to the school store before being dismissed by his coach.
Base – General Broderick’s Office – 1240 Hours
William set the receiver down as he waved Tom into his office and motioned for him to close the door. “Thanks for covering this morning’s meeting for me.”
“Glad to help out. So, how is Mike doing?” Tom asked as he took a seat knowing William had been speaking with Jasper Pastore. With the door closed, he didn’t need to stand on ceremony with his long-time friend.
Raking his hands through his hair, William blew out a frustrated breath. “Improving. He should be released in a few days. Jasper said the bullet’s location didn’t do any permanent damage, but Mike will need six to eight weeks to recover.”
Tom clenched his fists. “Damned Plouffe. I blame him even if I can’t prove he is at fault. Mike’s unit had the shoot house scheduled and were using paintball rounds. How the hell did Plouffe not know they were in there before he sent in Trigger’s men for a live fire scenario.”
William shrugged, recalling the call he received from Mike’s second-in-command four days ago telling him Mike had been shot in the leg while training. He had been so pissed off he laid into Plouffe with a vengeance outside his office. “That is one dressing down I enjoyed. I had Master Corporal McDermott recheck the logs. Mike’s entry is clear as day, but there is no record for Trigger. Plouffe still claims he told Lieutenant Spencer to check the log. Trigger maintains Plouffe told him he would make the entry and no one was scheduled. This is a case of he said, he said with no witnesses.”
Tom nodded but confided, “Perhaps, but between you and me, I believe Trigger. Either way though, both screwed up, and Galloway paid the price. Spenser disclosed to me he no longer trusts Plouffe and his rookie, Corporal Jack Hewitt, is having a tough time with the fact he shot Mike. As a result, I’m transferring Trigger’s unit to Major Pearce’s control.”
When William gave a nod of agreement, Tom shifted topics. “How did things go at Hillview this morning?”
“Well. Ms. Getty suggested letting Daniel choose all his classes and if he wants to stay in high school for two years, though he could graduate at the end of this one. She believes the extra time to socialize with kids his age will be beneficial. Although my preference is early entry to RMCC, I agreed.”
“About time your head is on straight with your boy.” Tom grinned. “I hope he chooses to take time to be a kid and enjoy high school.
At the knock on the door, William called out, “Enter.”
Master Corporal McDermott peeked in and said, “Sir, two things. The CDS is on line one and needs to speak with you and your son is on two.”
Worry shot to the roof as to why Daniel would be calling as William picked up the second line first. Leaving Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Lithgow hanging was not his typical behavior, but in this case, he chose his son. “Daniel, why are you calling?”
“Sir, I’m sorry to bother you at work.”
“What do you need?” William hated the tentativeness he detected in Daniel’s voice and worried about what might’ve caused it.
“My schedule includes weight training and PE. Coach Westwell sent me to the spirit store to buy suitable attire and a lock. Although my student ID works for lunches, I can’t use it to purchase the required items, and I have no cash. Ms. Crane is willing to take a credit card over the phone, sir.”
William growled softly. Damn, I didn’t adequately prepare Daniel for his first day. “Hand
the receiver to her, an important call is awaiting my attention.”
Yeah, a call from me is never important to him. Dan hesitantly said, “Um, sir?”
“Yes?” William’s voice came out a bit irritated, angry with himself for not ensuring Dan had what he required and hating to leave the CDS waiting.
“One other thing, sir. May I have permission to stay after school to try out for the cross-country team? I would require a ride home, or I could run if it is inconvenient for you to come …” Dan trailed off, his heart beating rapidly, hoping for a yes, but not expecting one.
“You have my permission. I’ll pick you up afterward. Now, let me talk with the cashier.” William provided his card number to the woman and told her to keep it on file if Daniel required additional items.
After disconnecting, he grabbed line one. “Sir, my apologies for making you wait. I was on the other line.” As William and Lithgow launched into a discussion, he waved to Tom when his friend stood and exited. So much I need to catch up on, though I will not regret taking the time to enroll Daniel in school this morning.
Hillview High School – Weight Room – 1:05 p.m.
Wearing his new Hillview Hawks t-shirt and sweats, Dan approached the room Coach Westwell indicated to join the weights class in progress. He went to attention when he stopped near Coach Westwell. The stares of his classmates made him uncomfortable, and he realized it was his demeanor. He moved to a parade rest stance. “Sir, I’m prepared now, and received permission to attend tryouts.”
“Excellent!” Westwell noted the boy’s muscular physique which his jacket previously hid, but the t-shirt did not. “Let’s start with doing an initial weights assessment. Once I know your lifting capacity, I can pair you up with guys in your range.”
Dan nodded and followed Coach to the first station. When asked how much he thought he could lift, Dan stated facts and informed his instructor he lifted weights regularly. As he went through the motions, Dan noted a lot of whispering behind hands. He caught the glare of one guy and wondered if it was because this class was for seniors, not sophomores. Not wanting confrontation, he refocused on Coach.
Comments such as ‘rumor is, he’s crazy,’ ‘no way he is a senior, he shouldn’t be here,’ ‘his dad’s the general,’ wafted to his ear, making it clear he was an unwelcome addition to the class. So much for making friends here. Taking a deep breath to steady himself he finished the last assessment.
“Impressive!” Westwell exclaimed before turning to his star athlete. “Todd, appears you have competition. Dan benches more than you. I’m going to pair you two together since none of the others are near your capabilities.”
Dan glanced expectantly at the guy named Todd, only to discovered it was the same person who glared at him when he entered. Damn, he is still glaring at me. Would’ve been fun to have a friend near my age to lift weights with.
Todd gave Dan a hateful stare before emitting a surly, “Sure, whatever, Coach.” The new guy is encroaching on my territory in more ways than one. Perhaps I’ll drop a bar on his chest.
The end of class bell ringing saved Dan from having to deal with Todd today. They all headed back to the lockers, and Dan stopped to take a drink at the fountain. Four guys each rammed into him as they walked past and their bogus apologies as they moved on were used to test his reactions.
To a casual observer, Dan kept his cool and let their juvenile antics roll off his back, but internally his hopes of enjoying himself in this class plummeted, and he was uncertain how to turn things around.
Hillview High School – Boy’s Locker Room – 3:40 p.m.
“Dan, the office sent over a message. Your father is running forty-five minutes late, but is still planning to pick you up from school,” Westwell stated as the boys who tried out began to gather their things to leave or shower.
“Thanks, Coach,” Dan replied and turned to open his locker. He now had time to shower and boy did he need one after playing rugby and running the three-mile course.
Westwell smiled at the term. The boy transitioned to calling him coach faster than he expected. “Impressive time while wearing boots. I’m eager to find out what you achieve in running shoes. Usually, I wait to post the full team roster until after all track and field event try-outs are completed, but in this case, welcome to the varsity cross-country team, Dan.”
A slightly crooked grin came to Dan’s face, and he almost laughed. His time wouldn’t be any different with track shoes, but the coach didn’t know he always wore boots while running with Ellison and they did ten-mile treks not three. “Thanks, I’ll do my best, Coach.”
Westwell glanced over at Todd who gathered his backpack and appeared to be out of sorts this afternoon. Westwell overheard his star athlete telling one of his buddies his girlfriend broke up with him. Kevin hoped it did not throw the young man off his game for too long. He attempted to cheer Todd up with a positive statement. “With you and Dan on our team, the Hawks will win the division and the provincial competition too.”
Todd glanced at Broderick. We don’t need him on the team. I would win those for the school without this jerk. He is the reason Kimber dumped me. When Coach Westwell called his name in a concerned manner, Todd refocused on him and covered his mental tracks. “Absolutely, Coach. Catch ya tomorrow.”
Before Westwell turned to head into his office, he said, “Dan, it’s cold outside. You can stay in the gym or locker room until you need to meet your dad if you want. The doors are self-locking at this time of day, so once you leave, you won’t be able to come back inside.”
“Thank you, Coach.” Dan sat down to untie his laces. A hot shower would be welcome right about now. He had an absolute blast playing rugby. The free-flowing, full-contact sport required speed, strength, and strategy.
His PE class was quite different than weights, though Todd and his friends were in it too. The difference came in the form of Mike and Ricky. Former friends he vaguely remembered. They appeared genuinely happy he returned. Luckily, they didn’t pelt him with questions about where he went, though in reality, talking was not feasible during much the game.
After class, as Ricky and Mike changed to head home, they talked mostly about rugby. They told him he was fast and encouraged him to try-out with them next week. When he shared he planned to go out for cross-country, they wished him luck.
High school will be fun, and I might be happy and not alone for once. It will take some time, but there are three possibilities for friends so far. Wonder if the general would grant permission if I wanted to spend two years here?
Dan sighed. Never gonna happen. He would cut me to ribbons for even suggesting a different path than the one he designed. Besides, when I turn eighteen and can decide for myself, I’ll have two years of college under my belt which will be beneficial whatever I choose.
He checked the time before slipping off his wristwatch and putting it in the locker along with his folded, sweaty clothes. He still had an hour before his father would arrive. Hot water here I come. Dan grabbed a towel from the rack and headed to the showers. He overheard muted sounds of a few guys down an aisle but dismissed their presence from his mind as he turned on one of the taps in the communal shower.
Letting the warm water cascade over his face, he reveled in the heat before reaching for the body wash dispenser attached to the wall. Dan soaped up his hair, still awed his mother had not required him to cut it all off, which allowed him to fit in more with the kids here. His back to the entrance, Dan continued to scrub as several guys entered.
Caught unaware and vulnerable, an unseen assailant rammed Dan’s forehead into the faucet handle and delivered a solid punch to his right kidney. Stunned, Dan started to turn, but more blows impacted his back and sides. His arms seized, they spun him, slamming his body and head into the tiled wall.
Soap dripped into his eyes, stinging them and blurring his vision, as Dan attempted to break free from and identify his attackers. He counted six figures before several forceful strikes to his f
ace sent him reeling.
“Nice shots!”
“Muzzle the mutt!”
Dan recognized Todd’s voice as a hand clamped over his mouth, preventing him from calling out for Coach Westwell. He thrashed with all his strength, striving to escape from those holding him, but outnumbered six to one, his efforts proved ineffectual as repeated blows smashed into his torso.
Todd growled, “This is my school. You don’t belong, and no one wants you. Stay away from Kimber. Don’t go out for rugby. Tell coach you decided not to do cross-country. If you don’t, this is a taste of the hell I will deliver.”
As the pummeling continued, Dan’s world exploded in pain, and he struggled to breathe, groaning as one powerful blow after another landed. In agony, Dan lost track of time, hoping they stopped before they killed him.
“Move your hand,” Todd instructed Tay before he adjusted his class ring, made a fist, and sent it flying with all he possessed into Dan’s eye. Reminiscent of brass knuckles, the heavy metallic jewelry lacerated the mongrel’s brow. Satisfied with the delivery of his message, Todd directed, “Let him go.”
Released and unable to stand after having his bell rung with the last blow, Dan slid down the wet wall to the floor, his head lolling forward. One last swift, brutal kick to his abdominal area and they were gone. Dan doubled over in agony and lay unmoving as water rained down on him.
Blindsided by fate again, tears reflecting physical pain and mental anguish flowed unabated, mixing with the red-tinged water swirling the drain.
So much for high school being fun. How could I ever believe I would be happy here? I will never be wanted anywhere. I’ll forever be an outcast and alone. General Always-Blames-Me will be pissed off. Somehow, he will construe this as my fault.
