“I’m Beth,” she says. “And I understand. We have to be here so early. If you’re up before the donuts shops, than something’s wrong.” She added with a laugh.
“You’re the swim coach for the girls right?” I remember seeing her with wet hair one morning and she said the girls threw her in the pool as a birthday prank.
“Yes, that’s the reason I get up so early. The pool is open for us at five-thirty.” She sat her folder down and opened it up.
“I’m lucky that the cheerleaders practice afterschool. I don’t think we would have anyone trying out if we had practice anytime before the first bell rang.” Ms. Brown shook her head knowing it was the truth. “I have a hard enough time getting them focused as it is now.”
I took another sip of coffee before we got down to the business of discussing Daniel. I glanced at the clock and realized we didn’t have too much time before the next period started.
“You were a cheerleader here too right? Heard you were All-state and there’s a banner with your name hanging in the gym.
“That’d be me.” I want to move the conversation along to avoid being labeled as a former student, especially when I can still pass as one now. “So let’s talk about Daniel. What can you tell me about him? He’s having a difficult time in my class and I’m starting some private tutoring to help him after school today.”
“I have to be honest. I’m shocked he’s having trouble. He did fabulous in English Composition last year. One of my brighter students. Most of my assignments were fact driven not creative like your class,” she says. “He has quite the vocabulary. He must be a secret reader.”
There it is in a nutshell. He is not the same in my class. But why?
“Do you know much about his personal life? I hate to ask but I’m at a loss at what’s happening with him.” I don’t share the rumors I overheard from the cheerleaders. Daniel stands as a conquest to them. A brooding young man that needs their kind of fucking.
“He’s had some tragedies in his family.” Beth lowers her head and leans closer to me over the table before continuing. “It’s not discussed much since his family moved to this area of town for a fresh start. Do you remember a few years ago when a young man kidnapped his girlfriend after she broke up with him? It was all over the news. In Fair Haven I think.”
“I remember. I think I was a senior in high school at the time. He held her hostage and shot himself right after the police arrived?” Fair Haven is the town over from Tuscaloosa. I worried where this story was going. A knot starts to from in my stomach, as I fear the worst. Maybe it was his sister.
“That’s the one.” Beth’s shoulders move in a fast shudder. “The young man was Daniel’s brother.”
Her words hit me hard, stunning me. “You’re kidding?”
“I wish I was. Daniel’s family and life hasn’t been the same as you can imagine. What a tragedy. His parents don’t allow him out of the house except for football and school. He’s on lockdown. He’s twenty years old. Did you know that?” Beth shakes her head and I sit there speechless.
“Twenty?” It makes sense that he’s older. He has a different command of himself compared to the others in his class. Not to mentioned he looks like he should already be in college.
“His family kept him home for two years after the tragedy. Daniel was supposed to be in middle school, but they moved and he was lost in the shuffle I guess. Finally someone from protective services gave them notice to enroll him back in school or else.”
I can’t even imagine what Daniel has gone through over the last few years. The loss of a brother, the shame of living with what his brother did to the poor girl, and being isolated from the world he walks in. I’m convinced the sensitive young man I see in class each day carries scars hidden way down deep.
Chapter 4
I brush my hands over my jeans for the millionth time. I understand my parent’s worry about me meeting a girl and getting sidetracked from my football goals, but for fucks sake I don’t know how long I can go without at least touching one. I’m the last virgin standing on the football team, and the one I want to touch is off limits in every way.
I brush my fingers through my wet hair. After practice I showered and dressed quickly to make it on time for my tutoring session. With only ten minutes to spare, there wasn’t time to get myself looking good.
Fuck, I’m nervous.
I round the corner leading to Ms. Tillman’s class and stop before I go much further. After a few deep breaths, I start walking. When I get to the door, I see her sitting at her desk. She is scribbling something on a piece of paper and biting her lip. Her red full lips.