Junior Year Box Set

Rita thanked me for introducing her to Tyler. Halle walked me out to my car to say goodnight. If I didn’t suspect that Fritz was watching, I might have started back up again. She did promise to come over to work on her art homework tomorrow.

◊◊◊ Friday September 25

Trust a politician to turn a simple pep rally into a media event. As I pulled into the school parking lot, there were two TV vans parked in front of the school. When I walked up to the entrance, Coach Zoon was there waiting. When he saw me, pointed at me, and motioned for me to come to him. Coach Zoon had been at the dojo last night and wanted all the details on my body-slam of Coach Hope. I offered to demonstrate the move, but he declined.

“Coach Hope wants to talk to you,” he said.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with Cassidy, does it?” I asked.

“I heard about that last night. Tony must have been crazy to agree to let you date his daughter. I know I wouldn’t,” Coach Zoon informed me.

“I think you would have to find a girl yourself first,” I shot back.

“Careful,” he warned.

“I’m not scared. Talk to Fritz or Coach Hope if you need to know what you’re tangling with.”

“You might find me a little tougher than either of them.”

I was so going to tell them about Coach Zoon’s boast! I simply smiled and followed him to Coach’s office.

“Dawson, get your butt in here!” Coach Hope boomed.

I walked in, and two state troopers were seated in front of his desk. He must have read my expression.

“That’s right. They finally tracked you down. You might as well confess now,” Coach Hope said.

I dropped my head and let my bottom lip quiver. The two state troopers sat up straight in their chairs.

“Cassidy, Coach Hope’s daughter, made me do it,” I said pitifully. I had to take a moment to compose myself. “She made me hurt him.”

“Hurt who, son?” one of the troopers asked.

“Coach Hope. We warned him,” I said, looking up and seeing Coach Hope give me a hard stare. “He’s been out of the Marines for a long time. He thought he was still tough. Cassidy made me show him he’s getting old and slow.”

Both troopers looked at me and then Coach Hope.

“He thinks he’s some kind of actor. Just ignore him,” Coach Hope said. I bowed and grinned at the troopers.

“Hi. I’m David Dawson,” I said, holding my hand out to welcome them.

“Captain Silva.”

“Lieutenant Jackson.”

“They’re here as part of the security detail for the Governor’s visit,” Coach Hope said.

“Congratulations on the record. We wanted to meet you since you’ll be on stage with Governor Higgins. I understand that you know him,” Captain Silva said.

“Yes, sir. He came to my uncle’s farm for his wedding. The governor knew my grandfather, Davey Dawson, very well.”

I must have been deemed to be okay because they sent me back to class.

◊◊◊

Finally, it was time for the pep rally. Everyone was in high spirits because we were playing our hated rival Eastside tonight. As I walked to the gym, all other sounds were drowned out by the clank of those damned cowbells. Whoever thought of that should be shot. The sad part was our fans loved them. The football team had been told to all meet in the locker room. As we waited, we heard the pep band play our school song. Coach Zoon came in.

“Okay, let’s go.”

I led the team in towards the end of the song, and everything was drowned out by cowbells clanging. The cheerleaders had made a corridor for us to enter the gym that put us in front of the podium. There must have been a thousand people there if you counted students, teachers, staff, reporters, and the governor’s security. Once everyone settled down, I decided to stir them up.

“OUR HOUSE! OUR HOUSE!” I began to chant, pumping my fist in the air.

That got the football team going, and then the cheerleaders joined in. I was impressed with how loud seven hundred and fifty students could be.

“That’s right! Eastside is about to learn what it means to come into OUR HOUSE!” Coach Hope’s voice boomed over the speakers.

“We need each and every one of you to help us tonight. We need the stands to be rocking. We need you to let Eastside know they are in BULLDOG COUNTRY!”

The students began to stomp in the stands and ring their cowbells. The guys were soaking it up as the student body let us know they were behind us. The pep band played the fight song again. I saw Governor Higgins shaking his head. I think the governor wondered how he would ever get everyone quieted down so he could give me the award.

When the fight song ended, I leaped up onto the stage that was three feet off the ground and walked back and forth, chanting “OUR HOUSE!” I motioned the governor over, and he got the idea and helped me do the chant. He took his jacket off, and the press had their photo op. One of his aides came out and handed the governor the plaque. He and I held it up as the chant continued. That was the picture on the front page of the newspaper on Saturday.

When the crowd calmed down, Coach Hope thanked everyone, and we were done.

“Sorry about that,” Coach Hope said to the governor.