Catherine

I live for the moment when I hear the catch in her throat with our first kiss. Her breathing getting heavier with each caress, touch, or stroke, of her sensitive places, I wait for those words she will say..., but not yet.

Catherine Chapter 28

Catherine, You Asked About Sally

"That first night at my sisters, Bob, where I asked you about Sally and how you met."

"Yes I remember, Catherine," replying.

"You showed me her picture as well as that picture of Erin's too -- a beautiful girl I thought; like her mother. Where you described Erin has much the same personality as Sally; you were telling me."

"Yes Catherine I remember telling you that too."

"So then, how about telling me more about Sally now," she ask.

"Why now Catherine," asking her.

"Because I have something to tell you, about me." she says.

Now my thought..., Oh boy, what now this; 'more' she wants to tell me; always curious I am about what ever it is, for sure!

"Alright Catherine..., Sally from the beginning but first, a little history to put it in perspective. Back when the School District combined the ninth grade into the high school is when I first saw Sally -- where I had an instant crush on her! Although we never shared classes until our senior year -- so up until then, I don't think we said more than a dozen words to each other."

"Sally, because only seniors could be cheer leader Captains, so it was Sally, along with Ryan, who were voted as co-captains. Where I can easily say, we always had one knockout bunch of girls on that cheering squad all through those high school years. Where guys our age, back then..., well, we referred to them as, "Dick Teasers."

My catching the dirty look from Catherine at her hearing that!

Ignoring her and going on. "As for me Catherine, anytime I wasn't on the field during a practice, I would be watching Sally, who I always thought, was the stand out, including her best friend Ryan. Where, it seemed to me -- when ever you saw one of them, you saw the other one too."

"Catherine, it was like they were inseparable, always hanging on each other, whispering to each other, maybe even..., I guess you might call them, knowing looks. I think girls show more physical affection towards their close girlfriends, but to me..., I came to believe there was more to their friendship then just, best friends; maybe my dirty seventeen year old mind at the time."

"Yeah Swaggart, I'm sure that hasn't changed since then; right?" Catherine, casually leaning back, staring at me.

Where it's just a slow turning my head from side to side, indicating, no it hasn't and going on.

"I also thought Sally had the best moves, an absolute killer ass, nice boobs, gorgeous legs that went all the way up to become that killer ass. Plus, she had the biggest mouth to go along with that killer body and pretty face. All of that combined with her bubbly personality, made her one of the most popular girls in school. Where she was student council secretary, school news paper editor, Honor Roll every report period. It seemed she was involved in every school activity or event."

"As for me, I wasn't a great student Catherine, maybe a halfway good student; most definitely a lazy student. I didn't have any plans for going on to college, although my parents could have helped with it, they even saved for it, but at that time, I really didn't know what I wanted to do after high school. I guess..., maybe looking for something different. Different how..., I didn't know then for sure!" Telling Catherine.

"Anyway, my family was a fairly middle class family, my mom worked in the school district's administration office as the office manager. My dad was a construction supervisor for the telephone company and that's what helped me get a job with them later on. My dad was also a pretty good wood worker, carpenter and electrician and that's where I learned so much from him, -- which helped out a lot when Sally and I bought our house years later. My dad, being such a talented wood worker, who also made custom furniture, which he sold out of a work shop addition his father had built to the three car garage behind our house."

"Back then, it was just dad's hobby, also thinking it would become more of a money making hobby to add to his retirement when he retired. So my working along side my dad and mom when they re-modeled the house, really taught me a lot about both my parents, especially my dad, where I should have followed his path. Which I would in a way; just not as he did."

"Because Catherine, I was more interested in the workings of the systems that made up the network. My analytical mind always curious about how things worked. Where I could look at something and in a short time figure out pretty much how it worked; which helped a lot when I got through my Recon training, then on to schools teaching how to see what was important, those, seeing things Catherine. Maybe my..., seeing Sally's and Ryan's thing too?"

"Any way..., Sally's parents owned a Real Estate business -- you may have heard of them, Collins Real Estate? An from the size of heir home they must have been doing really well and still are!"

A quick glance to Catherine for a reaction; her Porsche birthday present from Jon; my thought. But all I see is her continued stare where she's been intently listening to me.

"Sally and I never shared the same home rooms either," telling Catherine.

"And classes I mentioned not sharing with her, wasn't until I took a elective in my senior year; Critical Thinking and Creative Thought they called it. I only decided to take it because I didn't want another study hall, where it seemed to be a kind of English class and that being one of my better subjects. Plus already having all the credits I needed for graduation except the required ones you had to have in your senior year... well, it sounded like a, "coaster," class to nap through. But still, from the class description..., might be kind of interesting; my analytical mind being challenged anyway." To my laughing at what I just said.

"Sports wise though, I played third base on the baseball team and strong safety and wide receiver on our football team. Now in the fall of our senior year and for many years before that, the school had some really good athletic teams. An like many schools, our football games were played on Friday nights, where one of those nights I had a particularly good game where my interception and a touchdown led to us winning that game."

"This one particular game night though, we were tied with just minutes to go. I was playing deep safety, covering for the possible Hail Mary pass; which they did. And luckily I was in the right spot and picked it off where I ran towards the first guy who had the same jersey I had on. Who did a great job of knocking guys out of my way; which allowed me to score. That..., was one of those hight light nights in my high school athletic life, I'll never forget!"

My flash back remembrance of it now.

"It was..., I couldn't believe what was going on around me; slaps on the back, hand shakes, lots of cheering going on around me but..., I don't remember hearing any of it. Hell even the cheer leading squad was all around me as we headed off the field and Sally -- she was right there with them. Yeah..., it was a night to remember!"

"And, like every home game there would be a dance following it, but I never went to any of them. I could move on the field, but that was different. But on the dance floor, well that was different too! My a..., feeling some what awkward..., like during our first lunch Catherine." Her recalling me saying that expressed in her nod and knowing look.

"I wouldn't have asked a girl to dance anyway, especially Sally. But that night I tagged along with some team mates, where of course Sally was there. An not only could she move on the cheer leading squad, she could move on the dance floor. Those cheerleaders -- with their short skirts flying up every time they spun around, showing quick glimpses of there tight cheerleader pantie covered ass cheeks, while us, lounging in the stands were making, 'lewd comments,' watching it all."

A smirk on Catherine's face, turning her head from side to side perfectly knowing full well what kind of 'lewd remarks,' they could be.

"But me," ignoring Catherine's look. "My eyes were glued on Sally, watching her dance and mostly with her girl friend Ryan. Oh there were a few guys, most from that crowd she hung around with; you know, every school has one."

"Next weeks game, which would be a away game, where we won that one by a field goal. But our home coming game, was going to be war; a rivalry that began years before any of us current players were born. I think with every schools home coming game, your rival is itching to spoil it."

"We were down by three points as I remember, and we're down on their thirty yard line. But this time I was playing wide receiver where a pass was called. I broke away from this guy who was trying to cover me but the ball was thrown way high and when I went up to catch it, one of their players drove his helmet into my left rib cage; it's called spearing. But still I managed to hold onto the ball. An that cheap hit, is what pushed me over the goal line. So a cheap shot won us the game but I was hurt, but still..., we had won!"

"And from that cheap hit Catherine..., I was having a hard time catching my breath where I need help getting up as well getting off the field, where I never heard all the crowd cheering, or what everyone else was doing around us."

"Only when back in the locker room with my jersey and pads off I could see a really big bruise had formed on my left side; which hurt like hell every time I tried to raise my arm or take a deep breath -- the pain was..., it was, bad! I should have gone to the hospital that night, but when the coach came around to shake my hand, I quickly covered it up with my jersey, never saying a thing about it; hell I could have had broken ribs. Which turned out that I did."

"Anyway, on Monday is when my high school life took a turn. I was still getting lots of high fives, nice game hellos as I walked through the halls. It felt good..., I thought maybe..., yeah, anyway maybe I had arrived."

Laughing at myself, for even thinking it; let alone, saying it.

"Any way..., that Monday, in that class Catherine, is where I learned something more about myself and Sally too. You see, we had been assigned a chapter to read over the weekend from a book we were using. Then incorporating something with in that chapter, into something of our own that related to or parallel something in the chapter."

"Now me, being the lazy student I was, didn't read the chapter we were assigned; my weekend celebrating with team mates being my excuse. But, as I'm sitting in that classroom, hoping the instructor, would be late; or better yet, out. But as I'm skipping through the chapter reading a paragraph here, another paragraph on another page and so on, not paying attention to who was coming into the room or where they were sitting."

"You see, this wasn't a typical class, kind of..., more free wheeling you might say, not structured like many classes usually are, which made for some interesting interactions within the class as well as with the instructor. Plus along with that, we never had assigned seating like in most of the other class rooms. But that day with me being so engrossed in what I was doing I didn't notice who was sitting down at the desk to my right until a female voice from there was saying, 'Hi Bob, You had great game Friday night." She was telling me.

"Not wanting to be interrupted, it was a few seconds before my look in that direction with the intent of just saying thank you. Which turned into a double take because guess who was sitting there looking back at me? Yeah..., it was Sally Collins! Answering my own question."

"That very girl who hadn't said two words to me from ninth grade till just then, Who had now just said eight words to me in one sentence. Where I managed to get out a polite, thank you, then right back to skipping through the pages of this chapter I was supposed to have already read. But right after telling her thank you, Sally asked if I had done the assignment? Telling her no, then asking her the same. Of course she had and about then, in comes our instructor and with just a quick look at him then back to Sally, shrugging my shoulders, hoping I would be invisible to him that day."

"From there it was listening to all the discussions going on around me, hoping to pick up some clues as to what it was all about, plus thinking with what I had quickly read and what I was hearing, it would save my ass if anything was directed towards me."

"But for some reason Sally kept whispering little side comments about what was being said, where I would turn to look at her either acknowledging what she was saying, or asking a question about what, or why she said what she said, or what someone else in the class was talking about."

"When, I, hear, 'Mister..., Swaggart..., and..., Miss Collins, you seem to be having a discussion apart from what the rest of this class is having, is that right?' I looked at Sally, then back at the instructor, 'Sorry sir..., I was.' Hoping to take the blame for Sally and me talking."

"Can I assume either you and or Miss Collins, must not have done the assignment..., am I correct in that assumption?' He asked.

"I didn't even bother looking at Sally where I was telling him, Yes sir..., it was me."

"Okay" he says, "Thank you Mister Swaggart for being honest with me," he says. "So tonight you will read the previous assigned chapter plus the next two chapters. Then write a paper on each chapter and hand them into me at tomorrows class!" He tells me.

"Then from my right I hear what sounded like a choked off laugh; it coming from Sally. Is followed by, 'And Miss Collins..., you will do the same two extra chapters Mister Swaggart will be doing.' With that, I turned my head away to hide my guilt at what just fell on Sally."

"So, here she was, miss always nose in the air, who had been quietly laughing at me, now got the same assignment I did. Who, was only trying to help me by whispering things between us before we got caught and now I was sure I would never hear a word from her ever again; especially whispered!"

Now it's hearing Catherine's suppressed giggle too.

"So when the class was dismissed, Sally was way ahead of me leaving the room. And me, I was trying to get out the door before she got to far away hoping I could apologize. But when I got out into the hall, Sally was already waiting for me with a hard punch into my shoulder getting my attention, where she says very snotty like, 'Thanks a hell of lot Swaggart!' she said, Where she turned on her heals and very stiffly walked away. An me, I was melting. Sally had talked to me in class, and now, six more words, plus she even touched me too; although it was only her hard punch to my shoulder."

More giggles from Catherine, along with her, "Served you right!" She says.

"Now home rooms were assigned by what ever names were pulled out of a fish bowl; our reasoning on how it was done. Where mine and Sally's just happened to be across the hall from each other, so our lockers were close by too but, on opposite sides of the hall. So taking my time getting back to mine where I could see Sally had just finished getting her things in, or out of hers, all the time with her back to the hall and of course, me. Where I was sure she didn't see me; or so I thought."

"But right after opening my locker and even before getting my things together I hear another very snotty; 'Make sure you do your fucking homework next time Swaggart!' Which had me turning to look back in time to see Sally trotting back down the hall leaving me thinking, Yeah I was right all along Collins, you really are a snotty bitch! I shouldn't have thought that, because she could melt my heart as well as break it!"

Catherine, hearing that last interrupts, "Sounds to me like, Catherine's finger quotes, "Split personality."

"Yeah..., Sally could be that ah..., go from sweet, melt your heart, to bitch in a heart beat. But that was the only time she was like that with me until much later. An me, I could never call her anything nasty." Telling Catherine.

"Now from there I was off to football practice, where Sally was off to her cheer leading practice. Where they used the side lines like they did during the games to practice their routines when the weather was better then it was that day."

"Us the football team, did walk troughs in the gym, the same place the girls were practicing except, the girls were at the opposite end of the gym. And me, with my side still pain full, was hoping I would get close enough to tell her what I thought of her. Which I did once and could have, but I didn't..., and I never would have anyway. But when she saw me looking at her, she quickly turned her back to me anyway."

"The next day was just like every other day until that class. So after putting the papers I had written on the instructors desk, I sat down at the same desk I had the previous day and waited. Where it was only a few minutes later when Sally came in and did the same, but this time she sat on the other side of the room like she always did before; about as far away from me as she could get; never looking at me once to see if I was there -- of course she had every right to be mad at me."

"When our instructor came in and sitting down at his desk where I watched as he pick up the papers and began reading through them. I couldn't tell which he read first, but on each one he wrote something."

"It wasn't until the rest of the class had settled in that the instructor stood up telling everyone, "This past weekend I assigned a chapter, expecting everyone to read it and be ready to discuss it during yesterdays class. One member of this class admitted he didn't, so he was assigned to read that chapter, plus the next two chapters, along with writing a paper on each one. I also told his accomplice who was trying to coach him to read last nights assignment plus the next two and write a paper on them too."

"But then.., he just stood there, holding the papers, one in each hand, lifting them up and down like he was testing their weight. Then he looks over to me, where I'm waiting to get slammed. But instead he says, 'Mister Swaggart, interesting thoughts..., we'll discuss them in today's class.' He says.

"But when turning to Sally, 'You Miss Collins.' As he looks hard at her, 'I haven't the slightest idea of what you were thinking. You rambled from one thing to another, never putting a coherent thought together. You should be grateful this will not count against your class grade.,' he was telling her."

"He..., had just slammed her! Where I was thinking, I bet no one had ever spoken to her as critical as he just had. And me..., I felt like a total shit! An vowed to myself, I would never put someone in such a embarrassing situation again. Or..., never put someone in a situation that I wouldn't want to be in myself." Looking at Catherine as I'm telling her this.

"So then Catherine, your secrets are safe with me." Who's slowly turning her head from side to side with nothing more than her sweet smile!

"But this too Catherine. Sally had written some really good stuff. His slamming her was his way of telling her, she's not as perfect as she may have thought she was."

"Catherine, I could see, even from where I was sitting how embarrassed she was. Where I really felt sorry for her, along with my guilt feeling because she was only trying to help me, but got slammed instead. Yeah, I felt like a real shit, knowing I should apologize to her; if she would even listen to me. So instead I wrote her a long note with my apology and got it passed over to her. Where I could see her reading it, but of course, our instructor who, liked to roam around the class room where he saw the note being passed -- waited for Sally to read it, then standing next to her desk asking for the note. I thought shit, instead of my shoulder getting punched, I'll be getting one in the mouth; if not lower."