Extracurricular Activity 1

This is my first story. It is intended for mature audiences only, or for immature audiences 18 or 21 years of age or older, depending on the laws where you live. Constructive criticisms are welcome, trolling is not. I fully understand that some situations described in the below story aren't exactly how things work in the real world. I ask that you suspend disbelief and try to enjoy yourself. Except where otherwise specified, all people, places and things are not meant to reflect anything in the real world. Special thanks to StangStar06 for his words of encouragement and Mikothebaby for taking time out of her busy schedule to edit my half-brained ideas and turning them into something readable.

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There are some who call me a quitter because of what I did. They say I was wrong to throw away my future, to waste my talent, to let down so many people, that I was a role model, and I let down my fans. What they really mean is that they're upset I didn't do what they wanted or expected of me. They wanted me to succeed because it meant something to them. Money, fame, connections, a chance to turn on the Super Bowl one day and say to someone "I know that guy." The bottom line is, I don't care what they think of me. The people who are important to me know why I did what I did and support me. They want me to be happy. It's why I love them. Everyone else can fuck off. Oh, but you're probably wondering what I did to piss off everyone. Simple. I quit playing football. Why? Read on.

Oh, but before we get into that, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Jerry King, a high school senior and star linebacker for the Piccolo High Panthers. I turned 18 just before school started, and had a full scholarship waiting for me at our big state college. Honestly, I like football, but it wasn't a life or death thing like some people around here make it out to be. However, it meant a free college education, and a chance at making millions in the pros, so I went with it.

There are times when you never see what's coming. People you thought you knew, people you thought cared about you hurt you in the worst possible way. Thing is, they don't see it that way. I'm not entirely sure if it's willful blindness, an attempt to spin the situation, or just good-old-fashioned stupidity, but they never claim to intend on disrupting your life. But they do. That was the case one Saturday night when I walked home from a party and found Coach Walker and my mom, naked and fucking in my father's hot tub.

Coach Walker played football at Penn State, for Paterno and Sandusky. He's been pretty quiet about that since the whole molestation thing broke last fall, but pedophiles or not, those guys knew how to coach linebackers. Coach was also the defensive coordinator for our team, so we spent a lot of time together. He always came off to me as a bit fake, a bit full of himself. Unfortunately, at the moment my mom was full of him too.

"What the hell? Mom, Coach, please tell me I'm not seeing what I'm seeing!

They turned around, shocked, and immediately separated to try and cover themselves. They both tried yelling to get my attention, but I held up a hand and told Coach he needed to leave.

"No, Jerry, we need to talk this out. Obviously you're upset, but we need to decide how we're going to handle this."

"Coach, this is an issue with my family. You have no place in it. We'll sort things out between us later."

At this point, Mom spoke up." Actually, Jerry, he does have a say in this. You see, Paul is your biological father."

Wow. Didn't see that one coming. What a night. First, the party at the lake gets rained out, then Jenna (my girlfriend of the past 5 years) gets sick so I take her home, then come home to find my mom cheating on my dad, only to find out that he's not really my father. Too much drama for one night. I need to get out of here. I ignored the two lovebirds, turned around, walked out of the house and drove back to Jenna's house.

Usually, in the case of teenagers dating, parents hate the boyfriend. Luckily, this wasn't the case with Jenna's parents. Dr. and Mrs. Knight had known me my whole life. Jenna and I had inexplicably become friends as small children, bypassing the whole "opposite sex has cooties" thing. When we hit middle school, started dating. We'd never been with anyone else, and, honestly, I never wanted to be. Jenna knew me better than almost anyone on the planet, and she is the most caring woman I know. In over 5 years of dating, we'd never had a fight, never broken up, never had to deal with any of the typical teenage drama hormone-driven bullshit. That's pretty amazing, considering our ages. Whenever we had dinner with her parents, they always commented that it was like having dinner with another married couple. It's always good to have a great relationship with your girlfriend's family. It was especially good now, because I needed someone to talk to and a place to spend the night.

The Knights let me in and allowed me to tell my story. They kindly allowed me to use their guest room for the night (They knew Jenna and I were intimate, but still wanted to separate us for propriety's sake. Besides, considering the night I'd had, I wasn't in the mood for sex anyway. How many times have you heard an 18 year-old boy say THAT?) Mrs. Knight called my mom and let her know where I was and that I'd be staying the night. Jenna came in as I was getting ready to (try to) go to sleep, and asked me what I was going to do about this.

"I have to tell my dad. He deserves to know the truth. I know you wouldn't do anything like this, but if you did I hope my friends cared enough to tell me the truth. And I'm quitting the team. I can't stand Coach anymore. I didn't like him that much earlier, but now I doubt I can stay in the same room without hurting him. You'll still love me if I'm not the star football player, right?"

"Baby, I love you no matter what you do. But quitting football will mean your college plans will have to change. But we'll talk about that tomorrow. Try and get some sleep. I love you."

"Goodnight. Love you too."

I woke up the next morning to the smell of Mrs. Knight's fresh baked cinnamon buns. No matter what happened the night before, today was off to a good start. Over coffee and breakfast, the Knights asked about my plans.

"I need to call Dad and tell him to come home, then tell him what happened. Once he knows, we'll work out what to do about the family. I'm not looking forward to that. He loves Mom with all his heart, so he's going to be devastated by this."

"Are you sure that's the way to go? If it will hurt him so much, maybe it is best to keep quiet," said Mrs. Knight.

"If Jenna caught your husband in bed with someone else, wouldn't you want her to tell you? Keeping quiet means condoning it, and I won't do that. "

Jenna piped in next "OK. What about Coach? You still plan on quitting the team?"

"No choice. I can't play for someone I don't respect. Plus, I'm still afraid I'll lose my temper around him."

"How about college?

" It doesn't matter to me if I play in college, but the football program is pretty big at State, and I'd rather not have my family's dilemma be fodder for opposing fans. That kind of thing ends up in the other team's student section anyway. So I'm done playing."

"Just like that? What about college? You'll get harassed by this at State if you don't play," pointed out Jenna.

"Guess I'll go somewhere else. You're going to Wesleyan, I've got an academic scholarship offer from them, and they have no football. Seems like a good fit to me."

Jenna beamed at the thought of us going to college together. State and Wesleyan were close enough that maintaining our relationship wasn't going to be a problem, but this simplified things significantly.

Dr. Knight asked next, "What about your teammates? Playoffs start next weekend. Won't you be letting them down?"

"Some will see it that way. Coach will definitely spin it like that. He does that whenever someone quits the team. But they know me, and they know I wouldn't do something like this without reason. Most of them do, anyway."

With that, breakfast was over, and it was time to face the music, and get on with the business of the destruction of my family. Make no mistake, that's what it was. My dad, much has he loved Mom, would never tolerate her cheating on him. I still wasn't looking forward to that discussion. I thanked the Knights for their hospitality, kissed Jenna goodbye, and headed toward home.

On the way, I called Dad.

"Son, where are you? Your mom said you guys had a fight and you stormed out on her!"

"We did, Dad. That's why I'm calling. We need to talk, face to face. When are you coming home?"

"I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. I decided to finish up early and come back ASAP when I heard about the fight. We will discuss this when I get there." He replied in a threatening tone.

"Yes, we will. See you tomorrow. Drive safe." I answered in a neutral tone, which I'm sure confused him. By the time I hung up, I was in the driveway. I locked up the car and entered the house, only to see Mom and Coach waiting for me.

"Jesus, Coach, don't you ever go home? It's bad enough you're stealing my dad's wife, you got to steal his house, too?"

"Jerry, we need to talk about last night."

"Later. I need a shower and a fresh change of clothes." I went to do just that. Dressed and refreshed, I went back downstairs for what I was sure would be a brain-numbing experience.

"Ok, Jerry, can we please talk this out now?"

"I'm not quite sure what there is to talk about, Mom. Also, I'm not quite sure why THAT ASSHOLE-" pointing to Coach, "is still here. What, did he spend the night or something?"

That got both of them flushed. Man, I can't even make a sarcastic remark without discovering something I didn't want to know. Coach started speaking.

"Look, Jerry, I'm sorry you found out like this. We never meant for anyone to know. It's just something your mom and I have been doing since we were in high school. It doesn't mean she doesn't love your dad. She just loves me a little too. It doesn't take anything away from you. If anything, you gain another father figure out of this. I love you like a son. I'm proud of the young man you are, on and off the field. Overreacting to this thing won't do anyone any good. Your Mom and Dad will be heartbroken. Your family will dissolve. Nothing good can come from this."

"Coach, one question. If you were so concerned about the well-being of my family, why were you having an affair with my mom in the first place? You could have assured my family's staying together if you had kept it in your pants."

Coach sighed, exasperated. "Jerry, like I said, it doesn't mean anything. It's just sex. Your mom doesn't want to divorce your dad. I don't want to divorce my wife. It's just like football, an extracurricular activity."

"He's right, son. I still love your father dearly, and I want our family to stay together. This doesn't affect my love for you or your father."

I could actually feel myself losing IQ points listening to this garbage. Time to end this charade.

"OK, let me make sure I understand this. This affair, which you say has been going on for years and produced a child, namely moi, is completely innocent and irrelevant to your marriages. It means nothing to you. You have no intention of being together in the long run."

"Yes, I'm glad you understa-"

"Then why not ask Dad or your wife about it in advance? If it's no big deal to you, why not let your spouses, whom you claim to love, know about this sooner? If they asked you not to do it, it would have been no big deal to go without each other, would it?"

This stunned them both into silence. Coach was beginning to look panicked. I continued, undeterred. "Could it be that you both knew they'd never agree to let you be lovers, but you wanted each other so much you decided the risk of losing your marriages was worth it? Were you arrogant enough to believe you'd never get caught? Coach, you tell us every week to never underestimate an opponent. Why did you believe your families were that stupid?"

They both looked down in shame. They stayed silent.

"I can't believe this. I'm disappointed in you both, and I expected better from you." The irony of a teenager giving this speech to two grown adults, one of whom was his mother, was not lost on me. "You both stood before your friends and family, vowing to love honor, respect, and forsake all others for the person you married, and you both broke those promises completely, and try to tell me that it's meaningless? What has any meaning if not our honor? I'm sorry, but I've lost all respect for you."

"What does it matter?" sneered Coach. "You've got no proof. All you have is your word. No one will believe what you say. They'll think you and your mom are fighting, and made up a rumor to hurt her. And I'd hate to have to tell the coaching staff at State that you've been slandering your own mother out of vindictiveness. May make them think twice about that full ride. Maybe it's best if you keep your little mouth shut, and let us get on with our lives."

Wow, I thought. I knew Coach could be vindictive, but I never thought he'd resort to blackmail. Should have expected the worst from him, finding out about his affair, but whatever. I was no longer planning on playing in college anyway, but better for him not to know yet. No sense in letting him come up with a new plan I can't counter.

"My dad trusts me. He'll believe me when I tell him what happened."

"Over your mother? Guess we'll find out. You may want to start filling out some more college applications."

Time to try out my acting skills. " OK, you win. Just don't call State, OK?" I would let State know myself, when the time was right.

Mom smirked. "I'm glad we could resolve this, honey. Paul, Maybe you should head home. Give us some mother-son time."

Coach left, and Mom turned to me. "I'm sorry for all this, but I can't lose your father. Despite what you saw, I love him, and you too. I jut couldn't let you destroy our family."

I steamed. Me, destroy the family? What, nothing YOU did had anything to do with it? No, keep cool, don't call the play until the defense is set. Play along for now. "I'll keep quiet, but for my sake, not yours. I still have no respect for you now, and now I hate you for letting your boyfriend blackmail me into silence. Don't expect my forgiveness or love anytime soon."

Mom looked genuinely hurt at this. I took the opportunity to leave before I lost control of myself. I was confident that Dad would believe me, but if he didn't, I was screwed. Upon retrospect, I wish I had thought to secretly record our conversation, so I had some proof. Oh well, live and learn, I guess. I went to my room, and saw I got a text from Jenna. That brought a smile to my face. What would I do without that woman? Hopefully, I'll never have to find out. I called her back, and arranged for us to have lunch together. I left without telling mom where I was. Lunch was delicious, and Jenna and I had a long conversation about the whole situation. I told her my plans, and she offered her help in any way she could. In fact, she offered me assistance that would prove invaluable. God, I love that girl!

The next day began early for me. Dad was due back when I was still in school, so we wouldn't have that conversation until that afternoon. School went as well as could be expected, with everyone hyped up about the playoff game on Friday. I got a lot of wishes for good luck from students, teachers, even the janitor. Boy, would these folks be surprised.

After school, it was time to shake things up a bit. While the team was dressing for practice, I made a phone call I was dreading. I called the staff at State and told them I wasn't planning on playing in college, nor would I be attending State in the fall. They were surprised and upset, but when I explained why, they were sympathetic and wished me luck. I also wished them luck in the coming season and thanked them for handling this as well as they did. Then it came time for the big showdown.

The team had finished warm-ups and was huddled around coach, all on one knee. Coach was giving a big inspirational speech when he heard me approach from behind. He turned around, shocked to see me still in street clothes. Come to think of it, so was everyone else. He ordered me to get dressed and ready for practice, but I waved him off and approached the huddle.

"Coach, I thought about it, and decided I need to quit the team. I can't play for someone I don't respect, and I don't respect you anymore." Then, I handed him my jerseys, and turned and walked away.

Coach looked shell-shocked. He never thought I would quit, not the week of playoffs, not with a full ride waiting for me in Division I.

Evan Turner (no relation to the 76ers guard), our starting quarterback and best offensive player, left the huddle and jogged after me. "Jerry, what the hell? You can't just quit! You're our best player, and only shot at winning the title. What's all this about?"

I just turned to him and said "Coach did something that really pissed me off, and I can't bring myself to play for him anymore. It's hard right now to resist knocking his ass out."

Almost by providence, as soon as I said that, I felt a blow to the back of my head, and the world went black.

I woke up in the hospital. They told me I had a concussion, and Coach Walker had been arrested for assault. The entire team told the cops that he'd attacked me with my back turned, screaming that he'd kill my ungrateful ass, and no way would I cost him a state title. Evan and the offensive line had pulled Coach off of my unconscious body, while the school principal and superintendent, who had just arrived to watch practice, called 911. Coach's career was done. That part I hadn't planned, but a little headache was worth the hell that jerk would get.

Mom and Dad were in my hospital room, along with a police officer. The officer wanted to know my side of the attack. Neither my teammates nor my Dad knew what had happened between Coach and I, Coach refused to answer questions, and Mom had pleaded ignorance. Therefore, the only person with a knowledge for motive would be me. I asked the officer if I could speak to him privately, but my Dad insisted he be there to learn what I knew. Mom also insisted on staying, shooting me an angry look, hoping to intimidate me into silence. I shrugged, and told the officer my story. Dad looked skeptical, and Mom chirped up with "Honey, I think maybe you got hit harder than you thought. You know I'd never cheat on your father. You just had a bad dream, and the injury is messing with your memory. Officer, maybe you should question him again later, when he's had a chance to recover. "

"Wow. That's academy-award quality acting right there." came a voice from the door. It was Jenna! She approached my bed. "My dad called me and told me what happened, I got here as quickly as I could. How are you feeling?"

"Groggy, but better now that you're here."

"Hold on, Jenna" interjected Dad, "What did you mean when you said my wife was acting?" He looked furious that Jenna would accuse Mom of lying.

"Just what I said, sir. Jerry's statement was accurate. It's exactly what he told my parents and I on Saturday night. What's more, I can prove it."

"How?" asked Mom, Dad, and the officer simultaneously. They then looked at each other awkwardly.

I spoke up. "On Sunday morning I went home, only to find Mom and Coach still there, as I said. I found out later, Jenna had come over to lend me moral support, but heard the arguing from outside the house. She found an open window, and recorded nearly the entire confrontation on her iPhone. She shared the video with me and her parents, in case we needed backups. Officer, on that video you will hear Mom and Coach threatening to blackmail me into silence about their affair."