As I drove the tree lined streets of this small southern town, I couldn't help but think about all the changes in my life. I was here seeking an apartment for the coming semester at the private university where I would be studying pre-med. Just a year before all my accommodations and every other need had been taken care of for me. Many needs that I could have only dreamed and fantasized about growing up in a small town.
I had been our small town's high school hero. Being blessed with a six foot two inch frame as a junior, I had set or broken almost every state record for quarterbacks. My senior year things only got better as we won the state title with ease and the offers from major universities for scholarships poured in. I selected one of the perennial powerhouses of the Northeast so I could be close to home. My father had passed away during the summer of my sophomore year and I wanted my Mom to attend as many games as possible. It also didn't hurt that one the of the largest boosters of the school had tempted me with his beautiful trophy wife with me on each of the three recruiting trips I made to the campus.
The athletic success I enjoyed had always brought great sexual satisfaction my way. Young high school hotties and bored housewives had been throwing themselves at me for quite some time. So as I entered my freshman year I was more than ready to handle myself, on the field and off. It was everything I hoped it would be and then some. The booster's wife was my reward after every victory. I loved it, she enjoyed it, but I think he got the most out of it. He would never watch or ask any questions just thank me for a great win and pat me on the back as she would lead me to their basement playroom. Those stories will come later.
A full year of glory came my way as I led our school, as a freshman, to a major bowl. The accolades of my future greatness were heralded in the press weekly. Trim was coming out of the woodwork to sample a piece of fame and glory. My athletic prowess on the field was matched equally by sexual prowess off. I was a six foot two inch fucking machine. I was good and I knew it.
The snap from center was the same as I had taken a million times before, the crowd was roaring as I sought my receiver deep across the middle. I stood poised, confident that I would deliver the game winning knockout punch. The last thing I remembered was hearing a voice screaming that sounded a lot like me. I learned later that I had been blind sided from a blitzing cornerback. Months later, when I reviewed the game film, my stomach churned as I watched the play unfold. The blow to my knee buckled it grotesquely on the film. It appeared as if I had no bone at all as the backs helmet drove from one side of my leg to the other. In that one fleeting moment, my days of glory were gone.
So here I am trying to escape a life of glory and dreams in exchange for a medical degree. I had transferred to this quiet community to escape the constant reminders of what might have been and the never ending questions about my return and future in a game that I had planned to last forever, but would never be again. Rutledge didn't even have a football team, I made sure of that as I sought my escape.
The beautiful campus was nestled on the slopes of the Smoky Mountains. It's pre-med program was one of the finest in North Carolina and for that matter anywhere on the East coast. Here I would find anonymity and peace to begin my life anew. Or so I hoped.
The gentleman had just turned from hammering the sign into his perfectly manicured yard as I passed. Apartment for Rent was all I needed to see to hit my brakes and backup and quickly turning into his drive. My sudden move brought a broad smile to his face as I hopped out of my car. He started toward me with an outstretched hand. "Damn, I didn't expect to cause a wreck in the first thirty seconds!" he exclaimed.
