seventeen
chapter four lesson one. part one.
I woke up suddenly, the dream had struck again. The car crash. My parents. My stomach felt like it was lifting into my throat. I jumped up in my footy shorts and rushed to the bathroom. Lifting the top quickly before losing my dinner into the bottom of the bowl. Coughing. My head spinning. Once I had thrown up I fell back, leaning against the wall. A tear in my eye. It slid down my cheek, the pain of my parents death had made me physically sick. I sat against the wall weeping softly, trying to resist it. But I couldn't. They were gone for ever. I had never felt so alone.
xxx
I walked into the kitchen on the Monday morning. I'd been at the Miller's place for a week and a half now and had begun to feel comfortable with those home-related things like taking from the fridge and putting your feet on the couch. As I walked in with dark jeans, my white puma leisure shoes and a fitted white Industrie t-shirt. I thought about today, the first day at Wesley College. Jack stood at the other end of the bench in the middle of the kitchen in a power suit and tie. I knew he was successful with his real estate company, but this was the first morning I had seen him in a suit, going to work. I guess he had taken a couple weeks off for the summer.
"How you doing kid?" Jack gave me a sympathetic look. He knew I had been struggling the last couple days. Football and Cal were great distractions from it. But I couldn't escape the sickening feeling. Jack read me like a book. I hadn't seen Elissa since they watched Friday's practice, but it felt like a good thing. When ever I thought about her I thought about Ryan, her ex-boyfriend. He was now playing AFL and I had to compete with that. There was no way I had a chance, I would struggle enough playing with his number.
"Yeah okay. So back to selling the sea-side mansions eh?" Jack smiled, handing me a bagel.
"Yep. First a meeting with the council to argue why we can't build above nine metres on the shoreline. Then the building and zoning commission wants to discuss something else blah blah blah" I couldn't help but smile. Jack seemed like such a laid back guy, but he had obviously done so well for himself. "So first day at Wesley. How's training? Watkins tells me he sees you in the guts already?"
I didn't expect Jack and the coach to have such a close relationship. But he did know all those things about me at the first training, so maybe he is mates with Jack. "It's just great to be at a club that takes footy so seriously." I took a bite of my bagel as Cal walked in.
"With Marshy feeding me and you clearances all year, and Jezz at centre half forward. We have the cup covered mate" Cal laughed and took a half of his father's bagel. Jack grabbed him playfully and they messed around as usual. This made me think of my Dad, and our relationship. As I did that feeling hit me in the guts again. I thought about early in the morning as I was sick in the bathroom. My head felt dizzy for a moment, before Claire walked into the room.
"You okay Jesse? You look a little light headed" She walked in with business attire on. Looking classy and professional.
"I'm okay. Thanks" I smiled, trying to hide my discomfort.
"What time you end up getting in last night?" Jack asked Claire. She worked for a local marketing firm. I'd also noticed lately she'd come home from the office late, we'd end up ordering take out from thai or something.
"Almost midnight." She gave him a tired look, and they kissed quickly. Cal opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of juice. The Miller's fridge was like isle six of the supermarket, full of almost every beverage possible.
"For the road bro. We're late as usual. Let's bail" Cal kissed Claire goodbye and gave Jack a playful punch. As I picked up my shoulder bag and followed Cal, saying goodbye to Jack and Claire. We walked out the large white front doors, checkered with small windows, the outside a small white brick path guarded with green ferns to Cal's black Silverado in the driveway. I threw my bag in the tray and jumped in the passanger side.
"So how are things going with you and Elissa? I mean you guys seemed to be hitting it off at training Monday but since then nothing?" I picked up Cal's CD case and searched through, pretending to play down his question. When he asked I thought about Ryan, Elissa. I couldn't help it so I splurted it out.
"Maybe she just likes the number on the back of my jumper?" I thought about Coach Watkins giving me Ryan Schwasses old number. The guy who graduated to be drafted by Richmond for this season.
"Ryan? Oh come on man. They broke up 3 months ago. She's been talking to you that has to mean something?" He had a fair point. Elissa had shown slight interest. And she was drop dead gorgeous. I found Stereophonics and slotted it in the CD player, just before the opening track blared.
"I guess we'll see today" Then the music started before Cal could reply. He started the car and we headed out of the driveway towards school.
xxx
Cal pulled into the student parking which was now a lot fuller than the past week when we had been going to football training. I never realised how many students actually went to Wesley. As we pulled in to the parking bay, I jumped out and grabbed my bag, looking around at the hundreds of students walking into the buildings. Checking my watch, it read 8:55am. Class started in five minutes. I remember being here a week ago for a meeting with the Principal with Jack before training to pick up my timetable. First up was VCE English. I was still getting used to the words VCE instead of TEE. Meant the same thing in Victoria I guess, University bound. My grades were okay in 11th grade, mostly B's. I had 5 VCE classes then the football team was given a physical eduation elective to hit the gym once a day, which I never had at my old school. We had to select something stupid like Interactive Media or some other non-VCE subject. I felt so professional having a compulsary work out session every afternoon. Along with English, Math, Economics, History and Human Biology.
"What you got first bro?" Cal grabbed the timetable out of my hand. He read it quickly and tossed it back. "All we have together is Math and our gym session. That sucks. but i'll show you the room okay" I felt a little anxious about having classes without Cal. But I had gotten to know a lot of the footy guys after a week of practice so I hoped I'd have some classes with Marshy and the boys.
We walked into the school and I felt a few eyes burning on me. Was it that obvious I was new to the school? I adjusted my sandy brown hair a little, then suddenly two girls looking a year or two younger approached us.
"Hey you're Jesse right? We watched you train the other day. You look really good." The girls giggled a little as Cal and I continued past them.
"Uh. Thanks" I turned to Cal with a completely shocked look on my face.
"You're a celebrity mate and you haven't even played a game yet. You'll be signing autographs by the end of pre-season in a month mate." Cal gave me a slight bump and we continued down the hall. Cal lead me up the stairs to my locker where I threw a couple of my books for later classes. Then just down the hall was my English class.
"I'm just in here dude. Physics. Anyway about third door on the right. 209."
"Thanks. I'll catch you at lunch?" We gave each other our little football five-hand shake thing. I wasn't sure how to describe it really. I guess it's a guy thing. Then I wandered down the hall and walked into the classroom. To my complete shock there sat Elissa in the back corner of the room, she looked up from her desk and signalled me to sit in the spare chair next to her. I copped a couple stares from people in the class, knowing I was new. I pushed my slightly styled messy fringe to one side as the back was crafted by wax in a random way and placed my bag softly on the desk and sat next to Elissa. She was wearing dark jeans, a grey fitted designer t-shirt with short sleeves and a black scarf. As usual she looked stunning, her smell was amazing. Her hair the usual crafted random waves accross her well defined fatial features and dark hazel eyes.
"Looks like I found my English buddy for the semester" She gave me a cute smile. I adored it, but I was trying hard to keep it cool and not appear too keen. So I just smiled back, not too sure what to say back.
"You're so broody aren't you Baker. The strong silent type." I couldn't help but laugh softly. Only Coach Watkins called me Baker. But the way her husky feminine voice spoke it, it sounded so hot.
"I don't know about that" I looked around and caught half the class looking at me. Was it because I was the new guy. Because I was talking to Elissa? I wasn't sure. But it was unsettling to say the least. Burning eyes judging my every move. I just wanted to come in and slip under the radar. At that point the teacher walked into the room. He appeared to be only about 25 years old, olive skin, smooth looking kind of guy. He walked in with a cup of take away coffee, the label on the cup read 'Wesley Student Teacher Lounge". They had a lounge? With proper coffee? This school was unreal.
"Well peoples. I'm sure you're summer's were all full of fun and faunication, but it's time to jump into some mind boggling texts and films for your final year of school. Now tell me you don't get a little excited about this?" He lifted the cover of a DVD. 'American Beauty'. "Now I know you've probably all seen it, thought it was a little strange or just plain stupid. But I figured with some juxtapositioning and intence audio and video digesting we can all learn to love it" He laughed to himself with the sarcasm in his tone. He seemed to have a smooth charisma about him, I turned to see Elissa smiling at his attitude too.
"Now to those who don't know me. I'm Mr Jacobson. But Mr. Jay is fine and shorter to say. I'm guessing we all know this except our new footy star in the back corner Mr. Baker I believe?" Elissa turned and laughed at me, as I was completely shocked I was singled out. The class turned to me and I had no idea what to say. "Ms. Walsh I assume you're looking after our star? Spoke to Watkins this morning, he seems pretty excited to see you play" I still had no idea what to say. With eyes burning into me and Elissa shoving me playfully I sat back, feeling embarrassed.
"Thanks", Is all I could get out.
"Well. I don't care if you rack up 30 touches a game on Sundays. In here I want some in depth writing and thinking" He laughed it off and continued talking about the semester as he handed out unit outlines. Assignment dates and other information. I was still embarassed by the attention i'd received. I'd obviously made an impression on the coach which made me feel good, but the attention from everyone else was strange, uneasy.
"Well you've got some big expectations now Baker. Don't blow it." Elissa spoke cheekily before looking into her unit outline.
"Are you talking about Mr Jacobson or my jumper number?" I looked at her with a serious expression on my face. Suddenly her smile turned sombre, like someone hit her with her first ever discomforting thought. I don't really know why I said it, and I wasn't sure whether it would make things better or worse between myself and Elissa. But it was honest truth. we stared at each other for a few moments, before I turned into my unit outline, I knew I had upset her a little. It was like our short-lived relationship hit it's first serious turn. I was curious to see how she would react. Maybe I shouldn't of tested it. Who knows.
xxx
I walked through the clubrooms towards our changing rooms, the large clock on the wall read 4:55pm. I thought a lot about what I said to Elissa in first period that morning. The comment about my jumper number and realised maybe I should of kept my mouth shut. She ddin't say a word to be after that and I didn't see her for the rest of the day. Cal followed me in as other players filed towards their respective lockers. I looked hard at the number 7 in white paint beaming from the black locker.
"It's just a number Jesse. Make it your own" I turned and Cal was smiling back at me whilst putting on his inverse white training jumper. He was right, I had no reason to be intimidated by Ryan Schwass. The guy was out of the picture. As Cal patted me on the back I gave him a reassuring smile. I told him what happened between Elissa and I in English during our gym workout in 4th period. As I sat on the wooden bench and tied up my white puma boots with the black reverse kick, Coach Watkins gave us his warm up speech.
"Okay fella's. We got our first pre-season game coming up this Sunday against Port Melbourne here on our turf. Now we know they were an average side last year but let's not become complacent. We have some young 16 year old guys in the senior side now, and anything can happen in a new year. So we'll be keen to get on top early and ensure we send a message to Xavier that we're here to play this season." As the coach spoke about Sunday's game, Marshy leant over from his number 8 locker.
"Hey guys. We'll be celebrating the win at my beach house this Sunday" he whispered ensuring the coach didn't hear him. Cal got excited as usual and all I could think about was the game now. I thought about Mr. Jacobson and Jack giving me wraps about my game before I had even played. The pressure began to build up, as Coach wrapped up his talk the guys headed out for Monday's killer running session.
xxx
The first week of school had passed. Plenty of home work, but it was okay. Claire was still coming home late from the office. We had eaten plenty of take-away Thai food and Cal and Marshy had gone on and on about who the boys would attempt to conquer at the post-game party. I had done well to distract myself from my parents a lot this week. I'd also done well to piss off Elissa by the looks of it, we hadn't really spoken all week. In English she sat with another girl, and besides the odd awkward eye contact I think I had officially fucked it up big time.
I put on my pre-game black Wesley athletic pants and the white pre-game collard shirt. The black gatecrasher lyon on the chest. Collar up. White leisure Puma shoes. Nerves began to settle in before I even left the pool house as Cal wandered in with his white pre-game collard shirt and black athletics also on.
"Ready to cream those Port Melbourne pansys?" He jumped off my bed and simulated a high flying mark. Before landing infront of the CD player and switching it on. My acoustic mix came on I played when Cal wasn't around, immediatly he opened the tray and replaced it for some Basement Jaxx. The beats hit me metaphorically in the chest, it did amp me a little. Whilst also amplifying the nerves. I checked the clock, 12:22am. The game started at 2:10pm and coach wanted us there 90 minutes early for warm ups and tapings. I wandered into the bathroom and put some products in my sports bag, along with adding some wax to my styled messy hair. I stopped for a moment and looked at my white Wesley Football Club collard short, fitted, I felt apart of a team for once. I couldn't help but smile.
"Come on what are you doing Coach Watkins will kick our ass if we're late. Let's go" I threw my sports bag filled with boots, towel, products and sports tape and followed Cal out of the pool house towards his truck. Jack and Claire would come down at 2pm to watch the game.
xxx
I sat on the medical bench in the changeroom as the assistant medical staff member began taping up my right wrist. It had been weak since breaking it a couple years back, and I had it taped for every game for precaution. As a couple other players got calf warm ups and muscle stimulations from the medico's, Coach Watkins spoke about small goals from the game and how we must isolate Jezz at centre half forward. He was pretty calm for a pre-game talk. But it was only pre-season. We were ten minutes from starting when I realised I had left my mouthguard in Cal's truck.
"Sorry coach let me grab my mouthguard from Cal's truck". I jumped up once the medico finished my wrist and grabbed the keys from Cal.
"Make it quick Baker" I jogged out of the changerooms in barefoot, my black warm up pants and my black home jumper. Out through the clubrooms through the hall and out into the carpark. I unlocked the door before arriving with the remote. Opening the passenger side I grabbed the case when suddenly I noticed a car pull up just next to Cal's. It was Chelsea's BMW. I waited as Elissa slowly opened the passanger door seeing me just next to her. She was looking gorgeous in dark jeans, white thongs, and a white fitted Ralph Lauren female polo shirt. She looked down, biting her lip, so I broke the silence.
"Look. I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it" I felt strange wearing the number seven on my back at that point in time.
"It's okay..." I cut her off.
"No it's not. Look I've just had pressure from the coach and Jack and... I didn't mean to take it out on you," Chelsea sat in the car as if trying not to interrupt. Elissa didn't look like she knew what to say, so instead she just gave me a half hearted smile and grabbed her black bag from the car. "Look I have to go but, can we talk at Marhsy's?" She nodded softly. Unconvincingly. I wasn't sure how to take it but she was here and I had a game to play. So I smiled back and locked the car before jogging back towards the change room. Jesus she looked amazing.
I jogged back into the room, and quickly threw on my black Wesley football socks and my white puma boots. Then as guys began jogging out I threw off my black training pants with my black home ground shorts underneath, threw them in my locker and followed the guys out onto the ground. As we jogged out, me trailing towards the back end and captains' Marshy, Jezz and Cal out in front I suddenly realised how many people supported the team. The stands half filled with a couple hundred supporters for a pre-season game. Incredible. We went through our warm up routine on the wing, and I spotted Chelsea who gave me a reassuring smile and wave. I didn't catch Elissa at that point. The first siren blew and we gathered in on the wing and Coach Watkins addressed us for the last time before the game.
"Okay we'll start with Marshy in the ruck, Cal, Joffa and Baker in the guts..." He'd thrown me in the centre for my first game at the club. This was huge, and the nerves began to hit as he pumped up the team. Marshy pulled the group together and we yelled, firing each other up for a meaningless pre-season game to apparant lacklustre Port Melbourne.
Marshy, Cal, Joffa and I grouped in the middle of the ground discussing our clearance moves and ruck taps. Looking at the opposing ruckman I was confident Marshy would win the majority today, and we should get first use. We set up and I sat behind Marshy, the siren blew and butterflies hit my stomach. A stocky looking guy in their blue and red jumpers stood next to me, giving me the complimentary early bumps and niggles to try and get you off game. But I was focused. Marshy won the tap convincingly down Cal's throat, who busted through one tackle and gave accross to Mark who had run in fron a wing. I saw an opporutnity and bolted forward of the pack, Mark caught my move and dished a 20m handball over the congestion, I had five metres on my man and the ball landed perfectly in my hands, 70 metres out I searched for a lead from our forwards but they were covered. So I put the after burners on and accelarated away, 65, 60, 55, 50 metres and bang I threw it on the left foot. The connection felt great as I watched the ball sail through post high for a goal. I threw the one arm up in celebration as Cal, Marshy and a couple others embraced my efforts and jumped on me. The crowd yelling and cheering, It was the perfect start for the season.
xxx
I looked up at the scoreboard. Wesley read 21.10 136 to Visitors 9.8 62. We had been giving them an absolute bathing. I played majority of the game in the middle, rotating with the other engine room players. I was happy with what I had done, must of had about 25 touches and managed two goals in the process. Marshy was having the game of his life in the ruck and Cal was killing the clearances. I found myself free from my man again on the wing. Our fitness work had paid dividends as we ran the game home hard. 19 minutes on the clock, only about 10 more would remain for the match. I accepted the pass from the backline after breaking away. I used my right foot lazily and it floated to Jezz at centre half forward, 70 metres out. I thought i'd push again and accepted the handball back from Jezz. I had gotten away from my man, but faced their backman streaming at me. I baulked to the right and swung onto my preffered left foot and nailed my third goal from about 40m out close to the boundary. We began celebtrating with cocky laughs and high fives, then as I turned to celebrate with Jezz when a Port Melbourne opponent pelted me in the face with a swinging forearm. I flew back and hit the deck hard. I heard the crowd yell. Pain hit the bottom area of my face, my mouth quickly filling with blood. My head leaning on the grass I noticed team mates running to attack the player responsible. A mellee broke out on my behalf with pushing, shoving and jumper punching. I spat a mouthfull of my own blood on the turf. I lifted myself slowly up, feeling very groggy as the trainers approached.
I pushed them away but the umpire had sent me off as blood was on the front of my jumper and I was still spitting it from my mouth. I felt a cut on my bottom lip open up. The fight slowly broke up, with several Wesley players standing over the top of Port Melbourne players. I spat some more as I jogged towards the boundary line, in front of the bench and Wesley College grandstand. The coach pulled me away to the side after sending on a replacement.
"How you doing Baker? You alright? Damn that dirty little Port Melbourne shit!"
"I'm okay Coach." I spat more blood into the turf as the medical trainer examined my face.
"Just a cut lip and maybe some concussion Coach" The trainer handed me a water bottle, and washed the blood away from my lip before temporarily covering it with a small stopper. I spat again, the blood stopped flowing now, and I turned to see Elissa starring back at me in the second row. She had a shocked look on her face, but I gave her an innocent look of reassurance to let her know I was okay. She replied with a smile which felt a lot better.
"Throw a jumper on Baker. You've done plenty today. Great effort kid you killed it out there." The Coach threw me a pre-game jacket and gave me a reassuring smile. I pulled it over my head and went to sit by the other three players on the bench".
xxx