Personal note: As I said above, this was a really hard chapter for me to write, so please, please, please let me know what you think of it. I'd also like to know thoughts on the story in general. As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far, I look forward to hearing from all of you again and hopefully some new reviewers. THANKS :)
Chapter Four: The Veer
Wednesday morning, Kelly asked her friend, Cecile, to find out exactly how set on Sunshine Christi Sutton really was. To Kelly's knowledge, once Christi had her eye on something, she got it, and the thought that she had her eye on Ronnie turned Kelly's stomach. She had tried to talk herself into being rational about the whole situation the entire day previous. After all, what business did she have getting jealous over Sunshine? It wasn't as if they were dating or anything like that. Despite the logic of her argument with herself, it could not dissipate the possessive feeling she had where Sunshine was concerned.
At the end of her last period class, Kelly was greeted in the hallway by Cecile's frowning face. Without even asking, Kelly knew the information that Cecile was waiting to pass on to her. Christi wanted Sunshine.
"It doesn't mean that he'll want her as well, you know." Cecile said in an attempt to comfort her friend as the they walked down the road toward Kelly's house after school.
Kelly cast her a sideways glare, "Be realistic, Cecile. This is Christi, we're talking about here."
"What does she have that makes her so irresistible, huh?" Cecile asked.
"Do you want the short or long list?" Kelly countered.
Cecile felt herself chuckle, despite inappropriateness of it, "I think the short list will be sufficient."
Kelly sighed, "Blond hair, short skirts, and open legs."
At those words, Cecile let out a loud laugh. A car whizzed by them, the pulled to the side of the road ahead and came to a stop. Cecile stopped laughing, "Okay, I admit, strange cars stopping in front of me make me nervous."
"Just keep walking, and don't look at them." Kelly ordered as the two girls neared the car.
True to what Kelly said, neither girl so much as glanced over at the car as they passed it. "Oh, I see," came an all too familiar voice, "you're just gonna pass me by without so much as a 'hello'."
Kelly stopped in her tracks and turned with a smile spreading across her lips. He sat there grinning at her, with one eyebrow raised. "Hi, Petey." She said.
"Hey, there, baby doll." Petey said.
"When did you get a car?" She asked walking over to him and leaning down against the window.
"I wish!" Petey said, "It ain't mine. My father let me borrow it since he had the day off." Kelly nodded her understanding. "I don't think I've met your friend."
"Oh!" Kelly said. She grabbed Cecile by the arm and dragged her back to the car. "Petey, this is Cecile Warner. Cecile, this is Petey Jones."
They shook hands. "Pleased to meet you." Cecile said.
"Likewise." Petey said.
"Where are you going?" Kelly asked.
"A bunch of us are meeting over at Sunshine's place to help him with the Veer. He can't quite get the pitch right." Petey explained, "Why don't you two tag along? Gerry's already over there and ya'll can ride over with me."
Kelly looked to Cecile, "You want to?"
"Sure." Cecile said with a shrug.
The two girls climbed into the car and Petey steered them back onto the road. The ride to Sunshine's took about fifteen minutes, all through which Petey kept them entertained with stories of the team's experience at camp. When Kelly brought up how Sunshine had told her that he was the one responsible for the nickname, Petey couldn't help but laugh and exclaim that it was a moment of 'brilliance' on his behalf. Kelly felt her breath catch in her throat when Petey began to maneuver the car into a driveway. Why was she so nervous? She climbed out of the car and helped Cecile out of the back seat. They followed Petey up to the door and stood admiring the house as he rang the bell. The front door swung open revealing a tall, stern looking man with graying hair. Kelly assumed that this was Sunshine's father.
"Afternoon, Colonel Bass." Petey said.
"How are you, son?" Said the man.
"I'm good." Petey said, then gestured to the girls, "These are some friends, Kelly Bertier, Gerry's sister, and Cecile W-Warner." He seemed proud that he had remembered Cecile's last name.
"How do you do, sir?" Kelly said as Cecile just smiled.
"Very well, thank you, Ms. Bertier." He replied, "The boys are already practicing out back. You know the way, Petey." Petey lead them into the house. "It was a pleasure meeting the both of you." Colonel Bass said as they passed him.
They walked through a lovely living room and into a kitchen, then out the back door. The boys were in mid-play when they came out the door. Gerry and Blue were trying to shove each other in the opposite direction, Julius was down at the bottom of the yard, but coming up fast, and Alan was rushing toward Rev, who was looking to Sunshine, a very shirtless Sunshine. Sunshine danced around for a moment before pitching the ball about three yards to the left of Rev, who threw his arms out to the side in a questioning gesture.
Kelly fell lightly back against Cecile, who whispered in her ear, "Calm down, honey."
Kelly couldn't calm down. Sunshine was standing there, with his hands on his hips, and no freaking shirt! His lean, taught body glistened with sweat and Kelly was ashamed to admit that she suddenly envied the dishtowel that was tucked into his gym shorts.
"Come on, Sunshine!" Petey's voice mercifully snapped her out of her trance, "That was pitiful."
"Yeah, thanks. What took you so long to get here, Pete..." His eyes fell on Kelly, "Oh. Hey." He said and walked over to stand in front of her. She was standing on the patio, which actually raised her to eye level with him.
Kelly smiled and waved with her fingers.
"Hey, lil' sis." Julius said.
Gerry was by his side, "Hey, kids. What are you guys doing here?"
"Girls, Gerry." Cecile corrected.
"Petey invited us. He said you had to teach this slacker here how to throw a proper pitch." Kelly explained as she reached over and ruffled Sunshine's damp hair.
"Slacker?" Sunshine exclaimed.
"Uh-huh." Kelly nodded, then pointed to Cecile, "Guys, this is Cecile. Cecile, these are the guys." She went on, pointing out each one of her friends as she spoke, "That's Blue, Julius, you know Gerry and Alan. That's Rev, and this," she slung her arm around Sunshine's sweaty shoulders, "is Sunshine."
They all either said 'hi' or waved a hand. Cecile offered them all a warm smile and waved her own hand in greeting. Kelly walked away from Sunshine and plopped down in one of the cushioned chairs that sat beside the patio table. Cecile followed her lead and sat in one of the other deck chairs.
"All right, boys. Show me this veer that you say my little Sunshine is so pathetic at." Kelly laughed as Sunshine shot her a look.
She watched the play, and watched as Sunshine once again pitched the ball a mile from it's mark. "Sunshine!" She bellowed.
Sunshine braced his hands on his narrow hips and cast her another look. "Do you think that you can do better, Kel?"
"No, honey." Kelly said, shaking her head, "I'm a receiver. But, even I know that you have to see your man to get the ball to him."
"A receiver?" Sunshine laughed and cast a glance over at Gerry, who nodded his head in confirmation. He turned back to the petite strawberry. "All right then, come on, Kel-kel. Let's see whatcha got."
"Kel-kel?" Kelly asked, stepping off the patio.
Sunshine nodded, "That's right."
"Oh, now you've done it." Cecile chuckled.
"Okay, Goldie Locks," she smirked, "you're asking for it. Rev? Be my quarterback?"
"Sure." Rev said, jogging over to where Sunshine stood.
"Okay, before we go," Kelly asked, "this is full contact, right? None of that sissy two hand touch crap?"
"Baby doll, I will give you as much contact as you want."
"HEY!"
"I didn't mean that, Gerry!" Petey exclaimed quickly.
Rev called 'hike' and the play was set into motion and executed perfectly. Once the ball was in her hands, Sunshine watched as Kelly charged past Julius and then slipped right through Petey's hands, high kicking her way all the way to the end of the yard.
"And THAT, my boy, is how it is done!" She laughed.
"All right," Julius said, "we have an even number of people. I say we play some football."
"Should we go easy on the girl?" Blue asked.
"Man," Petey exclaimed, "did you have your eyes closed just then?"
Gerry laughed and swatted Blue in the shoulder, "I wouldn't recommend taking it easy on Kel. She won't take it easy on you."
"Yeah man," Julius added, throwing his arm around Kelly for a beat, "this little girl gives just as well as she gets!"
"And I bet she gives really good, too." A warm whisper breathed into her ear, sending a thrilling shiver down her spine. Sunshine cast her a cocky smirk as he brushed past her after the remark. She paused a moment to gather her wits. So, that was they way he wanted to play it? Well, she really could give just as well as she got and Sunshine was about to find that out.
"I got Sunshine." She said to Gerry.
"No," Gerry said, quickly, "I'll get Sunshine."
"No, you need to go after Petey, he's faster." Kelly said logically.
Julius watched the exchange, barely able to hold in his laughter.
"I really think Sunshine is too big for you to bring down." Gerry said.
Kelly glared at him and hissed, "He's mine." She narrowed her eyes in a way that Gerry had seen many times before and he knew that in her mind, the issue was closed.
The teens lined up across from each other Cecile cheered loudly for Kelly from the patio. The call sounded, the ball went into play, and Kelly charged her prey. It took less than a minute and Sunshine found himself on the flat of his back, the petite strawberry blonde on top of him. She smiled mischievously and batted those pretty eyes of hers with an innocence that he knew was false. He couldn't help but soak up the feeling of being between those toned legs as she wiggled slightly on his hips. She lowered herself so her mouth was practically against his ear and whispered, "Pretty Sunshine, I give even better than I get."
Quite pleased with herself, Kelly began to raise herself back up. Sunshine didn't falter, though. He caught her by the wrist and pulled her back just far enough so that their eyes locked. A smile curved on his pretty mouth as he said, "Oh, I don't doubt that."
Kelly felt her breath catch in her throat and didn't know what to say. She was frozen in place, which to Sunshine's pleasure, and Gerry's dismay, was still hovering over Sunshine, straddling his waist. They were staring straight into each other's eyes, neither blinking as if in fear that the slightest movement would break the trance. Somewhere in the distance, Gerry cleared his throat, bringing the both of them crashing back to reality.
Sunshine looked at his position as if for the first time and began struggling out from under his team captain's little sister. He wondered back and tried to remember what his thought process had been that kept him lying under her and making those comments. Simple. There had been no process. He was a man, at a rather hormonal age, who was attracted to a pretty girl that had a tendency to be very flirty with him. He was acting under base instincts. He could feel Gerry's hard stare baring down on him and focused all of his attention on the ground. Somehow, he got the impression that Gerry wouldn't accept the whole hormonal male theory.
Kelly slowly released a breath she was surprised to find she had been holding. Sunshine wouldn't look at her. In fact, it seemed the he had suddenly become fascinated by the grass. Julius sidled up to stand next to her.
"Nice sac, little Bertier. Looks like you had him just about where you wanted him, huh?" He said, a knowing smile on his handsome face.
"Whatever you're implying, Campell," Kelly gave him a meaningful look, "you shouldn't."
"Ooh," Julius sang, "I wander if old Sunshine knows what trouble he's getting himself into."
Kelly glared at him, "He's not in any trouble. Least not with me. I hear he has a date with Christi Sluton, I mean, Sutton."
"I don't care who he has a date, it ain't gonna change the way he looks at you every time he thinks there's no one lookin'. People see, though. People always see."
"What are you saying, Jules?" Kelly asked.
Julius cast a glance over at Gerry. Kelly followed his gaze and saw the way her brother's brow was furrowed, as narrowed, and lips stretched into a thin line. He was angry.
"Just that Superman is about ready to crack Pretty boy's neck." Julius said, "I'm gonna try to smooth that peacock's feathers now. I'll talk to ya later, sis."
Cecile stepped down from the patio and made her way to Kelly's side. "What was all that about?"
"What?" Kelly asked.
"What?" Cecile mocked her friend, "That whole clobber the cute quarterback and then molest him for a while thing."
"I wasn't molesting him!" Kelly hissed as quietly as she could manage.
"Oh, no?" Cecile said, "Honey, everyone here saw it."
"Who's side are you on, anyway, traitor?" Kelly demanded.
Cecile held her hands up in surrender, "Completely objective third party in this case. But, don't worry, when it comes down between you and Christi, I'm all you, baby."
Kelly tried not to laugh, "Well, that's good to know. At least you won't abandon me for the slutbag."
It didn't take Gerry long to drag Kelly and Cecile home after that. He ignored everything Julius said to him. Not wanting to hear how he needed to calm down and think about it all rationally or about how Kelly was a grown girl who was old enough to make her own decisions about the guys she wanted to date or not date. In Gerry's head, she was still ten years old and not able to make her own choices. She clearly couldn't see that Sunshine was all wrong for her, and it was his job as her big brother to protect her from getting hurt by that damned playboy.
After realizing that his efforts were fruitless, Julius relented and watched Gerry strong-arm Kelly and Cecile away. 'Somebody needs to knock some sense into that boy' he thought to himself. He heard the tires on Gerry's Camaro squeal as he pulled out of the driveway and turned back to the other's who had already resumed their practice. He cast a glance at Sunshine and could tell that he wasn't completely focused on what he was doing. His eyes had a sort glazed look to them, and Julius knew that he was thinking about what had just happened between him and Kelly.
The whole gang had witnessed the event, but after seeing the murderous look one Gerry's face, they had all been smart enough not to say anything about it. After Gerry left, they knew that it was the last thing that Sunshine needed to worry about, so they had all opted not to bring it up then, either. And, for once in his life, Petey had been able to keep his mouth closed. So, there was a God after all.