For his part, Steve wasted no time catching up to Gwen as they left homeroom for their English class. Gwen felt a tingle of pride to have Steve walk her down the halls where the other students could see for themselves that the star quarterback was, indeed, walking with the class "braniac".Steve took a seat directly behind Gwen, who sat in the front row. Charlotte sat across from her in another front seat. Mark, Bev, and Barry came in together and sat nearby. Steve saw a very attractive, petite blonde girl enter and look around at the gathered students."You're Steve Hammer? Did you receive the required reading list for this class? If so, did you have time to read all four novels? Will you require any extra time to complete the assignment," quizzed the pretty girl."I'm on the last chapter of the fourth novel. I'll have them all read by tomorrow morning. Thanks for asking," replied Steve politely, but with some confusion. "How about you? Did you read all of them, or will you need more
"There's just one more thing, and then I'll let you go. I told you that I had the idea while reading the names of those in this year's senior class. The name that caused me to dare this folly was yours, Gwen. You practically have a lock on valedictorian. You want to be a surgeon. And lately, you've been garnering a great deal of publicity, all of it good, by the way. You're limited only by what you can imagine. I want you to be the chairperson for this year long fund raising project, and the sky is the limit. Work with Dave Kite, or at least be sure he is aware of your schedule and plans. He's done a marvelous job of developing a web presence for us. Let's use it to our marketing advantage. We'll try anything if it isn't illegal, or obviously immoral. This class will the very best this school has ever had!" predicted Ms. Walker to the enthusiastic seniors.Steve congratulated Gwen as everyone filed out of the auditorium. He then turned and headed for the locker room to prepare for foo
Amber Stahl, with the zeal of a young reporter, smelled a story and decided to hang around after the game. If she was noticed videoing the first dance by the homecoming queen and king, it wasn't mentioned. Half the crowd had their phone cameras pointed at the couple. She just had time to get her report back to the station in the state capital before the eleven o'clock news. It was a slow news night and the lady sports director quickly scanned the video to glean the highlights. Her curiosity aroused, she played more slowly the highlights that interested her. Then she called the news director over to view the video from Sparta."Ms. Walker, my YouTube videos had a real shot in the arm Friday night," revealed Dave Kite as he took his seat in homeroom. "Channel 4 carried highlights of our win over Crawford, the crowning of our homecoming Queen and King, and at least fifteen seconds of their first dance of the evening. Somehow they found out about our class YouTube account and mentioned it
"That's what we're going to discuss this evening, Kate. I think I may be able to help her efforts to raise money. I own a very successful dealership and we sponsor a lot of worthy causes.""Here comes my Dad, Mr. Governs. He probably has a few things to say to you. It was nice meeting you," added Kate more politely than she felt."Hello, Mort. You remember me? We met when you dated my oldest daughter, Lisa. I sort have developed a short speech I like to give young men that date my daughters. It helps clear the air and avoid any misunderstandings," asserted Ted. "Do not use alcohol or drugs at any time in my daughter's presence. Always drive and conduct yourself in a responsible manner or I will not allow my daughter to go out with you. Treat her with respect at all times."Gwen and Paula were putting the finishing touches on Gwen's hair when they heard Ted give his spiel. They looked at each other and smiled as they listened to Ted recite his rules. Gwen had far less concern than the
Gwen knew real fear as she looked at Mort's face and heard his intentions. She threw her door open and ran into the woods. She heard Mort curse and then the engine started. Headlights lit up the forest, forcing Gwen to flee farther into the night. She remained quiet until she was certain that she heard Mort drive away. She had the presence of mind to listen carefully so that she could determine the direction of the nearest highway. Gwen had her phone, but until she could establish her location, calling someone for help would only create unneeded worry for her family.Not one to whine, Gwen began walking in the general direction of the highway. Half an hour later, Gwen found herself on a county road. Having grown up in the area, she only had to walk a half mile or so along the road before she was able to identify her location. With a sigh, she used the speed dial on her phone."Charlotte, I need you to pick me up. I'm stranded on Henderson Road, about halfway between the river and the
"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier this evening when you were getting ready to go out with butt-head," pointed out Kate. "You weren't going to tell Steve about Mort if you could help it. I guess all women are liars and cheats and really want men to play with their "girls". That's probably exactly what Mort believes.""Besides," added Gwen, ignoring Kate's observation, "Dad punched Steve tonight when he saw my torn blouse and Steve standing there all angry. That's enough to keep Steve away forever.""Ha! I'll give you odds that Steve will be back as soon as you invite him. He'll even apologize to Dad for making him so upset that he felt he had to hit Steve. Did you see how Steve just rubbed his chin and looked at Dad? I don't think Dad will be popping him in the chops again anytime soon," chuckled Kate. "But it was great that Dad was willing to mix it up with Steve for his daughter's honor."Steve had no idea what to expect when he entered the homeroom the next morning. He h
Steve and Ms. Walker were seated when Gwen arrived. Steve immediately stood and helped Gwen with her chair while Ms. Walker smiled her approval. Gwen once again wore the amazing red dress that Lisa had loaned to her. Steve wore a sports jacket over a dark mock turtleneck that emphasized his broad shoulders and powerful chest.Ralph Smith addressed the group. "Folks, we're in for a real treat today. In case any of you've been living in a cave for the past couple of months, you need to know that our high school football team is undefeated, and much of the credit for that goes to this young man, Steve Hammer, team quarterback."Even more amazing, at least to many of us men, is the fact that Steve has teamed up with this truly beautiful young lady, Gwen Anderson, who happens to have the number one GPA in her class, to entertain and amaze people with their dance skills. If any of you haven't already done so, I encourage you to search for Dave Kite's YouTube page. That young man has done a
"Honey, every woman that sees that boy is a potential competitor, if you're intending to keep him as your boyfriend. If you're going to break up with him, it shouldn't matter. As far as Diane and I are concerned, we're older and married, and want to stay that way, so we'll limit ourselves to a few harmless actions and fantasies," laughed Paula. "But if you want to keep Steve, there isn't a girl or woman around that can steal him from you. I've seen the way he looks at you. He's yours if you want him.""Then why was he out with that long legged redhead?" asked Gwen. "Why do I feel totally out of control here?""I can tell you the answer to that second question, but you won't want to hear it, at least not yet," responded Paula. "Ask Steve about the redhead if you really want to know. It isn't rocket science, Gwen. It's called communication. You sometimes seem better versed in rocket science than in relationships."The football team continued to win. Steve managed to post very impressive