Run Ch. 07

Gail had stopped everything for a moment while her body was wracked with pleasure. It got harder to concentrate after the second climax, but she couldn't dally long. Sally was beginning to wonder if things were just over.

"I'm not done with you yet," Gail said in a raspy voice. She kept her eyes trained on the girl's face as she started stimulating the magic spot again, using three curled fingers to light up Sally's world. "I wanna make you cum hard," Gail said. "Can you do that for me?" Gail latched her lips onto the girl's clit and sucked softly.

Sally wondered if the guy who wrote the Star Spangled Banner had been jerking off at the time. Because Sally was most definitely seeing the rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air. She was cumming by the bucket onto Gail's hand.

"Damn, I didn't know you had that much stuff in you!" Gail chuckled as the last tremor rumbled through the girl's body. She crawled down and kissed Sally's exhausted mouth. 'She's such a sexy little thing,' Gail thought fondly.

Todd saw the way the two girls were interacting. Gail was much more tender with Sally than she had ever been with him . . . much more . . . loving? 'I wonder if maybe she's changing sides for good?' he thought. There was no bitterness or malice in his thoughts. He and Gail had been honest for a long time about their chances of staying together. And he had to admit that he like the way she looked, and more than just in an erotic sense. There was a caring there that looked good on her. He smiled.

"So, who's up for another round?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows outrageously. Hey, it had worked earlier.

Gail turned her head, glared, and tossed a discarded shoe at his head.

"Men!" she and Sally said together.

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Sunday evening . . .

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Pat was proud of her parents. It was something that she never thought she feel in her lifetime. They had made good on their promise to go out to a Special Olympics event, and they had surpassed her expectations. Her mother had been warm and charming. Her father had quickly thrown himself into organization and training issues. That was his element. But more importantly, he stopped and talked to all those athletes who had known his son and listened to their stories. He was finally seeing Buddy for what he had always been . . . someone worthy of pride and admiration.

It had almost been enough to take her mind off of her breakup with Keith. She shifted between anger and guilt and rage and . . . and just about any emotion you can think of. It was in this turmoil of emotion that her mother found her on the back porch of their posh estate.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Mary asked, sitting down.

"Got change?" Pat looked over her curled knees into the darkness.

"Hmm," Mary hummed, moving behind her daughter and smoothing out the girl's lengthening hair. "So this is either about us or about Keith. And seeing as you seemed happy out at the park, I'm going to guess 'Keith.' What's wrong?" In fact, her husband had informed her of everything he had overheard, some of which made her blood boil just a bit. But she was still earning a place in Pat's life, so she decided to let Pat tell her mother what she would.

"Keith broke up with me," Pat said, feeling silly for just saying it. "We . . . we knew things weren't perfect between us, but I thought we were going to at least be friends and TRY dating. Now . . . I don't even know if we're friends anymore." She told her mom about her argument she had with Keith, though she barely understood it.

"You thought you were going to get it right the first time? I was dating for many, many . . . many years before marrying your father."

"But . . . everything was so perfect. Then things weren't perfect but we talked and said we would try. Then he decided he didn't want to try. And I . . . "

"You feel like there must be something wrong with you, even though there's no rational reason to think so?"

"But there has to be! I'm a basket case! Why would he try so hard and then quit when . . . when he knew I was . . . available." Pat stopped. Should she tell her mother the WHOLE truth?

"Available?"

"Keith and I . . . had sex."

Mary smiled. She wasn't happy at all about the event. She was just happy that her daughter was willing to share something so personal. "I had a feeling. I won't say that I'm thrilled to hear it, but thank you for telling me. You don't think that's all he wanted, do you?"

"No! I mean, I'm sure that wasn't it. I think we just . . . we both had so many expectations and everything was so perfect . . ."

"It's hard to live up to perfection," Mary said, hugging her daughter. "I must say though . . . I liked him. He was honest, and you could tell he just wanted to take care of you. Then you didn't need him to take care of you and . . . and a big part of your relationship wasn't so big. Patrice . . ."

"Mom!"

"Sorry. 'Pat' . . . You're a formidable woman. When you're standing on your own two feet, you don't need a knight in shining armor. Maybe that made him feel . . . out of place. But regardless, don't turn away from him as a friend. You may have to be the bigger person and forgive him, but I think you'd regret it if you kicked him out of your life." She kissed the back of Pat's head. "I should know. I almost turned away from someone really important to me, and I can't imagine what that would have cost me." She got up and went towards the house.

"Thanks for the talk . . . Mom," Pat said softly.

Mary Baker felt warm. She wasn't read for the name "Mom" to be banished from her home, and Pat had brought it back.

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Monday afternoon at school . . .

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Pat walked into the cafeteria. Brazier's crew glared at her, but they looked back at their food when she met there gaze and when Benga showed up to walk in with her. They were the first to arrive of their crew.

"So . . . " Benga started.

Pat figured everyone knew about what had happened, so she just sighed. "It's okay," she said, leaning against the big Samoan.

"I . . . I . . ." Benga sat down across from her. He knew he had to say what he wanted to say before anyone else showed up.

Pat was confused. Her big friend was usually amongst the more composed people she knew.

"So, you and Keith aren't dating . . . at all?"

"Nope," she said. "I think I'm okay with that though."

"Good." Benga covered his face. He'd goofed.

"Good?" Pat said. Did Benga suddenly not like Keith? Or . . .

"I . . . said good because that meant . . . I could ask you to prom."

Pat looked stunned. Probably because she WAS stunned. She had been single less than twenty-four hours before . . . "Uhm . . . Prom? Benga . . . why?"

"I noticed you along time ago," the Samoan admitted. "As soon as I heard that you were with Keith, I was surprised but jealous. I mean, if you had ever gotten out of whatever bad mood you were in all those years . . . and I kicked myself for not being braver. But getting to know you . . . I actually began to understand myself." Benga blushed. "I'm sorry. This all happened wrong." He started to stand up and leave.

Pat grabbed his hand. "Don't," she said firmly but softly. "I . . . I just wasn't expecting this. And I'm not saying no," she said, "but . . . give me some time, okay? My head is still a bit of a mess."

Benga breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had the courage to say it that time. "I never would've said anything if you and Keith were even [i]kind of[/i] together. I like Keith but . . ."

"It's okay," Pat said. "Keith decided to break it off, so he's just going to have to live with my decisions." About then, she saw Keith wandering over, looking nervous. Benga clammed up and Pat looked her ex-boyfriend over. 'This is going to be easy,' she thought with a smile. 'I just can't hate him.' She moved her tray aside, giving him a place to sit. He smiled at her. He was DAMN cute anyway.

Lunch turned out to be easier than anticipated. One by one, the crew wandered in, happy that Keith and Pat were talking amiably. Pat noticed that Gail and Sally seemed to be much cozier than usual. 'I guess the whole bisexual thing is working for her,' Pat thought of her best friend. Art was flamboyant, Sally was shy but cute. Benga was quiet, but Pat was very much aware of him.

'Life goes on,' she thought. She smiled. 'Life goes on despite it all.'

After lunch, Keith pulled Pat aside for a moment. Pat noticed that Benga looked resolved. He would fight for her, even if Keith wanted her back. Pat smiled at him and rolled her eyes. He didn't have anything to worry about.

"Are we okay then?"

"Yeah," Pat responded. "We're okay. I . . . I really tried being angry with you. I still think some of your thinking was dumb. But I don't kid myself. You were real for me. You were real when you stood up for me and you were real at the hospital when I needed something to hold on to. That gets you the kind of points no one else gets."

Keith hugged her. "I don't know what I'm looking for. I really wanted it to be you and I can't imagine not being friends with you anymore."

"We may never know exactly why it didn't work," Pat said. "But maybe we don't need to. That's what living is I guess. It's something you keep doing regardless of obstacles." She kissed her friend on the cheek. "Benga asked me to go to the prom," she said. "I think I'm going to go with him."

Keith fought back a brief pang of jealousy.

"He never would have asked if we were together. He respects you too much. But we have a lot in common, so . . . I want to give it a shot."

Keith nodded. He didn't think it was going to come this soon . . . seeing his ex with another guy . . . but he shouldn't have been surprised by Benga. They were both warriors with dark pasts but promising futures. "He's a great guy," Keith said earnestly. "You probably don't want my blessing but . . ."

"Actually, I would. I don't need it, but I want you to be okay with it."

"I will be. Actually, even if you're 'with' Benga . . . why don't we all go together? Rent a limo . . . the whole nine yards?"

"I think that would be cool," Pat said. "I'll talk to Dad about ponying up for it. He's still feeling guilty, so I think I can manage him."

"Spoken like a true teenager," Keith laughed, shaking his head. "You've changed quite a bit." He looked out the window. "Welcome to the world Pat Baker," he said, waving one arm at the sunny scene outside. "It's been waiting for you."

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Eight months later . . .

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Pat and her friends were gathered at a coffee shop in the early evening near their old high school. They were biding their time before a "mutual appointment" and were getting caught up.

Pat was sitting in Benga's lap. The two had been "officially" dating since the prom, and things had gone pretty smoothly. They had even started taking a new martial art together. Pat tried hard to let Benga keep up.

Keith had his first semester at UCLA under his belt and had come home for Christmas. He looked happy. He had a girlfriend down in Los Angeles who was by all accounts a sweet girl who liked a man who treated her like a lady. Maybe that's what he'd been looking for all along . . . someone he could actually protect.

Gail and Todd had also broken up, which hadn't shocked anyone for obvious reasons. Todd had wound up going to college on the West coast while Gail had stayed in Springfield and roomed with Sally during college. The two girls, while not an item, were thick as thieves. Gail had helped Sally get the confidence to get out there and look for a permanent girlfriend, and the shy young brunette had hit the jackpot in the form of a slightly older girl named Janine. It was the same Janine who had been the salesgirl when Pat had gone lingerie shopping. They had met on an online dating service for lesbians and were still in the googly-doe-eyed phase of their relationship. Gail had looked around but hadn't found anyone that quite met her fancy. She was talking with Art, who was still a veritable man-whore about whether or not size really mattered. Gail wasn't too concerned, since she was leaning towards finding a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend. Her parents needed a shock to their systems anyway.

Pat sipped her coffee, enjoying some of her last moments of freedom. In January, she was entering the United States Naval Reserves. Her father had been flabbergasted but eventually consented. It would help pay for her college (not that she needed it with her parents offering to pay for everything), but she wanted to give something to her country. When she and her friends had gone road-tripping to Alaska, she and Gail had actually decided to go on a quick helicopter tour of one of the glacier areas. Everyone else had been terrified of the idea. Gail had been fascinated by the scenery. Pat had enjoyed the scenery, but was mostly fascinated by the helicopter. She had pestered the pilot with questions and, by the end of the flight, she had made up her mind. She wanted to be a chopper pilot. And she wanted to be a little different than her father and uncle, so she had signed on to try and become a Navy helicopter pilot. She would also be taking courses to prepare her for a life after the Reserves. She wanted to go to medical school and become a doctor. She understood the human body, so why not use that knowledge for good rather than breaking things? She and Benga had decided to stay together even though they wouldn't be able to see each other as often.

"What time is it?" Keith asked, looking around for a clock.

"Six-fifteen," Gail replied. "We've got thirty minutes before we'll need to leave."

"You kids are all dressed up real nice," the waitress said as she delivered another round of lattes. "What's the occasion?"

"We're going to a wedding," Pat replied, reaching for her wallet.

Even though it legally meant nothing, Dr. Martin and Lola were getting married. The two of them were so into each other that it almost boggled the mind. Carolyn had popped the question when they had gone to visit Lola's family that summer. Lola's parents had reservations. Lola had none. Carolyn had helped her pass her GEDs, making Lola a high-school graduate for all intents and purposes. The Hispanic beauty was off of her probation and had managed to get a couple of pieces of poetry into local magazines. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Carolyn had cried when she first saw her girlfriend's work in public print. The two women had insisted on inviting all the people who had showed up to defend them to a small, pre-Christmas ceremony. Even Pat's parents were going to be there. They had bought the couple a nice China set.

"Actually, I've got to go," Pat said, standing up. "There's something I wanted to do first."

"What?" Keith asked.

Benga was just nodding. "We can go with if you want," the big man said.

"I don't know. I don't want to drag you out into the cold and all."

"What?" Gail said.

"I'm going out to the field for a moment," Pat explained.

The crowd looked around at each other and then everyone stood up. They knew which field Pat meant. They paid their bills and drove out to the practice field where the local Special Olympics had their local events. Luckily, it was lit. Pat and her friends wandered over and saw that Mr. and Mrs. Baker, as well as Uncle Lyle and Tobias, were already there. They and Pat had been planning this for days.

"Are you ready?" her father asked, a faint smile on his lips. He shook Keith's hand, then waved at her other friends, all of whom were a bit confused.

"Ready when you are old man," Pat replied. "Uncle Lyle? Mom?"

"I'm wearing heels dear," her mother said. "I think I'll watch."

"I'm so going to regret this," Lyle said, taking off his jacket despite the cool night air.

"What's going on?" Sally asked.

Pat was looking at her father. "First annual Buddy Baker Memorial run. Only rules . . ."

Her father finished, ". . . you can only run if you have peace in your heart."

Keith looked at the ground, and then walked out onto the track. "What'cha waiting for?"

Soon, just about everyone except Mrs. Baker, Tobias and Sally were out on the track. Tobias reminded them that he was older than all of them combined (a slight exaggeration) and Sally was particularly sensitive to the cold. She wouldn't be cold long though. Her girlfriend was meeting her at the wedding.

Pat stood at the start line and looked at her friends and family.

"Buddy Baker loved to do this more than just about anything. That's why we're here. In some ways, all of this is because of him. He had an infectious spirit, and it helped bring us all together in one way or another." She looked down and experienced a moment of shame. "And this is where I almost died. But I had friends," she added, looking at Keith," who wouldn't let me. People who reminded me that I still have things worth living for." This time, she looked at her friends and family, one at a time. "I have no regrets. I miss my brother . . . anyone who knew him would. And this is what he would have wanted. People he cared about doing what he loved just for the sake of doing it."

One by one, everyone in the crowd stepped forward and gave a hug. Some were brief. Others, like Benga, Keith and her father . . . those meant something a little bit more. Then she looked over at her mother and nodded.

Mary Baker was so proud of her daughter when they met gazes. "Okay," she said loudly. "Everyone ready? Set! . . . Go!"

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The End . . .