Wrestling Against Myself (55 page)

“I'm not joking. I didn't plan on it, it kind of just happened.”

“You didn't plan on it?” Carl was flabbergasted. “How do you not plan on making someone your girlfriend? It's not like you picked up 2 percent milk instead of whole milk, there's actual thought that goes into making someone your girlfriend. Especially someone like her.”

“I didn't realize I developed feelings for her like and it just came to my awareness.”

“This is huge,” Tracy said. “Bigger than huge. This is otherworldly. How could you let this happen?”

“I didn't let it happen, it happened. I know you made a pact not to get into a serious relationship in high school, but I didn't think I could let this pass.”

“I don't think you did any thinking at all,” Carl said. “There's never been as big a scandal at this school as this is going to be.”

“What scandal?” Tony was confused at his friend's reluctance.

At that moment Courtney joined the table and everything got quiet. “Hi guys,” the girl said, her voice lacked the hesitancy she often vocalized. She sat next to Tony, noticing the two people across from her watched carefully. “Did I miss anything?”

It looked as if Carl was trying to swallow his tongue to keep from having another outburst.

“Nothing much,” Tracy said. “You know, talking about life and school and everything.”

“Cool,” Courtney said noncommittally. “So I didn't miss much.”

“We were getting updates,” Carl finally spoke. “Sometimes a lot can happen over a weekend, life changing events.”

“Did you have a life changing event?” Courtney asked politely.

“No,” Carl said flatly. “That happened a few seconds ago.”

The girl looked at her friend quizzically.

“I notice you're wearing Tiny's wrestling pin.”

“Oh, yeah.” Courtney extended the pin forward. “Isn't it cool? Tiny said it's the referee’s position and not something rude,” she added with a blush.

“Usually when a girl wears a guy's sports pin it means they're an item.”

Courtney looked up at Tony, wondering what to say.

“I already told them,” Antonio replied.

Courtney chewed her bottom lip as she blushed.

“So you and Tiny are now a couple,” Tracy clarified, still thinking her friend was playing a joke on her.

Courtney nodded. “He was going to give me his Dunedin jacket, but it fit like a blanket was dragging on the floor.”
“I guess congratulations are in order,” Tracy said halfheartedly.

“Congratulations for what?” Ted said as he and Dave just walked up to the table.

“Someone win something?” Dave asked.

“Congratulations on Courtney and Tiny becoming a couple.”

“What?!?” Dave and Ted said in unison.

“I said,” Tracy said loudly. “Tiny and Courtney are now boyfriend and girlfriend.”

The entire lunchroom drew quiet.

“I guess we won't have to put out announcements now.” Tony glared at Tracy. He knew in time, people would figure out their relationship went to another level, but he wanted it to gradually get out to the school. By the way people started whispering and pointing, he knew that wasn't going to happen.

The glow faded from Courtney's face and the worried look returned. Tony reached under the table, took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Dave and Ted sat down on the same side of the table as the new couple.

“I must say,” Dave broke the silence. “I didn't see this coming.”

“No one did,” Carl said with an undercurrent of anger.

“I think it’s cool,” Ted added. “If it was written in Asimov's Amazing Stories, I would think it was totally made up.”

“This is not fiction,” Tony said as he let go of Courtney's hand and proceeded to finish his lunch.

“I wonder what Peter is going to think?” Ted said as an afterthought.

“He shouldn't think about it at all,” Tony said. “It isn't any of his concern.”

“Oh,” Dave chimed in, “everyone will have an opinion about this.”

Tony took a deep breath. There was no need to argue, because he knew they were correct. In this case, everyone was going to have an opinion. His hope was that they would keep it to themselves.

The group finished eating their lunch in an uneasy silence. Not even Dave or Ted decided to bring up a subject for conversation. It was a relief when the bell sounded to signal the end of the meal.

Tony waited for Courtney as she went up front to empty her tray. She wasted no time in getting back to her new boyfriend.

“I told you we should have kept it a secret,” she said as they walked side by side towards her next class.

“Why would I keep it a secret?” Tony asked. “I wasn't going out of my way to let people know what happened, but they would have figured it. I'm no good at keeping things to myself. Besides, to keep it secret would imply I was embarrassed about having you as a girlfriend, and I am not embarrassed. Are you embarrassed about having me as a boyfriend?”

“No,” Courtney said in a whine. “Carl didn't seem thrilled about it.”

“He's just upset because I have a date to homecoming and he doesn't.”

“You sure you want me to be your homecoming date?”

Tony stopped and moved off to the side. He turned to face the girl, taking hold of both of her hands and looked her in the eyes. “I didn't plan on falling in love with you, but I'm not upset I did. Of course I'm sure I want you to go with homecoming with me. This is your last chance to go with a date anyway.”

“How do you figure?” Courtney asked, not sure if she should be offended or not.

“Next year I'll be away at college and won't be able to make it down until at least Thanksgiving. There's no way anyone at this school would dream of asking my girlfriend out on a date.”

“Oh.” Courtney giggled. “If you say so.”

“Relax. Us being together will be news for a little while. That would happen with any girl I was dating, so don't think anything of it. People will come to terms with it and things will settle down. Trust me.”

“I do trust you; it's them I don't trust.”

“Who cares what they think anyway?”

“I try not to,” Courtney said. “But it isn't easy.”

“You better get to class. I wouldn't be much of a boyfriend if I got you in trouble.”

“Okay.”

Tony watched as the girl scampered off and hoped this wouldn't be as big of a scandal as she suspected. “I can't help it,” he said to himself. “I'm not going to hide being me or who I care about.”

As the girl vanished into a building, Tony made his way to class, wondering if Carl was close by. He was dismayed when his friend wasn't anywhere to be seen.

The school day ended and though Tony wanted to get to his car as soon as possible to make sure there wasn't a repeat incident from the week before, he had other responsibilities. There was an upcoming wrestling season and there was a lot riding on him being in peak condition if he wanted to attract a scholarship from one of the few major wrestling programs in the nation. Florida produced some good wrestlers that competed well in Division I but wasn't a hotbed of talent that drove scouts down to check out the local scene.

“Hey coach,” Antonio said as he strolled into the
coaches’ office.

“There's the man everyone's talking about,” Coach Walker announced to the other P.E. teachers.

“I hope it's all good,” Tony said as he grabbed a chair by Coach Walker's desk.

“I'd say mixed reviews. Rumor going around is that you and that girl became an item.”

Tony sighed. “It got around that fast, huh?”

“So it's true,” Coach walker said with a raised eyebrow.

“If the rumor is that Courtney is my girlfriend, then yes. I don't know what other stuff people added to the back of that.”

“That's basically it. Has caused quite a stir.”

“I don't see why.”

“I think you can,” Coach Chase said pointedly. “Tiny, I'm not here to judge you, but have you thought this all the way through?”

“Probably not. Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.”

“I can't say I understand it. You can have any girl you want, why did you choose that girl?”

“I didn't choose, it just happened. I wasn't planning on it, but I'm not going to deny I have feelings for her either.”

“Just be careful,” Coach Walker warned. “This isn't a place like California where something like this would be acceptable, and don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about either. I know how smart you are. I hope you haven't taken on more than you bargained for.”

“I don't think I have. I know her condition and I know what you're talking about, if you would have asked me if I would wind up in this situation before school started I would think you were crazy. But things happen that you don't expect and sometimes things feel right. Would it be easier if her body matched who she is? Sure. But everyone has flaws, me included. She is a girl like every other girl.”

“Not like every other girl, Tiny,” Coach Walker interrupted. “A lot of people might get hung up on the one big way she isn't a girl. You're a good guy Tiny, and I don't say this to a lot of my athletes, but I respect you. When you first joined the wrestling program and I found out you didn't have a father, I tried to fill that void like I do with every other young man who steps on the mat. So, as a father to a son, I'm asking you to think this through. Your heart is in the right place and I don't doubt you have feelings for this girl. And, yes, I view her as a girl, but a lot of kids in this school don't and that might cause you a lot of trouble that you don't want.”

“So you want me to kick her to the side?”

“That's not what I am saying. I'm saying to make sure you're absolutely sure you want to pursue this relationship.”

Tony sat in silence and let the coach's words settle in. He didn't feel as if he'd been reprimanded, but it was a heavier conversation than he normally had with the man. “I'll think about it.”

“I say this because I care about you, Tiny. I don't want you getting hurt.”

“I'll be good.”

“That's the only way you know how to be. Now, what did you come in here for anyway? I'm sure it wasn't to be lectured by some broken down old geezer.”

Tony cracked a smile. “I wanted to make sure that since I got my weight certified that I could go back to working out and having open mat times on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

“Only if you promise to take it easy. Remember, wrestling is a long season and we don't need you getting burned out. We never know when someone is going to take a look at you and it would be a shame if you found yourself in a valley just going through the motions.”

“I hear you,” Tony said as he stood up. “I promise I'll go light. I just want to keep my conditioning up and make sure I got my wrestling balance still there. I'm not dealing with the weight I was with last year and I notice how certain moves feel different without the baggage.”

“You can always put the weight back on,” Coach Walker joked.

“I rather not.”