Final Breath Ch. 03

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Before the confrontation, a holiday interlude...
15.5k words
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Part 3 of the 3 part series

Updated 10/24/2022
Created 10/13/2012
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drteetho
drteetho
190 Followers

From Chapter 2:

I felt sleep finally come to claim me. As it did, one question occupied my mind. What did the future have in store for us? What else could possibly happen to us, good or bad, and how would we deal with these events? My mind reeled at all the possibilities and continued to pore over them until my eyelids, heavy with slumber, drew to a close and I could think no more.

Chapter 3

Turns out, for the next couple of months, nothing happened.

Well... mostly nothing.

Certainly, in terms of the looming showdowns I was expecting, the rest of 2012 offered up very little to report in terms of resolutions.

Much to my surprise.

I spoke with Jamie on Saturday, the day after the worst and heaviest defeat both of us have ever experienced at any level of our footballing lives. It gnawed at both of us like a raw toothache. I did have the solace of the night's spectacular ending with Erin, and in the course of our conversation Jamie told me Cindy generously did much the same for him. We both counted ourselves lucky to have girlfriends who loved us enough to give of themselves so selflessly in one of our darkest hours.

Which, of course, is a fancy way of saying thank god they were there to fuck our brains out.

Anyway, after some discussion and soul searching, we decided we'd visit Coach on Monday morning, declare ourselves in violation of the terms of the "offer" he gave that allowed us to play hooky the day after Halloween, and submit to a gruelling session of running stairs.

Why? Who knows? Maybe we were both gluttons for punishment.

Coach looked shocked to see us when we showed up at his office that morning but he certainly got into the spirit of things in a hurry.

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for?! Move it!" he barked.

About halfway through the run I debated my sanity and cursed my guilty conscience. I'm sure Jamie felt the same way. When Coach finally, mercifully, called time on our run, I spent several minutes doubled over at the waist and gasping for air. Even Jamie, who was the healthiest and fittest guy I've ever known, was exhausted, laid flat on his back and staring blankly up at the sky.

Later that day, at the weekly film session conducted after classes were done for the day, Coach took a moment to tell the rest of the team what Jamie and I did, praising us for our sacrifice and dedication to the team ideals. I squirmed in my seat. I kind of wished he hadn't done that, because it was awkward as hell to receive such accolades when I felt I didn't really do all that much to deserve them. The rest of the team stared at Jamie and I the whole time, only adding to the discomfort. I'm sure they wondered what the hell was wrong with us. I know I was certainly wondering the same thing. I looked at Jamie and read his expression, and I knew he was having similar feelings. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the sour, jealous look on Billy's face, and all of a sudden I didn't feel quite so bad.

As Coach had said, we were still in the playoffs, and we still had a chance to make it a special season. Ultimately, however, it was not to be.

We responded well at first and won our first playoff game; it wasn't a complete rout but we were never in danger. Problem was, our earlier loss to our rivals dropped us in the standings enough that it meant our second game was against the perennial powerhouse football program in our state. Sure we probably would have had to play them at some point anyway, but the way it worked meant the matchup came to soon for us to be really ready for it. We still put up a great fight, but they just had too much for us, and we lost by a late touchdown. The fact that they eventually rolled to another state title and that we had given them their toughest test along the way made for small consolation.

Billy, the dumb prick, hardly looked angry, upset, or even sad in any way. If the loss bothered him at all he got over it awfully quickly. He boasted that he had several coaches and scouts from big time college programs recruiting him, and he was glad to be done with us because we were holding him back from the true stardom he felt he deserved. I was so enraged I nearly took a swing at him, but my friends held me back and tried to calm me down.

"Don't do it, Gare," Jamie pleaded. "He ain't worth it."

Billy just laughed. "Your day is coming, Garrett!" he taunted. "I ain't forgotten about you!" He turned and walked out before I could say anything else.

We hardly saw him from then until after Christmas as he dove headfirst into the whole big-football-factory recruiting process... talking with coaches, campus visits where, according to the rumours he was spreading with glee, he got wined and dined by college presidents and pretty co-eds alike... the whole deal.

He was an asshole, but very talented so he could get away with it. Life just isn't fair sometimes.

It hit me hard soon after that near-altercation that it was the last high school football game I would ever play. Same went for all my friends -- our quarterback Josh, fellow receivers Torrey, Brandon and Ricky, and of course running back and my best friend Jamie. We were all seniors, so for us that game was the end of the line. The six of us gathered for our own after-party, along with our girlfriends.

It was very gratifying to have Erin there with me. I felt her support that night would be invaluable and I wanted her to be there no matter what. She had long since been accepted by the guys, and she and Cindy hit it off well, but I wondered how the other girls would react. Josh's girlfriend lived in his neighbourhood but went to a different school, so I didn't know her at all, and while I was acquainted with the girls Torrey, Brandon and Ricky had recently started dating I really didn't know them well enough before that night to get a sense of what they would be like around Erin.

Thankfully those three weren't part of the clique that included Vanessa, the other cheerleaders besides Cindy, and the other "cool kids" that held my girlfriend in so much disdain. They were friendly to Erin, and so was Josh's girlfriend. They all got along well that night and any other time we all happened to be together during the rest of the school year, and that made both Erin and I feel good.

Erin sat on my lap and laid her head on my chest for most of that night. Cindy cuddled up next to Jamie, and the other four girlfriends stayed close to their man as well. They sometimes added to the conversation or had side discussions of their own, but for much of the time they quietly listened to my teammates and I and enjoyed observing the camaraderie and, yes, love we had for each other.

The guys and I spent the whole night alternating between laughter over recounting old stories and good memories, and contemplating our reaching the end of an era. It was doubly difficult since all of us had already made our decisions regarding college, each one of us choosing a different destination.

At the end of the night Jamie addressed us. "Guys, our high school football careers may be over, but we still have most of the school year left together before we go off and do our thing in college. So let's make it a good one." We all shook hands and hugged and pledged to do so.

Neither of us said much as I walked Erin home. I was too lost in my own thoughts to speak. When we reached her house she kissed me and asked if I was OK. That was when my emotional dam broke.

"Erin," I sighed. "I'm going to miss them so much! They're my brothers! We've been through so much together, but soon they're going to be... gone!"

I'm man enough to admit it... I broke down and cried. It was true when I said those guys were my brothers. I never had siblings of my own, being an only child. Erin filled that void until she had to move away, and when she came back our relationship was very different, though of course no less fulfilling and rewarding. In any case, throughout my high school years I really got to know Jamie, Josh, Torrey, Brandon and Ricky very well. I'd run through a wall for those guys, and I knew they'd do the same for me. They were the closest thing I had to brothers, and they probably always would be.

Erin held me tightly to her, comforting me with her touch. She didn't say anything, and I think she understood that nothing she could have said would have really helped much. Anyway, she didn't have to. The feel of her close to me was enough. She held me until I calmed down. We shared a long loving kiss before, reluctantly, we parted ways for the night.

As for Erin's issues with Vanessa and that crowd, they were apparently put on hold as well, though it didn't stop them from making several verbal taunts and the odd idle threat. First it was midterm exams and projects, and then it was Christmas getting closer that seemed to divert their attention. Erin tried not to worry about them but I could tell the issue was there, weighing on her, always in the back of her mind, nagging at her.

On a happier note, most of Erin's circle of goth friends were happy for us that we were now officially a couple. Scarlett and Mel were especially delighted and they told me how good I was for her. I wanted to thank them for their role in helping Erin and I consummate the new stage of our relationship but I didn't really know how. They told me if I continued to treat Erin well and make her happy then it would be reward enough. I smiled and happily told them I could definitely do that.

Jackson was a bit of a different story. Not that he was mean or hostile; on the contrary when we did talk to him directly he was friendly enough and generally his quirky self. But overall he was much more withdrawn and reserved with the whole group, and especially with Erin and me.

Admittedly it wasn't really a surprise. After all, it must have been brutal for Jackson to be around us knowing that he was in love with Erin but could do nothing about it since she couldn't return to him that same kind of love. She wanted to be friends with him but no more than that because, unfortunately for him, she knew for a long time that her heart belonged to me and only me, and was finally able to find the courage to act on those feelings. I didn't really know what to say to Jackson that wouldn't sound like I was shoving his misfortune in his face, and Erin didn't know how to handle it either. So, for better or for worse, we avoided talking to him about it altogether.

Our parents followed through on their promise to discipline us for skipping a day of school, and they did it in a way that was at least a little different than the usual "grounding" technique. For two consecutive weekends, first for my parents and the second for her mother, Erin and I did any and all tasks around the house that was requested of us, over and above what usual chores we did anyway. It meant a lot of work for both of us and we were both relieved when the punishment was over. Erin and I joked with them that we were little more than their indentured slaves for those weekends. They were good sports about it; in fact they gave it right back to us, joking that if we weren't careful they would be only too happy to mete out further discipline.

Erin made sure to know which colleges were recruiting me for football so she could apply to the same ones. That list was not long. I'm a very good high school receiver but not a great one. I do know my limitations. In any case her marks were good enough to get accepted anywhere she wanted, so for her it was just a matter of seeing where I'd go so she could choose the same school. I told her I hoped she wasn't short-changing herself by limiting her opportunities. She looked at me like I was crazy, I jokingly annoyed her when I said how cute she looked at that moment, at which she just rolled her eyes. She informed me very clearly that she was going wherever I went and she would hear no argument to the contrary. She also showed me the research she did that proved all the possible choices had good, well-respected English lit programs, her degree program of choice.

That was my goth princess in a nutshell. A beautiful, sometimes puzzling but always intriguing mix of fragility, determination and intelligence.

There was a lot on our minds in those weeks between Halloween and Christmas, with very little of it coming to any sort of conclusions. But even with all that, or maybe in part because of it, the love between Erin and I blossomed even further in that time. We spent nearly all of our spare time together, sharing the mornings before classes started and the lunch hours at school, and splitting any evenings we could be with each other between my friends and hers. When we weren't together we were inevitably on the phone, talking about anything and everything, whatever we could think of to prevent us from having to say goodbye.

Erin told me she especially loved that I fulfilled my promise to always wear the ankh necklace she gave to me, for it provided further proof and encouragement that I cherished and celebrated our new life. To her, our twin necklaces showed the world that I was hers and she was mine, that we were linked together forever, and whatever deity or life force you believe in help anyone who tried to mess with that reality. The look in her eyes when she said this to me was so intense that if I ever had any doubts about the sincerity of her feelings for me, they would have vanished in an instant.

The only thing for us that suffered in this time? Our sex life.

Neither of our parents traveled out of town or left the house long enough for us to safely get together and do the deed. We couldn't make use of Scarlett's house either, like we did after the rivalry game loss. After that night the only times we were up there were when Erin and I visited Scarlett and all their friends. For the few opportunities she felt she or anyone else could safely be alone long enough to be intimate, Scarlett needed that room to see to her and Kory's needs.

Neither of us had a car or enough money to afford to get a decent hotel room or some other kind of getaway that would allow us to be alone together, and we really didn't want to lower our standards to the point of going to the really skeezy "no-tell motel" on the edge of town. We were desperate, but not THAT desperate.

We fulfilled our need for physical contact by holding hands, hugging, touching each other all over our clothed bodies when no one was watching, and kissing. Lots and lots of kissing. All of which was great and satisfying in its own way.

But of course our urges to take things further grew too strong at times to be content with such relatively chaste behaviour. So we resorted to taking risks to steal away in our high school's hidden corners and private rooms together. One time I secreted her into the guys' locker room where she gave me a quick blowjob. Another time we snuck into the girls' washroom where I fingered her to orgasm. We were too rushed to fully enjoy the experiences, but it was better than nothing.

There was also the matter of Erin going on the pill. I wondered how long that would delay things. At that point I was too horny to care; I would have gladly used condoms if even a small window of time became available for us to take advantage of. But she told me I wouldn't have to worry. She started taking the pill right at the beginning of December, and her doctor assured her that she would be fully protected in as little as one week and definitely no longer than two. I wasn't about to argue with that kind of medical science. For me, that was one of the mysteries of women solved... only about a million more to go!

Christmas came around before we knew it. As had been the custom since they moved back in town, Erin and her mother spent the day with me and my parents. Erin and I exchanged small, simple gifts for each other, and we kissed sweetly as we did so, making our parents smile at the sight. When they were in the kitchen preparing the turkey dinner, Erin whispered in my ear that she had other "gifts" to give me.

"What are they?" I asked.

She just smiled, winked and said, "You'll see."

I thought it would be forever before I got that chance.

Fortunately, I was wrong.

********

"So, where are you guys going, again?" I asked my mother. I knew the answer but I wanted to hear it again.

She smiled and said, "Just a little getaway for a few days."

From the other room I heard dad yell, "Vegas, baby!"

Mom laughed and said, "He hasn't been this excited in years!"

I was starting to get excited too, but for entirely different reasons.

"You sure you'll be OK on your own, Gare?" Mom asked sweetly.

Dad walked in the room just as he heard that. He rolled his eyes and said, "For heaven's sakes, honey, he's 18 years old! I'm sure he can handle a week on his own just fine!"

"Yeah, I think I can manage," I said.

"Well I'm your mother and I'm going to worry about you anyway!"

"Yes Mom."

She just smiled and kissed me on the cheek. "There's plenty of food in the fridge and freezer for you so just help yourself. We'll be back after New Year's but before you have to start school again. Just remember one thing, Gare."

"What's that?"

"No wild parties while we're gone, OK?!"

"Fine Mom, whatever you say," I laughed. In truth, I didn't want any wild parties. There was only one person I wanted to have over while the parents were away.

The phone rang just then, and my dad answered it. He talked for a moment before handing the phone to me.

"It's for you," he said. "I'll give you three guesses who it is, and the first two don't count!"

I smiled and took the phone from him, dashing upstairs to take the call in some privacy.

"Hello?"

"Hey Gare," Erin said in a really sexy voice.

"Hey Erin, what's up?"

"Are your parents ready for their Las Vegas trip?" My mother and father planned their getaway at close to the last minute, but in just enough time for me to excitedly tell Erin the news last night.

"Oh yeah! They're all packed up and waiting."

"Perfect! My mom should be ready to leave in a half-hour." Soon after I told Erin about my parents' vacation plans, she was equally excited to tell me her mother was leaving for a well-deserved trip of her own at the very same time, to a singles-only retreat at an exclusive Caribbean resort, courtesy of a very generous Christmas gift from her sister Beth. Ms. Henderson (or Alice, I guess I should say since she insists I do so, even though I often feel impolite calling Erin's mother by her given first name) was picking up my parents and they were driving to the airport together, as their flights were scheduled to depart less than an hour apart.

"So... your place or mine?"

"Yours. We already did my place for Halloween, and I really, really want to do it in your bed!"

"Mmmm, that is music to my ears!"

She giggled. "I thought you might like that."

"So, I'll see you soon, Erin?"

"Yes Gare," she said breathily. "Very, very soon."

We said goodbye and I hung up the phone. I willed my erection to subside before I went back downstairs.

"So is Erin coming over to visit?" my mom asked.

"Yes," I replied, trying to play it as cool as possible. "Yes, she is."

"Well you two be careful while we're all away," she said, while looking ready to cry, naturally.

"And clean up after yourselves before we get back!" Dad said with a smirk on his face and a knowing wink in my direction. "I don't want the place to reek of sex when we get home!"

"Sebastian Muller!" my mortified mother gasped, using his full name as she always did when he drove her to distraction. "Watch what you're saying!"

"What?!" dad laughed. "The boy's girlfriend is coming over and they'll have the house to themselves for a whole week. Geez, Karen, what do you think's going to happen?!"

drteetho
drteetho
190 Followers