Lady in Red Ch. 24

"Ms. Walker declared the heroic actions of Gwen and Steve as the miracle she had prayed for earlier in the attack. Then she told the board that her resignation would be effective the very second the board voted to expel or punish you guys."

"Gee! Ms. Walker, you didn't have to do that! The rest of the student body would be missing out on one of the best teachers in the school," praised Gwen. "We appreciate the support, but would feel terrible if you left Sparta because of us."

"Just sit back and listen," insisted Charlotte. "Ms. Summers told them the same thing, as did five other teachers and Coach Watkins. He spoke about watching Steve and you save those kids, with Billy's help. He told everyone that you are the best possible examples the student body could ever have.

"The twins' parents spoke briefly. They pretty much said the only reason the twins are alive is because Steve Hammer and Gwen Anderson have the courage and skill to do things others can't. They were adamant in their support.

"Dr. Laura Masters was great as she described how you twice escorted a bleeding Steve Hammer into the emergency room wearing a blood soaked bra and little else, after the two of you had risked everything to save the lives of others. She told how well the hospital has responded to the fund drive and especially to the generosity of you three to donate so much time, effort, and money. She told the school board to nip this insanity in the bud.

"A couple of Mrs. Gillow's cohorts spoke, stating that you three should be expelled for immoral behavior and influencing the rest of the student body negatively. Then it was finally my turn!

"I explained that you could not attend the meeting because you were rehearsing for a performance at a benefit in Becton, Georgia this coming weekend. I told the board that you would not stop supporting the hospital fund. Nor would you resort to litigation if you were expelled, so they need not be concerned with that scenario.

"I explained how the Governor of Georgia wanted to meet with you when you landed Saturday morning and tour the damage with you, and how grateful he was that you agreed so quickly to help the people of his state. I told them that I didn't have time to discuss the state dinner with President Hanson and President D'Anjou of the French Republic. Then I gave Billy a signal and he and Jared carried in four life-sized framed posters. There were quite a few gasps when the guys placed the pictures in front of the crowd.

"The first was the one you two did for Amber O'Leary where you were both in swim suit bottoms and looking at the camera. Gwen's bosom was pressed against Steve's lower chest and it was sexy as all hell. Then there was a poster made from the music video Jordan and Steve took to the top of the charts. Jordan looked amazing with her ample chest against Steve's chest. I pointed out the bullet scar that was visible on Steve's shoulder.

"The third one was of Gwen in a Wonder Woman outfit. I explained that it was expected to be a huge seller with all profits going to the Sparta hospital fund. Lastly, there was a poster of Jordan topless in Steve's arms. It was the same picture that's all over the internet. There was a small black bar over Jordan's nips. I told them that I was showing it because it existed and none of you could deny it. I told the story of Jordan doing so well in rehab and how some slimeball gave her alcohol and told her it was punch. Jordan became intoxicated and Steve rescued her from further embarrassment. That was a mistake and Jordan was not the first girl to have someone post an unwelcomed photo of them on the internet.

"I summed it all up by telling them that you three would be interviewed about all of this by Amber Stahl in the morning for the CBC network. Your Lifetime movie of the Emerson River Rescue will be out later this week. Your CBC special will be aired Sunday evening. You'll start filming your movie in a week or two.

"I mentioned that Gwen had a full academic scholarship to Stanford for pre-med. Steve was attending the Naval Academy next fall and Jordan has been accepted at the local state school and the Junior College over in Eastwick. I explained that if you were expelled, these institutions would not hesitate to accept you with a degree from any of a few dozen schools that expressed an interest in having you as alumni. I told them if one of you was expelled, the other two would not remain. The only people that would truly be hurt in the short, or long term would be those that voted to expel the most incredible students this or any school has ever had."

"Mom looks pretty happy and everyone's smiling, so did the vote go our way, if you don't mind me cutting your story short?" quizzed Gwen.

"The board unanimously passed a resolution lauding your exemplary conduct on behalf of the Spartan Nation," responded Charlotte with a huge grin. "There'll be a plaque or something hanging in a conspicuous place in the school by this time next week."

"Charlotte, you certainly are an amazing raconteur!" laughed Ms. Walker. "Your description of the meeting took nearly as long as the meeting."

"Now that all that stuff's out of the way, I'd be honored if Gwen, Jordan and Steve would sign my latest wall additions. I'll be keeping these under unbreakable glass!" stated Billy's father as he pulled aside a curtain to reveal the life sized posters Charlotte had presented at the meeting.

Many of the patrons took photos of the three signing the posters. Then the three assumed the positions depicted in the posters, including Steve holding Jordan in his arms next to the infamous internet photo. Of course, the kids kept their clothes on this time.

The next morning found the trio discussing the board's action on national TV as Amber questioned them. They were gracious in their praise of the school board and spent much of the interview urging people to help the tornado victims in Becton.

"We're going to do a show at the local fair grounds. It'll have two purposes," stated Gwen in conclusion. "The senior prom will be held in part of the arena and will be free to the students and their dates. The seats will be for those folks that buy tickets to watch and listen to the show. All proceeds are going to the Becton Relief Fund. Anyone wanting to donate can Google Becton Relief Fund and find their web page and donate to this very worthy cause."

The next few days went quickly as the trio worked hard to be ready for the benefit. The band, including Charlie, caught a flight Friday evening. They needed to set up their equipment and make sure they had everything necessary to present a top quality concert. Saturday morning saw Steve, Gwen, Jordan, and Amber Stahl catch a six AM flight to an airport neat Becton, Georgia. By eight o'clock that morning the group arrived at the battered Becton High School. As promised the governor welcomed them as they exited the limo.

He gave a short speech to a surprisingly large gathering. Then he ushered the entourage, including several reporters, into a bus. They would stop every few blocks and survey the damage and offer encouragement to the many residents and recovery workers they met. At the third stop, the governor was pointing out a badly damaged fire station when Steve noticed activity down the street.

An older black man was standing by a pallet of shingles. He'd look up at the roof and then back at the shingles. Steve left the tour and walked down the street to where the man stood. As he approached, Steve could see that the roof of the modest ranch home was totally stripped of shingles.

"Sir? Can I give you a hand?" asked Steve as he walked up to the man. "It looks like the tornado did a lot of damage to your roof."

"I was just trying to decide what would be the best way to get these shingles up on the roof. I'm getting kind of old for this horseshit and my grandson's just nine and can't lift too much. It's supposed to rain tomorrow afternoon and I'd like to have the roof on by then. You can see I have scaffolding but getting 12 squares from the ground to the roof isn't going to be easy.

"I'm Joe Franklin, by the way. My son, Dave, had his leg broken in the tornado. He was operated on yesterday and won't be released for a few days. I promised him I'd get his house covered before the next rain, but I'm losing confidence that it'll get done."

"I can't stay too long right now, but I can help you with the shingles. I'm Steve Hammer and I'll be in town all day. I leave around three tomorrow. Let me help you get started," offered Steve as he easily placed a bundle of shingles on his shoulder and started up the ladder.

Steve had managed to haul half the pallet of shingles up to the roof before the governor's group realized he was no longer with them. They had moved back to board the bus when Gwen revealed that Steve was not present.

"He told me was going to see if the older gentleman down the street needed help," revealed Gwen. "Apparently he did and Steve's helping him right now. If you have a tight schedule, Governor, you may want to carry on and Steve and I will catch up later."

Not one to miss a photo opportunity, the governor quickly responded. "We're here to help. Let's go down and see if Steve can use a hand."

Steve placed a bundle of shingles on the peak of the roof and returned down the ladder to find the governor chatting with a confused Joe Franklin.

"Steve's that kid that shot those damned terrorists? These pretty young women are singing with him at that benefit tonight? Then this girl's got to be 'The Lady in Red'! This blonde's the one that sings almost naked in that video my daughter-in-law likes to watch all the time! That Steve has to be the luckiest son-of-a-bitch in the world!" blurted the old man as cameras recorded his reaction.

Steve grinned, hefted another bundle and ascended the ladder. Not wanting to be shown as uncaring, several of the governor's aids began to carry bundles of shingles up to the roof.

Gwen and Jordan smiled to each other as they heard a young dark haired lady reporter insist that her camera man video Steve as he tossed the next bundle over his shoulder and turned to climb the ladder. He was wearing a short sleeved shirt that clung to his arms and back as he moved with the shingles on his shoulder.

"Makes you all wet, doesn't he?" whispered Jordan to the reporter. "Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. He does that to all the females he comes into contact with."

The rest of the shingles were quickly transported up the ladder and the governor thanked Steve while the cameras rolled. Steve smiled politely and shook hands with the governor and then with Joe Franklin.

"If I can get away, I'll be back to help you nail them down," promised Steve so quietly that no one else could hear him speak. "Just get the drip edge on if you can. Don't hurt yourself. Be slow and careful."

"Look at you, Steve. You're sweaty and flushed," observed Gwen softly as they climbed back onto the bus. "Your biceps are all pumped up and you emitting pheromones like crazy. I feel like licking you all over. Be careful around the lady reporters. Even Amber looks a little worked up right now."

Steve and Gwen were totally surprised by how welcoming the area residents were. They flocked around them whenever the bus stopped and frequently asked for autographs. It was the sort of thing that happened to famous politicians and actors, not a couple kids from a small town like Sparta.

"It looks like we've been elevated to rock star status here," opined Gwen as the trio rode the hotel elevator to their floor after the governor's tour had ended. "This is going to take some getting used to. We're just high school kids."

"Just keep remembering that," stated Jordan knowingly. "If you start thinking you're special and better than the people that pay to see and hear you, you'll crash and burn. Take it from a girl that's been there and done that."

"Yeah, and think about the pain and frustration these people are going through," added Steve. "They need something to cheer them up and encourage them to keep going. That old man that was determined to fix the roof on his son's house struck a chord with me. He should be taking it easy, playing checkers and watching his grandkids grow up. Instead, he's going to be working on a roof, trying to get it finished before the rain comes tomorrow evening. I'm proud to be able to help people in bad situations like this. The benefit concert is a great thing, but sometimes it's good to be able to help a person one-on-one."

"You're going to go back and help that wonderful old man take care of his family, aren't you? We need to get to the arena and do some sound checks and learn how everything works, but we should have a few hours after that we can put to good use. Let's get our work done at the arena and we'll go see your friend."

"You'd go with me, Gwen? No wonder I love you so much! You're a doll."

"So what am I? Chopped liver?" demanded Jordan. "I want to help, too, so let's get busy at the arena and then we'll surprise that wonderful man when we show up to help him out."

Steve and Gwen were surprised at the size of the arena, as well as how modern all the equipment was. They were also surprised to see a CBC truck parked in front and numerous technicians setting up cameras. Some cameras were stationary while others were on mobile trolleys.

"What's with all the cameras?" asked Steve. "This isn't going to be televised, is it?"

"Clyde called a while ago and told me that CBC wanted to video the show to possibly broadcast at a later date. He said that they bought an option for two more shows from you and this may be one of them, if it turns out good enough. He promised the band a pretty good payday if the network decides to use it. Hooking up with you guys is the best move we could have made."

"That would be great if the network did use it for one of the two options," declared Gwen. "That would save us the time and effort to tape another show and the hospital fund will get another nice check."

"Now, for tonight's show. You'll be wearing these cordless microphones. The system will pick up your voice from anywhere down here in the ring, and on the stage. If you climb into the stands, you'll be out of range, so stay on, or close to, the stage," stated Charlie. "This is going to be big. There'll be a few hundred kids dancing on that floor for their prom.

"There'll be around seven thousand people in the stands and dancing on the floor on this side of the stage, separate from the prom kids. The organizers want us to break every forty minutes or so for raffles, prizes, and whatever announcements they may have. I think they're expecting us to play for a few hours, so we'll have to do almost everything we know. These people have been hit hard and they want to party tonight."

Satisfied that they understood the workings of the equipment and what to expect, Steve called a taxi. A few minutes later, they were dropped off at Joe Franklin's. Charlie had eagerly accepted Jordan's invitation to go with them and Amber had refused to let the group out of her sight.

"This isn't a news event. We're just helping out a family and aren't looking for any publicity," cautioned Steve.

"That's fine. I'll even help you if it's quiet. The thing I've noticed is that everything you kids do makes news, so I'll be ready if anything happens," replied Amber.

Upon arriving at Joe's, Steve quickly determined that he had been busy while they were at the arena. The starter course of shingles was in place over the newly installed drip edge.

"I can work pretty good from the scaffolding, but my knees aren't very good any more. I have trouble getting up and down," admitted Joe.

"Let's get some lines chalked and get this going. It's too bad you don't have a nail gun. This would go a lot faster," added Steve.

Steve, Charlie, and Joe quickly ran some lines. The roof was only about twelve feet off the ground at the eaves and had a gradual slope. Steve had no trouble getting Gwen and Jordan to climb up and help by placing shingles down as he and Charlie nailed them. Gwen chuckled as Steve complained about Amber interviewing Joe as they worked.

"Has anyone asked about codes and permits?" asked Charlie as they worked. "We could be in violation of all kinds of rules and regulations."

"We're just outside the town limits and the county hasn't adopted any codes for roofs, so we're okay. Nail them down good, but if another F4 tornado hits, nothing on God's green earth will keep the shingles on the roof," answered Joe from the ground.

A car pulled up and a couple of high school age boys climbed out and approached Joe. Once Joe gave permission, they scampered up the ladder and began to help.

"We're seniors at Becton High. One of the girls in our class texted us. She had driven by and saw you guys working on this roof. We came over to help, and to meet Jordan Quick and Gwen Anderson. I'm Tom and this is Jeff."

Before everyone had the chance to shake the two kids' hands, three more cars pulled up. Then a big man in a pickup truck with a construction sign on the driver's door stopped. He dug out had an air compressor and two nail guns. An hour later as the group was nailing down the ridge cap, Steve and Gwen were surprised to see Bill Hardy pull up in a CBC news van. He had his camera man video the people on the roof and then he asked Joe Franklin a few questions on camera. Those on the roof were too far away to hear the questions, or the responses from Joe.

"We'd better get going, guys!" urged Charlie. "We have a show to do tonight and we have to eat and get cleaned up before we head to the arena."

"Would it be possible for any of us seniors to get a dance with you or Jordan tonight?" asked the boy named Tom. "I know it's asking a lot, but it'd be so cool to have the other kids see me dancing with Jordan Quick or 'The Lady in Red'! Will you be wearing red tonight?"

"It seems to have become a trademark," admitted Gwen. "I'll be wearing red and if I get the chance, I'd love to have a dance with you, if your girlfriend will give you up. We all appreciate the help here today. Steve started this afternoon thinking he'd have to do it all alone, and somehow, I think he would have. Now we have enough time to get ready and give you guys the best performance we can. See you at the show."

The group arrived at the arena in plenty of time. They had a couple of wardrobe changes planned and the clothes were laid out in a small building the size of a medium sized room just under the bleachers. They waited in the room for the introduction. There was no curtain, so the group simply ascended the steps to the stage when they were announced. Charlie's band went to their instruments, while Steve picked up a guitar. Jordan and Gwen went to the front and center of the stage.

The crowd became silent and stood when asked by Gwen. She and Jordan then sang the National Anthem a cappella. The cheers for the anthem had hardly died down when the band went into their version of Queen's 'We Will Rock You' and 'We are the Champions" with Gwen singing lead. The crowd immediately got into the music and the party began!

Jordan was next with her 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and the crowd loved it. Next Steve put his guitar down and approached Gwen as the lights on the stage dimmed. A spotlight shone down on the two of them as the introduction to 'Lady in Red' started. Steve took Gwen in his arms and danced with her. At the appropriate time, he began singing as he danced.

By song's end, every female in the arena had to dry her eyes, as did more than a few of the men. Steve gently kissed Gwen on the lips and released her as the lights went up. They bowed and returned to their places. As planned, they performed a high percentage of ballads and love songs since it was a romantic evening for the prom goers.