Physical

There was silence, and then a small voice said, "What is it?"

"If you want to hear it, you'll have to open your eyes, sit up and tell me like a man. I know you're hurting, but you need to speak in your normal voice again. Your punishment is over, so you aren't a little boy anymore."

Max was silent.

After a minute, Carmela said, "One other thing, Max. What I tell you is going to be a secret between us. If the girls come back before I tell you, you'll never hear it. So if you want to hear it, you need to move now."

Max groaned as he attempted to move his body. Carmela got up and put her hands around him and helped him sit up. At first, he was leaning forward so far that he almost fell off the examining table. He slowly lifted his head up and looked at her.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"Yes. You've probably realized by now that this whole thing was Josie's idea. She thought of everything. The rest of us were angry at you, but not angry enough to do something like this.

"At first, some of us weren't going to go along, because it was all so weird. The weirdest thing was that speech she just made. We asked her why she had to say all that stuff because it wouldn't make any difference to you. And forcing you to study and improve your basketball skills? What was that all about?

"Finally, we realized her revenge was just a cover. She may not admit it to herself, but all of us know she's not over you. In fact, she's totally in love with you despite the fact that the rest of us think you're the biggest asshole we've ever met. So don't think I'm telling you the rest of this because I feel sorry for you. I'm only doing it because I love Josie.

"One day when we were planning this, she said that beneath your arrogance and selfishness, you had a good heart. We asked her what in the world she was talking about.

"She told us that your parents had been on campus one weekend and youhe introduced them to heryou. She said they were warm and genuine and when you were around them you became more like them. She could tell you worshipped them. That convinced her that deep down you were a decent, caring human being. We all laughed at her.

"Do you know what she meant when she said that no matter what happens in your life, you'll always remember your senior year as the greatest time in your life? You can nod your head or shake it. I thought so. You don't have a clue.

"We talked about you a lot as we prepared for today. Even Josie had to admit what's probably going to happen to you. Do you want to hear what we think?"

He nodded.

"If you go along with Josie's plan, the glue and paint will be gone by the time of the big dance. Maybe you'll control yourself until the team has gone as deep as it can or even wins the whole thing.

"But after that you'll be back to chasing women. You'll become one of those NBA players with a slut in every city you play in, and soon they'll each have a kid for you to support. Eventually, all the off-court stuff will catch up with you and you'll be too distracted to play well. Or maybe you'll just be unlucky with an injury.

"Since you'll be spending all your money as fast as it comes in, when you're washed up as a player, your life will be washed up, too. Your support payments will send you into bankruptcy, and then there will be nothing left. Maybe you'll find some menial job, or you might become a bitter alcoholic.

"We told Josie that since we all agreed that you'd end up broke and sorry, why not just let the coach kick you off the team. Why the strange fantasy about your senior season?

"Even though she knows your life will eventually go to hell, she wants you to at least have a great memory of your last year as a Badger to comfort you. That's how much she loves you.

"We started getting to know Josie. She is one amazing woman. Do you know that after she became the team manager last year, she made a few remarks to the coach about some of the things she saw in practice? Do you know the coach now thinks of her as his assistant? She watches all the film with him, and whatever she suggests, he does, because it always works.

"My boyfriend is on the team, and he told me the coach wants her on his staff after she graduates. He told her he'd find an alum who will subsidize her salary.

"But she's not going to do that. She has some wonderful plans for her life. She loves to help people, but she's smart about it. She knows that it takes creativity to get people to do the things for themselves that they should be doing. All of us think that whatever she goes into, she's going to be a superstar and probably famous.

"That's why we all decided to help her. We know that one way or another, you're going to break her heart, so we want to be around her to help her when she finally understands you'll never love anyone except yourself.

"Josie keeps telling us you're really smart. She fantasizes a different story for you. She thinks that sometime during this season, you'll wake up and grow up. You'll ride the season into a second round draft pick.

"She thinks you'll have a great NBA career as role player, someone who can do whatever a team needs. The stars will all want you on their team, because you'll make them look better, and you'll make a ton of money.

"When you retire, you'll have your choice of broadcasting jobs or coaching opportunities, or you may walk away from sports and use your money and brains to help people because of your good heart. When she said that, it was all we could do to keep a straight face. Can you believe she thinks of you like that?

"I .wish I could believe it, too, for her sake. You're going to be spending a lot of time with Josie the next few months, and none of it will involve sex. Are you the jerk we think you are, or will you realize she's the most beautiful girl on campus, inside and outside? Can you grow a heart?

"That would surprise all of is. It would make me believe in miracles. Your reward would be an amazing life with an amazing woman instead of ending up broke and bitter. She's the best thing that ever happened to you, whether you realize it now or ten years from now.

"I only have one warning for you. Don't try to have your cake and eat it, too. If you marry her and still try to live the NBA lifestyle, she'll find out and leave you, and you'll end up the way I told you.

"Josie already has some sharp guys on campus going after her. I can't believe any man with half a brain wouldn't fall for her. Why she's stuck on you is one of those things that nobody can explain.

"All of us have only known her a few months, and we're so much in love with her that I think we'd die for her. We know she'd do the same for us.

"So if you have any decency and you really don't want her, tell her honestly and beg her to be your trainer and manager. She loves you so much that she'll do it. And then I and her other friends will find her someone who really deserves her.

"I'm not expecting you to respond, Max, but I want to know if you understood what I just told you. If you can't speak except in that whiny little boy voice, just nod your head, and I'll be satisfied."

"I understand," he said in a quiet whisper.

"Thank you, Max," said Carmela. "We finished just in time, because I hear voices."

"You're a miracle worker, Carmela," Josie said she walked into the room and saw Max sitting up. "How did you do it? If I didn't know better, I would even swear Max is trying to smile at me."

She walked up to Max.

"Relax," she said. "You're looking at me in a strange way. You're probably scared of me and hate me at the same time. I don't blame you. You're mean and selfish, but you probably never really hated anyone before. I guess I have to take credit for teaching.

"But there's no reason to be afraid of me anymore, Max. I promise you what I told you before was true. I'm not going to hurt you anymore. You can believe me. What did you say? I didn't hear you."

"I said, I believe you," he said softly. "Josie, please forgive me. I, I ..."

His voice was replaced by loud sobs.

He wrapped his arms around her. She turned her head to look at her friends. Except for Carmela, who was smiling, they all looked as shocked as she did.

She felt his head on her shoulder and his tears soaking through her clothes. Her face fell, and she started crying, too.

"It's all right, Max," she whispered into his ear. "Of course, I forgive you. I'm sorry for torturing you. I hope someday you can put aside your hatred at what I did and forgive me, too."

He lifted his head from her shoulder. His eyes were streaming.

"I don't hate you, Josie. I, I..."

Again his sobs stopped him from speaking. Josie put one arm around him and began to tenderly stroke his hair with her other hand. There was no sound in the room for a while except for their quiet sobs.

Then she reached her hands to his head and gently pried it loose from her shoulder. He lifted it and looked at her. Suddenly his mouth was on hers and he gave her a savage, desperate kiss and quickly released her.

She looked at him and saw he was afraid, as if he'd just made a horrible mistake.

She smiled and put her hands on his head again. This time she slowly guided his head until their mouths met. When he felt her tongue enter his mouth, he moved toward her. As he did, he felt a stabbing pain inside his ass, but he ignored it, and pulled her to him.

He had been worried about his impulsive, passionate kiss. Now he knew he had a chance to correct the biggest mistake he had ever made and he'd spend the rest of his life rubbing it out.