Hadrian's Lover (17 page)

Yes, folks, it’s that time of year again! Hadrian’s high schools and colleges are gearing up for b-ball season! Tryouts begin next week when high school and college coaches will be on the lookout for the best possible players for their teams. And speaking of the best of all possible players, who over the age of thirty doesn’t remember Will Middleton? Who could forget his graceful presence on the b-ball court during both his high school and college years? While attending Antinous’ Pride High, Will Middleton led the Panthers to win at the Quadrants three years in a row and the Nationals two years in a row! Until this past year, when his son joined the team, the Panthers had not been back to the Nationals since Will Middleton graduated. Tall, lithe, muscular, and highly skilled, Will Middleton could dribble, pass, shoot, and always score! High school b-ball was only the beginning for this man. His seven years on Antinous’ Centurions were award years, too, leading that team to its only ever seven-year winning streak! I remember his coaches thanking Hadrian profusely for his staying on for both a Master’s and Ph.D. in agricultural engineering. Having won both a sports and academic scholarship Will Middleton was eligible to play b-ball his entire uni career. To keep the game fair, no one over twenty-five is allowed on the b-ball court.

Unfortunately, we lost Will Middleton as a result of 6-13. That was a sad day for Hadrian with its poisonous claws digging deep into the hearts of all, killing hundreds of thousands on the day of impact; Will Middleton was one such victim. Although we will never see the likes of Will Middleton again, he did leave Hadrian his legacy, Todd Middleton. Sixteen-year-old Todd Middleton is currently attending Pride High and is, according to Coach Miller, the main reason the Panthers brought home their first Quadrant victory in over ten years. Coach Miller openly admits that Todd
Middleton is the unifying force behind her team. Although Todd is a lot shorter than his father, only 5’ 5”, whereas Will was 6’ 2”, Coach Miller says what Todd lacks in height, he makes up for in skill, speed, and spirit. Like his father, Todd Middleton lives and breathes the game.

Todd Middleton is like his father in other respects, too. As was Will Middleton, this boy is humble to the core. When asked whether he plans to win Quadrants for his team again this year, his answer was simple, “No one player wins the game. The Panthers won last year and the Panthers will this year too because our team works together like the gears of a finely tuned machine. I’m only one player—look at Frank Hunter. He’s a monster on the court. And I defy anyone to try to get the ball from Crystal Albright once she’s got control of it.” Well, there you have it, folks. Todd Middleton, like his father before him, is a true team player!

Vale!

Crystal is already dressed and ready for pre-practice. She had worn her T-shirt and shorts under her school clothes, so as soon as the last bell rang, all she had to do was run to the small gym and get started. When Todd arrives, she is doing push-ups: flat palm up into a clap. As Todd watches her, he admires her lean muscular physique. Her shorts are snug fitting and her buttocks, clenched tight, show the side indent. Following the line of her leg down to her ankle, he can make out thigh and calf muscle definition. Like her forearms, Crystal’s monotone voice, as she drones out the numbers, begins to quiver the closer she gets to her optimum number: fifty. “Wahoo!” Todd cheers as her nose touches the hardwood for that last number. “Way to go, girl. You did it!”

Crystal lies down on her side, smiling triumphantly up at him.
Hadrian’s lover, she is beautiful,
Todd’s thought flashes impulsively before he has a chance to contain it. He blushes. “Hey, you,” Crystal chimes. “Told you I could do it!” She pats the floor in front of her belly.

Todd accepts the invitation and sits cross-legged in front of her. “I told you, you could.”

“Frank never believed I could, but you…” She pinches the front of his turtleneck slightly, pulling it forward. Todd suspects she’s trying to see whether Frank left his mark, so he tucks his chin to his chest. “But you,” she repeats as she lets go of the soft cloth, “you’ve always believed in me.”

“Yeah, Frank,” he mutters under his breath.

“Huh?” Crystal leans her head under Todd’s and looks up into his eyes. “You want to talk?”

“Yeah.” Todd leans back, getting her out of his personal space, and draws his knees up to his chest (feeble protection!). “Yeah,” he repeats, his eyes shifting right and left, “we need to talk.”

“About Frank?”

“Yeah, Crystal, about Frank.”

“He’s a dick,” Crystal spits out vehemently.

“That’s not fair, Crystal. You don’t—”

Crystal leans back, unbelieving. “Are you actually defending him? For the love of Hadrian, Todd, he cheated on you!”

Todd looks down to his feet. “He didn’t cheat on me.”

Crystal sits up and slaps Todd hard on the head, causing him to cry out. “Ow! Damn you, Crystal; that hurt.”

“Don’t be a driveling fool!” she says, leaning back now. “For Hadrian’s sake, Todd, he used you, dumped you, and moved on! How can you possibly not see that?”

Standing just outside the door, Frank sneers. He knew Todd could never convince that girl to apologize.
She is too set, too determined
, he reasons,
to believe I’m wrong!
Leaning back against the old brick wall, Frank closes his eyes, and clenching his fists, fights back the urge to charge into the gym and have it out with her.

Todd looks up, trying to smile, trying not to cry. Crystal feels so much sympathy that her hand goes instinctively to his cheek. He closes his eyes and rests his face against her palm. “It’s all right, Todd. I know how you feel. When Millicent dumped me last year, I thought my heart had shattered into a million pieces.”

This little piece of intelligence does not help to ease Todd. It angers him enough to embolden him. Looking up, he declares, “Frank did not cheat on me because we are not dating! What we did yesterday—” Todd chokes on his words, giving Crystal the wrong impression. He stops himself because he really doesn’t want to talk about what he and Frank did. Sighing, he knows he has to talk about it, though—especially now. The look in Crystal’s eyes reflects her realization that he and Frank are more than just friends. “Look,” he says sternly. “Frank and I are not dating! We never were dating! When I left him yesterday, I told him it didn’t mean anything! In fact,” he adds, “we talked about other guys and he confessed to me that he wanted to ask out T’Neal. Said he wasn’t sure if T’Neal liked him or not. So,” Todd improvises frantically, “I told him not to be crazy. T’Neal was obviously madly in love with him, and all Frank had to do was voc him and they’d be dating like they’d been that way forever.” Finally, Todd stops to take a breath.

Frank opens his eyes and smiles.
Nice lie, Todd!
Frank is impressed. He wonders whether he should enter the gym now, but he stops when he hears Crystal react.

“Really, Todd? Really? I don’t believe what you and Frank were doing meant absolutely nothing to you.”

“Well, it didn’t,” he insists.

Todd’s words sting Frank. He takes a deep breath and readies himself to enter.

“I don’t understand guys.” Crystal is half-irate, half-befuddled. “That you can actually do stuff like that and then act like you just don’t care.”

“It’s not that big a deal, actually,” Todd tries feebly to impress.

Frank snorts, lightly enough not to be heard inside the gym.

“Guys are weird,” Crystal says.

“Maybe girls are just too sensitive?”

“Well, I’d rather be too sensitive than kiss and forget the way you two do!”

Feeling some success, Todd asks tentatively, “Would you apologize to Frank, please? I mean, none of this was his fault after all.”

Crystal leans back, discontent, battling with indecision in her eyes. “Is that what you want?” Unbelieving, she reiterates, “Really want?”

Todd’s sigh of relief is audible even for Frank. “Yes, that’s what I want.”

“Fine!” Crystal agrees, though somewhat begrudgingly. “I’ll apologize.”

Frank is impressed. Todd actually managed to bring the girl around.

“Thank you so much, Crystal.” In his exuberance, Todd leans forward and kisses her. Quickly sitting back, he apologizes.

“Don’t be silly; we’re friends.” Clearly pleased, Crystal leans forward and returns Todd’s kiss. It is soft and sweet and stirring. When she releases him, she leans back. “We’re best friends.” The rest she whispers. “I always kiss my best friends.” A second, more lingering kiss ensues.

When Crystal finally releases his lips, Todd blushes and then turns to look toward the door. Frank, he is certain, is out there. “Okay, Frank. Come in.”

Crystal leaps up, stung. “He’s been standing out there the whole time?”

Frank walks into the gym. His smile is a little too smug. “Do you have something to say to me, Crystal?”

Scowling, Crystal stands; then she looks down on Todd. “You tricked me!”

Nervous now, Todd feverishly improvises. “I didn’t trick you, Crystal. Everything I said is true. I just…I just knew you wouldn’t listen if I didn’t talk to you first.” When all Crystal does is harrumph, Todd presses, “Please, Crystal. You two have to work together, be co-caps. And it wasn’t Frank’s fault. He didn’t dump me like you thought. We were just being a couple of guys acting stupid—I led him on, teased him up, and then left. He calls T’Neal—so what.” Talking now to his shoes, he adds, “I don’t give a shit; why should you?”

Crystal bends down, squatting in front of Todd. “I saw how you looked this morning.” Appraising him now with her eyes, she says, “How you look now. You’re upset. You can’t deny that.”

“Yes, I’m upset!” Todd shouts. “That little fucker called me a
strai
! And, you!” He pounds a finger on her sternum. “You fucking called me one Sunday!”

Crystal blanches. “Todd, I didn’t.”

Frank leaps in. “Not directly, but you kept insinuating it. That’s why he jumped on my lap and started to kiss me. Your suggestion was so fucking blatant even I could see through it. I would have told you to fuck off but for Todd jumping on me like he did.” Even though he is still addressing Crystal, Frank smiles down at his friend, “A lot more pleasant than yelling at you.”

“Oh, Todd, is that what you thought?” Crystal asks. “That I thought
that
about you?” Todd nods, still staring at his shoes. “I am so sorry.” Bending down, she embraces Todd. Crying, she begs for forgiveness.

“Please apologize to Frank,” is all Todd can muster.

Crystal looks up. “I’m sorry I misinterpreted you, Frank.” After Frank’s nod of approval, Crystal turns all of her attention back on Todd. “I’m so sorry you guys thought I was saying that about you. I really am sorry, Todd. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Yeah,” he says, looking up finally, wiping his eyes. “We’re cool.” He extends a hand to Frank, who yanks him up to standing. “All right, you guys,” Todd says, clapping his hands together. Trying to put everything behind him, he adds, “Frank and I need to change.”

As soon as the two boys return from the boy’s locker room, Todd takes control. “Let’s get to work.”

“What do we do first, Coach?” Frank’s attempt at jocularity is feeble, but Todd and Crystal laugh anyway.

“Weaves,” Todd pronounces. “Coach, put out a med-ball and a b-ball for us to use. But we should run stairs first.”

Both Frank and Crystal groan. “Come on, Todd!” Frank protests.

“Seriously, Todd, stairs? You know Coach only gives us those when she’s pissed off.” Crystal and Frank form a quick alliance.

“I swear she only does it to make us puke,” Frank adds.

“Quit acting like a couple of little babies.” Todd is in control. “It’s conditioning. Strengthens the thighs on the way up and the calves on the way down. So, quit bitching, kiddies, and let’s move.” When it comes to b-ball, Todd is cocky and confident. His father taught him the game, and they used to spend hours at the local gym playing one-on-one with Papa Mike on the sidelines, taking turns cheering on one and then the other. Will Middleton played high school and college ball. If Hadrian had had a professional league, Will Middleton would have been an all star. He taught his son everything he knew about the game before his death.

After running stairs, Todd has the three of them weave in and out, up and down the court with the med-ball, making the switch to tossing the b-ball a breeze. When he insists they run lines, Crystal and Frank protest again. “For the love of Hadrian, Todd,” Frank growls, “that is so
strai
!”

“Sexual preference has nothing to do with running lines, Frank.”

Frank shakes his head in both anger and dismay. “You know I meant stupid.”

“Let’s go, kiddies,” Todd remarks as he heads toward the far end of the gym.

“No Fucking Way!” Crystal’s objection is a little over the top, but she takes it even further. “We did stairs—why the hell should we do lines, too?”

“What a couple of whiny little babies,” Todd balks. “Line training is different than stairs. With lines, you have to work up instant speed, stop on a dime, and switch directions. It’s something you have to be ready to do at any second in the game. Line work is critical! Go sit on the sidelines like a couple of little toddlers, but I’m doing lines.” There is no way Frank or Crystal have any intention of letting Todd show them up so they run through the line workout with him. Just to piss them off (a little sadistic punishment perhaps), Todd runs the gym lines three times non-stop. Running weaves is next. First, Todd has them toss the medicine ball back and forth before switching over to the much lighter b-ball. Finally, after thoroughly exhausting his teammates, Todd asks through heavy breaths, “How about a little two-on-one?”

Even two-on-one, Crystal and Frank have to work hard to beat Todd Middleton. He takes after his genetic father in nearly every aspect but height. His genetic mother, whomever she might be, must have come from short stock. That he is only 5’ 5” is a hindrance on the b-ball court, but what Todd loses in height, he makes up for with heart and skill! His dribbling technique is flawless and lightning quick! Maneuvering speed is another one of his talents, slipping in between and around the other team like a jackrabbit running from wolves. And his throwing arm is by far the strongest Coach Miller has ever seen! He knows every play in the book by heart and has a keen sense of what other players are going to do by the way they move.

After beating Todd 4-2, Crystal and Frank foolishly gloat. And although it means cleaning the gym before heading out, a condition made by Coach Miller if they are to use the gym on their own time, Todd makes sure to remind his two friends, “Two of you!” Then pointing to his chest with both fingers, “One of me.” Topping it off with a smug shrug, he continues, “Just saying! And,” he tosses in an extra little jab, “you’re both twice my height at that!” They all know he exaggerates now, but the height comment is always enough for Frank and Crystal to look shamefaced and help him clean up the gym (something he never does for them when he wins).

As soon as Todd is out of earshot, Frank confesses his dismay to Crystal. “Why Coach Miller doesn’t make him co-cap is beyond me.”

Crystal shakes her head in wonder. “Makes no sense to me.”

Normally, Frank is offended when someone suggests he is not as good as someone else, but there is no denying that Todd is the real b-ball player at their school. Their team is good; they even won Quadrants last year. But Todd isn’t just good; Todd is a player, just like his dad. Coach Miller knows this too. She isn’t stupid. She just has good instinct when it comes to teenage dynamics. Frank Hunter is top dog. The kids respond to his word like he was a Hadrian god—almost as if he were Hadrian himself. Todd, though admired for his b-ball skills and always beloved during the season, would never be able to command the same level of respect from his teammates. Coach Miller compensates for this situation by making Todd her unofficial assistant coach. She always discusses tactics with him every game: which way the ball is going and what play would work best. Todd is also first string and on the floor every single game. But at times, the coach keeps him on the bench with her so they can strategize. Todd’s
father taught him well, and Coach Miller wants to squeeze every bit of information out of Todd while she can. More often than not, these bench times occur when the team is winning. If they ever start to fall behind, though, Todd is always quick to say, “You better put me back in, Coach.” Coach Miller never objects. With Todd Middleton on her team, she is confident they will not only win Quadrants again this year, but that they might even take Nationals.