Final Breath Ch. 02

The five of us surrounded Jamie, bouncing up and down in place. He fixed his gaze on each of us in turn as a manic look spread across his face, and then he howled at the darkening night sky.

"WHO'S BALLIN'?!" he yelled at us.

"WE BALLIN'!!" came our reply.

"WHOSE HOUSE?!"

"OUR HOUSE!!"

"WHOSE TIME?!"

"OUR TIME!!"

We stopped moving and raised our right arms, resting our hands on each other. "Win on 3!" said Jamie.

"1-2-3 WIN!!!"

As I jogged back to the locker room, I looked up into the crowd, the last of my personal pre-game superstitions. I tried to see if I could find my parents. They came to every home game and a good number of my away games as well. Sometimes it was easy enough to spot them, but tonight would be difficult; it was our biggest rivalry game and the stands were packed. I had especially wanted to see them tonight since I knew Erin would be sitting along with them. No luck, unfortunately, though I did give a brief wave to where I thought they might be, as I always did whether I found them or not.

The whole team filed into the locker room. Minutes later Coach walked in and bellowed, "Gather round, men!" Everyone surrounded him, down on one knee, ready to hear him speak.

"Men, I'll keep my words short and sweet tonight, because quite frankly if you can't get motivated to play in big games like this one tonight, there's something wrong with you, and nothing I say or do will change that. But I can see in your eyes how badly you want this! Underclassmen, the seniors have a chance at history, to be the first players to win our rivalry game all four years. Send them out on a high note! And to all of you, play hard, have fun, but most importantly KICK SOME ASS!"

We erupted in a loud roar and quickly emptied the room. Each of the seniors, including myself, were introduced over the P.A. system, and each of us sprinted to our logo at midfield and high-fived and chest-bumped each other.

There was no doubt in any of our minds, none whatsoever. We were going to win this game. It was a foregone conclusion. A done deal.

We were hyped. We were ready.

Friday, November 2nd, 9:58pm

We were terrible.

To this day, I have no idea what happened that night. Were we overconfident? Too nervous? Had we somehow angered the football gods? I never could figure it out.

Whatever the reason, we were flat as a pancake to start the game. Totally dead emotionally. Before we knew it, the first half was over and we were down by three touchdowns. We went into halftime and the coaches gave us some adjustments to the game plan and some hope. Then we let them take the second half opening kickoff for another touchdown, and it was all over but the crying.

We lost 49-7. To our biggest rivals. In front of our largest crowd of the season. And it wasn't even that close.

No one was safe from our team-wide malaise. Certainly not me. I ran the wrong route a couple of times and dropped at least two balls that should have been easy catches. As I stood on the sidelines during the fourth quarter, benched along with all the other starters, when I wasn't discussing the shock of how the game unfolded with my teammates, I wondered what Erin and my parents were thinking.

After the game was finally, mercifully over, we all trudged back to the locker room. Everywhere in the room there was complete silence, except for the sound of sweaty football gear being removed and thoughtlessly discarded. No one said a word, not me, nor Jamie or any of my other friends. Even Billy himself was shell-shocked and unable to speak.

It took seemingly forever for Coach to come in and address us. When he did, we braced ourselves for the onslaught; that was how certain we were that he'd yell so loud he'd peel the paint off the walls.

Only, he never raised his voice at all. Not even a little bit. Which made what he said all the more devastating.

"I'm disappointed in all of you. Not because we lost the game. Even good teams lose sometimes. I'm disappointed in you because you quit. You gave up. You gave up on your fans, your school, and everyone who supports you and watches you play. You gave up on your coaches. You gave up on your teammates. Worst of all, you gave up on yourselves.

"I want you to think about this on the weekend. We're still in the playoffs. We still have a chance to make this a special year. So if you're willing to stand up and fight for each other, for everyone in this room, then I'll see you at practice on Monday. But if you're not, then don't even bother."

With that, he left the room and didn't look back. Coach's sharp words cut right down to the bone, rendering us all even more speechless, if that were even possible.

The worst part of it all? He was right.

His speech was harsh but true. Collectively, we had quit on each other. And after some reflection, I realized that I too had quit on the game early, meaning I had also quit on my team and myself. The realization made me even more miserable.

After silently showering and getting dressed, I spoke briefly with my friends. None of them seemed interested in going to any after-parties or even just to hang out. I really couldn't blame them. As much as I loved Torrey, Brandon, Ricky, and especially Jamie, like they were my own brothers, I didn't feel like doing any of that either. The brutal loss and everything that went with it was still too fresh in my mind, and apparently they felt the same way.

At the same time, I didn't feel like just going home, either. I needed to go somewhere so I could think, but mostly I just wanted to be alone with my misery.

That's why, for the second time in the last three days, I lied to my parents. I told them I would be attending an after party and would return home the next morning. I think they were worried but for some reason they couldn't come up with a reason to say no, so they gave me permission to stay out. When I asked them to drive Erin home as well they said they would. A very small part of me realized that Erin did not look at all pleased with this turn of events but I was too wrapped up in my own problems to give it very much thought.

I waited to ensure my parents drove away, and then I fought my way through the rest of the traffic. From there I just... walked. I had no particular destination in mind. I was just walking the city streets, randomly turning left or right or going straight as the spirit moved me. The chilly fall wind picked up over that time, and when the first drops of cold rain came, I actually welcomed them, in a perverse way; for they certainly fit the mood I was in.

Friday, November 2nd, 11:50pm

I had no idea how long I'd been walking. I was faintly aware that I was tired, cold and getting wetter by the second. I also didn't have a damn clue where I was. None of that seemed to matter to me. I just kept walking, letting my depression guide me.

Suddenly I heard the sound of little footsteps behind me, quickly closing the distance. I turned around and, much to my surprise, Erin was running towards me. "Garrett!" she yelled. "Wait up!"

"Erin?!" I replied. "What... how did you find me?"

Erin rolled her eyes at me. "Duh. You walked right by my house."

I looked around and, sure enough, she was right. Only now did I recognize my surroundings, where a few short moments ago I hadn't paid any attention to them at all. I realized that I was only a few doors down from Erin's house. Whether it was an unconscious decision on my part to head for this neighbourhood, or just a coincidence, I couldn't tell, but it was definitely weird that I ended up here.

"Anyway," she continued, "I was looking out the window, watching the rain fall, when I saw you pass by. You looked so depressed... I don't know, I just thought I should try to cheer you up."

I appreciated the gesture, but I was still so dejected I didn't want to subject her to my dark state. "Erin," I said, "you should probably leave. I'm not very good company right now."

Her facial features darkened into a frown. "No!" she hissed.

"No?!"

"You heard me! I didn't run out here late at night in the cold rain just to let you chase me away so you can sulk all night! I'm not sure why I'm even doing it in the first place, considering how you just brushed me off after the game! Don't even try to pull that shit on me again, you hear me?!"

"So what do you want me to do, Erin?! Huh?! I'm angry, miserable, pissed off... all of that right now! Do you really want to be with me when I'm like this?! Do you want me possibly taking out my anger on you?! The guilt I'd feel if I did that is the last fucking thing I need right now!!"

Erin shook her head. "You don't fucking get it, do you?! I love you, Gare. I love all of you, the good and the bad! I love you so much that I don't care how angry you are right now, you're not getting rid of me! And if you love me as much as I think you do, you won't dare brush me off again!"

Her fierce stare burned a hole in me. The cold rain fell even harder, lashing the ground all around us. I don't think anyone else could have gotten through to me then, but somehow Erin's words pierced the armor of anger and misery I had constructed around myself, though I was too damn stubborn and proud to freely admit it.

"Fine," I said. "You're right. So what are we gonna do?!"

"You're coming with me!" Erin grabbed my arm and, despite her much more diminutive stature compared to me, practically dragged me down the street. I allowed her to lead me to wherever it was she wanted to go. At first I thought it was going to be back to her house, but we passed it by without even a second look back from her.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Shhh," Erin hushed me. So I kept walking in step beside her. She pulled out her cell phone and made a call which I purposefully ignored. I remained silent the rest of the way until we reached our destination, an average-sized but stately looking house. Standing in front of it, with her arms crossed in front of her, was Scarlett.

"Trouble in paradise already?" she asked with a playful look on her face.

Erin just shrugged and said, "Garrett and I need some alone time."

Scarlett smiled, put a comforting hand on Erin and said, "Follow me."

Some time ago, Scarlett's parents had performed some extensive renovations on their house. One of these, done at Scarlett's request, was a fully equipped and furnished room on top of their garage. Over the years the room had become a sanctuary for Scarlett, Erin and their goth circle of friends, a place where they could safely hang out and be themselves away from the prying eyes of those who would judge them. I had spent a few evenings here in their company and so had grown to appreciate its charms on a couple of different levels, such as they were.

Scarlett led us up the staircase to the room, unlocked the door and flicked on the lights. The lighting was dim, just a little more than enough for anyone to find their way around the room without bumping into anything. Light enough for me to take in the pieces of art, most of which were Scarlett's creations, as well as the Bauhaus posters and other goth accoutrements that adorned the room.

"Wait here," Scarlett told us, before going around the corner to do... something. What it was at that time I didn't know. I did take the opportunity to remove my soaking wet jacket, which thankfully did its job and kept me relatively dry underneath. I felt Erin's expectant look at me before I saw it, bringing me back to what I said to her a few short minutes ago.

'Great', I thought to myself. As if tonight wasn't shitty enough, I had to go and start a dumb argument with Erin. But maybe the fact that I was here with her meant that all was not lost. I had to man up first, however, in order to take advantage.

"Erin, I'm so sorry," I said quietly. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did..."

She silenced me with a finger on my lips, and then leaned upwards to kiss me gently on the cheek. "I forgive you," she said. "Your game tonight... it really meant a lot to you, didn't it?"

"Yeah," I whispered. "It did mean a lot. And it couldn't have gone worse. I feel like a big failure, and I let a lot of people down."

Erin nodded and took me by the hand. She started to say something a couple of times before apparently deciding it was somehow all wrong. Finally she figured it out. "Garrett, I don't know if I can say or do the right things to make those feelings go away. But maybe... just maybe there's something I can do to help get it off your mind, to ease the pain."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Scarlett returned to where we were standing. "So, I take it I won't be needed again for the rest of the night?" she asked with the same playful tone as before.

"Thanks, hun, but no," Erin replied. "Gare's big game didn't go well, unfortunately. It meant a lot to him, maybe more than you and I could ever know or understand. He's really upset, and he needs me to make him feel better."

I saw Scarlett whisper something into Erin's ear. My friend and now lover smiled devilishly. In a louder voice, Scarlett bade Erin good luck. Then she turned and pointed at me.

"And you," she said, "can thank me later."

My fog was slowly starting to break, and I was starting to understand what might be in store for me. I nodded and smiled. Just as I was about to answer, I recalled how Scarlett, along with Mel, had played a vital role in ensuring Erin and I fully consummated our love on Halloween night.

"This isn't the only thing for which I need to thank you," I told Scarlett. She smiled at me knowingly, tapped my shoulder with her fist and winked at me before she walked out the door. I locked it behind her to ensure privacy for Erin and me.

I turned to speak to Erin, except the sight before me left me completely dumbstruck.

Apparently the sofa in the middle of the room was actually a sofa-bed. I had no idea that was the case. I guessed that part of Scarlett's preparations earlier, and what in part she whispered to Erin, was that she got this ready for us since she knew it was now required.

But that wasn't what caught my attention.

Erin stood at the foot of the bed, looking exactly like the sexy little minx I had recently come to intimately know. She had shed nearly all her clothes; all that was between her and total nudity was a pair of black boy-short style panties. She also had her necklace on, the same one she wore this morning, and it glittered even in the dim light. The nipples on her perky little breasts were hard little bullets, standing tall and proud before me. She turned and bent over at the waist to give me a good view of her sweet, taut panty-clad ass. She swung back around and smiled seductively, instructing me to come forward with a wiggle of her finger.

It took me a while to respond, but there was no way I could remain immune to her feminine charms for very long. I moved forward and felt my aroused shaft grow with every step.

When I reached Erin she ran her fingers lightly down my chest, and even that feather-soft touch nearly took my breath away. I wrapped my arms around her and took hold of her butt, and it excited me when I felt her muscles tense up as she stretched on her tiptoes to kiss me. Something caught her eye as we finished the kiss, and she smiled.

"You're wearing your necklace," she said.

"Of course," I countered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Her bright smile grew wider. She removed her own necklace, a simple movement that I still found extremely sexy. I bent at the waist to make it easier for her to remove mine as well. She carefully placed them on a side table, presumably to keep them safe and ensure they didn't interfere with the romantic activities we were soon to enjoy.

I sat on the edge of the bed and as Erin reached me I held her hand and rubbed the back of it with my thumb. "So you think you can help me feel better, do you?" I asked her. "Help me take my pain away?"

"Nope," she answered. "I don't think I can. I know I can!"

"And just how do you propose to do that?"

She smirked and climbed on to my lap. "I have my ways."

Erin pulled me in to a passionate kiss. I kissed her back until she moaned happily into my mouth. We spent a few minutes kissing, reacquainting ourselves with each other's feel and taste. She broke the latest kiss we were sharing to remove my shirt. The sight of my bare, muscular upper body brought a flash of hunger in her eyes and a throaty growl from my goth princess. She licked and lapped at my neck and chest, and teased and nibbled at both of my nipples. I was holding on to her tight and groaning from the pleasurable sensations she was inflicting on me. Damn, if she didn't know how to get me revved up! At the same time, she was grinding her crotch on my thigh; her accelerated breathing and the rich feminine aroma reaching my nostrils told me she was getting extremely turned on, just as much as I was.

Out of the blue came Erin's sexy voice again, husky and laden with seduction and temptation. "Garrett?"

"Yeah?" I breathed back.

"I have a... request for you."

"What's that?"

"One of these days after you work out, or after one of your football practices, I'd love it if maybe you were able to leave without showering and see me. Or let me know where you are so I can find you."

"Uh... really?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Erin's lips curled up in a sexy sneer. "I really like the way your body smells and tastes now, but I know I'll love it even more when you're all sweaty and even more manly-smelling!"

I moaned loudly as she licked me again from collarbone to earlobe. "Holy fuck, Erin, you are such a dirty girl!"

"That's right, Gare. I am a dirty girl. I'm YOUR dirty girl!" she whispered in my ear. "Your dirty, horny goth princess!" She bit down on my earlobe and a jolt of pleasurable pain... or was it painful pleasure?... shot through my body.

Erin continued to stroke my body with her tongue. She looked like a cat lapping up a bowl of cream, and I told her so.

"Cream, huh?" she said. "What a great idea." She slid down to kneel in front of me, saying in a sing-song voice, "And I know where I can get some!"

She unbuckled my belt and unbuttoned my pants. I helped her slide them off. She licked her lips at the sight of me completely naked in front of her. My cock was hard and ready and screaming for her loving attention. Thankfully I didn't have to wait long. Erin's small, soft hand closed around my shaft and she ran her tongue over my cock. The top, sides, underside, the sensitive head... she covered it all with a wet, tender bath of love, lust and saliva.

"Oh, Erin, that feels so good," I said.

She closed her mouth around the first few inches of my hard member and sucked on it eagerly, making it throb with need and desire. I moaned with pleasure. She released my cock from her mouth with a pop and said, "Gare, I'll get better at sucking your cock. I'll show you soon, I promise."

"Baby, you're already damn good at this. I don't know how it could get better."

"Just wait. You'll see." With that, Erin took me inside her hot, wet, willing mouth again. She lovingly blew me until I could barely hold back any longer, yelling, "I'm gonna cum!" It was just enough warning to prepare herself. A few seconds later I yelled again and a long, hot stream of my seed fired straight down her throat. She kept sucking, tasting and swallowing all I had to give until my orgasm was complete and then some.

I lay back flat on the bed, and as was her custom Erin wriggled up and positioned her sexy little body on top of me. I had recovered my breath sufficiently enough to say, "Thank you, Erin. You have no idea how much I needed that."

"You're welcome, Gare. I should thank you, too. I love sucking your cock as much as you love having your cock sucked. Maybe even more."

"That's because you're my dirty little goth princess."