Is It Possible to Love Two People? Pt. 02

Catcher78 copyright all rights reserved.

My first period class was American literature class taught by coach, but there was a substitute teacher. We were reading Sometimes A Great Notion, by Ken Kesey. It was the book after One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and the whole stream of consciousness thing was less stilted in this book. Coach had me read the Electric Koo-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolf and Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums too, oh and Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poems too. Coach said that Kerouac and Neal Cassady were lovers and that the three of them were on the bus and Kesey was owned by the two older men.

The substitute teacher Ms. Thorson, who was Icelandic kept going through Sometimes A Great Notion and cited phrase after phrase from her dog eared copy with sticky notes. She said Kesey had taken beyond anyone else, except maybe Ferlinghetti, because the phrases were full ass iambic pentameter poetry but it was flowing from the character.

She also mentioned James Joyce's Dubliner as an earlier example. She wasn't coach, but she sure was good. Pops got me reading when I was four. She said I had a great grandmother that had skipped two grades and graduated high school when she was fourteen, I wanted more of that story from him.

The dinner was so much fun. I ate like a pig, two helpings of everything, my goodness. Pops had some Grateful Dead cover band stuff with Phil Lesh and John Mayer Shake it Sugaree. People were dancing with everyone and no one all at the same time. Tina and I were at the double wide sink washing dishes, singing and bumping hips and laughing. Tina and coach wanted to have babies soon. Tina was twenty five or so and softly pretty and so feminine. She grabbed me by the hips and we started dancing like everyone and I'd never danced with anyone before and we were close against each other and she leaned forward and kissed me softly on my lips.

I freaked and jumped back, my eyes bulging and my face was on fire and I ran into the living room and grabbed Pops and started dancing with him and would not let go until the track was over. I looked around and nobody was staring at me.

Auntie Marie said to everyone, "Who wants rhubarb crumble and ice cream?"

Universal acclaim came for that and Tina was besides me and my eyes bugged out and the blush returned and she said, "Lets go help out, baby."

We got to the kitchen and she had her arm around my waist and she said, "Let's get people's orders from the back yard and we went out the door. At some point I'd melted into her. Down the steps we went and over to the side of the house. She turned me to face her and I was stuck to her.

"Hailey did I scare you," she was an inch from my face and I nodded. She reached up and put my hair behind both ears. I could feel her breath on my face.

"Was it bad, "I shook my head no, "You liked it," I nodded and my body, my body, oh God.

"Coach is my mom, my only mom, please stop, first kiss ever. I love her so much, my real mom. I can't ever betray her. My body is out of control, please stop, my body wants you soooooooooo much," and I shuddered.

I started weeping and collapsed. I'm not sure how long I lay there and Coach was holding my face.

"Come on baby, let's get you up. Marie's got some cookies too."

I stood up grabbing coach's arms and said, "Coach you're the mom I never had, I love you and always will, I Uhh I, well she kissed me, first I never before," and I was crying again."

She hugged me and patted me and cooed in my ears and I huffed a couple of times and rubbed my eyes.

"I don't know what I am, never ever been on a date or even asked on one. I'm really confused, but I like guys, but after that, prolly girls too."

"Hails, there's no real rules, despite what people say. When you're this age it's like being given a Ferrari without an owner's manual or even the simplest of driver's instructions. If you're like me for about ten years I had boys, girls, men and women. I suspect it will be like that for you too."

"I fell in love with a woman and it was long but didn't work out. Then I met Tina. I let her play and she thought you were queer and had been with people. She feels bad, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. I think we have a man for the pregnancy too, just have to finalize that next week. Let's go inside, we have an announcement to make and there's a guy from the NY Times inside too."

We walked in and Tina was in the kitchen with an upside down pout. I walked over to her and hugged her and said, "I love you Tina and kissed her on the cheek., " She scurried over and hugged Coach.

We were in the front room and Coach said, "Folks I have an announcement to make."

"It seems that Running Hailey Bigs has been offered a full ride to MIT! Our very own Hailey Bigs!

It felt like there were one hundred people in our home and I'd never before felt like this. Pops, Coach and Tina were dancing and hugging and Marie was hugging me so hard and she kissed my cheek so hard and said, "I love you much baby."

I looked her in the face and said, "I love you mom so much," tears burst forth from her, then me too and we were swinging each other around.

We all had too much dessert and I told folks I had to start getting my body back for the next Saturday meet as I knew Coach was going to destroy me for two and a half days of eating. Everybody laughed and up I went.

It was kind of noisy and I lay there on my bed and my thoughts were everywhere. Tina was in a lot of them and Coach and Pops too. I had a call with the MIT coach and there was going to be a ceremony and I was going to sign of course in the morning.

After half of my history class with Ms. Thorson, she was everywhere and a good thing, she was sharp. I love good teachers. I was thinking I'd be a good math teacher too.

At nine forty five I was called to the main gym and I stuffed my stuff into my bag and trotted down the hall and the gym was packed with reporters and camera and sound people and there was an ESPN crew and the New York Times guy, locals from radio stations, KJR and 710ESPN. As a wave they pivoted towards me moving towards me like a school of piranha and I stopped, frozen. Coach and Pops were there, arms taking me to the front of the room. I tried to control my breathing trying to focus inward to my point and somehow I found it.

I was led to a folding chair behind a table, coach was next to me. There was a laptop open to an open Zoom meeting and there is a thirty something gorgeous black woman standing with a mike and six inch heels and a super tight sleeveless dress. Her hair was in these tight ringlets and such red lips. Fuck what is happening to me.

Three two one, "Good morning, this is Sage Steelhead of ESPN. We're in North Bend, Washington at Two Rivers High School. In Boston with our Mina Kinez and MIT's head coach Julie Hayde. Running Hailey Biggs has been offered a scholarship to MIT and we're here to confirm that with Coach Hayde and then Hails will sign the agreement, Coach?"

Hi Hailey, this is Coach Hayde and we've made the offer and are excited to have you in our family."

I waved at Coach Heyde and smiled and tears were coming down my face and I said, "Coach Hayde, thank your for offer and I accept and will sign this, but could I say something, please?"

She nodded and I said I must thank Coach Julie Smith, I don't have a mom and she's been my mom basically since I was twelve in her runner's for kids program. I can't begin to express how much she's done for me and truly she's my mom and Auntie Marie too, can't forget her. Then my Pops... "and I broke down and cried. Both Coach and Pops, said, "Yyou can do this."

I raised my head and looked at Coach Hayde and shrugged and signed the letter of commitment where there were little pieces of tapes, front and back.

I nodded to Coach Hayde and said, "You'll get all I got Coach."

She said, "Pops? We'll take care of her."

The Zoom winked off and then there was the ESPN hottie reporter with the first question, "Hailey how are you going to celebrate this?"

I chuckled, "All weekend long I ate myself silly, pizza, Pop's salmon, Auntie's cookies and Coach's smashed potato salad."

In about three hours, I start running really slow distance intervals to get all the poison out of my body, some lifting in the morning and build up for the meet this Saturday. I'll be running thousand meters only. Probably a FiveK the following week. Got AP math, AP English and AP history stuff this week, one test and two papers this week, another test next week. We will start planting tomatoes this weekend too, can't miss that.

Her follow up was, "What about prom?"

"I'm a junior, that's a senior thing."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

I raised my eyebrows and shook my head.

"Why not?"

"Never been on a date."

"Why not?"

"Nobody's asked," I smiled kind of a smirk really, "but I got standards you know."

Then the NY Times guy blurted out his question, "What if Julio Rodriguez asked?"

I smiled at him and exhaled fanning my face like before and said, "I think he's going steady with one of the most beautiful women alive. Did you see that Instagram picture last Christmas, " I fanned some more, "Maybe just for a dance. Could you ask him for me? Maybe she's off playing soccer somewhere, just once you know. I'm sure he'd be a perfect gentleman, "much exaggerated fanning, "pretty please."

Those group of old jaded reporters roared.

The ESPN lady said, "One last question. What has your mom had to say about all this?"

"Coach and Auntie Marie are my moms, two moms how lucky can I be, " then I stared right at her and resumed, "if you mean my egg donor. I've not heard anything and I don't expect to. She's never been part of my life and I'm eighteen so if this somehow gets to her, if I never ever saw her again it'd be too soon. She hurt pops and is a fucking skank. Understand?"

She made this cutting movement across her throat."

She strode towards me and said, "Why in hell did you do that?"

I stood up and came around the table to her and said, "Bitch that's been in the news and in the NYTimes this morning and there are thirty million hits on Instagram with it. Fuck you did that. I'll kick your ass if you don't get out of my face."

She backed up and the New York Times guy got in her face and screamed at her calling her a bitch and a phony journalist.

I walked out and into the locker room to get away. Coach was there in a minute and said, "Hailey are you okay?"

I nodded, "She's a fucking cunt."

"Hailey!"

"Coach I'm sorry you really ARE my mom. I could not love you more than if you were my birth mother and raised me. You DID raise me. Unfortunately that reporter and my egg donor are the shit on the bottom of shoes. As soon as I smell it I'm going to scrape it off."

Impulsively, I hugged her and said, "I love you mom. I'd be lost without you. Please don't be mad at me. I really don't care about her except I'd squash her for hurting Pops."

"Do you mind if I do twice the intervals I was scheduled to? My body feels kind of skoadie and I need to find my center spot. I added a bunch of Grateful Dead on my jam."

"Mom I feel so bad about Tina, "I stared at the ground and then whispered, "it wasn't much but it was so powerful and I think I might have had an orgasm if what I read is right. I gots to stay away from her. She makes my heart pound."

"She said you did too."

"But it was just a kiss!!!"

"For now I think you should stay away too. She'll take your heart away."

So, I ran. By the time I finished it was close to two hours at a very measured pace. I took a very long shower. Got my stuff and went out the backdoor of the gym and went through the residential streets and I was home. Auntie Marie and Uncle Phil were there. Mom had told them I was coming. I was never ever going to call her Coach again.

"I'm sorry I missed the meeting with the lawyer. My day blew up. What do we know?"

"OK Hails, please sit down."

I did and looked at all three of them. All dead serious.

"She actually was served with divorce papers, late Sunday night our times and your birth father was in fact the guy you saw. He in fact worked for her bank when he impregnated your mom."

We have sued her bank and our attorney thinks they will settle or make an offer to settle.

It seems as if somebody uploaded all the stuff that was in the investigator's report onto Reddit and then onto her Instagram account too. She's on indefinite leave.

Purportedly the marriage is off too. We did not know who would have done such a thing. I stared at my dad's eyebrows, not making contact with his eyes.

"What's next?"

"We wait for the settlement offer."

"Oh, your mom signed the divorce papers and has gone to ground except to send me a text thirty minutes ago, with a sorry. And tell Hailey I'm sorry too."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head and said, "Heartfelt! We'll be facebook besties real soon. Do you mind if I go up and study, AP math test on Friday to get ready for."

He said, "Okay. Dinner at Aunt Maries at seven."

I went over and plopped down next to her and said so everyone could hear me, "I love you mom with all my heart. I meant what I said earlier. I would never have made it without you and Coach. You both taught me to be a nice girl and to be nice and your love is what taught me that. No lessons, just love," I hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek."

She started blubbering and enveloped me in a hug that lasted for a while I'd say. I was not going to move until she let go. She gave me a peck on my cheek and said,

"Go do your work hon."

It was a complicated week, the best part of the week was running. At the meet on Saturday, I barely won the race. It's not really my space, I'm more of a distance runner and I think I might end up doing marathons before my competitive stuff is done. I did my personal best, but it was on a track and there was lots of jostling and elbows.

There was this senior from Bellevue High School and she was trying to keep me pinned against the railing behind another Bellevue girl while their star took off at the end of the first lap. There were only two and a half laps in the whole race and things were going to get away from me fast. I ran up against the one in front of me and gave her a little shove with my forearm and the one besides me, was in my lane as if she was defending the one I shoved and I stepped right through her, in front of her and was gone.

I was a straight away behind her and I attacked. My body was not back to where it should be, but I ran hard, maybe harder than ever.

In the last two hundred meters half a lap, was ten feet behind her as we came into the straight away. I caught her with five feet to go. She lunged but I beat her at two minutes fifty seconds.

The same public address guy from last Saturday said, "That was running Hailey Bigs at two minutes fifty seconds."

The Bellevue coaches ran up to the judge to protest what I'd done. He shook his head and said "Bullshit, your gal in the second lane was elbowing her the whole time. I ought to fine her and ban you for that."

They walked away. That was the hardest race I had all year. I did run a 16.05 to win the state finals in my last high school run ever. Better competition I thought, but I won by twenty five seconds.

Finals in the last week before that. Things had settled down a bit.

My two moms and Tina and Uncle Phil were over that Saturday afternoon for dinner, Cascadia pies, three of them including, meat lovers, Hawaiian and Jalapeno and pepperoni.

It was totally mellow and really chill. My mom the coach said, "Coach Hayde called me this week and asked me about the thousand meter race. She said it was the gutsiest race she'd ever seen a junior in high school run. I agreed with her and she went on to say, that your kick blew her away."

I was wide eyed at all this.

My mom the coach went on, "She went another direction and asked me what I thought about for you at ten thousand meters. I told her I thought it was probably your perfect spot. She asked me to talk to you about that and wondered if I had for you in the way of training and nutrition. I said I did and I sent it to her. She sent it back to me and wondered if we might zoom her on Monday. Are you ok with talking to coach Hayde on Monday?"

I said, "Of course Mom, "I was nodding."

Then Pops stood up and he had a bag in his hand and he got down on his knees in front of Mom and Tina and pulled this box out of the bag and opened it up. Tina and Mom's hands were on their face.

"Julie, will you marry me? I've loved for over ten years?"

Mom jumped down and hugged him and said, "Yes, I love you, Tommy!"

Then he pulled another box out of the bag and looked at Tina and said, "Tina it's new but I love you with all my heart, will you marry me?"

She shrieked and crawled down more gently and hugged Pops and said, "I will love you forever, father of our child."

So he was going to marry two women? I could not look at Tina, just because I wonder if there'd been disclosure. I was going to have a younger something. Oh boy.

I'm glad I was going to MIT. I just went from first to fourth in my Pop's heart. Well, he'd gone without for a long time and now Mom was a good person for sure, but I don't think Tina was against trying to hook up with me again. I had one more year to go and I needed to keep my focus. Stay in my center spot. Nobody'd asked me to the prom, so they must be thinking I'm stuck up or something. I thought I was pretty, who knows.

Coming soon part III Hailey's senior year.