The Summer of '67: The Rock

This is the third chapter of four. The first Chapter, The Summer of '66: Barbara Ann, was actually posted before the second chapter, Troubles. That was my fault as a newbie to the site; I submitted the second chapter before the first was posted, the first was rejected until I clarified the age of a character, and chapter two was posted while we endured the Ice Age here in Texas without electricity, so they were posted in reverse order.

That probably only clouded the water, but just as commenters said Troubles seemed disjointed and needed a beginning, this chapter will be disjointed unless you read the first two chapters. The ending is sudden, but The Fall of '67 draws it to conclusion. I hope you enjoy, and I do appreciate comments.

When Troubles ended, Barbara Ann and Theo were locked outside The Beach Shack in the middle of night.

All the main characters are over eighteen and are fictitious, which you may have figured out from their perfection. However, the places, songs, singers, and poems, are authentic. While the names of the football coaches are real, as are the team records, the conversations never took place, because, well, the main characters are fictitious.

Ch. 3 - The Summers of '66 &'67: The Rock

After three shrill rings, Paula picked up the phone in one room simultaneously with Danny in another. "Hehlo?" Danny slurred, still more asleep than awake.

The voice of a pissed off female stated, "Tell the Bitch and the Asshole their shit is in plastic bags lying in the sand at the end of your road near the trashcans! The tide is coming in, so they should either get their cheating asses up and go get it, or let it wash away!"

"Kathy?" Paula asked, then proceeded; "We've been up almost all night and I'm still mostly asleep; could you repeat that? I got the bitch and asshole parts, but about bags on the beach?" "All their shit -- anything they left at Caelan's - we put it in plastic bags and left it on the beach where the road intersects. It was barely above the water line, so it may have already washed away, but the two shitbirds might want to go check," Kathy replied coldly.

"Kathy, where are you, and where is Caelan?" Danny asked. Judy, now wide-awake, was lying next to him trying to hear, so he held the phone right between them. "I'm at Caelan's; I have no idea where he is. I woke him about three with the tale of two sluts, and he stayed up the rest of the night getting his stuff together and putting hers in sacks. He told me to pack Theo's shit in trash bags, and left around dawn. He came back, changed all the locks, closed up the shed, and took me with him to drop off the bags. He brought me back here, gave me a key, and told me that UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES were the bitch and asshole to enter his property, and to call the cops if either one tried.

He kissed me goodbye, said he would call next week, and reminded me to lock everything when I left. I don't know where he is, but it isn't on this island."

"So, Kathy," Paula asked quietly, "what are your plans? We were all going to Corpus today and..."

"FUCK NO! I'm not going ANYWHERE with ANYONE who is friends of the bitch and asshole!" "Okay," Paula replied quickly, "then I assume those relationships are done...forever?" "And a day!" Kathy exclaimed. "I do have a message from Caelan for each of them; do you want to wake them up, or shall I share it with you and you give it to them?"

"I'm awake and I picked up the phone, Kathy. I'm so sorry..." Barbara Ann said before Kathy cut her off. "Fuck you, bitch! I don't want your apology, I don't want to hear your excuses! Just shut the fuck up and listen!

Caelan said, and I quote, 'Tell the asshole he better never speak to me or come near me again if he enjoys breathing. Tell the bitch that there are no acceptable circumstances in which she ever approaches me again, and if she does she will be very, very sorry!'

Did you get all that, or do you want me to repeat it?"

A very subdued Barbara Ann answered, "No, I got it. I'll tell Theo." "You mean he isn't humping you right now?" Kathy asked vehemently. "No," she replied quietly. "He's on the couch in the living room. That was a monumental mistake we won't make again. He...he wants to talk to you some time; can he call you there?"

"Call me? Fuckin' call me! He had barely finished telling me how much he loves me when I heard you squeal and learned he was not in bed! He came back with his cock wet with your nasty juices, Bitch! Fuck no, I don't want to talk to him! Not now, not ever!

How about you, you lying slut? Haven't I spent all summer hearing you you telling Caelan how much you love him? Haven't you been promising him that you would NEVER do something like you and the asshole did BEFORE? I guess your promises are worth exactly the same as the asshole's -- NOT A SINGLE FUCKING THING!!!!"

Kathy took a deep, very audible breath, and concluded, "Now, either get your sorry asses down to the water and get your shit, or watch it float away! Oh, and by the way: EAT SHIT AND DIE!"

It sounded like she broke the phone when she hung up. Barbara Ann lay there in a stupor for a few minutes, and then resumed bawling. She thought she was cried out, but no, she had plenty of tears left.

"This is such a cluster fuck I'm ready to pack up and go home!" Judy told Danny. "Me too," he replied. "I love being with you, but there is a funeral pallor over this weekend I don't think is going away. If we do stay, the first thing we need to do is to jettison the bitch and the asshole and go see if the four of us can comfort Kathy. Maybe if we stay there with her we can learn more about Caelan's whereabouts."

"No, I can't do that! Barbara Ann needs us!" Judy replied. Danny replied, "Fuck the cheating bitch! If it weren't for her being a slut none of this would be happening!" "She isn't a slut! She made a mistake, that's all!" Judy cried in defense of her friend.

"A MISTAKE? You're shitting me, right?" Danny shouted. "Fucking Theo in the kitchen isn't a MISTAKE: that's blatant treachery! No, blatant betrayal! Do you not know the difference between BETRAYAL and a MISTAKE! Caelan is probably going to kill them both, and I don't blame him!!!"

Judy frowned and forcefully replied, "Well, if that is how you feel, fuck you too! People make mistakes, and Barbara Ann is my friend, and Theo is your friend, and Caelan is our friend, and we need to find a way to work this out!"

Danny climbed out of bed and began putting his clothes on. Judy asked "Where are you going? We need to talk about this!" He did not slow his efforts or speak until he finished dressing; he turned and told her "No, we don't. If you think what they did is a 'mistake' and we all 'just need to work it out', we have nothing to talk about! Anyone that condones that kind of shit is someone I want nothing to do with!"

He picked up his duffle bag and crossed the hall; Marcus opened the door and said, "We just had the same discussion; they are not who I thought they were! Let's go." As they entered the living room they saw Theo, who looked defiant, sitting on the couch. "Don't say a word, mother fucker, or I'll fuck up your pretty-boy face so bad little kids will scream and run from you!" Danny warned.

Theo stood up, but held his tongue. "Straight from Caelan's mouth to your ears, mother fucker, here is your one warning," Danny stated vehemently. "He said: 'Tell the asshole he better never speak to me or come near me again if he enjoys breathing.' Is that clear enough, or do I need to explain it to you?"

"Look guys, it was a mistake. She was naked, I was naked, we..."

Danny looked at Marc in disbelief, "Another idiot who thinks sticking your cock in a friend's girl is 'a mistake'! No, dumbass; dialing a wrong number is a mistake; fucking your best friend's girl is betrayal, and you better believe and heed Caelan's words! If he doesn't kill you, he will fuck you up so bad you will wish he had! And keep the fuck away from us too, Asshole!"

They stormed out, got in Danny's car and went to Caelan's.

Barbara Ann joined Paula, Judy, and Theo in the living room. "Looks like we are all on the shit list now, huh?" Theo noted with a grin. "But that's okay; now we can go have fun without all the drama and bull shit, right? Who wants a Bloody Mary?"

"Out!" Barbara Ann ordered, pointing at the door. "Get the fuck out, and never, ever, come back! I thought you were my friend, but you just wanted to fuck me! I can't believe you did that to me!"

"Don't try to sell that shit! You knew damn well who was fucking you -- I had to cover your mouth because you were practically yelling 'Fuck me, Theo; harder baby, harder!' You wanted it as bad as I did, so none of that 'poor sweet Barbie' bullshit!

Shit, girl, I spotted you as a slut waiting to happen right away! If you hadn't run off to Mommy two weeks ago I'd have unleashed your inner slut and you would be fucking me, Danny, Marc, and all three girls, not just Judy! So get off your fucking high horse and get down to earth with me!"

Judy and Paula went into the kitchen and came back wielding frying pans. Barbara Ann was collapsed on the couch crying, again, and Theo was smirking at her sobbing body.

"Get the fuck out, NOW!" Paula threatened, "Or WE will mess your pretty-boy face up so bad little kids will cry and run away!"

They advanced on him; he grabbed his clothes and begged, "Truce! We need to go get our stuff off the beach before the waves or thieves get it! Take me down there, let me get my stuff, and then take me to my truck and I'll be gone!"

The three girls crowded into the front seat of the Starfire for the short ride,still carrying their frying pans, with Judy driving. Theo grabbed all three bags, which were barely out of the water. He tossed them in the trunk and they took him to his truck, which was now parked on the beach in front of Caelan's house with waves slapping against it.

He cussed, climbed out, got the trash sack with his clothes and shoes, and moved his truck back onto the sand. He thought about walking up and trying to smooth talk Kathy, but she was standing menacingly on the deck holding a shotgun, so he took one more chance on the girls.

"You girls are all alone now; wouldn't you like for me to stay with you? We can still have a good time!" he said, looking in through the window.

"Fuck you!" Barbara Ann yelled.

"You already did, Barbi, and it was damn good! Give me a call when you want some more!" he taunted as he stepped away from the car, which sped off in a cloud of curses.

Theo looked back at the house and saw that Kathy had the shotgun aimed at him; he waded out to his truck, got in, cranked it up, and sloshed out of the rising waves. He flipped Kathy the bird, she peppered his truck with birdshot, and he sped away.

***The Eyes of Texas***

"Coach Campbell, I'd like to have the team doctor take a look at my knee. My orthopedic surgeon says he believes I will be able to play again, but not until next year." "Young Mr. Kelly, we'd be proud for the doc to take a look at you, but that was as grisly uh injury as I've ever seen. How about ya show me where ya are right now. Can ya walk without a limp?"

"Oh, I'm way past that! Let me slip on some gear and I'll show you, Coach." Caelan disappeared into the locker room, and coach Campbell ambled down the hall. "Darrell, come on out here. Our boy showed up and said he thinks he can play again. You believe that?" "Kelly? Oh bull shit! I wish he could, but even that fancy doctor can't fix what that little chicken shit did to his knee!"

"Hi, coach Royal. You going to watch my workout too?" "Hi, Kelly. It's good to see you again. No, I'm not going to watch you work out, and neither is Coach Campbell, because the NCAA won't allow it. So you go on out in the stadium and do whatever workout you want, and Coach and I will mosey up to the press box and visit for a while. Stop by my office after you get through and we can chat."

Caelan went to the field and demonstrated that he had largely regained his agility, quickness, and speed, but they could see he needed more time and work to get back to 100%.

"Damn, Son, you are a walking miracle, and that expensive dang doctor is worth every penny! So, are you wanting to rejoin the team?" "Coach Royal, I'd love to, but my doctor says I can't practice or play before next spring. I was hoping you could red shirt me this year so I could play two more. I've got some money from working, but anything you can do scholarship-wise would sure help."

"Mike, look into it. If we can, get this young man back on scholarship; hell, if nothing else he can help with our linebackers this year. Who knows about next year?"

***

The Longhorns 1966 season was another disappointment, as all had been since the national championship in 1963. Caelan added 16 hours and another 4.0 to his transcript, so it was a good semester academically, at least. He was back on scholarship, so he lived and ate on campus in Morehill Hall, worked out, did intensive PT, and helped the linebacker coach as much as he could with the inexperienced players they had. Caelan had never thought of himself as talented and instinctual, but some of these guys convinced him otherwise.

He had seen Miss McLaughlin a few times around campus, but she had honored his demand and kept her distance. She looked as good as always, but was developing a reputation around campus as a ball-buster, so she didn't date as much as someone so beautiful should. At least, that's what he heard from Danny and Marc.

Theo had dropped out and was working for an oilman in Victoria. Kathy had moved to Corpus Christi to work for one of Peggy's banks, and had been promoted several times. She was considered a rising star.

At first, Caelan kept to himself most of the time, but wasn't averse to accepting the gift of her body from certain of the lovely coeds who sought him out. Most he rejected considerately, but as his sexual repertoire and legend grew, the number of seekers grew. He dated some of his suitors more than twice, but not many, and he was happy to leave for the Christmas holidays; he needed a break.

He rejoined the team workouts in January, and participated without reservation. The coaches watched him like hawks, but were pleased with his agility, speed, and strength. The competition at linebacker was fierce, but his skills, effort in practice, and talented play in the spring game had him penciled in as a starter for next season. The question was where: he had worked at Will, Mike, and Sam, and looked like the best option at all three linebacker positions.

The team took a break from workouts with the advent of finals in May, with instructions to return mid-July ready to get all the blubber and alcohol run out of them.

Caelan's dalliance with the gorgeous and rich president of an elite sorority, to her chagrin, came to an end with semester exams, and Danny, Marc, and Caelan headed down US 183 the day after finals ended. Caelan had allowed Kathy to continue to use his 'beach shack' on weekends, as long as she kept it up and made sure anything broken was fixed, at Caelan's expense. She wouldn't be there this summer because she had become Peggy's personal assistant and they were in Europe on business. No one knew how that happened, but most suspected the opportunity was Peggy's way of making things right after her niece's faux pas, and Kathy had proven her mettle.

The house was immaculate, and everything appeared to have been well cared-for; Caelan made a mental note to thank Kathy with something tangible when she returned. They hauled two 72-quart ice chests full of frozen beef and venison from the pickup and stored it in the chest freezer in the shed. Protein was a big part of their diet, but beef was expensive on the island, so they had procured half a calf from the meat market in Lockhart, and they had plenty of venison left from hunting season. That, with the plentiful seafood and an occasional chicken, would get them deep into summer, at least.

Each put his clothes and personal items in his bedroom, and put the toiletries in the bathrooms. Caelan opened the medicine cabinet where he kept his shaving cream and razor, and found a small bottle of perfume lying on its side on a shelf. He picked it up, and a familiar smell wafted to him; he closed his eyes, breathed it in, and then sighed.

"Is that hers?" Marcus asked from the doorway. Caelan put it back on the shelf, mumbled yes, and continued putting things away. No one had to ask who 'she' was.

Their next job was to put fresh sheets on the beds, open up the workout shed, and make grocery lists. The coaches were really pushing healthy eating and staying in shape, and all three were told that they were locks to start this year if they came back ready to play. Therefore, pigging out at Custard's Last Stand on hamburgers, fries, shakes, and custard would not happen -- or at least not as often as before.

They bought staples, fresh vegetables and fruit, and paper goods at the Island Food Store, put them away, and made a salad with lots of ham and cheese. Danny noticed the waves were building, so they waxed the boards and hit the surf after lunch. They ran four miles on the wet sand, and did twenty twenties in the deep sands near the dunes before dark. The cooled down, stretched, lifted for an hour, sat on the deck and philosophized, and then cleaned up and went to bed.

Clean living for clean cut young men. They kept it up for four more days, although the salads were alternated with high protein meals, and they ate a huge breakfast daily.

After all the clean living, they were ready when Friday finally arrived. They were at the Dunes Dancehall at eight, and were on their second pitcher of Lone Star when Marc remarked. "Remember when we were sitting at this same table and the five assholes barged in here wanting to start some shit? The beating Caelan put on that poor fool was still the best I've seen! He carved him up -- it was fucking epic!"

Danny raised his mug, "To ass kickings for assholes!" They drained their mugs, slammed them down on the table to signal the need for another, and poured another round. "That was a great summer...at least while it lasted. We know where the rich bitch is, but have either of you heard from her buddies? To tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind seeing that damn redhead again. She was dang good pu... Well, actually, until there at the end, she was more than that." "Yeah," Marc agreed, "I feel the same about the blonde. Paula was a great summer fling, or maybe something more, until she showed her true colors."

"So you two geniuses still haven't figured out that they weren't showing their true colors, they were trying to support their friend? I thought by now you would have. They didn't do anything wrong; the rich bit... Barbara Ann did, and they tried to help her when she got caught. If you want to invite them down, do it! I have nothing against either. They can stay here at the house with you. Hell, tell Judy to bring her little sister and I'll take care of her!"

They laughed, hoisted a mug, and Marc proposed, "To rich bitches, blondes, and red heads. May we receive a bounty this summer!"

In response to his plea, a bevy of USDA prime pussy approached the table. "Caelan! I thought you abandoned us!" cried one of his swimsuit-model blondes from years gone by. "Debbie! Dang, you look good enough to eat, girl!" "Any time, Baby!" she replied with a wink and a hug.

As she and Caelan reminisced and caught up, the other two introduced themselves and took seats. Soon more prime stuff was sitting around the table; they ordered two more pitchers and more cups.

After a few more beers, Carla perched on his lap, pawed at his massive chest and arms, and said, "I don't remember you being this buff last time. I know you will destroy me, but I've got to know what it feels like to hold all that muscle!"