Pursuit of Happiness | The Sean Joseph Woy Story

[Woy]

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Chapter 9: The First Time (Part 1)
September 19, 2024

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After leaving Homecoming, Candace and I got into my dad's car to drop off her and have Greg pick me up. Dad asked a few questions about the night, then got a call from Mom as Candace and I started to talk.

"Are you sure you want me to go to this?" I asked her as I started to unloosen my tie. "I'd be fine by going straight home if it made you happy."

"Don't be like that, hun," she answered, playfully punching me in the arm. "I trust you. Just have fun."

"Alright babe," I replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek as the car stopped because we were outside her house. I got out of the car, walked her to her door and gave her one final kiss before jumping back in the front seat and riding off back home.

Once getting back, I hurried up and changed into a Tennessee Titans football t-shirt and Davidson Academy football sweats and awaited the headlights of Greg's car. After about ten minutes, he finally made his way into the driveway, so I walked outside and into his car.

...

"Party time motherfuckers!" Greg shouted as he walked into his family's warehouse, already filled with 40-50 people. I slowly made myself in behind him and looked for some people on the football team to chill with. Eventually, I found Seth and a few others, so I grabbed a drink and we found ourselves in a game of beer pong minutes later.

"Back left cup," I called out before lining up my shot. "Swish! And now back middle..."

Right before I shot the next one, I was tapped on the shoulder, screwing up my shot as it hit off the side of the cup. I turned around to see Brandi behind me, smiling as she had a drink in her hand.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to screw you up."

"It's fine," I replied before taking another sip of my drink. "What's up?"

"Just got here. This is so much bigger than the parties my bro used to throw."

"Well geez, you should come more often. We do this shit after every win...which is all the time."

"Cocky much?" she asked, raising her brow in either an annoyed or seductive way; I couldn't figure it out.

I chuckled and replied, "Maybe just a bit. But I'm the son of a legend...I think I'm allowed to be a little bit cocky."

"If you say so," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Find me when you're done with your game."

I nodded, took another sip and continued my game with my friends. After winning by just one cup, I walked around to find Brandi but she found me instead near the one open couch. She had a bottle of Southern Comfort in her hand and my conscious state was telling me to turn around and not get myself in trouble, but my buzzed state was telling me to chill with her. Guess which state of mind I listened to?

"Want a shot?" she asked me as we plopped our asses on the couch. I nodded my head up and down, took the bottle and put it to my lips for a second before pulling it away. "So how's things with Candace?"

"They're good...real good," I answered, still feeling the after effects of that shot. "Yeah, I think we'll be together for a while. How about you and Seth?"

"We're not together," she replied, dousing a shot of her own. "We both needed dates for the dance so we decided to go with each other. I barely danced with him anyways."

"Oh, I thought something was there. Well are you interested in anyone right now?"

"Eh, kinda," she said, handing me the bottle for another shot. "I don't have much a chance with him though...oh well."

"I doubt that, you probably could have just about any guy in our class." That put a little smile on her face as she moved in a little bit closer and took another shot herself.

"We'll see if I get him or not. Hey, it's getting a little crowded up here...think we can find a room downstairs and continue our conversation?"

I again nodded my head up and down, trusting my buzzed state of mind more than my consicous one. Actually, I think the last shot I took completely removed my conscience for the night and I was going with what the alcohol told me to do.

We ended up in the same room Candace and I hooked up in at the beginning of the school year. Shutting the door behind me, I watched as Brandi stripped down from a sweatshirt and sweatpants to just a tight tank and booty shorts, exposing all her amazing, but not fully developed curves. I took a seat beside her and looked into her deep blue eyes.

"Like them?" she asked, catching me looking at her eyes.

"Who couldn't?" I said, while I put my arm around her shoulder. "They're stunning."

"I might have some more stunning parts about me," she hinted, pulling my arm off of her. I sat back and wondered as she slowly took her shirt and shorts off, leaving her in just a bra and panties.

I nudged over closer to her and knew what I was going to do next. Slowly, I put my lips on hers, unhooking her bra in the process, then laid her down in the bed. The thought of cheating on Candace crossed my mind, but my drunken state of mind pushed it aside. Off went her bottoms and I'm pretty sure you know what went on from there.

When I woke up around three in the morning, hungover, Brandi still on my side, I walked over to the mirror and looked myself in the eye. "How would I hide this from Candace?" I thought, slowly taking some water from the sink and washing it over my face.

I never would have thought my first time would be the result of cheating on a girl I think I really love. Things would definitely be interesting the next time I saw her.

[Fox1994]

Eminem's most overrated album

Fixed? XD

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Haha! There's that Woy heritage showing. Fuck up your life! Do it! One step at a time.

[beamerball811]

woah Woy!!! get it boy!

[Woy]

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Chapter 10: The First Time (Part 2)
September 21, 2024

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After I got home and my hangover passed away, I took my phone out and went to my recent texts, calling the last person that sent me a message. It rung twice, then Brandi answered on the other line.

"Hey stud," she greeted me. "You still recovering from last night?"

"Hey," I replied. "And nah, I think I'm good now."

"Damn, you're lucky...my head's still pounding. Why'd you call anyways?"

"Have you told anyone about last night?" I asked her, hoping to hear the obvious response that any guy in this situation would want to hear.

"No," she answered, relieving my biggest fear. "Why, do you want me to?"

"Nah, I rather not have my relationship ruined," I stated boldly. "But seriously, that was a mistake and I don't want that shit getting out. Please promise me that it'll stay between us."

"You mean you didn't like it?" she asked sarcastically.

"Brandi..."

"My lips are sealed," she promised, which brought a smile to my face. "So do you..."

Right before she could finish, I hung up the phone and quickly called the first person I had on my mind. After three rings, I was about to put the phone down but then I heard her voice on the other line and quickly shifted it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey pretty girl, you gonna be home to see me tonight?"

"Hey babe," she returned my greeting before getting to the question. "And no, I don't think so. There some wreck out here and we are stuck in major traffic. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I replied, obviously bummed. "Tomorrow then I guess?"

"Yeah definitely," she answered. "Hey, I think we're going to hit a spot with no service though, so I'll let you go. Can't wait to see you again!"

"Alright. Can't wait to see you too."

I then hung up the phone and fell asleep. When I woke up a few hours later, I heard knocking on my window and walked over to pull the blinds up. When I got there though, I received a very pleasant surprise.

"Candace! Hang on a second." I quickly opened the window and helped her inside, then gave her a kiss as we sat down on my bed. "I thought..."

"I lied so I can surprise you," she admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I insisted, before laying her down on the bed and proceeding to make out for a few minutes. When finished, she got up and raised her brow, in which I sheepishly said, "yes, I missed you that much."

"I missed you a lot too," she replied as she got up. "So how was Greg's party?"

"You know, it was just like a regular shin-dig at his warehouse," I said. "Place was packed more than usual, but it was pretty much the same shit, different day."

"I see, well I'm glad it wasn't too much fun without me there," she joked before trying to find out some details of the party. "Was Brandi there?"

"Yeah," I answered with a slight, silent gulp because I thought she heard about Brandi and I's hook-up.

"She try to get with you?"

"Nah," I lied, before switching the subject...sort of. "That reminds me...you never told me the story of why you hated her."

"Well okay," she obliged. "Last year, I started dating this guy named Bobby. Not sure if you remember him or not."

"Oh yeah, the kid that moved Florida, right?"

"Yeah him. Well after a few months of dating, I finally decided that we were committed enough to...well, you know."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me that."

"Yeah, well he decided to cheat on me right before we decided to have sex and I didn't find out about it till I caught them in the act at a party. Guess who the lucky lady was?"

"Brandi," I answered correctly, even though it was completely obvious. She nodded her head yes, then smirked a little for no apparent reason. "Why are you smiling babe?"

"Because I know you would never do something like that to me," she replied, giving me a kiss on the lips. "You're different than Bobby, I can tell."

"Yeah I am," I said, lying once again. "I'd never do anything to hurt you hun."

"Good, because I feel like I can trust you enough," she stated, which brought a smile to each of our faces.

No words were said after that, because after I shut the door, we quickly got undressed and I sealed the deal with Candace, expressing my love in the intimate way I did last night.

[Woy]

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Chapter 11: Highs and Lows
September 25-October 8, 2024

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Things were just a little bit awkward whenever Brandi and I's eyes met over the next few weeks. She kept true to her word and didn't tell a soul about our hook-up, but she was more flirty than usual when I was around. Well, when we were alone - she didn't dare act that way around me when Candace was around.

With that under control - for now - I turned my focus back to my sanctuary, where I would be taking my first snaps as the starting quarterback. It took a bit of time to gain trust in my receivers and get timing down, but after a close win in my first start in which I threw a touchdown and interception, I went off and really impressed in my second.

...

"Woy drops back to pass...looks to his left...no one open so he'll tuck in and run! He's by the first tackler...makes a second guy miss and has one man to beat! Pushes him away with a stiff-arm and he's in the end zone for a Bears touchdown!"

247 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 42-10 win helped skyrocket both my confidence and the team's in me. I even heard some local sports analysts insist we were the favorites for a state championship at the end of the season; an unrealistic goal at one time when Josh cried out on the turf in pain just two weeks ago.

However, for everything that was going right in my life, there was one nagging thing that pushed me away from complete happiness.

...

"Why are you so mad at me?" Ethan asked in concern to a fuming wife standing in front of him. "Because I went out with some of my boys last night?"

"They all took their wives or girlfriends with them!" she yelled back, arms crossed to express her upset body expression. "And where was I?"

"Here," he shot back in a sarcastic tone. "At least I tell you were the hell I'm going when I'm out! You know, unlike someone I know."

"God, you're such an asshole!" she stated, clenching her right fist. "It's not like I have to tell you everywhere I go. That's exactly how my last relationship ended!"

"You don't tell me anywhere you go anyways!"

I peeked out the crack of my door to see my mother and father continue to trade verbal jabs at each other for the umpteenth time this week. Sighing out of frustration, I packed a small bag of clothes, then climbed out my window and started my trudge towards Candace's house, which was just about three miles away.

...

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"I'll get it!" Candace yelled from inside before opening the door to her depressed boyfriend. "Oh hey babe, parents fighting again?" I nodded my head and gave her a kiss before she ushered me into her home. "It's just me and my little sister here now...dad's working night shift and mom's getting groceries. I'm sure she won't mind if you stay for a while."

"Alright," I replied before taking her hand and leading her to her bedroom. I turned on her TV and immediately changed it to ESPN, despite her wishes, and saw that analysts Donovan McNabb and Jared Allen were discussing why the Titans have fell from grace as they were currently 0-5.

"Maybe that's the reason why your dad is so mad all the time," she suggested. "Or at least part of the reason. I know with the Titans playing bad and Syracuse struggling a bit, he can't obviously be happy with sports right now and that's affecting his relationship." Then she chuckled and said, "I don't know, maybe I'm just pulling stuff out of my ass."

"Could be part of the problem," I agreed. "His oldest son is 7-0 though and is starting for a state championship caliber team as a freshman...I have to think he has to be happy about sports a little bit."

"Yeah, I don't know," she said, before switching up the subject just a tad. "So are you nervous about these upcoming games?"

"A little," I replied at first before she crossed her arms like she knew I was lying. "Okay, a lot. I just feel like if we don't win State, blame's going to fall on me. They'll be like, 'oh if we had Josh, there's no doubt we would have won, but that freshman Sean Joseph blew it' or some shit like that."

"Don't think that way!" she insisted, playfully slapping my leg. "I know something that'll make you feel better though."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

She proceeded to slip off her clothing and immediately took my mind off of all the nervousness and negativity suffocating me lately.

...

"Baylor School leads undefeated Davidson Academy, 33-28, with just less than a minute remaining. The Bears' freshman quarterback Sean Joseph Woy has had a nice game so far, but they'll need one more scoring drive from him in order to keep their undefeated season alive."

The Baylor crowd was standing up, going wild, while the Bears faithful were sitting in their seats, bummed because their undefeated season was probably coming to an end. I watched from the sidelines and looked around to see my dejected teammates have their heads down, like they've already given up.

After the kickoff went out of the end zone, I got the play from Coach and jogged out to the huddle. The first play was an incompletion, then I found Lance on a swing pass for 16 yards before he got out of bounds. I couldn't find an open receiver on the drive's third play, so I scrambled for 11 yards and slid down to the turf. Right when my knee hit the ground and I laid my body horizontally, one of Baylor's defenders tried to spear into me and immediately the yellow laundry was thrown up in the air.

"Personal foul, late hit on number 54 defense. 15 yard penalty tacked onto the end of the play, first down!"

Already down to the 38-yard line of Baylor's with 29 seconds left, the drive started to falter as I took a seven yard loss on a sack. I spent our last timeout instead of trying to spike the ball, then got our second receiver involved on the next play as Evan Allen caught a 17 yard pass with his feet just in bounds.

"Woy takes the snap, glances to his left...it's a draw play as the middle opens up! He's past the first down marker and is finally brought down at the five! The clock is still ticking as the Bears will have to get down there and spike it!"

With seven seconds left, I had one last play to get into the end zone and keep our perfect record alive. Dropping back to pass, I scanned the 11 men wearing green and looked for an open receiver. The rush came and as I got myself away from pressure, Myron raised his hand in the back of the end zone and I threw a high, rising pass towards him. He used his entire 6'2" frame and 35 inch vertical to leap up and get his hands on it, bringing it down to his body as the safety laid his shoulder into him. He fell to the ground and the referee waited a few seconds to build suspense before signaling...

"Touchdown Davidson Academy!"

I raised my arms in victory and before I knew it, the entire team was running towards me ready to dive in celebration...

[Woy]

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Chapter 12: Crashing Down
October 15-22, 2024

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Undefeated season alive? Check.

An ever building relationship with the girl of my dreams? Check.

Feeling on top of the world? Not quite.

For everything that was going right on the field and with Candace, things couldn't have been more hectic at home. Dad and Mom were in each other's faces non-stop and I either was over at a friend's house most of the time or laying on my bed with the door shut, hoping to hear silence for once in this house.

...

"What the fuck did I do wrong now, Rebecca!?"

She stared at him, looking deep into his angered, yet sadden blue eyes. This relationship wasn't going the way she imagined and the past faults in her life was haunting her every day. She knew she didn't deserve this and although Ethan was one to fault a bit, their friction with one another was more because of because of the past, than the present.

"I don't know if I can be with you anymore."

...

"I'll get it! Oh hi Sean Joseph, parents fighting again?"

"Yes, Mrs. Harris. Is it alright if I stay the night?"

"Sure, Sean Joseph. You can stay whenever you'd like."

...

After a few more days of fighting, I started staying at my friends' houses just about every night. One night it would be Greg's, the next it would be Seth's...hell, I even slept in the outdoor playhouse for Candace's little sister once. Dad didn't speak much, but he made it known that he didn't want me around until everything was figured out, which was fine by me. I didn't want the negative tension between him and Mom effecting both my studies and my on-field performance.

...

"46 out of 100...not your best effort Mr. Woy. Try studying your algebra equations a little more than your playbook."

...

"Another pick? Goddamnit Woy! Allen, get in there and Sean Joseph...give me five laps!"

...

"Interception number three on the night for the freshman quarterback from Davidson Academy, Sean Joseph Woy! The top ranked team in the state misses a golden opportunity to get back into this game and are still down 17-0."

...

Unfortunately, it wasn't helping whatsoever. My grades were going south - however, not to the point where I would be academically ineligible - and we suffered our first loss of the season after a horrible performance by yours truly. With just one game left before the district playoffs, we needed to win in order to keep the top seed and get as high as the second slot for State.

...

"With just two minutes remaining, Boyd-Buchanan currently leads former top ranked Davidson Academy, 21-17. Once again, Bears freshman quarterback Sean Joseph Woy is struggling, but they still have a chance to lock up the first seed in their district with a touchdown on this drive."

62 yards in front of me stood a easy road to the District championship and a high seed in State playoffs. I took the first snap and quickly found Myron for 13 yards, then scrambled out-of-bounds for seven after having no one open on the next play. Things got hectic on the third play of the drive, as the snap was high and a blitzing linebacker came in unblocked, but I avoided him and threw it to Martin, our tight end, for 11 yards. After that, they decided called a timeout to stop our momentum.

When we got back to playing, their defense had a new-found energy and started swarming to the ball. A loss of three on a swing pass, followed by an incompletion swung the momentum their way, but a gain of eight on a simple out route gave us a manageable fourth and five.

"Woy drops back...the rush is coming fast...has Williams open...hit as he throws! And it's intercepted! Boyd-Buchanan will pull the upset and give Davidson Academy their second straight loss to close the regular season!"

I fell to my hands and knees and glanced at my girlfriend, who was tearing up a bit, and started to feel one falling down my cheek. Everything was crashing down quickly and I didn't know what to do...

[Shwayzed]

Didn't read yet, and won't read until I find out this question. Is Sidney Crosby dead yet?

[Woy]

Didn't read yet, and won't read until I find out this question. Is Sidney Crosby dead yet?

Yes, he got ran over by a car. *just for you*

[Fox1994]

Fucking great writing. Hope Ethan holds his shit together. XD

Crazy how SJ's just a pathological liar. That's not how his dad got down... He was a player openly. lol

[Woy]

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Chapter 13: Bitter Ends
October 29, 2024

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The tension in the room was mounting. With their son off at a friend's house, the father and step-mother sat at opposite ends of the living room, waiting for the other one to speak. It's been more than a month since they've gone a day without a fight or argument of some sort and lately the father hasn't even been sleeping in his own bed. The greatest college football player of all-time and a sure fire NFL Hall of Famer, relegated to crashing on a couch in his own house; things weren't exactly the best since retirement.

He was getting suspicious of her behavior. Sure, he was doing some things that weren't exactly the qualities of a "good" husband, but most of this fell on her shoulders. She was taking the little jokes and jabs that were responded with a laugh or playful punch and turned them into violent responses such as a "fuck you" or the throwing of an object. She wasn't the same girl that called 12 years ago at the most random time, asking for a place to stay.

...

"Tragedy struck Sports Illustrated just moments ago as the car famous photographer Britt Morris was driving wrecked head-on into a truck that was going 50 miles over the speed limit. The truck was reportedly driven stolen and the driver died instantly. Morris and the passenger who will remain unnamed were both pronounced dead on the way to the hospital."

...

Things really started going south when that news broke a few months ago. That turned her whole mindset around and really started to make her realize that she didn't deserve to be with him. It reminded her of their past; from the abortion, to the...well, only she knew. What she did know was that she couldn't be with him anymore, the guilt was eating her alive. She had to risk everything, no matter what the consequences would be; it was the right thing to do.

So that's why they were sitting here. There was no shouting, no throwing of things...just a couple searching for hidden skeletons in each other's closets. Both just sat there, staring at one another, waiting for the other to make the first move. After minutes of waiting, the husband finally spoke up.

...

"What's going on Rebecca?" Ethan asked in a concerned tone. He knew that yet another girl leaving him would crush his heart, although the pain wouldn't come close to when Melyssa involuntary left. He just wanted someone to settle with and Rebecca was that woman for almost 10 years now. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I haven't been completely honest with you," Rebecca responded, which probably had him thinking that she was having an affair. "No, I haven't been cheating," she added with, dismissing that thought.

The silence then fell over the two once again and after looking down at the floor, searching for an answer, Ethan picked his head up and cleared his throat. "Then what is it?" She kept her lips zipped shut and that started to anger him for the millionth time this week. "Rebecca, stop keeping things from me and fucking say what's wrong!"

"I..." she started to say, before tears stopped her. Ethan raised his hands in disgust and started to get up from the couch, but the finished statement would make him sit back in his seat quickly.

"I killed Melyssa."

---

"And the District 2A playoffs are about to begin with a game between the third seed Davidson Academy Bears and the six seed Knoxville High. The Bears started off at 8-0 and were once ranked as the top team in the state, but fell off after two consecutive losses. Knoxville finished the regular season at 6-4, but come in with a lot of confidence."

Unlike the last few games, our offense came out hot, connecting on everything and jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Then Knoxville struck back with 14 points of their own to tie it up with two minutes left in the half. I drove our offense 75 yards for a touchdown with three seconds left, but they returned the squib kick back for six, ending the first half at a 21-21 stalemate.

---

"Tell me you're kidding," Ethan muttered loud enough for Rebecca to hear. She didn't respond and suddenly his face started to turn red, anger rushed through his body. "Tell me this is a fucking cruel joke!"

"It isn't," she gulped, pushing herself further and further back into her chair. "I...I didn't know when to tell you."

"And you thought 10 years since we've been married was the best time!?" he shouted, getting up from the couch. He started to slowly walk over to her and as she tried to get away, he raised his fist and shouted once more. "Sit the fuck down!"

He just stood over her, burning a hole in her heart with a death-look stare. After minutes of terrifying her, he grabbed her by the shirt and lifted her up to a standing position. Then those eyes of anger turned to ones of grief as he asked, "why?"

She started to tear up as well, sniffling as she said, "I needed the money. I was going through a real tough time and then I got the call from Mr. Perry."

"And you never thought of what the consequences would be?"

"Of course I did," she insisted. "I just had to bring myself up to it...I was going to be evicted and had no where to go after not finishing up college and Stephen dumping me. It just felt like it was the right thing to do, as horrible as that sounds."

"Yeah, cause killing someone is the right thing to do," he scoffed. "Pack your shit up and get out right now. I'll file the divorce papers in the morning."

---

"Despite the freshman quarterback Sean Joseph Woy's touchdown pass just a few minutes ago to give Davidson Academy a 37-35 lead, Knoxville High has stormed back and are in field goal range with just two seconds left. Sophomore kicker Will Jones is about to attempt a 51 yard field goal to decide the game...here's the snap. The hold is perfect, the kick is up...it's definitely straight enough, but is it long enough? Yes, it is!"

And just like that, our season was over. I shook hands with their team and congratulated them, then looked around for my parents. Surprisingly, I didn't see them, so I just walked into the locker-room and quickly changed, then found Candace's family. They offered to let me stay the night at their place and the last thing I needed after a heart-breaking loss was to go home to a fighting household, so I accepted.

It was a real bitter end to a season full of such hope and promise. I only hoped next season didn't end in the same kind of heartbreak.

[Woy]

---

Chapter 14: Truth
November 17, 2024

---

"Dad, where's Mom?" I asked, as I threw my bag on the floor from school and walked around the house. It's been three weeks since the playoff loss against Knoxville High and the last time I saw Mom was the morning before it. Dad said that she went to visit family and at first I accepted it, but now I was starting to worry about it. Where exactly was she?

"Dad!" I yelled again, but didn't hear an answer. I continued to walk around the house and as I made it past Dad and Mom's room, I had to stop to take another glance. The room seemed emptier than before and as I peeked my head around the corner, I saw that Mom's nightstand was cleared off completely.

Continuing my pursuit of Dad, I walked past their bathroom and the home gym, then went downstairs where his office was located. The door was shut, so I knocked on it twice and waited for a response. Seconds past and as I was about to turn and look some more, the door opened with a familiar face inside.

"What do you want?" Dad asked me, putting his cellphone down. I looked around his office and saw his trophies and rings from Syracuse and the Titans, then I looked back at him. "Well?"

"Where's Mom?"

He looked at me for a few seconds then told the man on the phone, "I'll call you later." I walked into the room as he pulled out a chair for me to sit in. A lot was running through my mind as I slowed down to a sitting position, but I wanted to stand right back up when Dad revealed...

"Mom's gone."

"What? Why?" I stammered, not expecting that at all. "Where'd she go?"

Dad sighed and looked up to the ceiling. He started muttering to himself, like he was talking to someone from above, then nodded his head and brought it back down to my level. "Rebecca was your step-mother, not your real mother."

I just leaned back in my chair and tried processing everything, but it wasn't working. Dad saw the frustration and confusion in my eyes and shook his head. "I knew you weren't ready," he said to himself, but loud enough for me to hear.

"Weren't ready for what?"

"The truth!" he shouted, his voice decresendoing down as the sentence ended. "Ugh, okay. Can you handle it?"

"Yeah sure," I gulped.

"Okay, well..."

...

"...so let me get this straight," Candace said as we laid on a blanket in the backyard, staring at the stars. "Ethan got your step-mother Rebecca pregnant when he was 16, but she got an abortion. Then he hooked up with another girl from South Carolina, Melinda..."

"Melyssa," I corrected her. "She was pregnant with me as they graduated from high school. They were engaged and after she had me, they broke up because of a rumor that Rebecca told her. Eventually they got back together and married, but she was murdered right before Dad was a senior at Syracuse."

"And your dad ended up getting back together with the girl who almost ruined him and your mom's relationship, then divorced her almost a month ago because?"

"He wouldn't give me a reason," I said. "He just ended it at that."

...

"So you're interested?" the voice on the other line asked in excitement. After revealing mostly the entire truth about his life to his son, Ethan shut the door and quickly called back the person he was originally speaking to. If everything worked out according to plan, then he would be able to remove all the stress from his life in just a few months.

"Absolutely," Ethan replied. "Are you sure the spot will be open though?"

"100 percent sure. I'll call you within the next few days to confirm everything, but you should be good to go."

"Thank you so much, you don't know how greatly I appreciate this."

"No Mr. Woy, thank you."

[trojan49er]

Coaching job or wetworks?

[beamerball811]

interesting storyline so far. Tough loss in the playoffs...great reads all of them...finally had to get caught back up.

[Woy]

---

Chapter 15: Not Our Last Goodbye
November 12, 2024-May 29, 2025

---

"Alright, I'll hit you guys up tomorrow," I told my friends before jumping in my dad's car. It was just another typical day of high school, followed by some lifting afterward. There was no rest in the off-season here at Davidson Academy.

"...and tell him I accept the offer, thank you." My dad hung up the phone and saw me sitting in the passenger seat, sighed to himself, then started the car. "I guess this would be a good time to tell you..."

"Could you drop me off at Candace's later tonight?" I interrupted him. "I promise I'll be home at 10 since it's a school night."

"Sure," he said, giving me permission as he lifted the throttle. "You might want to say your goodbyes to her though."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, confused about things for the umpteenth time this month. "Are we..."

"Yes son, we're moving."

"But..."

"Let me explain," he insisted as he slowed down at a stop light. "Yes, it's only been like a year, but I've been out of football for too long. I want to coach and my quarterback at Syracuse who was also one of my best friends since high school is the athletic director at Everett High School; where I used to go. He offered me the job there and I accepted it. Now I know it's going..."

"Why didn't you consult with me first, Dad!?" I screamed as the light turned green. "I don't want to leave my friends or Candace! And this team needs me...don't you see that? I'm supposed to be the focus next year with Josh graduating!"

"You'll meet new friends, son...it's not like you're transferring during the summer of your junior year. My friend - the athletic director Brad - is also going to be my offensive coordinator. He was an outstanding player and you remind me of him in a way, but you have the potential to be much better. I think you can learn a lot from him and in the long run being at Everett will be more beneficial to your future in football than being at Davidson."

I just shut up for a few minutes and let the awkward silence fall over us. Then right before we got back home, I blurted out, "is this just an escape route from your problems here?" He looked at me like he didn't know what I was talking about, but he knew I brought up a good point. "You know...Mom, I mean Rebecca?"

"If you think this is just an excuse to get away from her, you have it all wrong. This is me following a dream and helping your college prospects out. I know you're upset..."

"I'm not upset, I'm pissed," I interrupted him, but it seemed like he didn't care.

"But we're not moving till after the school year ends, so you can spend time with your friends and Candace until then," he assured me. "Everything will be fine."

...

I decided not to tell my friends until the very end, because of a dumb fear of losing them. When I finally did tell them, they were disappointed, but understood the situation and insisted that I was welcome to visit whenever. As bad as it sounds, I wasn't worried about getting their sympathy or approval - whatever you want to call it - but there was still one person I needed to tell; the one I grew so close to over the past few months.

...

"What do you want to do hun?" Candace asked me, batting those stunning brown eyes so innocently. "It's getting kinda late."

"How about we go for a walk?" I suggested, grasping her hand as I stood up. She stood up with me and soon enough, we were out the door and gone to wherever the path took us.

As we walked into the May night sky, I reminisced on all of the memories Candace and I had together; the first time I laid eyes on her during my first game, Greg's party, Homecoming, and so forth. After screwing up at the beginning with Brandi, I felt more attached to Candace and really tried to bring true happiness into her life with everything that I did. I really did feel like I made her happy, but she also brought me happiness and she was the main reason why I didn't fall apart with the whole drama between Dad and Mom.

After about a half hour of walking, we found a park bench and sat down. We locked our eyes to one another, then our hands, and finally our lips for a minute straight before finishing off with smiles on our faces. "God, I love that a lot," she admitted.

"I love it more."

"Nuh uh, I do!"

And our little game of back and forth ensued; something that happened with any of these little comments. After a while, I gave in and let her win, in which she celebrated her "victory" with a kiss. "I'm going to miss that," I whispered under my breath, but she perked up when she heard it.

"Miss what?" she asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"This, all of this," I started to explain before I got straight to the point. "I'm moving."

"What? When?"

"Dad got a coaching job in Pennsylvania at his old high school," I revealed. "I can't do anything about it. I'm so sorry."

Tears started to fill the sophomore cheerleader's eyes as I brought her in and held her close. The right shoulder of my shirt started to gain a wet spot and as soon as she noticed, she picked her head up and looked into my eyes. "Are we done then?"

"Candace, I don't know," I sighed. "I really want to stay together, but we're going to be almost 1000 miles apart. And I won't have my license till next summer, so I can't drive down and stay some weekends or whatever. I don't know how it's going to work."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she sniffled. "I just don't want to see the boy I love leave me."

"And he doesn't want to leave, believe me. But there's nothing I can do."

She gave me another kiss, then we locked hands one last time and started the walk back to her house. When we got to her house, her make-up was runny from the crying and I had tears in my eyes as well. We stood there for 15 minutes, just looking at each other, then I gave her one last kiss and a promise that I swear I would keep.

"This won't be our last goodbye, Candace."

[Fox1994]

Hmmm... So what the fuck happened with Britt? She was mentioned...

Interesting storyline.