Fallout - 2016 - Matchmaker Chronicles Vol 1 CG3 9/15
Previously
Rumors had started to spread as soon as Bud and his buddies had been seen going into the principal’s office, but the entire story wasn’t known until the Wildcat’s Lair was available.
Once all of the details were known, most of the students were angry that all that had happened was kicking them off the team. General opinion was split two ways. One faction was of the opinion that they should have been expelled. The other faction wondered if they could get away with something of the sort to improve their own grades.
Hattie and her posse refrained from publishing any details of how the deed was done, but all of the teachers were warned about how it was accomplished so that they in turn could take steps to protect their testing materials.
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The following week there was a headline on the Wildcat’s Lair that was almost as disturbing:
“QUARTERBACK INJURED!”By: Kaplin, Olsen and Winley
In the Wildcats most recent game against the Woodstock Beavers; the Wildcats quarterback Matt King, was sacked from the blind side in the second quarter and suffered a season ending knee injury.
The good news is that he has already been granted a football scholarship to Villanova in Philadelphia. With proper care he will be able to play in his freshman year for that college.
Second string quarterback, Jon Kent, was able to step in and finish the game. Kent showed great promise in the position. The score had been tied when King was injured and Kent led the team to a 24 to 21 victory. (Details of the game and story continued on page 2)
That had been only the fourth game of the season and the team coalesced around Jon and he was able to lead them to a string of victories, remaining undefeated from that point on. The school’s stats were an impressive 7 wins and 1 loss.
JJ was really put on his mettle protecting the quarterback. As left tackle, that was his assignment. Jon was right handed, so the left side was his blind side. Matt King had been left handed and the right tackle had let the defenseman through that had sacked Matt King. JJ was especially aggressive because he knew there was a chance that a defenseman tackling Jon could be hurt.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It was nearing the date of the Homecoming game and as a result there was an election to see just who would be Homecoming Queen.
Since almost all of the most attractive girls in the school were on the pep squad it was no surprise that all of their names were in the election.
It was traditional that the player voted Most Valuable Player in the Homecoming game would be the Homecoming King and would date the Homecoming Queen for the Homecoming Dance and most of the pep squad along with the rest of the team would be the royal court.
Hattie was the one that was most excited about the upcoming celebration. She was a very attractive red head with naturally curly hair. Her figure was better than most, an athlete’s body, well muscled and toned. Everyone could see that her legs were long and lean which was very evident in the short, short tennis skirt that she wore when playing on the Lady Cats, which is what the girl’s tennis team was called.
Jon knew from personal experience just how fit she was. They had spent a lot of time together at each other’s dojos working on karate. Jon was learning the softer, kung fu, styles that Hattie had learned and she was learning the ‘harder’, Korean style, which Jon had been schooled in. The spandex workout gear that she wore under her gi left hardly anything to the imagination.
By the same token, Hattie almost found herself drooling over Jon’s body. Jon was in the habit of wearing only a pair of spandex bike shorts under his gi which showed off his well muscled chest through the gap in the gi’s front. He wasn’t vain about it, but he had the physique of a bodybuilder and extreme athlete rolled into one.
That physique combined with his personality only served to increase her desire to have more than a sisterly relationship with him. She even fantasized over the possibility of a sexual relationship with him. She knew that fantasy was as far as she would take it because theirs just wasn’t that kind of relationship.
Hattie was disappointed that JJ didn’t share her, Lara and Jon’s interest in karate. JJ preferred to spend his time studying and working on his computer. He was becoming a real whiz with the office package that they all used for typing up their homework assignments. When any of them needed help formatting a paper to make it a better presentation, he was the go to guy. He could take a plain document and dress it up by changing the formatting to make it an eye catching presentation, invariably raising the grade at least one notch.
Morgana was somewhat taller than Hattie. Hattie was five foot two while Morgana was five foot four. Morgana had been a student of kick-boxing in their previous city. Since moving to Metropolis she hadn’t found a kick-boxing class nearby. Hattie had offered to take her as a guest to her dojo and Morgana found out that she liked karate every bit as much as kick-boxing so she had joined a class. Morgana had been impressed by Hattie’s hard toned body when she saw her in her spandex workout gear. However, she hadn’t been envious, because Morgana knew that hers was also a well toned physique having worked hard at kick-boxing and other sports like swimming and tennis.
Since she was now taking karate along with Hattie, Lara and Jon, she also had seen Jon Kent in his workout gear. Seeing him made her want to run her hands over his skin. There was something hauntingly familiar about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on it and that only made her interest in him more intense.
The main difference between Morgana and Hattie was the fact that to this time Hattie had only seen a few pictures of Kam-El and they hadn’t been very high quality, while Morgana had seen, with her own eyes, up close and personal, the superhero. She had been in his arms and had actually managed to kiss him.
And now
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Chapter 09 –
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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Universal Locator designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 – Prime%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
After being caught cheating on the algebra tests, Bud and his cronies had all been booted from the football team. After school a few days later, they were together at their favorite hangout, sitting in a booth grumbling about it.
Bud said, in a harsh whisper, “My old man is fit to be tied. When he found out that I’d been kicked off of the team he almost went into orbit. I didn’t tell him why. I said that they were giving preference to that wuss Kent and his friends and that didn’t leave any room for us. If he ever finds out, I’ll probably get worse than I got for that pumpkin incident.”
Ben asked, “What’d he do to you for that?”
“I had the worst beating of my life and I’ve had some pretty bad beatings. I won’t let that happen again. If he finds out, it’s the school’s fault and I will get even. Are you guys with me?”
There were nods from each in ascent.
Bud asked, “Can any of you get your hands on guns?”
“What do we need guns for?”
“Just in case. I want to do something big. I also want to get back at Kent and Kaplin. I’m pretty sure they were involved in that trick that got us caught.”
There was a chorus of “Yeahs,” around the table.
“Let’s get outta here and go to Ben’s house. Too much chance of being overheard here.”
They each finished their sodas and made their exit.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They went to Ben’s house. His parents were both at work so they had the house to themselves. They gathered in the living room and pulling out the play system they started playing a shoot-em-up game. As they did, they were shouting at each other.
During a break in the play, Bud said, “I’d sure like to do that to Kent.”
Ben replied, “Don’t you think that would be a little drastic?”
In a heated tone, Bud replied, “I can’t prove it, but I’m convinced that him and that side-kick of his, Kaplin, were the ones that got the goods on us and got us kicked off of the team. My old man is threatening to kick me out of the house and forcing me to work as soon as I graduate. He actually said, ‘assuming I graduate.’ Because without a football scholarship there’s no way I can afford to go to college.”
Ben agreed, “Yeah, my Pop said the same thing. He just can’t afford it on his salary.”
Jack said, “Come on; let’s get back to the game.”
Bud said, “Let’s have another drink first.”
The others agreed so they raided Ben’s father’s liquor cabinet.
After a couple of drinks each, with some reluctance they returned to the game. Game play continued for a while and suddenly, Bud, dropped his controller.
Seeing this, Jack, his speech somewhat slurred challenged, “You givin’ up, Bud?”
Bud, with an odd expression replied, “Nah, I just had a wickedly awesome idea. We want to get back at them for kicking us off of the team, right?” His speech was not as slurred as Ben’s had been.
After taking some time to mull this over, the other guys nodded their agreement.
Pointing at the screen, Bud said, “I just planted a time bomb so that I could be away from it before it exploded. Why don’t we do something like that?”
“How could we do that without getting caught?”
“We just make sure that nothing can be traced back to us, maybe we could even throw suspicion on Kent. I saw a movie, I think it had Stephen Segal in it, he needed to blow something up, but he needed to be away from the explosion. He put a portable propane tank on a gas range with the burner on high. I don’t know why, but when it got hot enough, the tank exploded. If we could steal one of those cylinders, maybe from Kent, we could put it on the cook stove in the cafeteria.
“Yeah, I hate that cafeteria food anyhow. No great loss. Let’s do it.”
“When shall we do it?”
Bud snapped his fingers and said, “Homecoming! That should really ruin the party!”
I plan to get even with Kaplin and Kent, but we might as well include that new girl, what’s her name … Morgan something.”
“Morgana,” Bill supplied.
“Yeah, Morgana, that’s her. One of you should make sure you get her. She was in on setting up that trap that got us caught. We’ve got a score to settle with her and that JJ character.”
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Lara had sent an e-mail to Mike about homecoming and he asked his parents for permission to fly east. He had been working a part-time job that he had started over the summer and had the money for the airfare.. They had given their permission and he had flown out midday on Friday. He had called Clark and arranged to be picked up at the airport. Nothing had been said to Lara. He wanted to surprise her.
Clark picked him up at the airport at 4:30 so he was at the Kent homestead when the kids got home.
He was in a side room when Jon and Lara walked in the door. Lara was in the middle of complaining about going to the Homecoming Dance alone when he stepped into view.
Lara was stunned for a second and then with a screech of his name, “Mike!” She threw herself into his arms. She gasped out, “What are you doing here?”
He had overheard her complaint as she was entering and replied, “I couldn’t let my girlfriend go to the Homecoming Dance alone, now could I? Also, I didn’t want to take the chance that you’d meet someone else that you might like better.”
With conviction, she replied, “No chance of that!”
The cheerleaders were all there in their uniforms as they had been all day. It had been a tradition that all of the cheerleaders wore their uniforms to school on the Fridays prior to games. Since she was in her cheerleader uniform and he said, “Stand back, I want to get a look at you.”
Noting the short skirt with her leg peeking through on the left he let out a whistle and said, “Wow! I’m glad I got here in time.
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It was mid November and the weather was, as was typical of New Troy, changeable. It just so happened that this particular week had been very mild, the typical Indian Summer. The night before the big game followed along in that trend. It was a very mild night, almost balmy. As a result the cheerleaders had eschewed the use of the leggings and were simply wearing their skirts with the tights.
Later in the evening, after dark, Jon and Lara, along with Mike, returned to the school because there was a pep rally at the football field. It was being held there because there was a team decorating the gym for the Homecoming Dance.
A bonfire had been built just outside of the end zone between it and the parking lot. At the conclusion of the rally an effigy of the Gotham Grizzlies mascot was burned. The pep squad men had created it from papier-mâché and cotton batting.
The marching band was there to play and the cheerleaders went through some of their routines.
Almost all of the guys watched, with great interest, as the girls did their dance steps, leaps, splits and tumbles, but hardly any as interested as Mike in one particular girl and she did her best to please him. Lara wasn’t really vain, but she did know that she was attractive and at fifteen had a womanly figure much like her mom’s.
Jon found himself in a quandary. His attention was split between Hattie and Morgana. The close friendship he had had with Hattie for so long had formed an unbreakable bond between them. He wasn’t attracted to her the way a boyfriend is attracted to his girlfriend, but there was still an attraction there, it was undeniable.
Then there was Morgana. Jon could close his eyes and remember that kiss she had given him as Kam-El. It had been so soft and inviting. He could also remember the kiss he had received from Emerson on the pool apron after he had helped save her from that collapsing roof during the earthquake. Actually, it was very easy to remember each and every kiss since there had only been three. The other had been Amber Livingstone, the neighbor girl. They had helped put out a kitchen fire and she had wanted to ‘thank’ him.
So far, of the three times he had been kissed, Morgana’s kiss had been his favorite. With that thought in mind, he started trying to concentrate on Morgana and her performance. It was almost like she could feel his eyes on her because she looked directly at him and smiled as she did a leaping split that showed off her legs.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After the pep rally Morgana and Hattie joined Jon and JJ, Mike and Lara in the car and they went out for burgers and shakes. When they got to
Berger Shack they all piled out and going inside claimed a table.
The three girls in their cheerleader uniforms made an attractive trio. As they walked in they attracted the attention of most of the male patrons. The stares were obvious as they moved to a table with JJ, Jon and Mike following in their wake. When they sat down, Lara, Mike and JJ sat on one bench while Jon sat between Hattie and Morgana on the other side with JJ across from Hattie.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Because of the cheating scandal, Bud and his friends were barred from participating in school activities, so that night, Bud and his cronies had gotten together to make sure that they had everything that they would need. Bud had made good on his plan to steal a propane gas cylinder from the Kent’s back yard. He had waited until they had all gone out for an evening’s entertainment before he committed his theft.
They gathered at Jack’s house. After he sat the cylinder down, he was handed a glass of liquor which he downed in a gulp. Looking around he saw that each of his friends had already imbibed before he got there. Jack said, “Ben brought the booze.” He looked around in a paranoid fashion and then pulled out a bag of leafy material and a pipe. “I found where my old man keeps his stash. He’s such a hypocrite! Tells me that he’ll beat me black and blue if he catches me smoking weed and he does it all the time, like I couldn’t tell!” As he was talking he was filling the pipe with the dried flakes of weed. Picking up a lighter he struck the flame and applied it to the bowl of the pipe. He inhaled deeply and then, holding his breath, passed it over to Bud. He followed suit and passed it on. When that bowl was finished, Ben refilled it and they passed this second one around.
By the time they had finished five pipes they were all happy.
Bud reached into his back pocket and pulled out Smith and Wesson .38 special that he had stolen from his father’s gun locker. Waving it around, negligently, he bragged, “My old man won’t even know that this is gone. I found where he put the key to the lock-up and let myself in. I got a box full of bullets as well. How’d you guys do?”
Jack sat down his glass and produced a semi-automatic version of an AR-15 and said, “I got this and two extra clips.”
After setting down his glass, Ben produced and automatic pistol, a 9mm Glock 19 and said, “I got this and two clips.”
Smiling, Bud said, “Nobody better get in our way. We’ll show ‘em.” He looked around conspiratorially and said, “Okay, we meet here tomorrow at six. Bring everything. Dress all in black and wear ski-masks so that they can’t tell who it is on the security cameras. I’ll take care of the bomb then we meet in the hallway outside the newspaper’s office. We trash it and then move on. By that time that the dance is well underway and we can move on the gym. It’ll be just like WOW. Just remember, Kent, Kaplin and that new girl are mine.
They spent some time finalizing their plans, smoking additional weed as they did.
As they were finalizing their plans the hate they felt was exacerbated by what they planed and also the drugs they were consuming. By the time they were finished they were all consumed with a red hot fury at the school, and especially those that had perpetrated their exposure which resulted in their removal from the team and the revenge they would exact.
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