“Just checking to see if you two know how to count,” Coach said. “One. That’s all I needed. One guy to take responsibility for the man panties and the hooker hose. One guy to ride the bench for a couple of games, and the rest of us could move on.”
Coach paced back and forth like a caged lion. He was agitated. “Instead, it appears that I have two competing confessions. My hands are tied. I must turn it over to the dean and let him sort it out…unless…”
“Unless what?” Matt asked.
Coach slowed his pacing. “I’m wondering if maybe I misunderstood. That perhaps you two were trying to tell the same story—not competing ones. That you were trying to explain that you were only guilty of the bad judgment of having used Mustang’s key to give an unauthorized tour of this facility. That the real culprits here, the girl with the hooker hose, the guy with the man panties, are not students. That whatever they did, or did not do, while you were conducting your tour of this facility, is on them—not you.”
“Coach?” Idabel was confused.
Coach gave Idabel a salesman’s smile. “I was just wondering, Idabel. Obviously, only you and Mustang know what really happened.”
“That’s exactly what we were saying Coach!” Matt jumped in, improvising on the fly. He understood that Coach wanted out of this mess as much as he did. All that was needed was a story that cobbled Matt’s and Idabel’s earlier statements into a semi-plausible whole.
“Idabel’s sister and my brother met at our Saints game,” Matt lied. “They hit it off.Started dating…”
Idabel shook his head. “I don’t have a sister.”
Matt elbowed Idabel. “What he means, Coach, is that the young woman is not technically his sister. She’s his cousin. The two of them look so much alike that people jokingly refer to them as siblings.”
One of the seniors offered a wry observation. “We are talking about McCurtain County, Coach. They’re known for sister-cousins and other odd forks of the family tree.”
Everyone laughed. Everyone but Idabel.
Matt continued. He had supplied the necessary non-student male and female. Now he had to dress them in the offending garb—and explain how it ended up on the locker room floor. “My brother is into that grunge style. Combat boots. Ratty shirts. Low riding ripped jeans. Man panties visible from the rear.” Man panties had nothing to do with grunge. Matt hoped Coach wasn’t up-to-speed on teen styles.
“Got it,” said Coach. “And the fishnet stockings? Women’s—what did you call it, grunge?”
One of the players called out. “Nope, Coach. McCurtain County women are just trashy!”
Everyone laughed—even Idabel.
“Anyway,” Matt continued, “the four of us went out for pizza. The two lovebirds wanted to get a tour of this building, you know, see where the magic happens. I used my key to let us in. Since we also planned to walk around campus, I suggested to Idabel’s sister that she ditch the stockings. Told my brother to lose the man panties. I gave him some clean briefs from my locker. They must have taken my advice. I can assure you there wasn’t time for any hanky-panky.”
Coach weighed Matt’s story, ran a finger along his jawline. “I just want to clarify one point. Earlier, when Idabel referred to this sister-cousin as his ‘girl,’ he wasn’t implying she’s his girlfriend, right?”
“Nope.” Matt said. “I can confidently tell you that Idabel does not have a girlfriend. Isn’t that right, Idabel?”
That was the only true thing Matt had said.
Matt’s bruised and bloodied right hand did not get that way by virtue of its having impacted with Roger’s face.
His hand had been fine throughout soccer practice. Still unblemished when he sat across from Idabel for dinner.
That was when Idabel had left the table and emptied his plate into the trash.
Matt had followed him, calling his name, wanting to talk.
It was in the hall outside the cafeteria that Idabel had wheeled around, facing Matt. He was angrier than Matt had ever seen him. “What do you want?”
“I’d like to explain,” Matt had said.
Idabel had crossed his meaty arms. His biceps bulged. He could do heavy damage if he were ever so inclined. “Like you ‘explained’ in the locker room Saturday night? When you lied and said you were with Ava? Like you ‘explained’ today when you lied to Coach?”
“That’s not fair,” Matt had said. “You assumed it was Ava. I just shrugged and didn’t correct you.”
“And that’s not lying in your book?” Idabel had asked.
Matt had sighed, looked around to make sure there was no one within earshot of this conversation. “There are things you don’t know. It’s complicated.”
