The Football Star

By Kathy Luder

Friday night, Middleville High Football Stadium, the bleachers, 6:00 p.m.

“You are in love,” Molly said, putting her hands on either side of her face in mock surprise. “Kathy Luder! Of all people, I never thought you would fall for the star of the football team.”

“Stop it. I’m not in love,” Kathy said, her eyes fixed on the players huddled on the field. “I am simply impressed that Rick is so graceful. The quarterback determines the plays. It’s very strategic. This is a thinking man’s game.”

“Oh no, you don’t,” Molly said, crossing her arms. “We came here to make fun of the cheerleaders and to support the band. Don’t you go and pretend like you’re interested in football. I know what you’re interested in.”

“You’re just jealous,” Kathy said. “You wish he was your chemistry partner, not mine. And as to football, Horatio, there are more things in the universe than imagined in your philosophy.”

“Nice. A Shakespeare cliché,” Molly said, smirking. “You’re out of material. You like him.”

“He called me last night,” Kathy said, looking down at her feet, unable to suppress a smile.

“Really?” Molly said, her eyebrows arched and eyes wide open.

“Yeah,” Kathy said, returning her gaze to Molly and trying to look defiant. “What’s wrong with that?” She could feel her heart racing. She was nervous about Rick and wanted Molly’s approval. Her words came out a little too quickly as she said, “He broke up with Hilary. He wants us to go to his house for a party tonight.”

“Us?” Molly asked. “You, maybe. Not me.”

“He mentioned you,” Kathy said quietly.

“That’s why you’re all dressed up, isn’t it? Who wears a skirt to a football game? You’re on the prowl!” Molly said, smiling ear to ear.

“Oh, come on, Molly. Let’s go,” Kathy said.

“The only time I’ve ever talked to Rick ‘everybody-had-better-be-impressed-with-me’ Goodrich was last year when I yelled at him after he pushed Clive into his locker. Not before and not since. He would not want me or any of your other friends at his party.”

“People change. You don’t know him. We’ve had a lot of fun in chemistry, and we had a great talk on the phone last night,” Kathy said. “Maybe we need to give them a chance.” By “them” she meant the popular kids, and between Kathy and Molly “them” didn’t need a definition.

“You told him you wouldn’t go without me, didn’t you?” Molly asked.

“It is just a party!” Kathy said. “It’ll be fun.”

“Well, this is a role reversal,” Molly said.

“A rose by any other name...” Kathy said.

“Enough, already. I don’t like him, Kathy. He’s mean. And I don’t like football. And you’ve never liked it either,” Molly said. “But you’ve gone along with me when I chased my own bad boys, so I’ll do it. But I can’t stay late. I have to work in the morning.”

Kathy reached over and half-hugged Molly. “That’s why I love you, Molly,” she said, bubbling with excitement.

Goodrich Farms, behind the barn, 10:30 p.m.

Rick walked Kathy and Molly to the fire. “Look,” he said,“I know you guys aren’t into this, but my dad bought a keg for the team. His only rule is that everyone has to stay the night. No drinking and driving.”

Molly looked sideways at Kathy, and Kathy knew what she was thinking. They’d always been able to talk with their eyes. Molly was giving her the “I-told-you-so” look, but Kathy just nodded. Molly stayed quiet.

Mr. Goodrich was standing by the fire with a coffee can. “Good evening, ladies,” he said, glancing at them. “Deposit your keys. I won’t have any drunk drivers on my watch.”

“We won’t be drinking, Mr. Goodrich,” Kathy said.

“Cover charge for this party is a set of keys. They all say they aren’t drinking, but they all do.” Kathy did not like the way Mr. Goodrich was looking at them.

“We’re only staying for a little bit,” Molly said. “I have to work in the morning. We really won’t drink.”

In a classic whine, Rick said, “Da-aad.”

Mr. Goodrich looked at Rick, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “Okay. You look like nice girls. But no beer. I mean it. I’ve taken a risk here, and I won’t have drunk drivers.”

“Thanks, Mr. Goodrich,” Kathy said, as they made their way to the other side of the fire.

“Thanks for what?” Molly whispered.

“Hush,” said Kathy, looking back to see if Mr. Goodrich heard as he walked toward the house. Most of the football team and a handful of cheerleaders were already there, drinking and talking, sitting on the tailgates of pick-up trucks or on lawn chairs. Now that Mr. Goodrich had left, there weren’t any adults around.

The tailgate of Rick’s truck was the only place to sit, but there were too many people and Kathy wound up half-sitting on Rick’s lap. Rick’s friend Josh was trying to get Molly on his lap, but she told him she was fine standing.

Hip-hop music was blaring from the truck next to them so there wasn’t any conversation, just a lot of yelling and laughing. It got old quickly, and even though she was with Rick, Kathy got bored. There wasn’t a thing about the party that she liked— except Rick. Molly was ignoring Josh and looking at her watch. Kathy knew their time was almost up. If she was bored, Molly was probably about to fall asleep.

Just then, Kathy noticed a freshman, Mark, light a joint on the other side of the fire. He passed it to the girl next to him. Rick saw it too and nudged Kathy off his lap. He stood up and walked over to where they were smoking. He didn’t say word, just reached for the joint. That settled it for her. She couldn’t like a guy who did drugs. She was disappointed but not completely surprised.

But then Rick did surprise her. When Mark handed Rick the joint, he said, “Thanks, Mark.” Then, Rick threw it into the fire.

“Hey!” said Mark, jumping to his feet.

Rick turned on him, sticking his chin out. He poked Mark in the chest. Mark fell back a step and almost into the fire. Rick pushed him again,and he did step in the fire, jumping out quickly, slapping at his legs and cursing. Josh and several other boys had joined Rick and were standing behind him. They were laughing.

Then, Rick turned stern. “No drugs,” he said. “What do you think this is?”

Mark’s face was red with anger. He swore at Rick but kept his distance. Mark’s friends were standing with him. Both sides were trading threats and angry gestures.

Kathy heard someone yell, “I thought you only picked on girls, Rick.”

Rick took a quick, fake step toward them like he would rush them but stopped short. The group of pot smokers fell back in obvious fear, and Rick’s friends howled with laughter. Suddenly, Mark and his friends got in their cars and drove off.

Kathy had broken out in a cold sweat. Something about the confrontation had frightened her. It wasn’t like the football game when she had grown angry with the other team when they came after Rick and she had almost wanted him to hurt them. The violence and the fire were a little too close, too real. She was glad Rick didn’t smoke the joint, but she didn’t like the way he had threatened Mark. And what was that remark about picking on girls supposed to mean? As Rick stood watching the car leave, Kathy wondered how Mark had gotten his keys. She decided it was time to go.

She turned to Molly to let her know she was ready. Then, Rick grabbed her from behind, swept her up off her feet, holding her like a baby, and then—for some reason—he belted out “Danny Boy.” For a split second, she was terrified. Rick had hurt her in the grab, but then she was thrilled. She was covered with Rick’s deep voice and laughter and secretly marveling at the size and strength of his arms and chest. She was embarrassed that Molly saw, but when Rick put her down, she couldn’t stop giggling. Josh tried the same move on Molly a second later, but Molly saw it coming and stopped him cold with a steely gaze.

As Kathy came back to earth, she saw that the four of them were alone at the fire. When the pot-smokers left, the party had disintegrated into couples who had either disappeared into their cars or the darkness.

Molly said, “Kathy, we should get home. I have to work tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Kathy said. The evening had started great, but really had fizzled to mild disappointment. She had been hoping to kiss Rick tonight but now figured it wouldn’t happen.

“Don’t leave now,” Josh said. “What would Rick and I do all alone?”

Kathy saw Molly smirk and knew they were about to get a smart-aleck suggestion. She wanted to get out gracefully and keep future options open. She interrupted before Molly could cut Josh down, “I thought you said there’d be s’mores?”

“Yeah, I forgot about that. My mom made some other stuff too.” He turned to Molly. “You can’t leave now.You’ll hurt my mom’s feelings.” He put on an exaggerated puppy dog face, and Molly finally smiled. Rick was a charmer through and through.

“Okay,” she said. “We’ll stay for s’mores,but then we’ve got to go.”

“Help me get the food from the house,” Rick said, pulling Kathy’s arm. He yelled back to Molly and Josh, “You guys find some sticks for roasting.” Molly was still smiling. “About time,” Kathy thought. As they moved away from the fire’s light toward the house, Kathy saw Molly flash ten fingers. She sent back a thumbs-up. Ten minutes more, and they’d go home.

The Goodrich farmhouse, kitchen, 11:00 p.m.

Kathy and Rick ran to the house. “Shhh,” Rick giggled. “Don’t breathe so loud. My parents are sleeping upstairs.” He grinned at her with that million-dollar smile, and Kathy had second thoughts about missing that kiss.

The glow of the driveway light shining through the window revealed a bag of marshmallows, a box of graham crackers, and chocolate bars arranged on a platter along with some cookies.

Rick whispered, “I just remembered that we’ve got roasting forks in the basement. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Kathy whispered back and picked up the platter. Rick disappeared through a door opposite the one they’d come in. She stood alone in the dark kitchen, feeling anxious, like an intruder. She was afraid Rick’s mom, whom she’d never met, would come downstairs and find her standing there holding the tray and think she was a thief. She was trying to think of a witty remark to avoid the awkwardness when she heard Rick’s voice from the basement, “Kathy! Kathy!”

She walked over to the half-open door and peered in the darkness. “What?” she whispered back.

“Come here,” Rick said. “I want to show you my trophies.” The basement was dark, but the stairs were partially lit from the driveway light, shining through by a basement window. “Kathy,” she heard again. “Come here. It’ll only take a second.”

She didn’t want to go into the basement. She still had the platter. Should she take it with her? Rick’s calling was making her nervous. She didn’t want to get caught by his parents. She put the platter on the counter as he called her again.

“I’m coming,” she said. “Be quiet.” She crept down the stairs, her hand running along the wall for security. It was darker at the bottom and she couldn’t see the last step, so she tried to step down when she was already at the bottom, lost her balance, and fell into the wall. As she righted herself, she got nervous about rats and other basement creatures and started to feel for a light switch.

“Rick,” she whispered, feeling scared and stupid at the same time, about to go back upstairs. A light came on in a room on the other side of the basement, and Rick was standing there grinning.

“In here,” he said.The light and his smile put her at ease. The light from the room revealed that the basement was finished, no cobwebs, no rats. Still, she was eager to get back to the fire and Molly.

Kathy stepped into the room and knew immediately that it was Rick’s bedroom. There was a bed in the corner. The walls were covered with crooked posters of girls in bikinis holding beer bottles or guitars. The floor was littered with clothes. There were bookshelves lining the walls, filled with trophies and Star Wars action figures. The light came from a single lamp on a nightstand, next to the bed, partially obscured by yet one more trophy.

She had a sudden terrible whiff of beer from behind her and heard the door click shut. Even as she heard the click, she felt Rick’s strong arms wrap around her, holding her tight—too tight. His breath was hot as he nuzzled her neck and whispered, “We don’t have to rush back.”

Kathy was scared. She twisted free and reached around him for the doorknob. Her back was to the bed now, and suddenly, Rick pushed her backwards onto it, falling on top of her. He had his forearm pressed hard across her throat, hurting her and restricting her air. She couldn’t get a full breath. For a split second, her entire world was reduced to trying to breathe; she had no air for a scream.

She pushed against Rick with everything she had, but he was huge and all his weight was on her. His face was so close that all she could see were the fine hairs on his cheek under his eye. She tasted bile in the back of her throat.

Kathy’s body was screaming in agony, desperate for air, as she struggled to get free.

“Jesus, help me,” Kathy prayed silently, tasting the tears running down her cheeks. “Send Molly.”

But Molly had troubles of her own. She couldn’t help Kathy. To be continued...

Why We Printed This Article

We spent a long time debating whether or not to print this article. We asked a number of parents and youth to preview it and offer their input. Date rape is a disturbing topic; sadly, it’s also crucial that you know about it. Statistics suggest that in college one in four women will be the victims of rape or attempted rape. It happens in high school too. In most situations, the crime involves alcohol, dividing the victim away from others and then putting her in a disorienting situation. It doesn’t just happen to promiscuous girls. Quite often, drugs are slipped into the victim’s drink so that she’s robbed of the ability to resist when she otherwise would.

Certainly, this article serves as a warning. But that’s not the only reason why it’s included here. Higher Things exists to catechize, to apply our Lord’s Law and Gospel—not to tell morality tales. Doctrine isn’t something you leave at church. Doctrine and life go together.

We could make a list of the warning signs that should have sent Molly and Kathy on their way. We could also make a list of the sins committed in the story. The kids are defying authority, drinking beer, and smoking pot. Rick’s dad is beneath contempt, using his authority to encourage sin rather than responsibility. Rick is reprehensible, and let’s be clear: this isn’t a sin of teenage lust. It’s a violent assault to hurt somebody else for personal gratification. As for Kathy, Rick’s attack isn’t her fault. However, she’s ignored parental advice and Molly’s warnings, trusting her crush on a violent liar instead. Rick’s attack isn’t her fault, but that doesn’t take the trauma away.

So we can make a list of sins, but there’s a greater point here: we live in a sinful world, and awful things happen. They happen to Christians too. In her ongoing column, Kathy’s demonstrated that living as one baptized doesn’t mean life is easy; in this case, an out-of-bounds party takes a horrible turn. We’ll leave the rest of the story to the next issue, but we never leave this: the Lord is faithful. He’s suffered the violence of the cross ultimately to deliver us from this world. He faithfully proclaims His grace and life. Even for perpetrators, that means pardon for all who repent. For victims, it means the certainty that, no matter how others have used and violated them, God sees them in Christ as pure, without blemish, priceless and holy. Even if not right away, deliverance is coming.