20.
Kayla's door opened as soon as Jay entered the principal’s office suite at Gettysburg High. She sat, head in her hands, as if she had not gotten any more sleep than he had.**
“How's Stefani?” she asked after Jay entered. He had called in sick to the office and taken the day off. Jay slept only four hours, but he needed to catch Kayla before she went into her wandering around mode.
“She's all right, so far.” Jay practically slouched after he sat down. If he’d been a student at a private school or yeshiva, he might have been scolded for bad posture. Making matters worse, he woke up and pulled on the nearest sweatshirt and jeans he could find, not remembering the last time he’d worn them. Dressed sloppier than most Gettysburg High students, his mother would have never let him go to school so disheveled. Fortunately, Kayla overlooked his sloppiness.
“I spoke with the league office after Stefani’s father called. There’s no appropriate action we can take, since we don’t know what Barry said to Stefani. Coaches get a lot of leeway in these parts, unless they curse or act in a sexually inappropriate manner.”
“Yeah, but I think I smelled beer on his breath. Isn’t that enough?”
Kayla stared out her window, looking at Jay’s reflection in the glass. “Are you sure? Stefani’s father said nothing. I’ve heard nothing about Barry drinking before practices or games.”
“I swear I could smell it. But would you really allow him around your students after the way he treated Stefani?” Jay raised his voice loud enough that the office secretary, who had just come in and hung up her coat, walked towards Kayla's doorway.
Kayla shooed her away. All was well. She opened a hefty legal-like document spread open on the center of her desk. It was the teacher’s union contract which applied to Hughes, but not to Jay when it came to coaching a sport. “I've looked into this. He's a teacher. There are rules, and we don't know if he was drinking. If you find out what Coach Hughes said to Stefani, or prove that Barry has been drinking before games, that’s a different story.”
“What would you do if either or both proved true?”
“I’d have grounds to dismiss him as coach.”
21.
“Jay, Bonita doesn't like what Hughes did to Stefani,” Herman said when they met up at the bank. "She can deal with this ‘co’ stuff—she’s got the school game down—but she doesn't like to see her friend get beaten up. I trust you to make this right.”
“Kayla’s the only one who can decide what to do.”
Herman smiled. “You know, maybe I should pay her a visit. But I need you with me.”
“Why?”
“Megan’s father is pals with the school board’s lawyer. Two of the other starters are Megan’s friends, and their mothers and fathers are Stan’s friends. Stan’s also a lawyer and Hughes’ college buddy. He’ll come to bat for him. Stef needs a lawyer to step up for her.”
Jay nodded. “Bonita’s going to talk to Stef, find out what Hughes actually said after she came out of the game.”
Herman and Jay shook hands. “I expect your team to kick ass, nothing less, if you take over,” Herman said, before letting go. He allowed Jay to drive Bonita to the hospital to visit Stefani. They arrived only to find that they would not need to go to her room. She was waiting at the front door seated, dressed in sweats, rolled by a nurse in a wheelchair with Alben walking beside her.
Bonita gave Stefani’s father a brief hug. “What's the word?” she asked Stefani as they clasped hands.
“Just bruises. Docs say they'll heal.” She slumped in the wheelchair while her father went to get the car. The orderly by the door cast an interested look. Bonita’s scowl scared him away.
“You'll be ready for York Central?” Bonita asked, as she pushed the wheelchair towards the exit door with Jay following behind.
“Maybe. We'll see.”
“Stef, we’ve got to know what Coach Hughes said after you came out of the game. Please, tell us,” said Bonita.
Stefani looked up into Bonita’s eyes. “He called me a pussy, soft, weak, whiny baby bitch. Told me that I wouldn’t play at all for the rest of the season and never play in college. That I should keep my ‘pussy soft whiny baby bitch body’ out of varsity practice, and keep playing with the jayvees,[MOU1] ” she said softly in a shaky tone, though Jay could hear every word.
“Stef, did you smell anything on his breath?” Jay asked.
“I’m sorry. I don’t remember.”
Bonita gently put her hand on Stefani’s shoulder and squeezed lightly. “Stef, you don’t have to take that crap from anybody. I wish you told me. I would’ve..” As Bonita stopped speaking, she smacked her right fist into her left palm
Jay was glad that Bonita had stopped mid-sentence. “Bonita, this is for your parents, and Stefani’s, to resolve. Tell your dad what Stef just told us. He will get this straightened out. I need you to lead this team, not dole out punishment, ok?”
“Ok, Coach. I got you.”
“I expect you to set a better example going forward. If you’ve got an idea, share it. You’ve been too quiet far too long. You know more about the game than anyone on this team, but you never speak up in practice. You really think that Hughes would have pulled you out of a game if you were a more vocal leader outside of the warm-up exercises?”
“Guess not. But he’s always talking to Megan’s dad and his friends, never my dad or Stef’s. He never asks for my opinions about anything on the court.”
“Ok, well that’s got to change,” Jay answered, then he looked at Stefani. “You'll be at practice early, right Stef?" Jay said. "And magic stick?"
“Uh coach, can I get a break?”
Bonita interrupted before Jay could answer. "Break? What do you mean, a break? We need rebounds. We haven’t gotten your best." Bonita dropped her hand and grasped Stefani’s tight. “You and me. We’re in this together. It’s our team, our time. Right Coach?”
Alben returned with the car. His face was sullen while Bonita was so animated.
“Alben, what's the matter?” Jay asked after he had taken Stefani's father aside.
“I can't give Hughes another chance to break her, or any other girl on that team” he whispered.
“Herman and I will talk to Kayla tomorrow.”
“Stop at the office. I need to speak with you. Bonita can take Stefani home.”
Already at town hall when Jay arrived an hour later, Alben went to a vending machine, bought two Cokes, and handed one to his guest.
Jay popped the can, took a sip, and followed Alben into his office.
Alben tossed him a coaster and settled his can on another. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the desk and wiped watery eyes.
“I was so proud of her as her game got better,” he said as his eyes wandered to the picture of Stefani hugging a basketball. “And I loved when she cheered on your jayvees. She really likes you."
“We’ve had our battles.”
“You think I don't have mine? She's headstrong, but really a good kid. Not a lick of trouble with anything, boys, drugs, school, whatever. Bonita’s a godsend as a friend.” Alben laughed. “Stef says you’re fair; you explain things. Gives you credit for making her better. I hope you and Herman make things right. Stan Reynolds might not like you, and he might not care for me, or for Stefani. But his pal Hughes is really hurting this team.”
Jay’s tired eyelids lifted. “What does Stan have against you?”
“I wasn’t his choice when the borough counsel offered me the job. Just after I started, I found out that one of his political friends is good friends with my counterpart in Carlisle. He was supposed to get the job instead of me but backed out at the last moment. The borough council wouldn’t give him the money he wanted.”
Jay nodded slowly. “What made the borough counsel choose you?”
“It’s a tough job keeping things straight in a living Disneyland. I dealt with tourist attractions and college students in my last job. This one’s tougher because there’s so much more history and the politicians who come around.There’s so many factions in Gettysburg it’s a wonder anyone can do this job. But I like it. I never get bored, even when I’m dealing with boorish people like Stan Reynolds. They might think they’re the only power brokers in this town, but everyone’s a winner sometimes, a loser other times.”
“Much like a basketball team,” Jay replied.
Alben laughed. “True, but the best thing about sports is that adversaries on the same team can come together when their season, and some of their futures, are at stake.”
“I wish our team could’ve heard that.”
22.
After Jay arrived at Gettysburg High the next morning, he, Herman and Stan were already waiting outside Kayla’s office. Trying to act civil, Jay shook their hands. They spoke quietly about college basketball games they’d recently watched, until Kayla ushered them in.
“I know why you and Herman are here,” Kayla said to Jay, as she settled into a chair around a coffee table in her office, motioning for her guests to sit on the couches. Jay squeezed into a seat next to Herman, whose frame occupied much of the couch. “But why are you here, Stan?”
“Barry’s a teacher first. He’s teaching this period. I’m a lawyer and Barry’s my friend.” Stan said. “I called the board attorney, who’s also my friend, last night. He says that the union contract is really specific. There’s no reason to remove Coach Hughes from his job. He’s done nothing any other coach wouldn’t do.”
Herman cleared his throat. “You know something, Stan? I’m glad that we have a chance to sit down and have this little chat.” He rose and stood as if he was about to make an argument to a judge or jury. “We both know who’s the most important person on this team.” He cocked an eyebrow, looking down squarely at Stan as if he was the only one in the room.
Unfazed, Stan answered, “So, what’s the problem? Bonita will get everything she wants. She’s the captain, no matter who plays around her. She’s got offers, and she’s a senior. What’s she going to do? Quit?”
“Oh no, she’s no quitter. But you know as well as I do, she’s one tough cookie.”
“I’ll vouch for that,” Jay said. “She’s been Stefani’s only friend all along. They worked before tryouts, still work after practice. Bonita hasn’t quit on her yet. C’mon, Stan, would you let your daughter take the same kind of crap from a coach?”
“Megan doesn’t. She does what he asks her to do on the court. C’mon, men. Coaches curse and yell all the time. It’s part of any sport. I played football, I know what it’s like, how it feels after making a bad play, a mistake.”
“I played in college and got a shot at The League,” Herman replied. “Coaching is as much about teaching the game as it is about playing the game. Barry Hughes is no teacher and certainly no role model for these girls. A real coach doesn’t drive players to quit when they get beat up.”
Stan shrugged his shoulders and gathered his papers into his briefcase. “C’mon, what are you saying, Herman? She’ll unleash some crazy hell?”
“She’s outside the front door waiting to meet a reporter from the Gettysburg Times. You see, Stan, she’s loyal to Stef. Bonita’s cell phone’s on right now. If I don’t call within the next ten minutes, she’ll tell that reporter what really happened in that game against Red Land, and everything that Coach Hughes said to Stefani’s face. Now, we can agree that your pal Barry is done for the season or…Bonita makes that happen quickly.” Herman removed his phone from his jacket pocket and got ready to dial.
With no advance warning from Bonita, or her father, Jay had no idea what to say.
Shaking as Herman dialed, then put the phone to his ear, Stan looked at Jay and pointed a long finger in his face. “You. You put him—and her—up to this.”
“Ahh, nope,” Jay replied as Herman continued dialing, “You did. Look, your daughter’s a decent player. But no one should be a coach’s pet, especially if there’s a chance to save our season. There’s still lots of games to play. But this team must come together if they’re going to win.”
Stan’s gaze turned to Kayla. “You know what I’ll do if you suspend Barry on such flimsy evidence. It’s not like he touched her or cursed at her.”
“That’s not what Stefani told my daughter,” Herman answered, as he connected with Bonita on the phone. “Barry said the b-word to her face. Twice.”
“The b-word?”
“If you’ve got a dog you‘d know.”
Kayla nodded softly. “Ok, Stan, I’ll take my chances. Coach Hughes is done for the season. Coach Siler’s my head coach. Now, Herman, please ask Bonita to wait for me before she goes on the record with that reporter.”
“It’s all done, honey,” Herman said into the phone. “You have a new coach. Ms. Franz is coming right out to meet you.”
Kayla, Jay, Herman and Stan rose from their seats. As Stan grabbed his briefcase he said, looking at Kayla: “I hope that you have a thick skin for what’s coming.” He stormed out of the office, almost bumping into students on his way out the door. He spotted Bonita, now asked to wait. “Good luck salvaging the rest of your season, and your reputation,” he said gruffly, as he headed to his car.
“What was that all about?” Jay asked Kayla, after Stan’s hasty exit.
“Long story short, he threatened to ‘out’ me after I started in this job.”
“’Out’ you?” Herman asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
“My partner, she’s a professor at Dickinson College. We’ve been together since Penn State. Stan saw us holding hands at the state fair, and he let me know what he thought about it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s part of Stan’s charm. Fortunately, other people in town who have kids in this school know about my relationship, and they care more about their kids’ lives and success. They don’t all listen to Stan. You don’t keep a job like this when you don’t have allies in the community.”
Jay nodded, having seen Stan defer to Emily Grossman in the Main Street meeting, saying nothing as her design recommendations were approved without him even making a grunt. “I’ll need help,” he said. “I can’t coach the varsity and jayvees by myself.”
“I’m afraid that’s on you. I’ve got no money for more coaches. The contract forces me to pay Coach Hughes his stipend unless he’s terminated.”
“As head coach?”
“No, as a teacher, if he is dismissed for cause before the end of June.”
Jay had accepted the assistant coaching position for $3,000. He had planned to return the money after the season so Kayla could buy new uniforms for the jayvee girls. Now he needed to pay someone he hoped could trust to coach the jayvees. “Don’t worry,” he said. answered. “I’ll get the help.”
“Kayla, let me join you and Coach Siler outside,” Herman said. “Bonita, our team, they need us.”
Jay, Kayla and Herman found Adam Michael from the Gettysburg Times waiting patiently, talking quietly with Bonita, wearing a sweatshirt, swag from her last AAU camp and jeans, about the upcoming season. They shook hands with the reporter. Jay, Bonita and her father readied for questions before Kayla made her announcement.
“Girl’s head basketball coach Barry Hughes has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately.” Kayla said. “I have received sufficient proof that he piled mental and verbal abuse on an injured player, totally unacceptable behavior for a coach. I can’t take chances that such unacceptable behavior can continue.”
“Is this the first time that you’ve had to dismiss a coach?” the young reporter said. Well-groomed, but skinny and short, he could have easily passed for a student at Gettysburg High.
“I’ve never run into this problem at Gettysburg or anyplace else. Fortunately, we have a capable assistant ready to take over.” She motioned for Jay to stand by her.
“Coach Siler, what do think of your team’s chances the rest of the way?” the reported asked.
“The better we work together, the more likely we’ll win.”
Herman nodded in agreement, but he didn’t smile. Bonita took the cue from her father to be cool.
“Bonita, Mr. Blount, is there anything you want to add?” he asked, holding his phone to record.
“Oh yeah. We’re ready to play for Coach Siler. I guarantee you, It’s our time.” Bonita said, raising a fist in the air. She waved goodbye before heading to class.
Kayla and Jay looked at Herman after Bonita went into the building.
“That’s my girl,” Herman said proudly. “Like she says, it’s her time.”
“I need an assistant. Can’t do this job alone. Are you available?”
Herman smiled. “I’ll text you an address to meet me tonight. Imight be able to help you take care of that little detail. Oh, by the way, don’t worry about Stan going to the press. He’s got a lot of bark, but it doesn’t carry much bite with a sportswriter, Wins, losses and interesting stories about the players carry the day. So, our team has to win and win big. Otherwise, Stan and his friends will get press.”