Dropped From the Team โ Athenian Women โ Zara โ Joan
The following morning I went to swimming practice with nothing unusual occurring. My times were definitely on the upswing according to the assistant coach Kevin Mathis, who had seemed to have changed his mind about me and my swimming capabilities.
"Good practice, Mr. Donald Stevenson Clark. Keep it up and you'll begin to see some records drop for you."
Coach Mathis always used my full name when speaking to me, and perhaps that's why I thought he didn't like me when I first joined the team.
I showered and dressed and had a cup of coffee and a bagel with Dolph before my first class.
Dolph told me that they (meaning some of the coaches) had checked attendance at our dorm last night, and wanted to know where I was.
"What did you tell them?" I asked, feeling queasiness in my stomach. They had checked before, but I had been in the room one time and Dolph had alerted me a second time and I had shown up minutes before the coaches came to our door.
"I was going to say that you weren't back yet, but they looked serious enough to have hung around waiting, so I said I thought you'd hooked up with some girl and might be spending the night with her."
I thought about how receptive Coach Mathis had been at practice. He seemed fine with me. And if he was fine with me than the head coach was fine with me. So who had been doing the checking up?
I put the question to Dolph, who said: "You know, that's the funny thing, only one of them was one of our guys. Coach Bernard, and he's hardly ever around ... he's more into recruiting than anything, you know?"
I nodded, it was true. Bernard was almost always on the road.
"So who else was there?"
"The assistant girls coach, Gasser?" He made it a question more than a statement.
"The skinny, titless coach?" I said to help me determine just who it was we were talking about.
"Yeah, that's the one!' Dolph said with some emphasis. "I wonder what she was doing checking on the guys, I mean, shouldn't she be checking on the girls?"
For lack of a cohesive comment I offered a weak, "Getting her rocks off I guess." I said, but the queasiness grew stronger and I took an Alka-Seltzer tablet to help control it.
In the back of my mind I was wondering why Coach Mathis or the Head Coach hadn't mentioned it to me at practice.
Still I didn't think it all that serious and went about my daily routine, going to class, taking copious notes, having a nutritious lunch and finishing the day with two afternoon classes.
After a quick trip home, I showered and grabbed my swimming gear and made my way to the Natatorium.
On arriving I was met by Assistant Coach Mathis, who gave me a funny look and told me to report directly to Head Coach Flippen.
I went directly to his office and stood waiting while he finished a phone call.
"Sit down Clark, I'll be right with you," he said tersely after ending the phone conversation.
I sat and waited while Coach Flippen went through a small stack of folders, found one that I assumed to be mine, opened it and read for a minute or so.
Finally he put the folder down and looked at me. "We've been over this before, Clark."
Whoa ... this was serious, but what had I done? Missed a bed check ... or was there more to it?
I decided there was more to it and waited for the ax to fall.
.
"I told you shortly after you got here not to fuck around with the girls swim team, or the girl divers. Remember?"
I nodded and followed with and I have, Coach. I mean I might talk to them while at practice, but other than that I've left them alone. What am I supposed to have done?"
"First you missed bed check last night."
"Yes Sir, I heard about it this morning."
"So you admit being out past curfew?"
"No sir. The fact is ... and I realize you may not like this but I own a home here in Athens and occasionally I spend the night there instead of at the Dorm."
Coach Flippen's eyes widened at this news.
"Freshmen are supposed to live in the assigned dorm room, Clark."
"Yes sir, but I own a house in town and I think its allowed for students to live at home while attending class."
"Not while you're a member of my swimming team, Clark!"
"Well if that's what's troubling you Coach, I'll rectify matters by using the dormitory as my sleeping quarters from now on."
"Don't get wise-assed on me, Clark. You know damned well you've broken those rules."
"I'll take your word on it Coach. As I said, I'll stay in the dormitory from now on."
"There's another matter, Clark, and it's more serious than where you spend your nights."
"Yes, Sir. What would that be?"
"Are you fucking with me, Clark?"
"No Sir!"
"It sounds like you are."
"No sir. I was brought up to be polite and I'm doing my best to be just that. What I don't understand is why I'm here, but I guess you're about to tell me."
"The girls, Clark. You don't seem to be able to leave them alone."
"You mean the girls on the swimming and diving teams?"
"I do mean those girls! You were seen going into one of their homes ..."
"Excuse me Coach, aren't the girls also required to live in the dorm?"
"Oh ..." Coach Flippen reread his notes and nodded in agreement. "Apparently the girl was entering your home away from home, Clark."
"When was that Coach?"
"The night before last."
Someone had spotted Kimmie making her sperm call ... shit!
"I can explain exactly what happened and why, but you'll probably get even madder at me and her as well. I won't implicate the girl or is she already implicated?"