Part 7


"Kevin.  My man.  How's it hanging?" 

Kevin smiled at the student who was calling out to him, trying to remember if he had ever actually met the young man.  Running through his classes, both for this year and the previous two, he just couldn't place him.

"I'm doing well.  You?"

"Me?  You're asking how I'm doing?  You are the man."  The guy came up and placed his hand on Kevin's shoulder, while smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you."  Kevin was starting to get a little nervous.  This wasn't the first time since school started that this had happened, and he believed it was Sports Illustrated's fault.  Before the season had started, SI picked Penn to be one of the top 5 teams of the year for the first time in Penn's history, crediting Kevin's leadership and name bringing in top recruits for two years straight.

The guy, who never bothered introducing himself, squeezed Kevin's shoulder before walking off, a big smile on his face.

"That was freaky."

Kevin looked at Chris, who was watching the guy walk away.  "I know.  I'm starting to think that maybe I should have gone to UCLA after all."

Chris snorted.  "What, and miss all this?"

No matter how irritated Kevin seemed to get, Chris could always make him laugh.  Intentionally or not.

*****

The library had been quiet, at least when he sat down to study.  Had was the operative word, because it certainly wasn't any more. 

Looking up from his finance book, he was stunned to see that all the tables surrounding his were full, mostly with females who kept watching him, and then talking with their friends.  The constant chatter was starting to get on his nerves.

Trying to show as little emotion as possible, he began to put away his books, tucking them in his backpack, before standing to walk out.

"Are you finished studying already?"

A young girl, probably a freshman, stood up also, and moved to stand in front of Kevin.  He looked to his watch before replying.  "Yup.  Have things I need to get done before practice this afternoon."  With that, he nodded at the girl, and walked off.

As he left the study area, he turned his head in time to notice that many of the girls were starting to put their own things away.

*****

"'Lo?"  Kevin distractedly picked up the phone, without removing his eyes from his text.

"Hi.  Kevin, right?  I was hoping I'd catch you at home."

"I'm sorry, I'm at a disadvantage.  You know who I am, but you are?"

A deep chuckle reverberated from the other end.  Very business like.  "I'm sorry, son."  That was enough to let Kevin know it was another of the calls he'd been receiving for the last month.  Another agent.  "I'm Jason Longmore.  I'm with Anderson, Lockman, and Barry.  I just wanted to wish you good luck on the game this weekend."

"Thank you Mr. Longmore.  But AS I'm pretty sure that you already know, I'm not interested.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have a test to study for."  Without another thought, Kevin hung up the phone.

Grabbing a piece of paper, he wrote Chris a note.

    Chris,

    Going out of my mind.
    (no commentaries, funny boy)
    Heading to Bev's.
    Call or come over - I'll spring
for food.

After putting the note on the computer screen, Kevin loaded his stuff up into his backpack before leaving.

*****

"Kevin?"

Smiling at the blushing girl standing in front of him, he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss to her cheek.  "Hi Kate.  Can I come in?"

"I don't know," She gave a very theatrical concerned look.  Her brother would be so proud.  "Mom always said not to let strange men in when she's not around.  You chose my brother as a best friend, so there's something certainly strange about you."

"You, young lady," he looked sternly at the her, "are as funny as your brother.  How dare you call me strange."

"Kate?  Is that Kevin I hear?"  Molly walked towards the front door.  "What's up, Kev?" 

"I was wondering if I could take refuge in your home."

"Well, mom is at class right now.  If you can handle being in an apartment with nothing but girls, you're welcome to it."  Pulling her sister out of the way, Molly tilted her head, indicating Kevin should come in.

"You have no idea how grateful I am.  I've been trying to study all week for this test, and was getting nowhere with it."

The two girls followed him in as he walked towards the kitchen.  "Where's the munchkin?"

"Emily is in her room.  Phone."

Kevin smiled.  Chris had told him about how the youngest was on the phone so much that she practically had to be surgically removed from it.  Reaching the kitchen, he saw that he wasn't the only one who was studying.  The table had a math book, couple of notebooks, and loose paper spread around on a portion of it.  "Looks like I'm not the only one who's studying."

Molly groaned.  "I so hate math.  I'm trying to figure out this algebra, but it's confusing me.  My teacher explained it this afternoon, but it makes no sense."

Kevin sat at the table, and pulled the book over.  "Is this what you're working on?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let's make a deal.  I need to study, but give me an hour of good study time.  Maybe I can explain it all to you if you don't figure it out by then."

Molly looked at her notes skeptically.  "How about this?  I need to study my government homework.  How about I study it while you do your studying, and then in an hour you explain my math to me?"

Laughing, Kevin settled into a seat on the other side of the table.  "It's a deal."

*****

"So, you're saying that I should have multiplied the x by the y then?"

Kevin nodded his head, smiling at the look of astonishment on the teenager's face.  "Pretty easy, huh."

Bev walked into the kitchen carrying a bag of groceries.  As she passed the table, she looked over to see what Kevin and her oldest daughter were up to.

Molly looked up at Kevin, tapping her pencil.  "Now why couldn't Mr. Tercel explain it like that?  I mean that's just plain easy, but he made it out to be this big ol' complicated process."

Kevin shrugged.  "I can't really tell you why.  That's how it was shown to me."

Looking down at her book again, she sat quietly for a moment.  "This class has been really giving me problems.  Is there any chance that you might be willing to help me on it for the rest of the year?"

Kevin smiled, and looked over to Bev before returning his attention to the younger woman.  "Only if your mom is willing to let me hang out at your place as a refuge."

"Of course, honey.  You know you're welcome here any time you want."

"Thanks Bev."  Kevin joined Bev at the sink, and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Molly, why don't you go finish your homework in your room so I can talk to Kevin."

As Molly gathered her stuff together, she looked up at Kevin.  "Before you leave tonight, will you look over my work to see if I really do understand it?"

"Sure.  It would be my pleasure."  He winked at her before she left.

"Thank you for helping her with her math.  She's been complaining about it since school started, and because I never completed high school myself, I'm no help.  And Chris, while he can do it, he and his sister don't seem to communicate well when it comes to explaining things."

"Aw, it's nothing.  I'm glad I can help her with it."

"Your a good boy, Kevin Richardson."  She placed her hand up along his blushing face.  "Now tell me, Kevin -- why are you here?"

"I had to get away.  People, complete strangers, keep coming up to me as if I were their best friend, wishing me luck, telling me what a great job I'm doing.  Then there's the girls.  It's almost embarrassing the way they watch me.  If I weren't the Golden Boy," he held his hands up and made quote marks with his fingers, "they wouldn't even be interested in me.  I mean, I've been in the student union, and had them looking at me.  The other guys from the team will be sitting in the same room, and they don't get the attention I do."

Bev chuckled at the young man.  "I don't think it's just because you're the star quarterback, hon." He looked at her confused.  "It's okay."  She gave him a pat on the shoulder.  "And your apartment?"

He rolled his eyes.  "It's almost as bad there.  They call.  They stop by.  No peace at all.  And the agents and scouts are the worst.  They don't seem to understand that I just want be an ordinary college student who happens to play football.  When one called to wish me luck with the game this weekend, that was like the last straw."  Closing his eyes, it was like something inside of him started to crumble.  Opening his eyes, he looked down at Bev.  "They all have such great expectations.  If I had gone to one of the other schools, I would have been just a member of the team, maybe the star, but it would have been different."  His eyes showed the uncertainty he felt.  "It's like the future of the program depends upon what I do.  What if I fail?  What if I let them all down?"  His voice was barely a whisper as he finished talking.

Bev gathered the young man to her, holding his lowered head to her shoulder, stroking the fine black hair.  "It's all right, hon." When Kevin seemed to pull himself together; she released him, and led him to the table.  "Now you listen to me.  I have watched you play, and you are an excellent player.  The coach has recruited good solid players to play around you.  When you play, you play with a passion that few people can understand, and somehow, it transfers to the players around you.  When Jackson was injured three weeks back, you changed plays and adjusted to O'Ryan so smoothly, that it was hard to believe that he wasn't your usual receiver."  Kevin looked at her questioningly.  "What?"

"You watch football?"

"No. Well, not really."  Her cheeks colored slightly, but she smiled and patted his hand.  "What can I say?  My son's best friend plays football.  We started watching his games.  You're good."

"We?  As in you and the girls?"

"Yes."  She chuckled at him, enjoying the conversation.  "It's become a Saturday activity for us."

He seemed surprised.  "Do you think you might like to actually go to some of the games?  I mean I can get you tickets."

"Oh Kevin, dear.  I don't want you to spend your money on something like that."

Kevin laughed.  "No, no.  As players, we are given tickets to each game.  I've only ever used my allotted tickets on Chris.  So, it's no problem if you think you and the girls might like to attend them."

"That would be wonderful, hon.  Now I'll be able to see if those young tushes are as cute in those tight pants as they look on tv."

"I'm scandalized."  Laughing, he leaned forward and gave her a quick hug.  "Thanks for everything, Bev."

They could hear the front door open then slam shut.  "Kevin, you still here?  You promised me food."

Kevin laughed.  "How about I take your family out to dinner?"

"That would be really nice.  Thank you, Kevin."


Part 8