From woody757@comcast.net Sat Oct  1 08:49:54 2005
Date: Sat, 1 Oct 2005 09:10:30 -0400
From: Mike and Frenchie <woody757@comcast.net>
To: admin@asstr.org
Subject: Mike Our Star Player II-6


 Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 19:39:24 -0500
From: Mike & Bagger <woody757@verizon.net>
Subject: Mike Our Star Player II-6

Although sections of parts 3 and 4 were based on actually happenings this
part is once again fictional.


From Previous Part:


When Mr. Mike became principal at New Town High, I (Marie) contacted the
county to accept my services as a child psychologist without his
knowledge. I did not want people to feel I was getting the job because we
were related.  Only after a few days on the job it was brought to my
attention about the stress between the football members; especially between
Mike and Mark.  I contacted Marty to see if there was a way to meet with
the two of them together to discuss what was causing all this friction.
But, unfortunately before I got to speak to them my brother had to step in
and suspend Mike for comments that where very homophobic towards Mark. I
watched with keen interest as the team played their hearts out every Friday
or Saturday to end the season with a 9-1 record and once again be eligible
to participate in the state playoffs. The team was able to win the quarter
and semi-finals with Mike once more back on the team.  New Town ran into a
much bigger team though in a hard fought championship game, and fell 14-13
in overtime.  It was great to see both Mike and Mark were named to the
All-State Team, but there was that visible distance between them when ever
they were in the same area. I still wanted to get a chance to speak to the
boys, and that is in part why Mr. Mike brought Mike to visit me at my home
in order for me to talk with him.


On With the story: <Marty's Point of View>

I had been called in by the assistant principal to serve as a substitute
teacher after the Thanksgiving break. This was unusual since I had not yet
gotten my teaching credentials certified by the state of Maryland.  I
noticed that the picture of the family members of the principal Mr. Mike
was draped in black when I passed by the principal's office.

I went to the room and began to take roll during the first period; when an
announcement was made that there was going to be a "Special" Assembly in 10
minutes.

Once the county superintendent introduced some special counselors to the
students, Ms. Roberts, the assistant principal, took the microphone and
announced that until further notice Mr. Mike would be on extended leave due
to the death of his baby brother on Thanksgiving.  She was not able to give
any date as to when he might return to work.

What she did next shocked the hell out of me as she called Mike to the
microphone to explain what had happened to Mr. Mike's brother, and why New
Town had set the corner stone of the no tolerance policy of any form of
bashing (verbal, physical etc.).

Mike told the student body what had happened, not just to Mr. Mike's (the
boy's nickname for him) brother that had recently passed away, but also his
two other brothers that made up the set of triplets.  While listening to
him tell the students as well as the teachers the facts, I suddenly felt
ill and had to run out of the auditorium to the bathroom so that I could
throw-up.  I was not sure if I was made ill because of what happened to
those boys or the fact that my own son Mike was acting just as bad towards
Mark starting in the summer, and through part of the fall.

"That boy of mine has a lot of explaining when we get home," I said to the
mirror.

Some of the other players also had gotten sick by what Mike was telling the
student body and heard me make the comment.  "Coach, what does Mike have to
explain?" one of them asked me.

I replied, "His attitude towards Mark during the summer and in the early
part of the school year, before Mr. Mike allowed him to return to the team
for those final games."

The day continued on with few problems, upon entering my home I saw the
answering machine blinking. The only message on it was from Marie, "Marty,
this is Mike's sister, Craig and I have a favor to ask of you when February
arrives, please call us at 555-456-7890 so we can talk about the favor."

I called the number only to have the call answered by Craig on the 3rd
ring.  "Hello may I speak to Marie please; this is Marty from New Town
returning her call."

I was told to hold on; the voice that came on the line sounded like it
belonged to an angel.  "Marty, this is Marie thanks for returning my call
so fast."

I asked her what I could do for her.

"After Craig and I talking to Mike's family doctor, we have decided to
allow him to return to his principal job at New Town after our return from
a holiday in the early part of February. We would like for you to please
keeping an eye on him, since he considers you a close friend, and to call
us if there is any change in his emotions.  I would also like to extra big
favor of you and that is to let him and Bagger stay with you and the boys,
because I do not want him to be alone."

I responded that there would be no problem on either part. [The thought
crossed my mind what if any of the other teachers or administrators found
out he is living here with 3 gay men?]

I told Marie to tell Mike to call me as soon as he felt comfortable to do
so, and that I hoped what ever she and Craig had planned for the holiday
that it helped all three of them. Before hanging up I told her to have a
safe holiday season, and that I was looking forward to having Mike move in
with us as soon as he was up to it.

As I put up the phone I sat there for a few minutes thinking about
Mr. Mike.  Mark already knew that I had feelings for Mr. Mike, but my son
Mike was still in the dark about my feelings towards the nice legally blind
guy that was the school's principal.  I would deal with that another day,
right now I have to wait until Mike gets home to listen to his BS about his
attitude toward Mark. I also know that Mike was trying to make up with Mark
and I knew that he planned to take Mark out to the movies either tonight or
tomorrow night. But I felt I needed to discuss his attitude with him to be
sure he would not hurt Mark again.


< I hope those that have been reading this story can figure out why it has
taken me so long to return to writing it. Please re-read parts 4 and 5 if
you do not because those parts are based on true events.  I want to thank
Richard, a friend, who also has been serving as an editor for the story.
Thanks again Richard!! >