Tale The 69

Posted by Adminh, Released on March 5, 2025

69: The Higher the Pedestal….

Marshall Soames

I stand in the tunnel waiting to go out. They’re going to retire my number tonight and it’s about damn time is all I can say. I mean it’s been almost four years since I graduated from this school and was the first quarterback to go out in the first five rounds of the draft in like ten years. Tonight’s only downfall is that they are dedicating something to Brooklyn’s memory too. Naturally, they tie us together, painting us as a tragic love forever story. So I’ll smile and look. sad for that. My team is talking about demoting me down to backup next season. Honestly, Coach admitted they thought about it recently but a few interviews and this dedication were.

bringing fans in, so they didn’t. I deserve far more than being the backup.

My f*****g loser of a brother passed me earlier and did nothing more than glare at me. Why

the hell he suddenly thinks he should grow some morals and a conscience I don’t get. He’s

never been a saint with women before. Used to brag about messing with Luci to get back at

her.

I mean don’t get me wrong, Luci Forrester was probably the sweetest girl I seduced. The

others were naive but she was truly nice and she cared about me. In some ways, I wish I met

her later on. She’d be a good wife. The kind you can have at home for the charity events and to

have magazine articles about. She could have your kids and never know you’re f*****g three

women out on the road. The best of both worlds and I could have done that with her if I’d met

her at graduation, ready to go pro. Brooklyn and I would have never made it and I had planned to make sure she left me right after I started my pro career. I really only needed her to make

sure Humphries didn’t give my spot away. My little brother had a better arm and so did the

other backup. Though that guy couldn’t run for s**t, but I still couldn’t risk it. Brooklyn was way too clingy and needy. I would have gone insane with her. We only survived because she went

to a different school the entire time.

I hear my cue and leave the tunnel, making sure to wave and smile as I walk out. Franklin and Gina Humphries stand on the stage set up midfield with the athletic department head, Orrin Myers and Dean Rogers. I jog up the steps and turn to wave at the crowd which is way bigger than I expected. Standing room only. I clap Franklin on the shoulder pleasantly shocked he

went to all this trouble.

“Good evening everyone! I want to thank you for joining us tonight. We have some very special guests to honor tonight. You know our hometown hero, Marshall Soames. He took us to two national championships while he was a student here. Now he’s a starting quarterback for the

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69: The Higher the Pedestal….

Ridgebacks. They are set to go to the playoffs this season.” The crowd cheers and my chest

swells with their adoration. Until I spy a group not applauding. The Reed hockey brothers

stand near the front railing directly before me. Like a blonde wall of anger, with their arms

crossed glaring intently at me. What the f**k is their issue? Jealous of me I’m sure….but then

a girl next to them waves. Annie Williams…why is she here?

“He was number 42. And now he’ll forever be 42.” The old guy drones on as my eyes scan that

bench again. Annie is gone and that’s Patti…now my eyes are playing tricks on me. I turn back to the director, but glance that way again a minute later.

Luci, with Easton Reed smiling down at her…no, she quit going to games after the accident….

shake my head and only see the blonde hockey guys pissed off when I look there again.

I avert my gaze searching for my parents on the sidelines. They stand near Julian with my

father looking his normal stoic, blank self. Mom is smiling her hostess smile and looking

everywhere but at me.

Dean Rogers takes over. “Unfortunately, we have a bittersweet tribute to pay our respects

tonight along with our number retirement. Two of our own suffered a great tragedy along with

Marshall during his senior year here. Right before the playoffs and their championship win

that year, Coach Franklin Humphries and Professor Gina Humphries lost their only child, their

beloved daughter, Brooklyn in a senseless car accident caused by an uncaring driver. She was

also Marshall’s fiancée. Since then, they have all devoted themselves to doing things for her

memory and donating to the foundation for safer driving.” I almost snort at that. I stopped

donating after the first year to that. The crowd goes silent to offer their sympathies and I think

how gullible people are.

“We felt the school could create a memorial fountain with a flower garden that we would set

up near the benches in the campus tree park where Brooklyn and Marshall loved to spend

time together. If you’ll look to the screen, you’ll see what it will look like once spring rolls

around.” He indicates the Jumbotron behind us. I turn and take a look at the huge copper

fountain with a young girl sitting smiling at the top of it. They went all out for this. The crowd claps, and I bow my head, appearing appropriately sad. Again, noting those four assholes and some girls I don’t recognize. Another big blonde guy stands beside them. He looks murderous

too. Maybe his girlfriend forced him to come. Two older men beside him appear pleased with themselves. Luci, Annie and Patti were figments of my imagination I guess.

The athletic director takes the microphone once again. “We should also tell the crowd some

sad news for us, but this is also a farewell gift to Franklin. He is accepting a job with the NFL

team, the Edgeton Hurricanes. He’ll be their new head coach and will be leaving once this

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season is over. It won’t be easy to replace you, Franklin. We’ll be sad to see you go but are

thrilled for your new adventure. A much–deserved promotion.”

Julian and the team all exchange glances for that piece of news. I had no idea he’d done that. He holds a hand up to the crowd’s disappointed awww’s. Stepping up to the microphone, he

makes a short speech about how his time here was special and important. “I shouldn’t announce this, but my brother is also leaving after their season is over. He’ll be the coach for the new professional hockey team, the Puck Kings, here in Kenton for Jason Reed.”

All eyes swing to Nick Humphries on the side of the field, glaring at his brother while shaking his head slowly. “Congratulate him too. It’s bittersweet to leave the school that gave us so

much. But it’s time for us to leave and spread our talents to other teams. See what expertise

we can offer to the world of professional sports.”

Wow, I think. What an asshole move to steal his brother’s thunder like that.

“Marshall, we created a special video in your honor. Along with a video memorial of Brooklyn.

Please enjoy.” Dean Rogers adds with a smile.

I give my parents a smile and my brother a gloating smirk as I turn to watch the screen.

It starts out showing a few highlights from my senior year. But then it flips to photos of Brooklyn and I getting engaged. Pictures of us dating with the words a beautiful fairytale….

The next screen is a montage of photos of me with Annie, Patti, Luci, Rhonda, and Kira. Their

faces are blurred out. The words beneath saying shattered by infidelity.

“What the f**k…” I breathe out. Pages show up next. Invoices and text transcripts with the title

“Payouts for Silence.” Some are highlighted and I swallow hard. There are kids here, they

wouldn’t show this. I turn a panicked face to the crowd, seeing none. All adults, as I scan the

stands. This is bad. My heart begins racing as my whole world seems to shrink in on me. The

lights are so bright as sweat rolls down my back.

Now there are photos of a mangled SUV lying on its side. Blurred in the background is

Brooklyn’s SUV wrapped around the tree. A voiceover comes on, and it’s Brooklyn and I

arguing. When I told her she was just a means to keep her father and my career. That I never

wanted her. Franklin Humphries growls, and I stare into his angry face.

Gina gasps, distracting him as highlighted text from a police report is shown. It’s been

enlarged detailing the accident. “Brooklyn Humphries vehicle accelerated intentionally to hit the victim’s. She was intoxicated beyond the legal limit. Attempted manslaughter.”

He almost falls over as his voice begins to play over the photos. “I don’t care that Brooklyn

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had snapped and was at fault. I want you to make that girl’s life a living hell. I want you to make her so miserable she leaves Kenton. My daughter shouldn’t be dead! She needs to pay

for her death.”

“Coach, I can’t bully her. If it gets back to the Dean…” an athlete’s voice says.

“It won’t. And even if it did, it would be us against nothing more than a pathetic, deceitful

throwaway orphan that messed around out of her league. No one cares about her. Make her

suffer.”

The crowd has gone silent and I see my own panic reflected on Franklin’s face. s**t someone

recorded that?!

A text message image flashes on screen next that shows the recipient is Franklin. There’s a video of a girl on the ground with a blurry face. Someone dumps water all over her torso as

others laugh. “Useless throwaway foster” is heard lowly. She hunches in on herself before the

video ends. Franklin’s reply slowly enlarges on the screen. “Perfect. More of that. Humiliate

her. We can run her out of the school.”

The angry murmuring from the crowd reaches my ears. The screen changes to a video. It’s Gina Humphries with another woman. “Gina, I forgot to tell you. I think I convinced a student

to come back to being an education major. Beep Forrester. I saw her recently buying things for

a turkey costume at the teacher supply store. You know she should never have left. She has a

gift with kids.”

Gina Humphries stiffens. “No. She’s not allowed back in. She almost failed three of my classes. She won’t make it. You’re wrong Megan.”

“Are you serious? I thought you liked her.”

“No. I can’t stand that girl and I was never happier to see her almost fail. I told her to change

majors and I’d let her pass barely to keep her damned scholarship.”

Franklin enters the room and the second woman leaves, but it plays on. “Did I overhear that

right? Forrester wants to come back?”

“If she does, I’ll fail her immediately. She can lose her scholarship and be gone. I should have done that before anyway. For ruining Brooklyn’s life. That girl should have been the one to die. My princess should still be here.” Gina’s venomous tone is unmistakable.

Now the crowd is calling out for their heads. Dean Rogers looks appalled while Orrin is glaring

at Franklin. The heat seems to be off me.

Until it goes to black with photos of me recently. My voice angrily arguing with Julian. “Of

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course I didn’t give a f**k about her. She was useful. I was never intent on staying with her.

She sent that voicemail to Mom as she rammed Beep’s car on purpose saying she was going

to kill me or at least end my career.”

Julian’s subdued voice. “and what the hell are you going to do if she ever reveals all your dirty. little secrets? You and Humphries. Your reputations will be done for.”

I audibly scoff. “She won’t dare. I threatened to hurt her worse than the accident did. Believe

me, the fear on her face in the hospital when I warned her was long–lasting. She won’t forget.”

“You… threatened to assault her? While she was injured?” He sounds so disgusted.

“Creatively remind her of her place in the hierarchy of this world.”

“You sick sonofabitch.” He snarls as the video ends.

I turn to find Julian watching me with an evil smirk. The crowd begins chanting for our heads.

I search the rows and take a step back as I see all the girls from my past including a few that

I’m still paying off. My father shakes his head slowly at me while Mom won’t meet my eyes.

Luci is here. She stares right at me. It’s the hands on her shoulders that have my real

attention.

I catch the slow smirk spreading across Easton Reed’s face as he keeps his eyes on me and

bends down to kiss her cheek. She smiles up at him and my brain explodes. He whispers

something and she nods. The other burly blonde guy moves to her side. I recognize him now, the big brother military guy who threatened me. The Reed brothers leave their seats and walk down with the whole hockey team. They approach Julian and Deacon, who nod at them before the entire football team lines up behind them. They slowly march out onto the field, approaching the stage. A girl hands them two microphones. “Dean Rogers, Mr. Orrin, we are here to inform you that we will never play another game under either of the Humphries brothers as coaches. We won’t share the ice with that piece of shit.” Easton says firmly.

“That includes tonight, Dean Rogers.” Julian says. “None of us will share the field with that asshole or play if my brother is honored in any way tonight. I think the crowd agrees with us.” The loud chorus of applause and “you know it” echo his words.

Franklin eyes them with disbelief. “You’d throw away a championship season for that

worthless foster girl that no one wants?”

Julian’s eyes glitter with hatred as the entire hockey team snarls. Most of the football team

growls.

“She’s more than wanted…” Easton growls at him.

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“We stand up for what’s right even though we didn’t for so long. And yes, we’ll do this for her. And for our siblings and ourselves. Because she could be any of our little sisters. The object of your misplaced, f****d up obsession. You need true professional help. After how we treated her, we don’t deserve to play.” Julian declares.

“Who’s your coach tonight?” Mr. Orrin asks, not sparing Franklin a glance.

“Assistant Coach Himmel does an outstanding job, sir.” Julian answers.

“Then he’s your coach tonight and going forward. I’m sure the hockey team has an appropriate interim coach in mind. We’ll meet on Monday during your usual practice gentlemen.” Mr. Orrin declares before facing the Humphries and me. “Get your asses off my field.”

Dean Rogers adds. “And you can all show up Monday to collect the things I’ll have security box up from your offices.”

Gina steps up her hand raised at chest level, shaking it. “I’m tenured. You can’t…”

Dean Rogers cuts her a glare that has me shrinking back. “I think you’ll all find that there are

clauses in your contracts for inappropriate relationships with students. Bullying and

intentional targeting of students falls under those clauses specifically. I don’t owe you a dime

beyond pay for today. You are the head of the education department. Teaching our students

how to shape and reach young minds. Yet here we find out you are delusional over your

daughter trying to murder someone and bullying the girl who was no more than a victim.”

My father’s voice comes through loud and clear as he claps my brother on the shoulder. “You

should always read the fine print in any contract. Though I’d be happy to help you recover the

money you’d need to waste to get rid of them, Alvin.”

“Dad…”

He cuts me a look that shuts me up instantly. “My name is Edward Soames. That is the only

name you’ll use that I will answer to. You are no longer any relation of mine. You’re removed

from any money or future under my name. Don’t worry though. You won’t be all alone. Your

mother, who I’m sure will continue to support or overlook your misdeeds, will be moving in

with you for mutual support.”

“Dad, you’ve got this all wrong.”

“You mean I misheard and read everything tonight? I’m aging, Marshall, not dumb or senile.

Goodbye.” He turns and walks away as the crowd continues to boo at us.

How did this happen? Less than an hour ago, everything was perfect. My father can’t mean all that. I can salvage this somehow. It’s just the university that knows. Damage control. I can