'Does that make you feel better?'
'I felt great before you got here,Neely . I have no interest in you or your homecoming queen.'
'Come on, Cameron. Be honest. It must be somewhat satisfying to know that Screamer is closing in on skid row while your life is looking pretty good. You've won.'
'I wasn't competing. I don't care.'
'You cared back then.'
She placed the cup back on the tray and leaned forward again. 'What do you want me to say,Neely ? Shall I state the obvious? I loved you madly when I was a young teenage girl. That's no surprise because I told you every day. And you told me the same. We spent every moment together, had every class together,went everywhere together. But you became this great football hero, and everybody wanted a piece of you.Especially Screamer. She had the long legs and cute butt and short skirts and big chest and blond hair, and somehow she got you in the backseat of her car. You decided you wanted more of the same. I was a nice girl, and I paid a price for it. You broke my heart, humiliated me in front of everybody I knew, and wrecked my life for a long time. I couldn't wait to leave this town.'
'I still can't believe I did that.'
'Well, you did.' Her voice was edgy and there was a slight crack. She clenched her teeth, determined to show no emotion. He would not make her cry again.
'I'm so sorry.'Neely slowly got to his feet, careful not to put too much weight on his left knee. He touched her on the arm and said, 'Thanks for giving me the chance to say so.'
'Don't mention it.'
'Good-bye.'
He walked down the sidewalk with a slight limp, through the gate. When he was near his car, she called out, 'Neely, wait.'
* * *
Because of his high-voltage romance with Brandy Skimmel,
akaScreamer, now also known, by a very few, as Tessa Canyon, Neely knew all the back alleys and deserted streets of Messina. He circled Karr's Hill, where they paused for a moment to look down at the football field. The line of well-wishers still ran along the track and out the front gate. The lights on the home side were on. The parking lot was full of cars coming and going.
'They say Rake would sit up here, after they fired him, and watch the games.'
'They should've put him in jail,' Cameronsaid, her first and only words since leaving home.
They parked near a practice field and sneaked through a gate on the visitors' side. They climbed to the top of the bleachers and sat down, still with a gap between them, though closer than on her front porch. For a long time they watched the scene on the other side of the field.
The white tent rose like a small pyramid in front of the home stands. The casket was barely visible under it. A crowd was gathered around, enjoying the vigil. Miss Lila and the family had left. Racks of flowers were accumulating around the tent and up and down the sideline. A silent parade of mourners inched along the track, patiently waiting for the chance to sign the register, see the casket, perhaps shed a tear, and say farewell to their legend. Up in the stands behind the line of people, Rake's boys of all ages were grouped in small packs, some talking, some laughing,most just staring at the field and the tent and the casket.
Only two people were in the visitors' stands, unnoticed.
Cameron spoke first, very softly. 'Who are those people up in the bleachers?'
'Players.I was up there last night and the night before, waiting for Rake to die.'
'So they're allcoming home?'
'Most of us.You came home.'
