The Boaz Scorekeeper, written in 2017, is my second novel. I'll post it, a chapter a day, over the next few weeks.

Nearly every month since late Fall of our Junior year, the Flaming Five and I had camped at Club Eden.  The Five had brought countless girls to the Club, at least half of which I didn’t know.  Others, I did know, including every varsity cheerleader except Mandy Clements and Tracie Simmons.

I became a full member during the summer of 1971.  There had been two requirements, both required me to swear on the Bible.  I’m not sure what caused me the most trouble and hesitation, the swearing or the fear of the promised punishment if I broke my oath.  Every one of the Flaming Five had promised me that my life would be over within a few days of breaking the trust.  They didn’t say they would kill me but I took it as much.  The swearing was almost an identical issue.  I had been taught in church that I should never swear, but I also knew that a witness in a court case had to swear on the Bible to tell the truth.  After countless hours contemplating what I should do, and dealing with the pressure to belong to Club Eden and likewise to be friends with the most popular guys in school, I finally took the oath on a hot July 4th morning.  I swore that I would never disclose the location or what went on at Club Eden.

Not that I was ashamed of what I did.  At no time did I ever take advantage of a girl.  I never forced a girl to have sex with me.  In fact, I never had sex with a girl at the Club or anywhere else, including our High School graduation party that began during the late hours of May 25, 1972.

That night we strayed a little from our routine.  As usual, John, Fred, and I arrived first with the beer, food, and gear and started setting up to cook burgers or steaks.  Then, Wade showed up in his blue Blazer along with four Boaz High cheerleaders.  Behind Wade was Randall and James in his van.  A nearly new GMC Vandura that his father had customized for him. I think it was James who had the ‘Honey Wagon’ sign painted on both sides.  Two girls I didn’t know got out of the back of the van when Randall opened the door.  They all walked over and Wade introduced them as Cindi and Wendi.  We all pitched in and grilled a cooler full of rib-eye steaks to celebrate the occasion.  After we finished supper we all sat around the fire drinking beer and listening to music. 

Around 11:00 p.m. I got up and walked down to the creek and followed a path up stream to our make-shift outhouse to relieve myself.  When I came out Wendi was sitting on a rock by the creek with her feet in the water.  She saw me and called for me to come sit with her.  I did and we talked for at least an hour.  As we walked back to the fire pit she reached out and held my hand.  I had never had a date in my whole life.  My spine started to tingle.  I thought about trying to kiss her but I didn’t.

By the time we returned to the fire-pit the tent had no vacancies. Back and forth visits went on for the next five or six hours.  Cindi and the four Boaz Cheerleaders were a perfect match for the Flaming Five even though I suspect there was a lot of swapping going on.  Neither Wade, James, Randall, Fred, or John approached Wendi.  She sat beside me at the fire pit the rest of the night.  We roasted marsh mellows and talked about our likes and dislikes. 

Wendi was from Douglas.  She and Cindi were twin sisters and both cheerleaders for the Douglas Eagles.  She didn’t say exactly how the two of them wound up meeting James, Randall, and Wade at the Dairy Queen.  She said she got spooked and almost backed out when James told them they had to wear a black hood during their ride to the Club.  She said she was glad she didn’t back out, but only because she had met me. 

Wendi and I truly connected during the few hours we had together.  Her and Cindi’s father was a preacher but Cindi hadn’t fully bought into his Christian faith.  I shared with Wendi about my church life and when I was saved, but I also shared with her my underlying doubts.  I explained to her that every time I really got to thinking about how unbelievable a lot of the Bible stories really were, my doubts grew.  I told her that I had never expressed my doubts to anyone except my Grandfather but all he would say is, “Micaden, you can’t think, you have to believe.” 

I told Wendi the only thing I had ever heard my Dad say about his beliefs happened last December at the family’s big Christmas dinner.  My Dad and his cousin had gotten into an argument over the Adam and Eve story from Genesis and Dad said, “you are wrong Cleland; the theory of evolution destroys Adam and Eve and the whole of Christianity.”  My Grandmother gave my Dad a stern but quieting look and quickly changed the subject.  Wendi said that my father was “simply wrong.” 

It was weird that Wendi and I never fooled around even though there was temptation all around, especially from all the sounds coming from the big tent.  Even more weird was that we continued to talk about the Bible. We talked openly for several hours about Adam and Eve, Noah and the Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, a talking donkey, and on and on.  We also talked about how we liked each other and wanted to continue our conversation.  Wendi wasn’t as shy as me.  She asked me to take her to see The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly with Clint Eastwood that was playing at the Martin Theater in Albertville.  I easily agreed and we exchanged phone numbers.  At the time, I didn’t know what true love was but looking back I’m sure the first time I held Wendi’s hand something mysteriously special took place.  But, unfortunately, the unknown would remain.

Around 2:00 a.m. the cheerleaders said they had to go. Reluctantly, Randall, John, and James left in his van.  Against routine, Wade stayed with Fred and me as John seemed eager to leave.  About 45 minutes later James’ van reappeared.  I was surprised that Wendi and Cindi were still with them.  Randall looked at me and said, “they wanted to come back with us and stay the night.”

We all sat down again around the fire pit with Wendi sitting between Wade and me.  In just a few minutes John got up and grabbed Cindi’s hand and led her to the tent.  Fred tried the same thing with Wendi but she refused to go.  He got mad and tried forcing her to stand up.  I got up and told Fred to leave her alone.  Before I knew it, I was on the ground from a left fist Randall had thrown my way.  I managed to stand, but Fred was already half way to the tent tugging Wendi along behind him.  I tried to go after her but Randall, all six feet eight inches of him, along with James and John, stopped me.  I shouted, “are ya’ll crazy?  Wendi said she didn’t want to go.  Sex against her will is rape you idiots.”  Randall looked down at me with a smirk on his face, “Get over it.  Why do you think these two girls wanted to come back here?  Wendi complained that all you wanted to do all night was talk.  She’s ready to party.”

I was powerless to help Wendi.  I heard her screaming “no, no, no,” from inside the tent.  In a few minutes James left the fire pit and went to the tent and John came out.  I heard more screaming, from Wendi I think.  For the next hour or more the Flaming Five took turns with Wendi and Cindi.  When three of them were not busy in the tent they were guarding me.

Not long before the first signs of daylight Wade and Fred made me walk with them to the outhouse.  At first, I didn’t have a clue why they were doing this but I did imagine that they were probably going to kill me.  When we returned to the fire pit no one was there and the tent stood silent.  Randall, John, and James, once again, had left in his van with Cindi and Wendi.

The three of us sat by the fire.  I told them they knew what they had done was wrong, and that they were in big trouble with the law.  They each assured me that they had everything under control if I kept my mouth shut.  I told them I would not lie for them.  They reminded me that I had taken an oath to never disclose what went on at Club Eden.  I told them I never would have made the oath if I had any inkling that the five of them were rapists.

When Randall, James, and John returned, Wade asked if everything went okay.  John responded, “Wendi and Cindi are safe at home.”  I told them that I needed to go home myself.  They refused saying that we all needed to get some sleep.  Randall and James made me bed down in the cabin while the other three slept in sleeping bags out by the fire.  I later realized that I was made to stay inside where I could be better guarded.

Around 11:00 a.m. Wade and Fred cooked us a quick breakfast while the other three were packing.  By 12:00 noon we were finished.  I rode away from Camp Eden with John and Fred.  It was over twenty years before I returned.

The Boaz Scorekeeper, written in 2017, is my second novel. I'll post it, a chapter a day, over the next few weeks.

For the next year and a half—the remainder of the 11th grade and all the 12th grade—I attended First Baptist Church of Christ and I hung out with the Flaming Five.  Looking back, I really don’t know why they included me in their group.  I seemed to be the broken spoke in a wheel that was popular and given freedoms that most other high school students could only dream of.  The incident in the locker room was never mentioned again but it lingered in my thoughts and became my reason for why I was made a part of the in crowd, although Dad’s reason had a truthful ring to it. I even got my own moniker.  Somewhere along the way, I think it was at the beginning of our senior year, people started calling me the Boaz Scorekeeper.

The Flaming Five didn’t disappoint a growing fan base.  They rattled every opponent, winning every game, including six games in the playoffs.  It was the first ever Class 3A state basketball championship for Boaz High School. 

The only game ever in doubt during our Senior year was the last regular season game against the Albertville Aggies.  The first half was basket for basket ending with Albertville ahead by two.  As the mid-point buzzer rang and the teams were heading to their locker rooms, Wade came to the score table and whispered for me to come to the locker room.  He said, “this is serious, you must come,” and walked off.  I sat there for a few seconds vividly reminded of the last time I had been asked to come to the locker room.  But, now things were different, these guys were my friends. 

As I entered the locker room I heard John ask Coach Pearson if the team could have a few minutes alone.  He agreed and walked out.  The Flaming Five pulled me into a corner and said they were depending on me to help them out in the second half.  I asked them what they meant.  James said that if needed they would cause a disturbance to distract the refs and the fans. Fred said, “you add us a point or two during the chaos.”  Randall said, “Tanner, you owe us.”  I told them to forget it, that there was no way I was going to cheat for them or anyone else.  John said that I had no choice but to do what they said and that if I didn’t I would regret it.  I pushed my way out and returned to the gym.

The second half was pretty much a repeat of the first, basket for basket.  Good to their word, with a minute left in the game, Bart Jones, who had just come in for Randall, started a fight with Albertville’s big center, Zack Wilson.  The eight other players on the court rushed to the fight and started throwing punches.  The refs were virtually powerless to stop the melee and half of the fans in the stands joined the fight on the court.  I continued to sit at my station and spent the next minute or so thinking a week’s worth of thought.  ‘I will add points.  No, I won’t.  I don’t care if I’m cast out and un-friended by the entire school.’  But, I did add two points to tie up the game, but got sick and gagged as though I was about to throw up.  I immediately removed the two points knowing that it was wrong.  I steeled myself for the coming retribution.

The entire Boaz Police force showed up a few minutes later with a megaphone and broke up the fight and quieted the crowd.  The game continued and the clock ticked away as each team matched the other’s points.  At the end, Albertville tied the game almost assuring an overtime session.  But, the Flaming Five had a plan. Against a full-court press and a four second clock John delighted the crowd with a behind the back pass to James who was slanting across mid-court who instantly and with contorted body shot for the basket where a leaping Randall caught the ball above the rim and slammed it through the hoop.  Boaz had won and they had done it fairly.  There has never been a better basketball team at Boaz High School.

I guess it was God who gave me the strength and courage to face the Flaming Five at church the following Sunday.  It sure wasn’t my bravery.  Mr. Smith was late to class and the six of us—I never knew why the other class members also showed up late that day—sat in our circle just looking at each other.  Wade spoke up and said, “Micaden, we again are ashamed of our conduct.  We were wrong to ask you to cheat for us.  We ask that you forgive us.  We value your company and friendship.  Will you forgive us?”  The other four chimed in with “I’m sorry too.”  Without hesitating I responded, “It’s already done.  I’m a Christian and have a duty to forgive.”