Wings and Wheels 8

Character List.

Jack Thomas Later AKA Ellie... Transvestite/intersexual and keen cyclist.
Amanda Thomas AKA Amie... Jack's sister.
Charlotte Dawson... Keen girl cyclist and Jack’s soon-to-be girlfriend.
Bob... Cycling club captain.
Mr Thomas Weston... School games master and keen rugby player.
Billy Davies... Rugby ‘jock’, kind to Jack, he fancies Charlotte.
Marjorie Spencer... Holder of unofficial ‘Prettiest-girl-in-the-school’ title.
Miss Elizabeth Postlethwaite... The English Mistress.
Aunty Olwen... Where Jack changes for school and leaves his bike.
Mandy... Olwen’s daughter, Jack’s older cousin.
Mr Griffiths... The County solicitor.

Chapter 8

The following morning after the games period Billy Davies approached Jack outside the Gym. His expression did not bode well.

“What have you done to wind old Weston up?”

Jack looked askance and shrugged.

“Nothing. He just keeps on at me about not playing every game. He says I’m picking and choosing like some prima donna.”

“Well I’m giving you a gypsy’s warning. I think he’s gunning for you. I heard him making some comment about you being a little pervert or something. He also said if you didn’t show more loyalty to the school then to look out. Are you coming to the training session on Thursday night?”

“No, I can’t. I’ve got other plans.”

“You’re not making it easy for yourself, that’s the sort of thing he’s going on about. If you don’t practice with us then how can we develop good team tactics?”

“I’ve got something else on, on Thursday. It’s important, I just won’t be able to make rugby practice and do my homework. I’m not Weston’s slave; some sort of pet he can pull out of his hat every time he wants something special. Anyway, I only have to work well with you. You read the game, spot the openings I can capitalise on and Bob’s your uncle. It’s not rocket science and we work well together.”

Billy nodded his head.

“Yeah I know that, but he was referring to you as Tinkerbelle, he’s got a shitty opinion of you.”

“Well I’ve got a shitty opinion of him. He’s trying to bully me.” I’ve got something very important on for that Thursday. I cannot miss it!”

“So what’s more important than playing for the school?”

Jack frowned. He didn’t want to reveal his true passion.

“It’s nothing to do with the school. But I can’t miss it, okay.”

Billy nodded; he’d said his piece as the junior under-sixteen’s team captain it was between Jack and the Games master now.
On the Wednesday, the British team cycling coach had to phone Bob the captain and tell him he could not make the Thursday trial for Jack and Charlotte so Bob had to cancel the special slot he’d set aside in the club’s time-trials schedule. Jack and Charlotte were advised they didn’t have to attend the time trials if they didn’t want to but to just do a small circuit ride if they wanted. Bob knew there were no problems with either rider’s fitness

On the Thursday morning Jack visited Mr Weston the games master and told him he was now able to attend the special, Thursday-night training session for the forthcoming rugby match. Mr Weston made some sarcastic remark about picking and choosing but he was forced to concede privately to himself that Jack’s speed would be more than welcome. It was the final for the county shield.

When Billy Davies heard Jack was able to turn out for the Thursday training and the Saturday match he was overjoyed. He approached

Jack quietly after a maths class.

“My gypsy’s warning still stands. Weston thinks you’re a prima-donna and a little wimp. Just watch out for the other team’s full back, he’s fast and he’s big.”

Jack nodded. He knew the lad Billy was talking about for he was also a member of the county team that Billy also played in. Normally they played together during county games but this game was a school fixture and the two players now found themselves opposing each other. Jack would have also been an automatic shoe-in for a winger on the county team if he’d chosen to, but, cycling was in his blood.

On the Friday, Jack made his excuses to Bob about the Saturday ride to explain that the school desperately wanted him for the school’s vital final in the rugby county shield. Bob was okay with this, for it was winter and there were no important rides on that Saturday but he advised Jack that the National Team coach’s visit was rescheduled for Sunday and to make sure he was on top form for the Sunday trials. Jack nodded and put down the phone with some trepidation after realising he was taking a risk if he got injured during the Saturday rugby game.

Saturday arrived cold wet and windy. Jack took the village bus to town and met the school coach outside the school gates. The gym master looked him up and down.

“Am I going to get a full eighty minutes commitment out of you today?” He asked.

“Yes sir, why shouldn’t you?”

“Just be sure you stick to that deal. This is going to be a tough match.”

Jack said no more as he took a seat in the neutral centre of the bus. There he avoided the self appointed ‘in crowd’ of jocks who deemed the rear seats to be their own preserve while at the same time he avoided the accompanying teaching staff and team captains who would be discussing rugby through the whole journey. He was sitting minding his own business reading a book when Billy came and sat beside him.

“Hi shrimp. You ready for this one, I haven’t seen you training much except for last Thursday. D’you think you’re match fit?”

Jack was a bit offended by the implication that he was not fit. He trained harder on his bike than any of the rugby players did and Jack knew he was superbly fit. He also knew he had more than enough speed to defeat the dreaded full-back on the other team provided he had a reasonably clear run. For the last month he had been borrowing Bob’s triathlon bike because the shorter, more upright seat post stretched his running muscles as well as his wheeling muscles. Jack was more than ready to run as well as pedal.

“Of course I’m fit. I’ll do my bit; you just make sure you do yours.”

Billy smiled and squeezed Jack’s shoulder protectively as they bantered briefly then both boys settled down to read their books and before they knew it, they were at the neutral venue of the county sports ground. Thirty minutes later Jack was out doing warm ups on the field then Billy came over and looked at his legs.

“What choo’ bin’ doin’ Jack. Why have you got sun-tan lines just above your knees?”

Jack looked down and realised his legs were truly brown and weathered from where his Lycra cycling shorts ended just above his knees. Then his thighs were milky white up to his rugby shorts that ended just an inch or so below his crotch. The contrast was quite startling and Billy was staring at it.

Jack said nothing then shrugged thankfully as the referee blew his whistle to call the captain’s for the coin toss. He was glad he had escaped making an explanation and trotted to his starting position on the wing. The whistle went and Jack was soon being called upon to support his own fullback. The full back passed the ball straight to him and Jack looked up with disgust. Had he been a slower runner the pass would have been a ‘hospital pass’. Instead, he streaked forward with it, gained a dozen yards then he was compelled to kick an ‘up and under’ or invite the whole opposing front row to fall upon him.

As he kicked the ball, he sprinted ahead to put all his forwards ‘on-side’ whilst swerving to dodge the opposing full back who had deliberately angled across to impede Jack’s sprint. It was the full-back’s first encounter with Jack’s speed and Jack noted the full-back’s sour expression as Jack cleverly angled towards one of his own centres to prevent the larger boy from changing course to fake an intercept. By the time he realised his shortcomings the full back was already out of position and Jack’s forwards had rucked the ball. Billy yelled his delight.

“Brilliant Jack. That will unsettle them, now go wide and wait!”

Jack did his usual high speed scissors cross with their own full back and forced the opposing back row to stop and decide which way the ball would come at them. It popped up out of the ruck and the stand-off half passed it over-head to Billy. Jack was already crossing at an angle behind Billy to unsettle the opposing backs, then he switched back and took the ball as Billy handed it off at close range instead of passing it over several yards. The line had opened in front of Jack and he was through in a flash. He grinned to himself as he heard the groan of despair coming from the opposing back row. Thirty more yards found Jack touching down right between the posts. He felt a deep satisfaction as he heard his own team cheering with delight.

‘This is going to be a ‘cake-walk’,’ he mused.

As he trotted back to Billy, he heard the opposing full-back mutter to his team mates.

“We’re going to have to do summat about him lads. He’s a right little show-off!”

Fortunately Jack’s team hooker also heard the remark and he called the other forwards together as the conversion goal was being kicked. Jack also heard the Hooker’s back-handed support.

“They’re after Tinkerbelle lads. Give him all the protection we can.”

The hooker and scrum half had a brief chat with Billy to discuss some sort of protective shield around Jack. Billy wagged his head.

“It’ll never work boys. Jack moves too damned fast. You can try but in the main, he’ll have to rely on his speed.”

“That’s as maybe,” the hooker replied, “but we’ll have to close ranks before each play if he’s to make a break. Whatever happens, we’ve got to keep that fullback off his case. We’ll keep the ball tight until Tinkerbelle can make his breaks.”

Billy frowned. “That’s a big ask, especially for eighty minutes.”

For the remainder of the first half the score remained the same. Because the forwards had to play a close, ‘eight-man’ game they took time to readjust their tactics and neither Jack nor Billy saw much of the ball. Billy became frustrated because he had little opportunity to show his skills to the county selectors. Jack though, was happy to coast and he stayed well out on the wing until half time.

At halftime Mr Weston remonstrated with his team and demanded they play a more open game. When the hooker and Billy protested saying the opposing full back was aiming to take Jack out, Mr Weston poo-hooed their objections adding that if Jack had been attending weight building sessions he’d not be so damned vulnerable.

“He’s like a bloody prima-donna filly amongst a herd of colts. He’ll have to take what comes, this game is important. Now get back on the field and increase that bloody lead!”

The rest of the team returned to the field resigned to playing the more open tactics of under-sixteen rugby but Billy ran out with Jack to offer what support he could.

“This is going to be tough Jack I won’t be able to protect you at every play. If I get drawn into the centre too much, you’re going to be exposed on the wing. Try playing a bit deeper behind me and Dave. He’s a pretty beefy centre and we’ll try to make a wall.”

Jack thanked Billy and did as asked. Then an opportunity came and Billy spotted a useful half chance. He made his call and set off diagonally with the ball as Jack set in to make a scissors pass. By the time they crossed Jack was up to speed and Billy grinned as he palmed off the ball behind him. Then it happened. As Jack streaked through the gap he heard the bone crunching late illegal tackle by the opposing full back on Billy. Jack heard Billy squeal with pain but there was no whistle. The ref had seen that Jack had a clear run at the goal posts and he was streaking for the try. The referee was playing the advantage rule and Jack took full advantage as he left the opposing backs for dead. When he looked up after grounding the ball he was not surprised to see his team gathered around Billy and the ref giving the opposing full-back a serious lecture.

“That was a seriously late tackle boy! What were you trying to do? Kill him! Twenty minutes sin-bin boy. Now off!”

Jack glared at the departing full back who sneered knowingly. There was still thirty-five minutes of the half remaining and without Billy’s intelligent appreciation of the game, Jack would be dangerously vulnerable for the last fifteen minutes when the full-back returned. Billy was walked off the field and Jack was just grateful that there were no injuries to Billy’s legs and hips. He had some severely bruised ribs, possibly some broken ones. Jack walked alongside Billy as Billy gasped out some words of warning.

“I’ve spoken to Dave, he’ll be able to protect you for the next twenty minutes cos’ there’s nobody else as quick and powerful as their full-back. But look out when he returns; he’s gunning for you. What he’s done is take me out to get at you. You’ve made him look a fool twice and he’s got issues with that. I’ll have a word with Mr Weston about my replacement. Merion should be okay, he’s got a bit of nous to read the game.”

Jack nodded and returned to organise some tactics with Dave. With their opposing full-back in the sin-bin and out of the game there was an excellent opportunity for Jack to extend the lead. Unfortunately, Dave was not the sharpest knife in the box and while he could crash through the opposing line he was slow to release the ball. Jack suffered a couple of tackles before Mr Weston could see the problem. He took Dave off to replace him with a more agile centre to complement Merion who had replaced Billy. Jack was a bit annoyed that Dave had been taken off because despite his being a bit thick, Jack had been able to work a system with him. Jack used Dave’s size to protect himself from direct interceptions. And that left him free to roam destructively behind his own centres. Jack was okay with the fair tackles of the opposing centres, it was the dirty full-back who was the serious problem.

Once Dave was replaced, Merion and Eddy decided they might be able to break through the opposing line without Jack’s rapier-like sprints and Jack was relegated to standing back to plug any gaps. Despite this total waste of Jack’s main advantage, his team managed to score a third try. The opposition however managed to break through on four occasions and Jack only managed to intercept their winger two times. By the time the full-back’s sin-bin time was up the score was twenty-four to fourteen. Only one try and a conversion plus a penalty separated them. By this time Jack’s vice-captain had read the game fully. As the outside half he made the main decisions and he realised if Merion and Dave continued trying their plan the opposing full-back would murder them. He called Dave, Merion and Jack together.

“We’re going to have to go back to eight man rugby to hold them. That full-back is rested and angry, you’re going to have to watch it Jack. I’m going to try a one off tactic just once then if we score again, we’ll have a two try advantage and we’ll just have to hold on.”

Jack listened to the plan and sucked his lip thoughtfully. It meant trying to weave through two or maybe even three of the lumbering forwards. These were big boys, much bigger even than the opposing full-back but they were slow. If they tackled Jack it was more a case of snaring him and pulling him back. They were unlikely to slam into him at speed because they hadn’t got speed. Besides, in the maelstrom of muscle and bone that was the forward game, the action was slower but heavier. Jack knew it was like a destroyer trying to dash through a fleet of battle ships. Risky but the rewards were big if he got through without being held or hit. He decided his play would be to take the ball directly off the captain and make a dash for the opposite wing. There he would have the support of his unimpeded opposite winger Walter and the two should be able to make a dash for the line.

At the next scrum the plan worked but at some cost to Jack. He made it through the opposing line before their lock had realised what had happened and he emerged into almost open country as he screamed to his opposite colleague Walter.

The other winger Walter had been party to the first part of the plan but not Jack’s diagonal tactic. He had run forward cautiously until he could see that Jack had almost a clear field in front of him except for the opposing full-back. Also the opposing winger had spotted the gap and he was closing in at speed. Jack could not avoid the two of them but Walter had already kicked up a gear and was racing to take the pass from Jack.

Jack managed to avoid the approaching opposite winger by swerving inwards as Walter remained running in a straight line outside. With the first obstacle bypassed, Jack knew he had turned into the path of the dreaded full-back. In a panic he whipped the ball backwards to Walter who cursed as the ball went behind him. He now had to turn back to fetch it.

Jack hardly heard Walter’s curse as he collected himself to receive the full force of the full-back’s impact. He knew what was coming, the full-back had timed his tackle to either stop Jacks pass or hit him anyway regardless whether Jack still had the ball or not. His speed and momentum carried him into Jack nearly two seconds after Jack had released the ball. Jack just managed to bring his thigh up to make a tight ball as the huge full-back slammed into him. Jack saw stars as he was slammed into the ground and he hardly heard the full-back’s malicious chuckle.

“Get up from that you prancing fairy!”

And Jack could hardly get up. He sat dazed on the grass ... so dazed he didn’t even hear Walter's bellow of victory as he ran in his first try between the posts.

The ref however was already calling the physio on to look at the injured Jack whilst showing the full-back the red card. Jack was stretchered off where a very concerned Billy started remonstrating with the opposing teams coach.

“That fucking Charlie, your full-back is an animal. I know, I’ve played with him often enough for the county. There was no need to make that tackle; it was later than the Prussians at Water-fucking-loo!”

Mr Weston came over and tried to calm things down.

“There’s no need to swear boy! You’ll be getting yourself banned. It was a fair tackle, just a little late and he was punished for it; besides, your little pet Tinkerbelle is only bruised, there’s nothing broken!”

Billy became incandescent’

“He’s not my fucking pet and don’t you call him Tinkerbelle anymore. He’s as brave as any of us. And he’s fit! My god isn’t he ever so fit? He must do some training somewhere, somehow! He’s been running all afternoon!”

After this outburst, Billy stalked away to see Jack who was in the medical room of the leisure complex having his thigh massaged by the pretty female physio. Billy looked at the massive bruise already appearing on Jack’s lower thigh and compared it to the bruise on his own ribs.

“We’ll both be out for a month after this Jack. I suppose we might as well study together for exams.”

Jack looked up and wagged his head.

“Sorry Billy, I’m with Charlotte tomorrow.” He didn’t say that they were cycling and Billy misinterpreted Jacks words.

“Well we can all three study together. She’s good at science.”

Jack fell silent. He didn’t want to give anything away. Instead he just closed his eyes and winced as the physio took one last look. Billy returned to the benches and the physio advised Jack privately.

“You’ll just have to rest it for a few days. No serious harm. You’ve got some tough thigh muscles lad do you do any other sport?”

Jack swallowed and lied. Fortunately Billy had returned to the team bench.

“Nothing much.”

The physio smiled knowingly. As the professional physio for the whole leisure complex she knew a thing or two about fitness and the little winger was superbly fit. The physio had watched the whole game and noted Jack’s performance.

“You’d make a bloody good eight hundred metre runner. You’ve got stamina and a superb sprint burst, d’you know that. I’ve been watching you all through the game.”

“Eight hundred metres? No thanks. Just let me rest here until the game’s over. Damn, it hurts!”

“Okay lad but go easy on that leg. You won’t need a crutch, nothing’s broken. For now you must rest that leg for a few days and
then the muscle should be okay. You can be playing again in two or three weeks.”

With the treatment finished, Jack hobbled back from the medical room to the team bench. Billy was still remonstrating with Mr Weston as the teams came off the field.

“You should put an official complaint in against that full-back, he’s an animal.”

~~ooo000ooo~~