Smolder (The Road to Rocktoberfest 2024)

31. Epilogue

Skyler

West Peoria High School GymFirst Pep Rally of the Season

The marching band sat in the roll-out bleachers as the students filed in. I tapped my baton against the music stand in front of me and held up my hands as I’d done many times before. “One, two, three, four.”

My first-chair flutist gave a trill and then the woodwinds swelled to play the melody. The percussion came in, and then the horns. We were playing the theme for Pink Panther , and the kids loved it.

I glanced behind me to see Sandy and Coach James with the players behind them, ready to make their entrance. I glanced at the stage to see our principal, Mr. Hanson, shake his head, so I stopped the band and pointed to my bass drummer. He played a drumroll, and Principal Hanson announced. “Your West Peoria High School Panthers!” The players ran into the gym as the kids cheered.

Cheerleaders were flipping all over the gym floor as the team stood in two straight lines behind the principal. He motioned for the co-captains, Evan Wishnask for the offense and Curtis Johnson for the defense. Both young men stepped forward with big smiles.

“Please welcome Assistant Coach Corey James,” Evan announced as Coach James ran out onto the stage and took a bow.

Curtis stepped behind the mic. “Please welcome our head coach and athletic director, Sanders Kensington.”

I grinned as I held up my arms for the razzmatazz as Sandy sauntered out to the stage and shook hands with the boys.

The band stood and began playing the fight song, and the cheerleaders danced as the mascot, our own Petey Ritter, danced along with them. He’d only agreed to don the mascot outfit if he could remain anonymous. It helped him get an extracurricular on his college application.

It had been a crazy year. Sandy sold the San Jose house to Marshall and River and Arlo moved in with him. The downstairs gym was remodeled into a recording studio.

Accidental Fire signed a record deal shortly after Rocktoberfest. Hardy moved to San Jose and shared a condo with Goldie, and JD continued living with his dad.

To the best of my knowledge, Arlo and Regal never discussed whether he was Regal’s son. I hoped they had the chance to do that someday, but that was between the two of them. According to River, they all got along, which was a blessing.

The fight song finished, and the band sat down. Sandy was still standing at the podium, looking all kinds of yummy. Last night, he’d had a case of nerves. He’d given interviews and soundbites to some of the most famous sports reporters in the country, but speaking to a gym full of kids made him nervous.

I’d sucked his thick cock and then fucked the nerves right out of him. As I watched him clapping for the band from the stage, he looked perfectly fine, which made me giggle as I took my seat.

“Good job, Mr. A,” Christine whispered as she sat next to me in the front row. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She’d become a great friend, and we were going to northern Illinois next weekend for her wedding to Rich Sohn.

Petey was going to stay home under Mrs. Flannery’s watchful eyes. He’d taken over doing repairs and grunt work for her so Sandy and I could concentrate on things we needed at our house since we’d bought the bungalow last fall.

“I’d like to officially say hello to the students. In the summer of two thousand twenty-four, I came to West Peoria with Mr. Ashe, and I was going for a run by the football field one day when I saw a man seeding it. I stopped to speak with him for a few minutes before I went on with my run, not knowing that would become my job when I became the head coach of the Panthers.”

The kids and teachers laughed, as did I. My Sandy hadn’t known it was Principal James he spoke with, nor did he expect to be offered the job to coach the team after poor Coach Adams had a terrible year. He knew basketball but not so much football. Coach James helped with football and coached baseball. It all worked out wonderfully.

“Let’s meet the starting lineup for the West Peoria Panthers.”

Perry Ritter, Petey’s brother, was still in jail for trying to poison me, but he was going to be let out on probation in December, though he couldn’t leave California for three years. We planned to go to California for Christmas to see my family and Marshall, so we’d see Perry then. Marsh and Michael Cruz had joined forces and started their own talent agency, though the truth about their romantic entanglement was murky at best.

Accidental Fire was getting ready to start a US tour in May to coincide with the release of Harmon Studio’s latest blockbuster, Hurricane Alley . The movie had been postponed for a year due to distribution issues. Sandy and I had spent June and July in Los Angeles, where I recorded the soundtrack for the movie, putting away a nice nest egg for the two of us along with the money Sandy already had. That was as much as I wanted to do with the music industry.

Accidental Fear had already factored Rocktoberfest 2025 into their tour schedule, and Sandy and I hoped to go. We’d see.

“And a big thanks to Mr. A and the band. I happen to know they’ve been working very hard on new marching routines for the football season, and I look forward to seeing them in person. Let’s have a winning season, Panthers.”

I stood as the crowd cheered and held up my arms.

“One more thing. Sky, will you marry me?” I spun to see he was on one knee with a little blue box in his hand and a worried expression on his handsome face.

Everyone knew we were a couple because we didn’t keep it a secret, and surprisingly, nobody at the school had a problem with it. I was now out and proud with my handsome football coach, and it felt good.

I started running toward him, and he jumped off the stage and ran toward me. We met in the middle of the gymnasium, and Sandy dropped down on one knee again. “Will you marry me, Sky? I love you with all my heart and want to be with you for the rest of my life.”

“Yes. I’d love to marry you.” We hugged and shared a gentle kiss before Sandy slid the ring on my finger.

Christine stood and held up her arms, and the band played ‘I’ll Find You’—not really well, but as well as they could, considering it wasn’t exactly written for a marching band.

It was perfect, and after the Panthers won the home opener under the coaching of Sanders Kensington, I took him home and fucked his brains out.

That night, the bed didn’t smolder…it was on fire!