Dear Readers, Here is a newly rewritten chapter that integrates with the core of the original Wildcat Fall. This is the continuing saga. I would appreciate any feedback. Constructive criticism is important to me as I am rewriting this story. Thanks.
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Chapter Seventeen
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As Teri and Lisa were outside taking a break, Lisa stopped and touched her arm. She turned to her sister and asked, “What’s up?”

Teri stopped and sat on a lounger. After four weeks, her surgical site wasn’t causing any discomfort, but she still routinely rested. Looking up, she shook her head. “It’s crazy. Before my surgery, I was so worried that I needed testosterone to have a libido, but now everything is changing on inside.”

She looked Lisa in the eyes in panic, “My brain is buzzing differently. My senses are going crazy. Smell, color, taste, and touch are all spinning out of control like a kaleidoscope!”

Lisa stared at Teri. She totally believed her but couldn’t see anything happening. “Is all of that good or bad? Oh, I do like your new dress.”

Teri shook her head. “Yeah, see. It starts there. I’m getting all girly. I like wearing a dress. It’s like my mind is lined with soft fur, and I’m ready to squeal over anything. You know, like I’ve been dipped in a warm bath and I’m wrapped in fluffy towels. I feel sexy! I used Jenn’s body wash, her moisturizer, and even dabbed on perfume. And I’m wearing makeup!”

Lisa looked at her sister while she talked. Her inflection even sounded different. “Is it bad?”

“No, and that’s what’s scary. I’m liking it too much. I get out of breath thinking about it.”

“Are you dreaming about hunky guys? Do you think you’re bisexual? ”

Teri shook her head, feeling her hair softly touch her ears and neck. “No. We tried that back in Chicago, and it did nothing for me. I’m definitely all about Jenn. But everything is getting really intense, and maybe out of control. Strong women tip me over the edge!”

“Is that something you need to mention to Grace?”

Teri slowly shook her head. “Well, yeah. But I’m not ready. It’s like suddenly all I think about is sex. It’s unnerving ‘cause it was never on my mind unless Jenn and I were together. But I’m swooning when she’s the aggressor.”

Lisa nodded. “It’s like your surgery has moved you to a different level.”

“Can that really happen? Is that possible?”

Lisa shook her head. “I don’t know. You need to involve Mom’s doctor and see what he has to say. He has all that experience with women who’ve had SRS.”

Teri smiled. “Yeah, great suggestion. I can see myself now. Hey, Mom. I need to talk to your boss about all the crazy orgasms I’m having.”

As they were walking back into the studio, Lisa turned to her sister. “What do you think about Bill Wiggins' suggestion? Should Jessica approach this Jack guy for a physical because of his sperm donation? I don’t see him saying no.”

Teri wondered out loud. “Yeah, after talking to Jessica, I think that’s where it’s going. But is that all we’re going to do with this guy? Just get a medical exam, no discussion about being related?”

Lisa looked doubtful. “I don’t know. Do you really think he’d want to hear that?”

Teri nodded. “How about if Jessica asks him if he wants to hear about where his sperm ended up? If he says yes, maybe we can eventually arrange a meet. I’m still hoping for something, but I don’t know. Maybe you and I need to talk to Grace together about expectations.”

Their conversation came to an end when Tiffany yelled out, “Okay, cocktail time is over. I want to rock. No, I need to rock. I’m jonesing and need to kick out the jams.”

Everybody laughed, and they started to pick up their instruments. Richard called out. “I’ll be bringing food down later.”

As they strapped in, each Cat thanked Phil for tuning them up. Everyone turned to Gina, and she counted them off in a slow beat using her brushes. Tiffany started playing a favorite blues beat —an easygoing, lazy crawl that usually morphed into one of the band’s originals.

Zoe played behind Tiff, and the three of them were noodling along when Lisa sat down at their keyboard and brought in the rhythm. As they played, Teri picked up her white Stratocaster that Lisa had gifted her, and finger picked a twisty counter solo to Zoe’s guitar work.

As they all found the groove, Zoe looked at Gina, and she increased the pace until they reached the level of a Chicago blues. Lisa stood up from the piano and grabbed the mic. She shrugged and sang.

The sun’s out
And it’s a summer day,
But I can’t see it.
Cause the clouds have darkened my way.

My baby left me
Walked out the door
Slammed it behind her
Hurt me to the core

Tiffany stood up to her mic and sang.

I heard you crying
All through the night
The walls too thin
Can’t ignore your pain.
Tell me what happened
To break your heart

Lisa smiled, and sang back,

She took my money
Drove away in my car
Said she had a new love
Didn’t need me no more

Teri laughed, then sang

It’s that cheatin’ time of year
Nobody’s behaving,
Cause nobody cares
Everyone’s looking around for new love
Breaking hearts, causing despair.

Teri smiled and repeated her chorus,

It’s that cheatin’ time of year
Nobody’s behaving,
Cause nobody cares
Everyone’s looking around for new love
Breaking hearts, causing despair.

Then Zoe cut through with a raging solo of bent notes and twisted strings. As she finished up, she signaled they should stop.

Everyone stood around looking at each other, then Tiffany laughed. “Whoa, kids. What just happened? Maybe the band should take more time off if the tunes roll out so smoothly and spontaneously.”

Gina laughed, “You just said spontaneously.”

Tiffany smiled, “Fuck you. I’m allowed to use big words occasionally.”

Gina howled, “You just said occasionally.”

Lisa turned to Teri, “Can we use that? Or was that just a fun, mindless moment?”

Teri shrugged. “It’s that Borg brain thing, hive mentality. But we should capture all those moments. There’s definitely a song in there, but it’s a bit of a downer.”

“I thought all blues have to be sad and morose.” Tiffany mused.

Gina laughed, “You said morose.”

Tiffany shook her head, “Honest to Christ, Gina. Give it a break. I know that I’m dumb and you’re fuckin’ brilliant. But I’m beautiful and you’re just some jealous fat wart!”

Gina stared at Tiffany, pretending to make her lip quiver. “You’re right. I am brilliant, and you are dumb and gorgeous.”

Zoe turned her back to the bickering, turned up her amp, and immediately ripped off a sizzling guitar solo that had Teri calling right back with a slide guitar solo to counterpunch Zoe. Tiffany grinned, turned, and double-timed her bass notes to drive Gina harder on percussion.

They let the solos go on longer, and Lisa had started banging on the keys and playing a counter rhythm to what they were pounding out. Before long, she started screaming the lyrics to Run, Run, Gone! and the rest of the band screamed out the word Run! Lisa signaled to play the song one more time before bringing it to a close.

When the song was over, all five Wildcats were grinning from ear to ear. The drought was over, and they were back to doing what they loved.

Zoe started chording a reggae beat, looked over at Tiffany, and smiled. Tiffany grinned and played a funked-up version on her bass. Gina followed, then Lisa sat down at the keys and brought up a steel drum sound. She leaned into her mic and called out, “Yo, Teri?”

“Lisa! Welcome to the beach!” Teri played the tambourine.

“You look good, sister. Is that a new suit?”

Teri laughed. “It’s my new bikini! What do you think?”

“I’m ready to dive into the surf. Want to swim along?” Lisa started singing.

It’s a perfect day
The sun is out
The sky is blue
And I’m here with you

I’m feeling warm and happy
Cause my baby loves me
Strong arms reach around me
Squeezing me tight

Melting into a body
Kissing soft lips
The surf is crashing
On perfect white sand
Gonna take you in my arms
And love you all I can.

Tiffany stopped playing, and everyone looked over. “Yuk. There’s too much love, it doesn’t rock, it’s not us. It’s bubblegum!”

Zoe laughed. “As in punk?”

Tiffany was grinning. “Yeah. We sing the blues. We rock. We stand up for ourselves. It’s okay to get gooey, but it’s not all sunshine and bluebirds. We need some screaming!”

Teri leaned over to Lisa and whispered in her ear. Then Lisa smiled and shrugged. “Okay, gang. Teri and I were talking and want to do a variation on Show Me Some Love.”

Teri nodded, “It’s the same, but a lot different.” She showed them a three-chord change, but using a similar rhythm. But it’s raw.”

Tiffany started a bass line, and eight bars in, Gina didn’t give them a dance club sound but instead started a four-four beat pounding on her drums. Teri grinned and unleashed a big solo before she started chording the song. Zoe started using feedback and bending her notes.

Lisa grabbed the mic, turned, and looked at the band. “This is called Snakes. Teri and I decided to major in the key of crazy.” Then she started talking,

Last night, I was out partying with my girls.
It was a great night, but after too many drinks, I missed my guy and decided I’d drop by and surprise him.

He lives way out in the country. So I parked my car on the grass and snuck around his house to the back. I used a lawn chair to boost myself up to his windowsill. I removed the screen and started to climb through the window. All I could think about was getting under the sheets with him and kissing him awake.

But when I saw his sleeping form, stretched out and relaxed, all I thought of were all those muscles in his back, arms, and legs. It made me shiver.”

The rest of the band was playing while Lisa told a new story. Teri only hoped that Phil was recording. She looked over at the sound booth, and the red recording light was on.

Lisa continued,

When I looked inside, I saw that my guy was awake. He must have been having a bad dream because he was tossing and turning. But then I heard a moan, and it wasn’t his voice. I squinted and could see Betty Jones, our old high school cheerleader, with her legs high in the air.

I stumbled away to the bushes and threw up everything in my stomach.

The taste in my mouth was terrible as I ran to my car and got Dad’s pistol from under the front seat. Dad always said he carried it for snakes, and all I could see were the two snakes that needed killing.

I climbed back up to the windowsill, aimed, and just kept firing until the gun wouldn’t fire anymore. The barrel was so hot I could feel its glow.

No one came running, so I got back in my car and drove far away. Tears filled my eyes as I drove to the bridge. I threw Dad’s pistol off into deep water, swearing I’d buy him a new one someday.

That night, I lay in bed and whispered, "You gotta kill some snakes before they kill you."

Lisa started screaming over and over again,

"You gotta kill some snakes before they kill you!"

Zoe let loose with a cacophony of feedback and harsh notes while Gina pounded more intensely on the drums. The whole band rocked hard until finally they all stopped suddenly on Zoe’s signal.

After they finished the last chords of the song, everyone stared at Lisa. Finally, Gina said, “You know, girl. I thought your little sister had a lock on all the creative juices, but you just wowed me. What a great story you told. I loved it.”

Tiffany came over and hugged Lisa. She was shaking her head. “You know that was incredible. I hope you can entertain us with a crazy story every time we do that number.”

Teri smiled. “How about if we take turns narrating a story? I want to work on better chords and make it totally raw and unique.”

They all looked at each other. Gina grinned. “I can’t wait to hear a Tiffany story. Maybe she can tell us about killing Mr. Wrong.”

Tiffany thought for a minute. “Oh, yeah. I’d like that. I’d really like that.”

Zoe shook her head. “Does every story have to end in a murder?”

Teri smiled. “Well, not necessarily. How about using a serrated kitchen knife to impale the guy, and then he falls on it after being tasered?”

They all looked at her. But then, Teri grinned. “Nah, never mind. No one could believe that.”

They all heard clapping and turned to see Richard. “That was crazy. I don’t see releasing it as a single, but it certainly was powerful.”

Tiffany was clapping. “Yeah. No one can ever accuse us of trying to sell bluebirds or rainbows. We’re not handing out stickers. No, just some crazy bitches who wanna rock!”
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They had just made love and were showering together when Emma turned to Jack, “Did you mean what you said last night when you confessed your love to me?”

Jack’s mouth fell open. He didn’t hesitate. “Uh, yes. I did! But you were snoring and I didn’t think you heard me.”

Emma turned her head and touched his arm. “Hey, I don’t want to put you on the spot. Guys get caught up in the moment and forget they have to remain aloof and cool. I get how scary the L word can be.”

Jack picked her up and spun her around. He marched her back into the bedroom and tossed her on top of their covers. Then he fell on her.

“Jack, we’re still wet!”

He grinned and kissed her neck, her ears, and finally her lips. “I love you with every cell in my body. But I don’t want you to give up the best years of your life for me.”

Emma wrapped herself around him and kissed him back. “Jack, I’ve never felt so loved. You’ve accepted all my quirks. I love you too much to give you up just ‘cause you’re over the hill. Hey, I’ll make porridge for you when you lose all your teeth. I’ll change your diaper and wipe your butt. Hey, you’re my perfect guy, and I want to keep you.”

Jack lay there looking into her eyes. Then tears started flowing down his face. “Emma, I’m such a loser. I mean, I could be making money working for the big record company. I could be a session guitarist. Sometimes I feel bad because I’m such a hard head. You don’t need that kind of mess.”

Emma was holding him until she could slide on top. “Uh, Jack, in my eyes, you’re the best. You’re an artist. You have standards. You’re everything I admire and love. We don’t need fame and fortune. So, c’mon, Jack. Will you marry me and make me an honest woman?”

Emma stayed on top, establishing a rhythm. He was losing his mind. “Uh, you’re killing me. Of course, the answer is yes, a hundred times yes. Oh my God, I love you, Emma.”

She smiled. “Do you think that I could do my show wearing a wedding ring and pregnant?”

Jack flipped her over and wrapped her in his arms. “Oh. You say all the right things. But we’re not having a baby in this city. We’ve got to find a different place where we can bring kids into this world and both do what we love.”

Later, Jack got his computer and brought up a map. He looked at her while he kissing her neck. “You could work from anywhere you want, or get your doctorate and teach. I just need to find a studio that could deal with me.”

As they were looking, Jack pointed. “So I used to hang around Philly when I first got started. I’m not saying we should live there, but they’ve got a couple of good studios and there’s a lot of small towns around there, too. And everything is only a couple of hours from the Jersey shore and the ocean.”

Emma was looking at the map. “Well, and there’s the Poconos. We can look for land there while you and I are working. We can rent and build at our own speed.”

“Kids need to be around kids.”

“Kids! So now you’ve got me pregnant at least twice! But what will suburbia think of a PTA mom who does porn?”

Jack smiled. “How about the San Francisco Bay Area? Pretty progressive people live out there.”

“Yeah, and the extreme right live in Southern California, too.”

“Big state. Or maybe Seattle? They might have a recording studio. In the meantime, when can we have a kid?”

“Uh, Jack. What are we doing right now?”

“For real?”

Emma smiled. “Real.”
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Eddie Williamson, Junior, couldn’t stand it. He was keeping his head down working hard at McDonald’s. He’d been trying to behave and stay off his favorite X rated sites. He wasn’t using his computer much at all.

Each day, he feared someone would come banging on their front door, and he’d hear a gruff voice saying his name, identifying themselves as the police.

He’d be arrested, handcuffed, and then placed in the backseat of a police car. He’d be crying with snot running down his nose as his stomach ached. Before long, the techs would go online and find a way to see what was on his hard drive. Even though it was buried deep in the mud under the lake at the park and rusting away, they’d see all his pictures. He’d appear before the judge and be sent off to prison, while his mom sobbed in the back of the courtroom.

That nightmare haunted him every night for weeks, but then, one night, it didn’t come back. And no one ever came knocking at their door.

After a few more weeks, he logged back onto the chat. He was surprised when everyone greeted Runner and asked where she’d been. He lied, saying that her grandmother had a stroke and she and her mom had moved to Arizona to take care of her.

And now that her grandmother was in a nursing home, they’d moved back. At first, this was hard because Eddie didn’t want to trip himself up in any lies. Eventually, Runner got around to asking what had happened with the hacker who’d posted Teri Nelson’s files.

“Oh, that was a big fat nothing burger, Runner. Cause we’re all minors, they arrested him for a while, and it never went any further. His parents ended up paying tons of money for a fancy lawyer, and the guy got off with a big fine. He confessed and said he did it all on his own.”

“No one got in trouble?”

“Naw. It’s been a while. Truth is, nobody cares what kids do.”

Eddie buried his face into a couch cushion and screamed out loud for five minutes. His nightmare was over. He swore he’d learned his lesson. But after work that day, he stopped in Walmart and bought a disk drive to save his new stuff on.

He was looking forward to keeping an eye on Teri Nelson and getting his revenge for what she did to him.
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“So what do we think about hosting a fundraiser weekend at the Rendezvous to support Jessica’s charities?”

“That sounds like a lot of fun. I’m sure everyone wants to play. We need to schedule it around when Boomer shows up. I really don’t want my water to break on stage while I’m shredding my guitar!” Zoe was laughing and had to wipe tears from her eyes.

Teri looked up at the ceiling, then turned to Zoe. “I love collaborating. I can put my opera on hold for a while. I’ve created an entire story to make it more believable. Do you want to read that too?”

Zoe chuckled. “Of course, I do. It’s fun watching your creative gears turn. Just watch your energy levels. You’re still healing.”

Teri tried to sound confident and optimistic. “I’m glad everyone is getting more downtime over Thanksgiving.”

Zoe smiled. “I’m thinking about the night we stayed up drinking rum and Coke in Philly, creating our island song. I don’t know how many drunken writing sessions we’re going to have with me nursing and Tiff not drinking anymore.”

Teri was trying not to bounce when she got excited because everything was making her crazy. “Yeah. Today showed us that the Cats are ready to rock. We’ve got those sparks! Do you think we should have a theme for the second album?”

“You mean like Vampires?”

They were both laughing when Lisa started playing chords on their keyboard.

Tiffany raised both her arms. Everyone stopped and listened. “I’ve got an idea.”

All the Wildcats started grinning.

“See, how about if we rent the PPL Center in downtown Allentown and do a benefit concert fundraiser there?”

Lisa was already looking up the info online. “10,000 seats, full concessions, 150 concerts a year. And it’s the rink for the Phantoms! Wow!”

Phil went upstairs to get Richard off the phone. The five Cats followed him up the steps. Richard was unpacking sandwiches and chips and spreading them out on the table.

Teri spoke. “Tiffany has a great idea! A huge fundraiser for Jessica’s charities around Christmas. We rent the PPL Center and do a show!”

Lisa handed him her tablet to read about the venue. As Richard read, he and Phil started talking.

“We get the stage out of storage, enlist our roadies, it’s a Union shop, let Robert help promote and run it, bring Gimli in for ticket sales, and we handle the expenses. We just need a date!”

Richard turned to everyone and smiled, “Sure, we can do it.” He looked at Zoe, “Are we going to bring our sixth Wildcat along, too?”

Zoe kissed and hugged Phil and Richard. “Sure enough, Uncles Phil and Richard!”
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Jenn kissed her and whispered, “I’m going to work on school stuff. When I finish, we can play sexy nurse. I can help you dilate.”

Teri grinned and hugged her. “Uh, your dilating me always ends up in bed and under the covers. Is that what the doctor intended?”

Jenn kissed her firmly. “Uh, why don’t you ask your mom if that’s how it’s supposed to go?”

“Jenn! I can’t talk to my mom about sex!”

Jenn blew her a kiss as she headed into their second bedroom to read.

An hour later, Jenn saw Teri standing there looking in at her studying. “Whatcha doing, Rock Star?”

Teri moved across the room and kissed Jenn, pulling her into her body. “I’m just taking a break from squatting on that inflatable inner tube. Wanna fool around?”