Posted by Jock on September 18, 2000 at 10:34
Our high school football team had won a regional championship, and there was a special assembly at the school on Saturday afternoon to honor us. A bunch of us were partying at a teammate's house before the assembly, and there was plenty of beer available even though we were underage. Suddenly it was time to pile into the van and rush to the assembly. Most of us had the presence of mind to pee first, but not Brandon. He apparently wasn't aware of the diuretic power of beer.
We were seated on the stage, and the Principal, the Coach, and the President of the local booster club each had long speeches. Brandon was seated next to me, looking anxious and serious. At first, he flapped his legs a bit, but then sat there with his thighs clamped firmly together.
The speeches droned on, and there was a projection screen to show some of the highlights of critical games. Brandon became quite pale, and then I noted sweat streaming down his face. That was when I realized that he was dying to pee, but there was nothing I could do about it.
Individual members of the team were given awards, but fortunately Brandon was not among them. As we were crammed shoulder to shoulder on the stage, I could feel him tremble. Then I spotted the first tear down his cheeks. I guessed that he was in real pain from his bladder.
I caught the coach's eye as the Principal was speaking, and I whispered that Brandon was not feeling well. The coach whispered to the Principal, who covered by telling the audience that one member of the team had attended even though he was ill, and there were murmurs of sympathy as I put my arm around Brandon and led him off the stage. We had not even reached the wings when I saw wetness pour down one leg, and I could actually hear the hiss of him peeing into his pants. He left a trail of pee on the stage, which was not visible to the audience but was clearly seen by his teammates. Just out of sight backstage, he left a big puddle on the floor.
He sobbed quietly for a moment because of his perceived disgrace, but I assured him that it would be OK. He went out to the van and waited for the assembly to finish, and I returned to my seat.
When it was over and the others returned to the van, the reaction of the team was admirable. No one commented about his soaked pants, and everyone gave him a clap on the shoulder as they got in.
The incident was never mentioned except for a brief but warm thanks from Brandon. The team really stuck together!
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