Behind the Scenes

Chapter Three-Repercussions.

That night changed my life forever. When I left that room and went back to the other locker room, I changed clothes. I never told anyone. I wouldn't have been believed anyway. Not when it came to Keith. He stayed for a total of three weeks. I kept away from him; he left me alone.

Now I have to deal with all the guys making sexual comments towards me. I was labeled a "rat." Daniel shut that shit down quickly. He gets in my shit at least once a week. I still won't tell him what happened. I know, and Keith knows that is all that needs to know. I will not be labeled a liar.

Daniel: "You ready to go?"

Poppy: "Yeah."

Daniel: "Do you have everything this time?"

Poppy: "I triple-checked. Last weekend was the first time."

Daniel: "I know Poppy. I am still trying to get used to this."

Poppy: "Me too."

I have a three-month-old baby boy. He is the result of Keith. It has been a year since it happened; a lot has happened in that year. I had Avery Ryan, my mom died, I got my GED, and I became the most talked about person in the locker room. Everyone wants to know who knocked up the fat chick.

Poppy: "I really don't want to go, Daniel."

Daniel: "You did this, Poppy. You chose to open your legs; now you have to face the consequences."

I didn't open my legs.

It doesn't matter. I love my son no matter what; it is a learning experience. I am learning just as Daniel is. I have never been a mom before, and he has been nothing but the guy who tells me what to do all the time.

That is a lie. I can't say that; he has been phenomenal through all this. Darby figured it out and made a huge deal about it. She is the reason all the guys found out. She started giving me a hard time, and I begged George to let me come home, and he refused. Daniel walked in and heard her one day. He made her leave that day.

He sat me down and told me I had to keep it. He said he would help me. He knows it's one of the guys, just not which one. Everyone blames Jamie. He and I got close right after it happened. He was a new guy, but he wasn't unfamiliar. He was new to us, but he came from somewhere else. He was known. He is the only one of the guys I have ever thought about being anything with. It's not him, though.

I feel Daniel's hands on my shoulders.

Daniel: "We are going to do this, Poppy. Neither of us are perfect. But, we will learn together."

Poppy: "You have to stop giving me a hard time when I make a mistake. I forgot something one time. I knew to double-check this time."

Daniel: "I wasn't prepared for a baby. I did well just having you."

Poppy: "I didn't plan or prepare for this either."

He is three months old... He has been around all of this since the day we came home. I have been too. I always remembered everything, Last week I had forgotten bottles. Daniel lost his shit on me in front of everyone. I used the phone in the office and called Jamie. He stopped and got me some. I washed them when we got home and put them right back in the bag.

Daniel: "I need to know who it is, Poppy. I swear it's not going to be bad. I just want him to take care of his son."

Poppy: "That's not going to happen. It's not something I want to talk about, Daniel. It wasn't pleasant for me. That is what I can't get any of you to understand."