The Virgin’s Bucket List – Episode 17
Wayne released Lindsay’s hand before Mike reached the top of the stairs. The loss of contact was immediate and painful, yet neither of them argued. A university scout represented years of training, and one reckless moment could alter Wayne’s future.
Mike introduced Mr. Russell, a recruiter from one of the strongest football programs in the state. The scout had decided to observe Wayne’s next game in person and wanted to discuss his discipline off the field. Wayne answered every question calmly while Lindsay remained outside the room, listening through the partially closed door.
Mr. Russell praised Wayne’s talent but warned that universities invested in character as much as athletic ability. Recent social-media clips from Maple Hill had raised concerns about fights and party drama surrounding the team. Lindsay knew exactly whose videos he had seen.
Mike assured him that Wayne was focused solely on football. The statement erased Lindsay from the story before she could become a problem. Wayne glanced toward the doorway, knowing that agreeing too eagerly would make her feel like something shameful.
He said his personal relationships had never affected his performance. Mike interrupted before he could elaborate and redirected the conversation toward statistics. The scout accepted the answer for the moment but promised to watch how Wayne handled pressure during Friday’s game.
After Mr. Russell left, Mike warned Wayne that honesty did not require volunteering unnecessary complications. Lindsay entered and asked whether that was what Mike called her now. Her father insisted he was protecting a scholarship that could change Wayne’s life.
Wayne said Lindsay was not a complication. The words warmed her, but Mike replied that secret romances produced public consequences. Alyssa’s videos had already reached a recruiter, proving his point.
At school the next morning, Lindsay discovered that the problem had grown. Alyssa had posted footage of the party kiss beside the original dare, captioning it as proof that Lindsay had manipulated Maple Hill’s star player to avoid streaking. Students replayed the edit in hallways and argued over whether Wayne had been used.
Lindsay’s first instinct was to hide. Then she saw Jeremy defending her in the comments and remembered the way he had been reduced to a punch line. Silence had never protected any of them; it had only allowed Alyssa to control the narrative.
She recorded a response during lunch. Lindsay admitted that she had accepted a foolish dare because she was afraid of being mocked. She also admitted that she had approached the party hoping to find a boyfriend, but she refused to apologize for being inexperienced or for wanting love.
She explained that virginity was not a defect, romance was not a competition, and no one earned the right to demand public humiliation from another student. Most importantly, her kiss with Wayne had been her choice. It was not proof of Alyssa’s power.
Phoebe stood beside Lindsay when she uploaded the video. Kyle shared it first, adding an apology for keeping secrets and failing to support his oldest friend. Others followed, including the girl Lindsay had protected on the football field.
The response spread rapidly. Students who had laughed at the dare began admitting it had gone too far. The story shifted from Lindsay’s supposed desperation to Alyssa’s campaign of harassment.
Alyssa confronted Lindsay in the hallway and demanded that she delete the post. Lindsay refused. She no longer needed to win a boyfriend to prove her worth, and she would not run naked for anyone’s entertainment.
Alyssa threatened to release more damaging footage about Wayne. Lindsay told her that edited clips could not change the truth forever. Alyssa looked less powerful than frightened.
Wayne arrived in time to hear the exchange. In front of the gathered students, he said Lindsay had never manipulated him into kissing her. He had chosen her at the party, and he would make the same choice again.
The hallway erupted with whispers. Lindsay knew the statement might reach Mr. Russell and cost Wayne exactly what Mike feared. She asked why he had taken such a risk, and Wayne answered that a future requiring him to lie about the people he cared for was not the future he wanted.
Before Lindsay could respond, Mike pushed through the crowd. He had seen the video and heard Wayne’s declaration. With the decisive anger of a coach making an example, he ordered Wayne to report to his office—and announced that Wayne was suspended from Friday’s game.