𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝑴í𝒂 | ᴮᵒʸ ᴹᵉᵉᵗˢ ᵂᵒʳˡᵈ

15: League Of Their Own

Shawn, Cory, and I were talking in the hallway when the basketball coach came out of the gym and hung up the clipboard to show who made the team and who didn't.

"There it is. The list- who made first string, who made second string, and who didn't even make the basketball team." Cory said.

"What do you think is worse? Second string or not making the team?" Shawn asked. "Second string. What do you think is worse- second string or falling out of an airplane and landing on the empire state building on your eye?" Cory asked.

"If you make second string, you still have to sit on the bench in front of everyone, and your uniform's always clean, and you always get a high number like eight hundred sixty seven." I said. "Not something any of us have to worry about, however." Cory said. "We're not second string, bench-warming, "B" team guys." "I don't get why you guys made me try out anyways. There's no way I made it." I said.

"I made the "B" team! I made the "B" team!" Minkus said. "Can you believe it? Wait till I tell my father!" "Why don't we just check the list?" I said.

Shawn went over to the clipboard. "Hunter, Shawn, A-team." He turned around with a smile. "Surpriserama!" He said. I ran my finger down the list. "I mean, there's no point in checking to see if– I made the team! Flores, Adriana-Camila, A-team! I did it! I actually did it!" I said, grabbing Shawn's shoulders with a smile.

Cory went over to the clipboard. "Matthews, Cory, A-team." He said, turning his head with a smile before turning back to the clipboard. "Wait a minute. They spelled "A" with a "B!" Cory said. "Doof, you're reading the wrong line." I checked. "Matthews... B-team?" I said. "Come on, guys. It's got to be a typo." Shawn said. "It's handwritten!" Cory said. "I'm on the B-team, second string. Just drop me on the empire state building." Cory said before mocking himself doing just that.

"Aw, so what?" Shawn said. "Yeah, don't sweat it. It won't change anything. It's not like you're just gonna lose your friends." Shawn and I ran away.

♥

"Homosapians, modern man. As you can see, he walked fully upright. Had opposable thumbs, and was known for..." Mr. Feeny said. "A mother who labels his underwear." Shawn said. "At least I have more than one pair." Minkus replied.

"Moving back through history, we devolve to the neanderthaloids, who made and used tools." I jokingly hit Shawn with the stick, Mr. Feeny gave me. He took it.

"Now, can anybody tell me what was going on before the neanderthaloids?" Mr. Feeny asked. Minkus raised his hand. "Anybody?" Minkus waved his hand. "Anybody but Mr. Minkus?" No one did anything. "Take it away. Minkus."

"A billion years ago, the world breathlessly anticipated the emergence of life from the prebiological organic compounds of the sea." Shawn hit Minkus with the stick. "Ow." Minkus said. "You can take your seats. Thank you?" Mr. Feeny said. I gladly did so.

"What, Mr. Minkus is saying is that we were waiting for the lowest form of life to crawl out of the slime." Cory walked in. "I'm here." He said. We all laughed at him. "What?" "Mr. Feeny was just talking about you." Shawn said.

"I was in with the basketball coach. I have a note. Did I miss anything?" "Two hundred million years of human evolution." Mr. Feeny said, reading the note. "Cool." Cory said. He took his seat.

"So what's the deal?" Shawn asked. "It wasn't a mistake. I'm on second string." Minkus got out of his seat. "Hey, you, too? Congratulations!" He shook his hand. "Did you tell your dad?" "No, I happen to like my dad." The bell rang, and we all evacuated to lunch.

♥

I walked through the door and fell on the couch on my stomach with my face in the cushion.

"Did the game not go well?" Eddie asked. I mumbled my response into the couch. "Please don't talk to me with a mouth full of couch." I sat up.

"The game went amazing. We won." "Then why are you acting like that?" "Because I'm the only girl on the team." "So?" "Let me repeat myself. I'm the only girl on the whole team. Past, present, future." I said. "It felt like I was taken advantage of. The other team thinks I'm weak and small. My team thinks I belong on the bench. The only people who don't believe any of that are Shawn, Topanga, and Cory." "And me." Eddie said. "And you."

"And dear old papi." Dad said. "And dear old papi." I said, resting my cheek on my hand. "Yeah, we're like our own little basketball team." Dad said. "You need twelve for basketball. We're more of a volleyball team. They need six players." "Well we're still a team. Did you get to play?" Eddie asked. "Yeah. I'm on first string." Dad looked confused. "The A-team." He nodded. "Then you just gotta keep proving them wrong and make them feel stupid for not believing in you." Eddie said.

♥

Shawn and I went over and sat with Cory at lunch.

"Check it out." Shawn said, handing Cory a magazine. "I dug out this old edition of Sports Illustrated for you." He said.

"I already know I'm not on the cover." Cory said. "Lighten up. There's an article in here on great sports figures who sat on the bench before they got their big break." Shawn told Cory. "Really?" "Yeah. It says that Steve Young sat on the 49ers' bench for five years before he became the starting quarterback."

"And then he won MVP." I said. "Man, this is good news." Cory said. "I knew you'd like it." Shawn told him. "Wow. These are, like, major guys." "And they all came back from the brink." I said. "If they can do it, you can do it." Shawn told him. "Yeah! That'll prove I'm worth something." Cory said. "Maybe coach will put you in the game today." I said. "Maybe you'll score twenty points." Shawn said. "Yeah, maybe then I'll be on the A-team permanently." Cory said. "I'm gonna be season MVP. I'm gonna be unstoppable." Cory ripped open his shirt like Superman and revealed his jersey.

"Matthews, why are you suited up?" Coach asked. "Second string doesn't go to the away games." Cory sat down in defeat.

♥

I was lacing up my sneakers when I saw a few players from the other team snickering by the doorway. I went to say something but was cut off by someone shoving the three boys to the side and scolding them. It was Eddie. He looked at me with a smile and winked before giving me a thumbs up. He then proceeded to chase the boys away back to their locker room.

It's sad knowing Eddie's gonna leave dad and I to go to the Army. I hope he isn't gone for long.

If he is, then who's gonna protect me from high school bullies? Who's gonna take care of me when dad can't? Who's bed am I gonna sleep in when I'm scared of the thunderstorms?

♥

"I'm telling you, Feeny's a maniac behind the wheel. I didn't know a gremlin could go that fast." Cory said.

"No way. Feeny? The guy takes twenty minutes to peel an orange." Shawn said. "Hey, I was in the car. He was clipping corners, driving on the sidewalk, catching air off speed bumps." Cory said.

"Our Mr. Feeny burning rubber? I think not." Minkus said. "I think what we see in the classroom just may be the Clark Kent side of Mr. Feeny." Cory said.

"I would've had you if the light hadn't turned yellow." Coach told Feeny.

"Hey, you snooze, you lose." Mr. Feeny replied.