Why We Laugh (#Wattys2018)

5. I Laughed Because He Held In His Stomach

Hey! Thank you guys!

My brother is a junior and has finally got his grades together to try out for the football team. So, I sat on the uncomfortable bleachers looking over the faux lawn. School just ended and desperate looking kids, varying from short, tall, buff, thin, ripped football gear, 100% Nike gear flooded onto the field.

Some were completely relaxed and as they walked they had a pep of confidence in their step.

Others remained hidden by the water bench, refusing to talk to any other member.

12 golden boys wore their Lion football uniforms. They snickered at the versatile group of people, pointing at the ones who wouldn't make it.

My brother stood among his friends. He was on the team as a freshman, but his grades dropped, so he got kicked off. But now he's back and has a guaranteed spot on the team.

I spied Reece. He stood, rubbing his neck, talking to the team's wide receiver.

As a defensive player, the runner was a big guy. All muscles.

Besides him was Reece, this boy whose gear hung loosely on his shoulders.

"ALRIGHT!" the quarterback, Kevin Hicks, screamed.

The field fell to scattered murmurs.

Kevin growled, "Be quiet," he hissed, glancing at my brother who was chatting with some girl.

" I hope you all took the past five minutes to stretch because you'll wish you were dead after this practice."

The boys still stood, scattered in various directions. That is when the coach, Coach Murray, took control.

"In line! Now!"

They began by pulling things across the field, then by racing, and then some other things I don't care.

I was too busy playing on my phone, liking photos and sending snapchats. All I noticed was that it was getting cold out, the sun setting.

At one point there was a hoot of hot girls as Kevin took off his shirt, showing off his abs. They were perfect.

All the people in the stands and sidelines shrieked, "Oh my god!"

"You're my hero!"

"You're perfect!"

"Take me home tonight!"

Nearly a minute later someone yelled out from the field. Some boys were playing around and shoved Reece into the container of water, an accident, of course.

Humiliated, he toppled over the bench, his right side smacking into the ground, and to finish it off the tub of water drenched him.

He groaned, pushing himself off the ground.

It was a hilarious sight. His uniform was wet, and it held to his body fat while his face distorted with distress.

Some snickered, some frowned. It was a typical reaction.

"You okay, Ree?" Kevin jogged over to the boy.

Reece sucked in a breath and struggled to his feet.

"Here," another boy offered his hand.

Reece refused to take it, and for a good thirty seconds, he struggled to get a few inches up.

He stretched the side of his body, grimacing, but it ended in shivers.

"You're soaking wet," said the running back as if it wasn't obvious, "I think I have an extra shirt in the locker room."

Coach Murray ran over to see what the chaos was. Kevin quickly explained the situation.

The coach said, "Sorry, cupcakes, the locker room's locked."

With that, he laughed at his own terrible pun. But the freezing and shivering boy whimpered as the wind picked up.

Reece grabbed his side, touching it tenderly. There was blood oozing down the side of his body.

The coach grimaced, "You're hurt, kid, take off your shirt, I'll take care of it."

"N-no," he stuttered.

"I-I'm fine," Reece whimpered.

The coach didn't buy it, "You're bleeding."

"We can go into the locker room," Reece declared.

"It's locked. I don't have my keys."

Reece looked terrified in some unseen agony. It was more than just his side cut.

"Take off your shirt," another boy demanded.

Reece's face went pale; I thought it was because he was cold.

He slowly pulled off his shirt.

There was a subtle gash on the side of his abdomen, but nothing serious.

No one cheered. No one cooed.

I'm not sure if it was because of his misshapen body, or he was injured, but no one cheered.

Reece inhaled deeply, pulling his stomach into in his spine, trying to look as thin as possible.

The blood flushed out more. I looked away but heard the coach's shout.

"Stop holding in your stomach, you ain't helping anyone or stopin' the bleeding," he demanded.

We laughed. We noticed Reece was holding in his stomach, and that was funny because it made Reece seem insecure. Coach Curray made Reece's insecurity known and made a smart remark about it.

It was a joke. It was typical. Coach Murray didn't call the boy fat. He didn't even obviously imply it. Because Reece was not fat. He just suggested a way to stop the bleeding.

Only Reece took it as the coach saying he's fat...I think some others thought that too.

Someone on maintenance ran onto the field wiggling keys. Now able to go into the locker room, they left. Reece was holding his head low in shame.

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