We're the Same

We're the Same

"Again our journalism staff is requesting appropriate pictures taken by students over this summer. If you have pictures, either send them to, or talk to, senior member Vivi. Also, at 3:15 PM today, all boys sports players please report to the gym for a mandatory meeting regarding training schedules. That is all our announcements. Have a wonderful afternoon!"

The school bell rang out over the PA system and kids flooded into the hallways, jittery and still buzzed from last-minute summer parties. Loud laughs and slamming lockers made talking a difficult task, and thinking an even harder one. It was only just the beginning of the school year and Kidd hated most everyone around him.

Just as he was thinking this to himself, Killer shuffled up next to him at his locker, hands in pockets and quiet until Kidd was ready to address him. He knew how his friend was when it came to school and his mood. Kidd pushed miscellaneous items into his backpack and decided that was all he needed. Looking up to check the time on the hallway clock, his glance met his blonde friends smiling face instead. Kidd sighed and leaned back to look around him. 3:06 already.

"Don't worry, Kidd, we won't be late," Killer told him. Kidd nodded, zipping his bookbag up. He stood, closed his locker and gave Killer a pat on the shoulder as the two departed for the gym together.

None of the guys quite knew what to expect from the meeting, as rarely, if ever, did they call all sports teams to the same meeting. Kidd and Killer wondered this to themselves as they waited in the bleachers and more people steadily flowed in for the meeting as well. Watching the crowd come in, Kidd was amused by all the different kinds of guys he could see- the odd bowling team people, cocky LAX players, hard-to-read golfers and, of course, the king football and basketball guys. Kidd fell under the football category, although he didn't like to think of himself as the same kind of person as the others on his team. He was just a force to be reckoned with.

Killer gestured to some of his wrestling friends to come over by them and sit down, to which Kidd had forgotten that he had other friends. These people he didn't even know, but they met with handshakes and smiles nonetheless. Kidd was nonplussed.

When the time came around for the meeting to start, a small podium was brought out where the lead athletic director stood with a microphone. He signaled for everyone to be quiet, and he picked up a packet of papers in front of him, flipping through with a squint. He looked back up and over the crowd in the bleachers. He leaned his head towards the microphone.

"If you would please listen carefully and then be prepared to move, thank you. I will have you sit with the sports team that you will be participating in first, chronologically. If you are in both swim and baseball, please sit with your swim team, and so on. Wait, wait- don't move, you don't know where you're going. If the golf and lacrosse teams would please move into section A now.."

There was a groan and a loud cacophony of shuffling and banging as the two teams moved out. It was funny to Kidd to noticed that most of this group looked like two separate realms, mainly skinny white kids with lots of money and a mixture of other guys with lots of muscle. The sections divided up in similar fashion until everyone was sorted out. Once satisfaction had been achieved, the director once more took to his mic.

"Okay, settle down again. Now, everyone is used to being called by their individual coaches for training and practice schedules when the season begins to come around. Football guys already have been training. However, this year we will be trying to better introduce all of you to your other fellow sports members whom you may have not had any idea of their existence. The rifle club does not usually ever associate with the hockey team. My point is, you've all clique-ified, and to counter this and promote better teamwork both on and of the playing field, the school has asked that we install a school-wide open gym program several times a week where you can come, work out and hang out with other guys."