Gaining Games

Just as promised the next night was a wild flurry of sweat, adrenaline, and the repressive sphere of a crowd. Parents and teachers, classmates, and adorers all cramped into cheap metal bleachers and the cordoned edges of the gym floor. Wide, excited eyes waiting for that final shot.

The change of the red tally numbers.

All riding on a single play.

One minute.

In a deep huddle of humid body odor and taut bodies I gave a sweeping glance to the team. Closer than kin and driven by nothing else but success of the mission. "Okay we're at the straits, best team in the league, we have them by the balls..." I began, feeling it in my own heart, the pounding pressure of it all.

The pride of our school.

This small niche we can call ours.

"You have to take it," Riley urged.

I shook my head. "No. I can't."

To my own right, between Devin and Ed. was that one. Cedar Wong.

"You're our best at pressure and that's what we need right now. Someone who is anywhere and everywhere."

"But if one person has the ball--"

"right they'll all charge--"

"Wong will be our rear, a decoy in our Blitz play. Feint and let the ball pass to Number eleven."

"Huh!!"

"Hunter you're insane."

"Am I?" I dared with a sly smile.

"Look I-- I can't. I can't do this," Cedar insisted growing agitated by the second.

"Yes. Yes you can."

Because Wong had always been the second in command. Never needed practice, could always skive off when Michaels led the team.

When it was only because of him that he was anything.

People who are that controlling were always threatened by talent and strength.

When it shined, they shined brighter than stars.

"Hunter, come on this is it. We can't--!"

"No you can't," I cut in, "you cannot keep hiding yourself away. As your captain I will not accept that. You are talented Cedar, Braddock wouldn't have bullied you into thinking otherwise if you weren't. I told you then and I will keep telling you until it gets in that stone skull of yours... You are not under me, you don't belong to me, you belong to no one except yourself Cedar. So, are you seriously going to let us down when your friends need you and only you?"

"Is this the best shot?"

"it's the only shot and I'm sure everyone agrees," I said directing my confident stare unto the rest.

"You're the man C."

"Yeah."

"No one better."

"Can we see your place?" Cedar asked.

"I will think about it."

Cedar nodded, the verv back in his expression.

"One. Two. THREE! Break!" we declared as one, hands out to the ceiling.

We did the run, fluid and effortless; Eddie to me, me to Will, Will down the center and doing a sidesweep of the ball.

Shing Hu coming on behind the Scorpions Captain Ryan Adderway.

10...

9...

8...

Cedar.

Sound fell away.

The cascading waves of the crowd turning to thick cotton, a note of shrill static.

At an Abomination trudge three front fielders lunged for the leaping beacon.

Hope and grit on his face, his entire soul bared on the gym. To prove himself.

And escape a dark shadow.

The buzzer cut through sharper than a knife.

"The Gravesfield Gadflies... HAVE WON!!!!"

I was subsequently swept in a euphoric tangle; atop the shoulders of seniors. Beside me was Cedar Wong, blue punch cascaded onto our heads into a quickly sticky turning cocoon.

Together we held a trophy aloft my smile straining under the arms of Mrs. Noceda hugging me with pride.

We ended that night at a pizza parlor.

Gabbing on about everything and nothing.

Camila and a couple other parents footing the bill.

Looking upon it all from the skylight of a sighing old relic out in the woods, so slightly slanting in the wind the word coming to mind...?

Absolutely perfect.

Slowly the fuzzy feelers of my eight legged friend scuttled about my face and down to the waist for a pet. Settling to sleep at the sill from bed.

Absolutely perfect.