Somebody in a Small Town Part I
I wince at the unnecessary blow our guard takes from the scout. The punishment dished out is usually reversed. Being part of the scout team, I'm used to the beating my body takes as my coach and the rest of the team cheer against us. It's a blow mentally and physically but I justify it in my mind as taking one for the team. After all, my part helps to get the starters ready for tournaments and I love basketball.
Our point guard slowly rises from the floor. She limps to the side of the court and holds her hands out for the ball ready to take it out. I don't miss the look of disappointment that crosses over my coach's face. You see, I know something that the rest of our team doesn't. And our coach doesn't know that I got wind of it. He ordered the two scouts he recruited to hurt this particular point guard. She turns the ball over too much and he doesn't want her playing this weekend.
I look on as she takes a hard elbow in the ribs, but she keeps going. She's a somebody. Our coach can't just bench her like the rest of us nobodies. Her parents and grandparents actively support the sports in our town financially among other ways. I realized the difference between the somebodies and nobodies back in middle school when a couple of us would get benched after making one mistake in a game while somebodies made the same mistakes over and over again only to remain in the game.
The guard hobbles to the bench while our other point guard takes over. She bends over and rubs her ankle. I'm not a fan of her, but it makes me sick to my stomach to know what's going on. It's not right. I take my place back on the court with this secret chewing at me .
Part II next Flash Fiction Friday.
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