Paraplegic

by Troy Dearbourne

  "That is totally uncool. We need her!"

  "I know. That's what's so stupid about this whole thing."

  The rest of the Shadow Hawks pour out from the lockers and onto the court, slapping hands with excited fans as they rush by. One half of the gym explodes with cheers and hoots from the home team fans. On the other side, the visitors do the same as the Knights jog onto the court.

  I reach for a pair of teal colored pompoms and run through a few number sequences. As cheer captain, it is my responsibility to compose the choreography for the rest of the squad.

  Xander throws up one last basket, it falls in without touching the inside rim, before jogging over to me. "Tell me how this will end?"

  My eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Sorry?" working in a sweet voice.

  "The game, I mean." He places a foam cup beneath the spigot of the Gatorade cooler. "What do you think the final score will be? I've got a hunch you're lucky."

  "Do you now? Well, I expect the Knights to be begging for mercy by the half."

  He raises the cup to his perfect lips and takes a sip. "See those guys over there?" My eyes follow his motions. There are two men wearing expensive looking suits seated beside the announcers. "Those guys are here to watch me play. They're scouts from Duke. Coach says if I play well tonight, I might be looking at a scholarship."

  "That's awesome!" I do this tap dancing thing with my feet. "I'm sure you'll be great!"

  He gulps down the rest of his drink. "Once I'm settled in, I might have to invite you to campus. I hear they have some of the best parties in the state."

  I reach for a pen from the drink table and write my number on his palm. "I wouldn't miss your party for the world. I'll wait by the phone impatiently."

  The referee's whistle grabs everyone's attention. "Gotta go!" he manages to work in a quick wink before jogging back onto the court.

  Both teams take their positions. The centers face one another at half court. The referee says a few words to them, a basketball is tucked underneath his armpit. It's almost laughable to see how short he is in comparison to the rest of the players. I can't hear what he's saying from over here on the sideline; probably reminding them that it's just a game, and that no one needs to play rough, and that there aren't any losers, only winners: blah, blah, blah. Ha! Tell that to those whiny Knights when we beat the jerseys off them!

  After a few more words, the ref takes the basketball and launches it into the air. The two centers crouch low then pounce together, swatting at the ball on its decent. Wes Ranger, the Hawks' center, nudges the edge of the ball with the tips of his fingers, managing to shove it toward Xander. Xander then passes it off to Jace Thompson, who then dribbles it into the paint before passing it back to Xander - he rises up above his defender and slams it in the bucket with both hands. Hawks fans go wild, feeling ecstatic that the home team takes first blood!

  Nearly twenty minutes have already ticked away from the game clock; halftime is rapidly approaching. The Hawks take their third timeout and huddle around Coach to hear his game plan. Coach's face is rigid, eyebrows narrowed together. He barks out orders for each player, all the while their faces displaying nothing but extreme focus and attention - hanging on to Coach's every word.

  The Knights are in a huddle of their own, devising a plan to retake the lead. Xander's hunch about me was correct, I am indeed lucky. The Hawks currently lead by double digits.

  During timeouts us Blue Jays commence short dance sequences. We take to a formation I had titled The Double Z. There are twelve of us on the squad - well, eleven now without Aurora, so the formation doesn't look quite like it should. Usually, two groups of six branch off and stand in a Z formation. As Co-captain, Aurora would lead her group, and I would lead mine. But now, I have the responsibility of leading both groups.

  Our toes touch the wood of the half-court marker. We glide across the court, throwing up our pompoms at different intervals. Xander breaks his gaze away from Coach to sneak a glance at me. The skin around his amber colored eyes crinkles as his lips part into a small grin. My heart skips a beat. He really is handsome. I love the way his eyes flicker beneath the gym lights, and how his perfect hair sways with the flawless motions of his body. Coach bites down on his lower lip, blowing a whistle that realigns Xander's attention with his.

  I kind of like our little game of sneaking glances at one another. It's fun. Not knowing which one is staring, while the other isn't looking. It's enough to at least poke at my curiosity; each time hoping I'll meet his gaze the moment I sneak a glance.

  My sudden spark of happiness is ruined by the thought of Aurora on her hands and knees scrubbing floors. I wonder how she's doing? I feel bad she isn't here. Not bad enough to don a pair of rubber gloves and join her in scrubbing grout lines, but still, I wish she were here. Just as those thoughts run through my mind, I see her wander in to the gym. She takes an end seat about halfway up the bleachers. She's changed out of her stained clothes and is now wearing a red Hawks hoodie and black yoga pants. She looks comfy. I nearly wish I wasn't wearing this suffocating cheer uniform. I wave to her. She doesn't see me, so I wave harder. Still, she doesn't notice me. Not sure how, it's not like there's anyone else on this court waving their arms in the air like a flight attendant. Finally, she sees me and laughs at my antics to catch her attention, then waves back.

  My attention is drawn away suddenly as a thick, sweaty object slams into me. I turn my head and see a confused Tiana Richards standing next to me. "Watch where you're going!" I struggle to keep my voice low, while delivering a stern warning.

  Tiana's a hefty girl; the fattest cheerleader on the squad, and isn't at all pretty. I'm not even sure how she made it on the squad. I certainly didn't approve it. She hasn't a clue how to dance and always looks like a baby giraffe learning how to walk for the first time. I nearly gagged once when I saw the fat roll of her stomach jiggle all over the place. It's just disgusting. She doesn't even look good in the formfitting uniforms either, always busting out of them.

  "Sorry." I barely hear her mumbled apology over the loud speakers.

  Her sudden blunder leaves me in a state of confusion. I had forgotten which dance move I did last. I discreetly look over my shoulder to see which move the girls are doing, hoping to casually slip back in line unnoticed. But as I do, another cheerleader glides into me, sending me tumbling to the wood floorboards. I fall hard on my butt. Amused cackles rip through the stands. My cheeks warm with embarrassment. That bumbling idiot! This is the second time today this has happened to me!

  Tess comes rolling in behind me, tripping over my sprawled out legs and falling to the floor alongside me. A couple more girls trip and fall before the rest realized what has happened and stop. The fans roar in amusement. This is so embarrassing. I look toward Aurora for help. I'm not even sure why I do, it's not like she can supply any.

  The referee blows his whistle again, shaking everyone loose of their confusion, and settling the crowd. The Hawks then march back onto the court. I quickly pick myself off the floor and plop down in a chair on the sidelines, crossing my arms over my chest, while making sure to give that Tiana girl a dirty look.

  This day just keeps getting better and better.

  Yeah, right!

  The game had completely taken a turn for the worse. In the past four minutes alone the Hawks had six turnovers; the Knights scoring on each of them. They're on a twelve to zero run. The Hawks cling to the lead by a mere three points. I eyeball the game clock; the digital red numbers displaying there's only fifty-two seconds left in the game.

  Coach has been shouting at the Hawks every chance he's gotten. His entire face has transitioned to this tomatoe-y color. I feel certain he's going to burst a blood vessel any moment now.

  Poor Xander. No doubt the added pressure of the scouts analyzing his every move to the already tense game hasn't helped garner his mental focus. He's responsible for two of the six turnovers, which I'm sure is weighing heavily on his mind. But even still, he has played a respec
table game so far: scored twenty-four of the seventy-seven points, along with six assists and two rebounds.

  "Hey, Bestie." I feel a breathy whisper on my ear. Aurora swings a leg over the back of the chair, then the other leg, plopping down in the chair next to me.

  "Hey, you! What are you doing here?"

  "I came to see how you're holding up after that whole trainwreck with the dancers and all."

  "Ugh. I don't wanna talk about it." I shake my head in frustration.

  "Excuse me?" she playfully punches me in the shoulder, which actually kind of hurt a little. "I had to climb over eight rows of smelly, sweaty teenagers, maneuver past dozens of hairy legs, not to mention some kid nearly got nacho cheese all over me, which wouldn't have actually been terrible, as I'm a huge fan of nacho cheese, but still - we're gonna talk about it!"

  I can't contain my laughter at her risible description. "Aww, it's too bad that didn't happen. I could go for some nachos right about now." I think back over the years that I've known Aurora. We've been inseparable since four years of age. It's kind of funny how humans act. We go through life and then one day we find someone we like, so we just start hanging around them and do stuff with them, hardly ever giving thought to what life would be like had they never walked into our lives. "You're a good friend, you know that?"

  "Well, duh! And thank you for finally noticing. I was beginning to think I'd have to make up a bunch of T-shirts with it written on the front before you'd finally acknowledge my awesomeness."

  I throw my arm around her neck. "You're weird you know that?"

  "I prefer the terminology Limited Edition."

  Neither of us say anything for the next few moments, until finally I get tired of listening to the sharp squeak of the player's sneakers slide across the court. "I really wish you could be out there with us. This isn't how I wanted the last game of our high school lives to be."

  "Reality rarely lives up to the expectation of our dreams."

  "Yeah. It's just . . . I don't know," I allow my words to drift. The Knights score two more points, narrowing the Hawks' lead by a single point. "Why'd you do it?"

  "Do what?"

  "Heed Mayer's command to clean up the cafeteria.

  She half shrugs. "I've always been raised to do what my elders tell me, even if it means missing out on something fun."

  "Yeah, but it's the last time we'll ever get to cheer. Like, ever. Aren't you even a little bit upset?"

  "Yeah, I mean, I guess so. I like cheering and all, but I mainly joined the squad for you."

  Her confession leaves me stunned. "What? Are you serious? After all this time, why didn't you say so?"

  She brushes a stray hair from her eye and tucks it behind her ear. "You're my friend. I know how important cheering is to you. I didn't want to hurt your feelings by saying I didn't equally share your passion. And besides, it was the only after school activity I had. With my parent's work schedules, I knew I wouldn't see them much anyway, so it seemed better to spend that time with you than to be at home all alone."

  The Knights score another two points, propelling them into the lead. Knights fans explode with applause. The Shadow Hawks now trail by one point, but for some reason I can't locate the energy to care. My mind is still struggling over the thought that Aurora would actually trudge through three years of cheerleading practices just for me. Did she ever enjoy it? Even once?

  Coach makes a T formation with his hands. The referee sticks the chrome plated whistle between his lips and blows hard. The Hawks are taking their final timeout. I crane my neck to view the electronic board - nineteen seconds remain!

  The Blue Jays leap from their seated positions on the sidelines and skip onto the court. I take one last look over my shoulder; Aurora gives me this expression that tells me I should go. So I do. I feel drained, lifelessly going through each dance move. Timeouts only last for twenty seconds, but this one seems to be lasting longer than normal.

  Much to my dismay, Xander doesn't look my way. He keeps his attention firmly fixed on Coach, who is animatedly informing the team what's needed of them if they are to pull out this win. Each Hawk sticks their hand in the middle of the huddle and shouts a confident Go Shadow Hawks before disbanding.

  The Blue Jays skip off the court. I follow lazily behind them and reclaim my seat beside Aurora. She now has a bucket of popcorn on her lap. I guess she went and got some while I was out on the court.

  The ref blows his whistle once again announcing the ball is now live. Jace slowly advances to midcourt, eyeing the clock with vigilance. His defender dances from side to side in front of him; his quick motions mocking Jace's calm persona. The clock continues to drain.

  14 . . . 13 . . . 12 . . .

  Jace launches a lightning pass to Wes, who then bolts for the basket. He weaves in between defenders and attacks the rim full force. But one of the Knights comes from behind and swats the ball from his grasp. Hawks fans groan in unison.

  Aurora cups her hands around her mouth. "Oh, come on! My grandmother can play better than you!"

  11 . . . 10 . . . 9 . . .

  The basketball bounces wildly around with each player scrambling for it. Hawks fans grow increasingly louder with their screams and cheers. Half of them are now on their feet. Coach has both hands cupped around his shiny, bald head. I'm pretty sure he's going to have a heart attack any moment now.

  8 . . . 7 . . . 6 . . .

  Xander snatches the renegade basketball just before a Knight can claim possession. He initiates a series of fancy footwork, dribbling the ball around a pair of defenders and into the painted area on the court.

  Aurora cups her hands over her mouth again. "Chuck the ball. Just chuck it!"

  5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . .

  Xander raises his arms over his head to shoot. Two defenders throw a hand in his face just before his feet leave the ground.

  3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

  He sidesteps their blocks and goes up again, heaving the ball towards the basket. A hush settles over the gym. All eyes glued to the seemingly weightless ball. It soars through the air, slamming into the backboard and dropping into the basket. The game horn shrills signaling the end of the game. Hawks fans pour from the stands and rush onto the court. Jace, Wes, and a few other guys on the team dash over to Xander and hoist him on their shoulders, chanting his names with fists pumps to the air.

  Aurora can't contain her excitement. She shakes the bucket of popcorn, spilling kernels all over the floor. "We won! We won, we won, we won, we won, we won!"

  "I know, I know!"

  The ref marches back onto the court, waving his arms wildly and blowing a series of whistles to hush the over ecstatic fans. His portly stature quickly gets lost in growing crowd. A voice comes over the loud speakers, "Ladies and gentlemen, please reclaim your seats; the final play is under review."

  Murmurs of uncertainty quiver through Hawks fans. The team ceases from their chanting and lowers Xander to the floor. All eyes turn towards the referees as the small squad of them huddle around a computer screen, scrutinizing the replay. They exchange whispers, pointing at the screen and nodding their heads in agreement. My curiosity is on edge. What are they saying!

  The head referee leans in close to the announcers and informs them of their decision. "The final play on the court has been overturned. Xander White, number twenty-five of the Stardust High Shadow Hawks, released the ball after the game clock had expired; therefore, the final basket will not count. The winners of this year's high school basketball championship are the Westbrook Knights!"

  Hawks fans stumble around the gym with a baffled look on their faces. The Hawks themselves appear to be just as stunned. Coach marches over to the refs, shouting words of disbelief, but his efforts to change their decision are futile.

  The Knights group together, exchanging congratulatory fist bumps and high-fives. You can almost smell the Hawks' envy as Principal Mayer hands the championship trophy to the Knights' coach, who then proudly raises it above his head. The h
oots and screams from Westbrook fans is salt to the already painful wound.

  Xander stomps off the court and towards the locker room, kicking a chair off its feet as he exits. "Xander! Wait!" but he doesn't bother.

  The scouts stuff their clipboards inside their briefcases, shaking their heads with disappointment as they leave.

  Oh, no! Had the challenged replay caused Xander to not get accepted into Duke?

  Chapter 8

  Have you ever had one of those days where nothing seems to be going right? Maybe you slipped on a rain puddle and fell flat on your butt and then everyone around you laughed at your expense? Or perhaps it was the moment your mouth salivated as you raised the moist piece of chocolate cake to your lips, only to have it crumple in half and fall on your pants, leaving an embarrassing brown stain. Well, that's basically how my day has gone. But multiply it by like, a thousand. Then multiply it by a million.

  Then multiply it by googol.

  I called mother to come pick me up after the game had ended. A part of me didn't really want to call considering the heated conversation we previously had, but I also didn't really feel like walking home in the dark. So she came and picked me up, then took me home. The whole time we were driving, she kept asking me questions like, "How'd the game go?", and "Did you help clean up the cafeteria like your father asked?". She even had to nerve to ask, "Did you apologize to that girl for treating her so harshly?". I told her that the game went terrible, and that, yes, I did clean up the cafeteria – kind of – and that I didn't see the girl, so I wasn't able to deliver an apology. I've never been more appreciative for how close we live to school than I am right now. I can't take much more of these interrogating questions.

  The gym became dead rather quickly after the Hawks found out they had lost the championship. The team trudged back to the lockers to shower, heads hung in defeat as they walked, and each of the Blue Jays went their separate ways. I guess it was an undisclosed understanding that there wasn't going to be an after-party. I wanted to ask him, but I didn't see Xander again after he had left the gym. I hope he'll be okay. He seemed pretty upset. Basketball has been his passion, his life for as long as I've known him. I know he really wanted to get accepted into Duke.