Hoops and Dreams

[1] Wrong side of the tracks

Classy, I think with a smile. The second is from Anika.

You should come, so much funnn.

It's nice of Anika to extend the invitation to me but it's nearly eight pm and the party is in full swing. The limits of fashionably late have come and gone. I know this because it just might be the most documented event in Snapchat history. Every few minutes a notification pops up on my phone letting me know that someone else has uploaded a group selfie, a boomerang of drinks clinking, or a video of tipsy teens swaying to trap music.

The FOMO is intense.

But my parents would never let me go. Drugs, alcohol, and boys in their opinion was simply asking for trouble. Coming from people who grew up in the seventies and eighties, the decades that made drugs and alcohol a thing, it didn't mean much. Coming from the people who raised me it meant a whole lot more. But my parental units weren't the only obstacle in my path to Xavier's party.

In less than a week, the Irvine High boys' basketball team will have their first game of the season. A game with the team that showed us the literal definition of flames the last time we played them. The Undefeated, Invincible Addams Charter Ravens. Their Instagram bio, not mine. It seemed a bit unfair to me to pit a team that hadn't won an opening game in a decade against the Ravens. But my emails stressing that point to the junior basketball league have gone unanswered and frankly ignored despite their frequency.

But in spite of that, I know we'll win. And here's why:

1. This season has the strongest line-up of players in our modern history. Amongst our starters are Greek gods like Xavier Preston, Joshua Miller, and Nic Cohen. Boys who I hope aren't hitting the alcohol too hard at that party. Because our coach will hit them even harder with drills in preparation for the game this week. And the last thing we need is anyone hungover and projectile vomiting onto the court. I know that this is their senior year but their fleeting enjoyment is not going to come between our State championship win.

And 2. Perhaps the most vital reason. Me. This game would mark my official debut as team mascot. A position I snapped up when our old mascot tripped over the bleachers and broke his leg. He'd be in a cast for six weeks. I would be the face behind the legend that was Pete the Panther. And no matter what Anika said it counted for something in terms of my street cred.

We'll win because I Hazel Monroe of the San Antonio trailer park Monroe's will bring so much energy to Friday's game that those entitled Chapter birds wouldn't know what hit—

"Hazel, Timothy." My stepmom Andrea calls, effectively cutting off my victorious internal monologue. "Inside guys. It's getting late and The Voice is on."

Timothy kicks his ball away. More interested in the prospect of finding out which one of his favorite contestants is one step closer to getting their hands on the golden mike than taunting Ms. Finch.

"Coming," I respond. I still have to work on my fur suit. It's drenched and I need it to dry overnight.

*****

Hours later and I'm on the couch after a heavy dinner, flicking through channels. Everyone else is in bed but me. I'm stressing over school tomorrow.

News? Nope, I wasn't middle-aged or interested in getting depression. Coincidentally from the same economic depression, every newscaster on CNN would be raving about.

A telenovela? Nah. They were only enjoyable when Andrea was around to bounce her enthusiasm onto me. And she was dead asleep.

After a few more flicks, I settle on NatGeo Wild. It's shark week. What better way to prepare oneself for the education system than to watch gory bloodshed and chaos as a school of fish is hunted and consequently devoured? If that didn't describe high school then I didn't know what did.