new kid / h.s

07

K A T

My hair was in a disheveled ponytail for dodgeball that day. After I saw Harry stripped down to his boxers on accident, I couldn't think the same. I began to look at him differently.

"Hey, Kit Kat!" Harry said when we walked over before the team captains were chosen. "I'm calling you that because those are my favorite American candies."

"So you're calling me candy now?" I challenged, adjusting my red dodgeball shorts. Harry just smiled and ran his fingers through his hair.

"You have to pick me, Kat." he said seriously. "Remember."

I nodded with a grin. "I will, Harry. If you promise that this time you won't suck."

He pouted. "But I don't suck!"

"Come on, Harry." I jeered. "Last game you threw the ball so high it bounced off the wall and you hit yourself."

Harry was suppressing a smile, I could tell. "Won't happen again, alright? Trust me. We could make the perfect dream team."

We were staring into each other's eyes now. "Me and you?"

"You and me."

The coach blew her whistle.

As much as I wanted to talk to Harry about his terrible dodgeball skills, the whole gym class gathered to the center of the gym and waited for team captains to be called. I was always a definite, because the class considered me to be a star player. Everyone wanted to be on my team.

I could see Noel glaring at me from across the room. He wanted to take me out first. I knew.

"Team captains are Katrina and Noel."

Great. This couldn't get any worse.

Across the room, I could see Harry giving me an uneasy stare. Like he was worried that he was going to be Noel's first target.

I was about to speak up and take Harry as my first choice, but Noel beat me to it.

"I'll take Har--"

Just as I was about to explode, Noel eyed me and saw my reaction and hesitated with his pick.

"Jonah." he quickly changed his choice and one of his best friends whooped and hollered while running over to Noel.

Why did he do that for me? It couldn't have been out of the kindness of his heart because frankly, he didn't have a heart at all. Not that I knew of.

"Harry." I didn't hesitate with my choice.

We went back and forth until only one girl was left, Hanna. I felt kind of bad because deep down I knew that Hanna was the girl that I used to be. Rejected, picked last for dodgeball.

Our teams were even so Hanna had to sit out. It felt like no one was sorry for her except for me.

We each got on our own side of the gym for the group huddle. I was the captain, so it was my job to lead us to an underrated victory.

"Everyone cover for Harry." I dictated. "Just because most of you don't want him on this team doesn't mean I don't too. Give him a chance. I promise he's good."

He smiled at me.

"Let's win this thing!" I hollered. "We can lose our winning streak to a bunch of jocks, can we?"

"No!" the whole team boomed, and we split at once in an eruption of cheers and shouts. That was my aim. To get them excited and pumped up.

The whistle blew, and right away I lost 3 of my 15 team members. But that was alright, because we got 5 of Noel's right off the bat. Harry was the first one to get someone out.

"You got this, Harry!" I yelled as I sprinted past him in pursuit for a ball. He looked focused and ready, his absent bandana not holding all his wild hair in place.

He threw two balls at once and knocked out two more, leaving it at 8, on Noel's team, to 13.

Eventually it was just me and Harry against Noel, which was everything but not intense. Both our sides kept throwing and throwing but no one was hit. We were too good.

"Get him, Harry!" I encouraged. By now I was running out of breath and my speed decreased little by little. Just as I was watching him run around and pick up the balls from the floor, one of Noel's hit me right in the side and that was it. I was out.

This was all on Harry now.

"Come on, you got this!" I yelled from the sidelines. Harry obviously heard me because at the sound of my voice, he picked up a ball and threw it right for Noel.

And it hit him in the leg.

"Yes!" Harry yelled out, shaking his head furiously and staring to the ceiling. He had done it. He had proven everyone wrong, with my help.

The whole team crowded around him, engulfing him in the traditional group hug. From my position, I could see Noel sulking in the corner. He was so used to being on the winning team.

But now that I had Harry, I stayed undefeated.