Zoey stood in the school hallways with Shawn and Cory. The three of them were talking to each other before the gym teacher put up a list for the basketball team.
Everyone immediately rushed over to it.
"There it is, the list - who made first string, who made second string... and who didn't even make the basketball team." Cory said, leaning against the wall.
"What do you think is worse? Second string or not making the team?" Shawn wondered.
"Second string." Cory said, fiddling with the basketball in his hands. "What do you think it worse? Second string or falling out an airplane and landing on the edge of the Estate building on your eye?"
"If you make second string, you still have to sit on the bench in front of everyone." Zoey pointed out, crossing her arms over her stomach. "The uniform are always clean, and you're always get a high number eight-hundred and sixty-seven."
"Not something any of us have to worry about, however. We're not second string, bench warming, B-team guys." Cory said.
"I made the B-team! I made the B-team!" Minkus exclaimed, before approaching the three of them. "Can you believe it? Wait till I tell my father!"
Shawn, Cory and Zoey watched as Minkus raced down the hallway.
Zoey scoffed. "Why don't we check the list? Just to make sure Coach spelled your names right."
The three of them walked over to the list, and Shawn was the first to find his name on the list.
"Hunter, Shawn. A-team." He informed. He high-fived Zoey. "Surpriserama!"
Next up was Cory. He walked over to the list and began to find his name.
"Matthews, Cory. A-Team." He said confidently, before he quickly looked at the list again. "They spelled A with a B!"
"Dude, you're reading the wrong line." Shawn told him.
Zoey walked over to the list and checked it out for herself. She sighed. "Matthews, B-team."
"Come on, guys. It's got to be a typo." Shawn said.
"It's handwritten!" Cory exclaimed. "I'm on the B-team, second string. Just drop me on the Empire State Building."
"Ah, so what?" Shawn said, grabbing the basketball out of Cory's hands.
Zoey shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, Cory. No big deal."
Shawn and Zoey began to start backing away from Cory. The two of them smiled innocently.
"Doesn't change anything. I mean, it's not like you're going to lose your friends." Shawn told him, before he and Zoey quickly turned around and ran through the halls.
••••
Zoey sat in the classroom, whilst Mr. Feeny was teaching the class about history. She couldn't stop smiling as Shawn was helping out with the explanation.
"Homo sapiens. Modern man." Mr. Feeny said, standing behind Minkus, who was also helping out with the explanation. "As you can see, he walked fully upright... has espousal thumbs and was know for..."
"A mother who labels his underwear." Shawn said. Zoey couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"At least I have more than one pair." Minkus muttered.
"Moving back through history we devour to the Neander haloids... who made and used tools. now, can anybody tell me what was going on before the Neander haloids?" Mr. Feeny asked the class, and Minkus raised his hand. "Anybody?" Minkus waved his hand. "Anybody but Mr. Minkus?" Mr. Feeny said when no one raised their hands. "Take it away, Minkus."
"A billion years ago, the world breathlessly anticipated the emergence of life for the praxiological organic compounds of the seat." Minkus explained. Shawn grabbed the cave man prop and hit Minkus on the head. "Ow."
"You can take your seats. Thank you." Mr. Feeny said. Shawn walked over to his desk and sat down. "What Mr. Minkus is saying that we were waiting for the lowest form of life to crawl out of the slime."
The classroom door opened, and Cory walked in.
"I'm here." Cory said. The entire class began laughing. Cory was confused. "What?"
Zoey chuckled. "Mr. Feeny was just talking about you."
"I was in with the basketball coach. I have a note." Cory said, handing Mr. Feeny the note. "Did I miss anything?"
"Two-hundred years of human evolution." Mr. Feeny said.
"Cool." Cory said, before making his way over to his desk, and sat down.
Shawn leaned over his desk. "So, what's the deal?"
"It wasn't a mistake." Cory said with a frown. "I'm on second string."
"That sucks." Zoey stated, and Cory nodded in agreement.
"Hey, you too? Congratulation!" Minkus exclaimed. He got off his seat, approached Cory and shook his hand. "Did you tell your dad?"
"No, I happen to like my dad." Cory responded.
Then the bell rung. Everyone in the class gathered their books and headed off to the cafeteria.
••••
Next day at School, Shawn and Zoey walked into the cafeteria and saw Cory sitting at a table, alone. Zoey had heard that the team won, but Cory was benched for the entire game, which made him all mopey today at School. The two of them made their way over to him.
"Check it out." Shawn said, handing Cory a magazine. "I dug up this old edition of Sport Illustrated for you."
"I already know I'm not on the cover." Cory said with a frown.
"Lighten up." Shawn said as he opened the magazine. "There's an article in here on Great Sport Figures who sat on the bench before they got their big break."
"Really?" Cory asked, interested.
"Yeah." Shawn said, flicking to a page. "It's says that Steve Young... sat on the 49ers' bench for five years... before he became the starting quarterback."
"And then he won MVP." Zoey added, with a comforting smile.
Cory smiled. "Man, this is good news."
"I knew you'd like it." Shawn told him.
Cory flickered through the pages of magazines. "Wow, these are like major guys."
"And they all came back from the brink." Zoey added.
"If they could do it, you can do it." Shawn said.
Cory nodded. "Yeah! That will prove that I'm worth something."
"Maybe coach will put you in the game today." Zoey said, with an assuring smile.
"Maybe you'll score twenty points." Shawn said.
"Maybe then I'll be in the A-team permanently. I'm gonna be season MVP, I'm gonna be unstoppable!" Cory said as he ripped his shirt to reveal his basketball uniform underneath.
"Matthews." Coach called as he approached Cory. He noticed the uniform. "Why are you suited up? Second string doesn't go to the away games."
Coach than continued to walk by. Zoey looked up at Cory, and noticed a frown on his face before he slumped down into his chair.
"Don't worry, Cor. You'll be on the A-team soon." The brunette said, trying to cheer him up.
••••
Next day at School, Shawn and Zoey were walking through the halls, while Cory was telling them that he actually played as second string, and he couldn't stop smiling because he was so happy that he played.
The three of them were standing beside their lockers with Minkus, while Cory was telling them about Mr. Feeny's driving.
"I'm telling you, Feeny's a maniac behind the wheel." Cory stated, approaching his friends. "I don't know a Gremlin can go that fast."
Shawn scoffed. "No way. Feeny? The guys takes twenty minutes to peel an orange."
"Hey, I was in the car. He was clipping corners, driving on the sidewalk, catching air off speed bumps." Cory explained.
"Our Mr. Feeny burning rubber?" Minkus asked, crossing his arms over his stomach. "I think not."
"I think what we see in the classroom is just maybe the Clarke Kent side of Mr. Feeny." Cory suggested.
Zoey raised her eyebrows. "That's a pretty big statement there, Cor."
The four of them turned to see Mr. Feeny walking through the halls, wearing sunglasses, while Coach was walking behind him.
"I would've had you if that light hadn't turned yellow." Coach told Mr. Feeny.
Mt. Feeny placed on leather gloves on his hands. "Hey, you snooze, you loose."
Zoey's furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, as Mr. Feeny walked down the hall.
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PUBLISHED: December 31, 2017
WORDS: 1362