A Brighter Tomorrow: My Journey with Julie

I decide there’s no point in calling the foul. If we’re going to win, we’re going to win fair and square.

The play starts, and Stinger wastes no time grabbing the ball. He inbounds to T.J. and makes a fast break for the other end of the court. Stinger breaks free near the far basket, and I can’t catch up in time. T.J. throws to him, and Stinger makes an easy lay up. The boys win.

They jump up and down, whooping and hollering. I want to scream. I’m mad at myself for not calling the foul! Stinger played dirty, and as a result, his team won. I look at Julie, expecting her to be as upset as me. But she’s smiling along with the boys and slapping them on their backs.

As we head out of the park and back to Julie’s house to make the sandwiches, Julie notices me dragging my feet. She asks if I’m okay and I tell her that the girls should have won. I feel like it’s my fault. Julie shakes her head.

We all played a great game. And we were a good team.

Tracy points out that we may not have reached thirty-five points first, but we were so close. We showed them what girls can do. We’ll get them next time.

I realize Julie is right. What Stinger did was unfair, but it was no worse than the trick I pulled with the shoelace. If I’d called the foul and made my free throws, I’d have to live with knowing we didn’t really earn the win. The real point of the game was proving girls are just as competitive as boys, and we definitely won that. Even Stinger can’t deny it.

Back at the apartment, the three of us make some awesome sub sandwiches. We laughed and joke the whole time. We throw in a few for us, too. I tell them that they can go ahead, but I should be getting home. I tell them to make an extra large sandwich for Stinger and tell him it’s from me. A big head like his requires a big sandwich.

It seems odd to go outside, knowing the mood ring will take me back inside my bedroom. But before I slip it off, I take one last look around, admiring the purple and turquoise house, the brightly painted van, and the fun-loving feeling of being in San Francisco, whether in the 1970s or today. Suddenly, this city feels like home.