A Brighter Tomorrow: My Journey with Julie

Stinger urges me to pass him the ball. But I realize I’m not going to give him that satisfaction. I jump to try for the two points, but Tracy is quicker and taller and blocks my shot. Stinger shoots me a disgusted look. He says that he was right here. I’m just as mad, so I let him have it. I ask him why I should pass to him when he doesn’t pass to me. Julie steps in and says that we’re behind. If we don’t do something fast, we’re going to lose. I know Julie’s right so I take a few deep breaths to calm down.

But the next time Stinger gets the ball, and the next, and the next, he still only passes to T.J. I’m so frustrated that I can feel the heat rising in my chest. Julie has the ball, and she tries to bounce to me, but it deflects off Tracy’s hand and bounces in between Stinger and me. We lock eyes and both dive for the ball. We slam into each other and end up in a tangled mess on the ground.

Mike grabs the ball and runs in for an easy two points. T.J. yells at us. We’re on the same team. What are we doing? Stinger gives me a dirty look, and I give it back. The game continues, but it feels as if there are two different games going on: Tracy and Mike versus Julie and T.J., and me versus Stinger.

When the game ends, our team has lost and I’m angrier than ever. I tell Stinger that it’s all his fault. Julie glances at me hesitantly and looks down and doesn’t say a word. T.J. says that I wasn’t playing fair either. Both me and Stinger were trying so hard to keep the ball away from each other that we forgot about the rest of the team. I ask him what he means. Stinger interrupts and says that he just wanted to win. And he could have if he didn’t have to play with the girls. I shout at him. We lost because he is a ball hog. He tells me not to get my ponytail in a twist. Girls are always blaming someone else.

I look at Julie, who’s shaking her head. She says that maybe it’s true. Maybe girls and boys can’t play together.

My breath catches in my throat. I forgot what this game was really about. I challenged the teenagers to a game so Julie would get the chance to prove to Stinger and herself that she deserves a spot on the basketball team. Instead, I focused on giving Stinger a taste of his own medicine and lost the game for my team in the process.

I tell Julie that’s not true. Boys and girls can play together. I mean, Tracy and Mike did well. They were a good team. I scan her face for a sign of hope, but she looks completely dejected. I turn to the boys and ask them to back me up. Stinger crosses his arms across his chest, but when he sees the look in T.J.’s eyes, he softens. He says that I’m right. Me and him just got carried away. I tell Julie that our team didn’t lose the game. Stinger and I did. We’re all silent for a moment, then Stinger says that he’s sorry, too. He says Julie is a solid player, and she would be a good Jaguar.

Stinger’s words hang in the air for a moment. Julie and T.J. look at each other because they can’t believe what they just heard. Stinger blushes and changes the subject. He looks me in the eyes and snatches the ball from Julie and bounces it to me. He asks me to show them the Hula Hoop move again.

I show off, and then Stinger tries it, then Julie and T.J. After a few minutes, even Tracy and Mike are spinning and twirling around the court trying to copy my move. Julie catches my eye, and I see the sparkle back in it. I’m so glad I decided to say what I did about why we lost the game. It feels so much better to be laughing and working together than pulling in opposite directions.

Finally, Julie makes my move and the ball swishes through the basket. I catch it as it falls and toss it to Stinger. I tell Julie that it’s time for me to go, but I bet that she’ll be teaching the Hula Hoop to the rest of the Jaguar team soon. She grins and gives me a hug, then turns and darts playfully after Stinger and the ball. That’s the last image I see of her as I leave the park. Finding a hidden spot between some bushes I quickly slip off the mood ring, and before I know it, I am back home.