Do not blame people for disappointing you, blame your self for expecting too much from them.
Unknown
I was reading the biography of Don Haskins, one of my favorite basketball coaches of all time when my father came into my room after knocking once on my door. I glanced up from my book. I could tell it was going to be a serious talk, so I put my bookmark between the pages and took my ear buds out of my ears.
"What did I do this time?" I asked as I sat up fully, giving my dad my fullest attention.
"It's not what you did. It's what you're going to do," he answered coming over to sit on the bed at my feet. I didn't say anything, just waited for him to continue. "I did some digging on Jason. Turns out he's been missing for fourteen years. I got a hold of his parents, but they're in Africa at the moment. I talked them into allowing us to take care of him until they can come back. I enrolled him into your school come Monday. I figure it'll be nice if you can show him the ropes, help him out."
I nodded, "Yes, of course." I liked Jason; he was a good guy. I didn't mind helping him out. I just knew not to expect anything in return from him. "He'll have to come to school with me early, but I don't think he'll mind," I commented.
"How is therapy going?" my father asked.
“I’m gonna be ready for the season in a few weeks, Dad. I’m even teaching Jason. We’re getting along great,” I replied nonchalantly. I didn’t want to talk about the therapy session earlier today. Although, I doubted my mother had talked to him about it. They usually forgot about everything that regarded me.
Nothing I wasn’t used to, though. If they left me alone, I seemed to be better off. Didn’t have to worry about disappointing them or of them disappointing me. We usually went our separate ways, and that was okay. I was used to being alone. I liked it that way.
~.~.~.~.~.~.
Sunday passed by quickly and was spent teaching Jason more fundamentals about basketball. I also took him shopping for school supplies, and my father had given me some money to buy him clothes. Even if I didn’t have many friends nor was popular, Jason might have the chance to be so. He was certainly beginning to look presentable.
As he stepped out of the fitting room in a Tshirt that actually fit him with khaki shorts, I realized how attractive he could actually be. I just needed to work with him on his speech. The stutter would need to go for him to make any friends at all; I didn’t want them to make fun of him and tease him for something he couldn’t really help.
Bullies were prominent in every school, but sometimes I felt like my school was riddled with them. No matter what I did, what I said, who I hung out with, who I pretended to be, they would always remind me who I really was and where I belonged.
I was a nobody who was going nowhere in life.
~.~.~.~.~.~
Monday approached more quickly than I would have liked, but wasn’t that how everyone felt? I was up bright and early, grabbing an apple off the kitchen counter and was ready to head out the door when I remembered I was supposed to be bringing Jason with me today. Turning, I raced back upstairs to his room and knocked before opening it. Last night, I had forgotten to go over the schedule I followed with him.
I shook his shoulder gently, and he pushed away from me oddly. I faintly wondered if that was a knee jerk reaction from whatever lab he had been placed in for fourteen years. I wondered what tests they had put him through. But, I guess we’d find that out in a few days after his appointment after school tomorrow.
“Jason, time for school. Get dressed. I need to get going,” I told him. I went over to his dresser and pulled out an outfit from the clothes we had gotten yesterday and shoved them into a duffle bag. When I noticed he didn’t move from his perch on his bed, I pointed at the bathroom. He trudged inside and did the usual morning routine while I set out a pair of shorts and a tank top he could practice in.
Ten minutes later, Jason was dressed and ready for school. It was interesting to me how he looked like he could fit in so easily. The girls at my school would love him, the boys would accept him. He’d get in one day what I had strived for all of my life.
Acceptance.
Practice went well, and after I explained how he could shower and get dressed in the outfit I had packed for him, Jason emerged from the boys locker room clean and ready to take on the day. He looked out of his element. “Even if no one else likes you, you have me,” I assured him. I didn’t want to give him false hope or expectations that would be crushed later.
“R-Right,” he nodded and took in all the kids milling about the halls, pushing and shoving their way to class. “W-Where is our c-class?”
“We need to get to the office and ask for your schedule. Hopefully, it’s with me,” I answered and started down the hall leading him to the office. I zig zagged through the maze of students expertly. It took Jason a bit longer to catch up, though.
The secretary was very helpful and handed over his schedule without incident. Looking it over, I told Jason, “You have first period, fourth period, lunch, sixth, and your last class with me. So, a good amount. Good. Let’s head to first period.”
“W-What’s first p-period?” he asked following me into the classroom.
I headed to my seat in the back of the class. I pulled over an extra chair for Jason to sit. “Biology. We’re dissecting cats right now.”
