Hayes, 1

Baylee Hayes
Mrs. Rutan
AP Literature and Composition
12 December 2013

Boys, Balls, and Bad Karma
Class D State Championship Game:
St. Phillip Tigers vs. Waterford Lakers

I walked into the doors and I could feel it. The excitement, the butterflies, the good lucks and the
volleyball moms who were just as nervous as their daughters warming up on the court below. The music blared
loud enough to drown my jealousness of the girls who got to play there that morning and I was thankful. I wanted
to be playing that morning. I wanted to wake up at an unimaginable hour to put my jersey on. I wanted to be full of
giggles and anticipation as I walked in with my oversized bag, over packed and stained with the smell of sweat and
kneepads that not even the Lord himself could take away. It was supposed to be usHarper Creek Volleyballbut
instead, we were signed up to suffocate the teams lucky enough to be there, handing them volleyballs when they
needed them and chasing down the ones that ran astray. Harper Creek was not playing at the Kellogg Arena that
day, they were helping out the teams who were.
Hi Baylee
Ew.
Somebody from St. Phil tried to get my attention, but I pretended I didnt hear her.
How embarrassing to be picking up volleyballs for another team, and a team that I knew?
It was a constant reminder of how we werent good enough to play at the State Championship Game. A
slap in the face every time I bent down to retrieve yet another brand new blue and white ball that were probably
bought just for this game.
One slap in the face Two slaps in the face Three slaps in the face
As warm ups finished we argued over what girl would go in what corner.
Harper Creek!
Hayes, 2

I turned. Looked. I was the only one to notice the old man calling for us.
HARPER CREEK VOLLEYBALL GIRLS!
Somebody else notice him besides me
GIRLS?!
Eye contact.
Seriously? Now I have to go
I tried to convince myself to rush over and cater to this elderly mans needs but my body didnt agree. He
couldve done whatever he needed himself, he was perfectly capable. He was that fit old man whos called an old
man but you can tell that he still wakes up at 5:00 AM every morning and runs five miles before the sunrise.
Baylee? Someone called from the distance.
Can you wheel these ball carts to the back? The old man shoved two carts full of balls in my direction.
Baylees back you guys!
I was trying to pay attention to what this old guy was saying so badly, I really was; however, the student
section started singing an angsty rendition of Eminems, Without Me.
Guess whos back, back, back? Back again, gain, gain! Baylees back, back, back Tell a friend!
Clever.
Then it clicked, this student sections wasnt the St. Phil student sections that I assumed it wasit was
their opponent, the Waterford Lakers and their student section was full of raging testosterone.
Boys.
Cute boys.
Tall boys.
Short boys.
Not-so-cute boys.
Boys with long hair.
Boys with freckles.
Boys with bright blue eyes.
Ginger boys.
Hayes, 3

Boys with curly hair.
Boys.
Boys that I barely recognized, but I knew. Boys who Ive seen before. Boys who were at the first game I
had to chase balls around at.
Boys.
~Flashback to Three Days Earlier~
Class D State Semi-Finals
Waterford Lakers vs. Leland Comets

I sat there and the only good thing about it was I was getting to skip school. I sat there, in the dusty corner
that the custodian pushed all the dirt to with two volleyballs in my hands waiting until I could finally be of use to
someone.
Lakers servedace and the ball went flying.
OMG this is it, my time to shine!
#2 from the Lakers turns towards me, and we make eye contact.
I bounced the brand new volleyball one time on the ground like I had been instructed to do ant it
perfectly ends up in her hands. I beam and wait for a thank you that never comes.
Ok, rude.
YEAH BALL GIRL! With a violent turn of my head, I turn to investigate.
Boys.
Immediately my face burned and I could feel the red pour into my cheeks. The entire Waterford student
section was looking at me with big eyes and wide smiles. Through the laughter and whispers I suddenly became
insecure.
Was there something in my hair? Did I do something wrong?
I locked eyes with a tall scrawny boy in the front dressed in a Hawaiian shirt with his natural red hair
matching the color of the lei around his neck.
Whats your name? The words spilled out from his hands that were cupped around his mouth.
Is it Nicole?
Hayes, 4

I shook my head no.
Taylor?
Nope.
Sydney?
No.
This agonizing game of Guess Who lasts until this goofy looking kid in a fishermans garb leans over the
rail surrounding the perimeter of the court. His face was almost as red of mine, and I could tell he involuntarily was
the one kicked out of the bleachers.
Ok, so what actually is your name?
My cheeks flush even more, which I didnt think was humanly possible. Quickly, I scan arounf making sure
that the old man in charge wasnt looking because my full attention wasnt on the game. When the coast was
clear, I reluctantly muttered, Baylee.
~Back to the Slim Shady Redition~
OMG! They remembered. I didnt notice at first but the Waterford student section was packed with the
same faces from three days earlier and they remembered me.
Ok, so before you think Im crazy obsessed, let me elaborate on what my emotions are doing right now. I
have no intention on talking to any of these boys ever againit just feels good to know that people want to talk to
you based on your looks and soley that. Its basically the biggest confidence booster EVER!
Crap, ok where was I?
Oh yeah Ball carts.
The two teams were lined up facing the American flag and the announcer started to speak, except I
couldnt hear her over the mob of blue and black calling my name.
Hurry you idiot! The National Anthem is about to start! Ok, not that fast youre going to embarrass
yourself.
Announcer: Please stand honoring our country
Boys: BAYLEE!
Announcer: gentleman remove your caps
Hayes, 5

Boys: BALL GIRLLLL!!
Seriously shut up, people are staring!
I turn to look at the bleachers jam-packed with school spirited teens, flip my hair, and throw a smile at
their direction.
Did I really just flip my hair? I am so basic
And at that exact moment, along with my confidence and stomach the ball carts fell to the ground
emptying all of its contents on the floor.
There was a split second of silence. And then laughter, then whispers, and finally stares. Every single
person in the Kellogg Arena was gawking at me as the balls mocked me and rolled in every direction.
MOVE YOU IDIOT! PICK THEM UP! What are you doing? Dont just stand there. Please just dont stand
there.
But I did. My face turned the color of the stripes on the flag everyone was supposed to be looking at, but
instead they watched a red-faced teenage girl stand amongst empty ball carts and volleyballs that graced her feet.
I wanted to run away into the bathroom and lock myself in a stall. I wanted to shrink away until I was just
a memory and people didnt remember what I just did. I wanted to bend down and clean up the mess I just made,
but I didnt. Instead, I stood there, with my face burning while everyone watched.
BEND DOWN!
MOVE!
CMON YOU IDIOT!
Embarrassment welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheek and a brave soul called out from
Waterfords student section.
Good one ball girl!
Thats what I needed. A random stranger to bring me back to reality and when he did I violently scrambled
to chase down volleyballs. Pity filled referees and spectators were nearby and spectators nearby as they watched
me make a fool of myself, desperately throwing myself on the floor so stupid brand new volleyballs didnt go onto
the court until finally a few helped me refill the carts. Seconds felt like days placed every single ball back into the
carts in which they came and tried to carry the carts off once more.
Hayes, 6

The old man who gave me the job watched all of this happen. Full of embarrassment and rage he stormed
over to my side and revoked my job he gave me in the first place.
Here, Ill just do it!
He ripped the ball carts out of my hands and effortlessly placed the ball carts exactly where he wanted
them.
A R E Y O U K I D D I N G M E ! ? ! !
You couldnt have just done it yourself? Stupid, stupid, stupid old man. Did I make you look bad? Are you
embarrassed? Were my ball cart rolling skills not good enough for you? SCREW YOU!
I sunk into a hard metal chair that felt cool against my burning skin. I could finally start to feel eyes leave
my direction and once I finally thought everyone was watching the players get introduced, I took a deep breath.
I just made a fool of myself, all for what? So a couple of boys thought I was cute? So they would smile at
me? My self-esteem was a roller-coaster because of them and I hated every single one of them for it.
Stupid boys.
Stupid cute boys.
Stupid tall boys.
Stupid short boys.
Stupid not-so-cute boys.
Stupid boys with long hair.
Stupid boys with freckles.
Stupid boys with bright blue eyes.
Stupid ginger boys.
Stupid boys with curly hair.
Stupid Boys.

Boys are a waste of time.