Dodgeball day

Ideas for Fiction, Exercise #1 Writing Fiction Step by Step by Josip Novakovich

All the children are lining up against the wall.  You can feel the excitement in the air.  The electricity of anticipation sends my heart into an erratic tempo.  It's dodgeball day.  

I hate dodgeball day.

I am fully aware that I will be picked close to last.  That's what happened last time.  Picked last and out first.  But my overbearing P.E. teacher, Mr. Bernard, has different plans.  

His bullhorn in hand, calves eternally flexed, he surveys the fidgeting children.  

"All right, it's time to pick the team captains."  He says as hands shoot up to my left and right.  He puts his hand to his chin, taking his time as most of the children jump up and down.  He makes comic gestures of indecision, sending the children into a frenzy.

"Team A will be headed by...drumroll please"  The children begin furiously stomping their feet as fast as they can.  This is a common routine in the class and none of the children have become tired of it.  He holds up his hand to silence the stomping feet.  "Thomas Kramer!" The girls cheer as the boys grumble.

I flush red.  Thomas Kramer is the love of my young life.  He is well liked by most of the girls in class but I feel that Thomas and I have something special.  He is one of the few people in class that is nice to me.  We used to exchange drawings when he sat behind me and he still smiles at me when we see each other on the playground.  We have a connection.  I know I won't be picked last this time.

Mr. Bernard seems to notice my reaction and looks at me with his head cocked, a smirk playing across his face.  I become even more flushed.  Am I really that obvious?  Thomas seems to be looking my direction as well.  He is grinning from ear to ear and I am completely dazzled.

"Team B will be headed by...drumroll please"  The stomping begins again.  This time more fervent than the last.  Mr. Bernard slices his hand through the air to silence the children.  "Sadie Roberts!"  Everyone groans.  I am mortified.  

I make my way next to Thomas.  He looks at me.  "It's too bad we're going up against each other!  I would have picked you first."  My heart leaps and I laugh.  He has to be lying.  

"I would have picked you too!"  I say a little too excitedly.  I am on cloud nine.  He puts up his hand for a high five and I slap his hand hard.  He holds my hand once they meet and we both jump up and down.  

We make our picks one by one.  I begin with the kids who are usually chosen last.  There's Richard, the kid that is known to burst into tears at the drop of a hat and Daniel the biggest kid in class followed by Georgette in the coke bottle glasses.  

He clearly has the better team.  Before we begin he looks at me and says "lets promise not to hit each other okay!"  I am quick to return the promise.

As the match begins I am filled with a new sense of purpose.  I dart to and fro, dodging balls and even catching them on occasion.  However, my noodle arms prevent me from making any good hits.  

The game is intense.  I am panting from the exertion.  Usually I am sitting on the sidelines by now.  Every other player on my team is out and they are cheering my name.  There are three people left on Thomas' team, including Thomas.  

I can see that Thomas has stopped trying to grab the ball and my heart lifts.  His team is yelling at him to play.

I catch one of the balls thrown at me and toss it at the remaining boy.  Two in one and my team is going nuts.  

Uh-oh.  It's just me and Thomas now.  I won't screw this up.  I walk towards the center of the court and look at him thinking we will revolutionize the sport of dodgeball by coming to the center and shaking hands.  

He picks up a ball that is bouncing past him.  Oh no.

I feel the sting of the red rubber ball hit my face full on.  My eyes begin to water from the pain of being hit in the nose and the tears continue from the pain of betrayal.  I see the delight in his eyes as his team cheers him on.  I run from the court.

I f*****g hate dodgeball.

Author's Note

This is the exercise this short story is based on:
"If you have experienced an unrequited love, write a scene in which your love is requited. But since there is no story if there is no major problem to be solved, imagine some new obstacle for the relationship. Perhaps the lover has recently accepted a new job in a city far away and you cannot afford to quit your job and move there, at least for now. But you know that if you try to sustain the relationship across many miles, you could lose her. Or perhaps the lover is a drug addict and will stay wit you only if you buy her drugs (and you hate drugs), but you can't imagine being without her." (Novakovich, p. 11-12).

Buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Fiction-Step-Josip-Novakovich/dp/1884910351/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349745860&sr=1-1&keywords=writing+fiction+step+by+step