Benchwarmer ✔️

Chapter 3

"Yes boys?" The coach answers promptly and a few of them sigh, others looking over at me. I walked slower wanting hear what they had to say. "Are you really going to let some immigrant on the team?" One asks and my eyes widen. "Terence!" The coach yells his name and I feel a bit better.

"Coach don't yell at him we're all thinking it" another steps in. "I already asked he was born in the US he is-" the coach gets cut off and I had realized I had stopped walking to listen. "Come on coach we are all thinking it none of us want him on the team" another's voice adds in and I sigh.

"But he's really good he could be an asset" I stop listening because I had started walking away again and got to my bag. Letting myself sit I slip off my cleats deciding I'll stretch at home.

"Luis! What did he say did you make the team!?" Anton comes running over from where he was with some of the others. I smile up to him but shake my head. "Nah just asked for my name and some other stuff" I shrugged and he does a little cheer.

"That's good! He's going to put your name on the roster!" Anton cheers and I look up hopeful. That might have been his plan but I doubt it anymore. He helps me up and ruffles my hair. "Are you getting picked up?" He asks and I nod. "You?" I ask the same question. "Nah I drive" he smiles proudly holding up the keys.

"We can walk up there together though" he nods towards the front parking lot and I look over worried. "You might not want to be seen with me" I give him a sad smile and he cocks his head to the side confused.

"The other guys weren't saying the nicest things I don't want them to hate you too" I continue and he rolls his eyes before putting his shades on. "I have two dads. One is black and the other mostly Native American. I don't care what anybody has to say" he shrugs and I nod as the both of us start to walk to the parking lot. The front door of the school opens and a whole bunch of girls race out bustling around and cheering. We stop and wait watching them.

To my surprise my sister was one of them. She was with a group of girls having the time of her life. I smiled seeing her so happy already. She eventually waved bye to them while pulling out her phone to text somebody.

When she looks up again and sees that everybody is gone she finally comes over to me. "Are you Josefina?" Anton asks waving to her she sends me a look for telling him and I shrink back looking to the floor.

"Please just call me Josie" she sighs shaking her head. "Oh okay. Josefina is a really cute name though" he nods unsure before redoing his bun. My sister watches him curiously before he takes a deep breath and pats my shoudler. "I'm gonna get going I'll see ya tomorrow" he smiles and I nod giving him a small wave.

He walks off the keys swinging around his finger. "So I did good at tryouts I think but they players didn't like me because-" she cuts me off now playing with her hair. "I decided to try out for the cheer team! I'm pretty sure I made the team me and some of the others girls are really good friends!" She cheers getting all giddy.

"Really!? That's great!" I get excited for her and she nods giving me a thumbs up. Our mother's van pulls up and I get into the front Josefina getting into the back with Javier who was immediately telling us about his day at school.

"How was your tryouts" mamá whispers to me so Javier would continue to talk. "Really good, the coach asked for my name and Anton says that's a good thing. He's my new friend" I tell her all I can in one go so she won't ask more questions.

"And you decided to stay for cheerleading tryouts? Was it good? Did you have fun?" She asks and Josefina looks up from her phone with a nod.

"Lots of fun Mami. I have tons of friends already." She sums it up as well before typing away on her phone.

"Did you make any friends Javier?" I ask turning back to reach for my little brothers hands. His eyes widen and he reaches forward grabbing mine. "Yeah! Yeah I did! I made fwend! His name is Danid?" He looks to mom for help and she chuckles.

"David" she corrects him and he nods. "David play with the squares wid me in fwee time!" He shouts and I nod squeezing his hand. He's so happy. So cute. I hope he never hates me.

I think Josefina use to like me but I don't think she does anymore. I can never tell but I'm scared to make her angrier. Some days we're best friends and other days she is ashamed of me. It didn't just start here either it's been that way forever.

Pulling into our driveway. I look around a little disappointed dad isn't home yet. He never comes home anymore.

I think mom thought the same because she sighed. She saw me looking and immediately smiled again. I shook my head and grabbed my bags pulling them out of the car with me.

Setting them on the ground I go to the other side and help Javier a little but he mostly got it himself as Josefina ran into the house yelling about picking an outfit for tomorrow.

"Gracias" mamá thanks me quickly before I go back to my bag and into the house. Immediately going to the basement where my room is. Closing the door I set my bags down and change, keeping the lights off.

I just sat on the bed trying to process the day. "I made a friend. That's more than you could have hoped for Luis so don't get upset. You did great. Who cares if your sister hates you. Who cares if your dad never comes home. A quién le importa if I didn't make the soccer team- who cares if everyone on that team hates me... I made a friend" I whisper to myself as the tears start to flood my face.

I take a deep breath and grab my phone that sat on the dresser. Moving it on the bed I looked at it hopping for some reason somebody would text me. I gave up immediately. Wiping my tears I stood up from the bed with a smile.

Be positive. If I work harder then I'll make the team I'll earn their respect and then they won't hate me. If I make friends with them I'll be popular! If I become popular Josefina will like me! It's a perfect plan. Mom will be proud of me and she'll be super happy. Dad will finally come to one of my games again.

I can't wait for him to get home! I'll tell him all about practice. Well the good parts of course. I'll tell him about Anton and my times for sprinting the field. He will be so impressed.

"Luis!!!" My baby brother shouts and I can hear him carefully running down the stairs. I wipe away the stray tears of negativity and throw on an even wider smiling opening the door for him.

"¿Qué?" I ask and he giggles clapping his hands. "Look! Look!" He jumps up and down before stopping to pull at the shirt he was wearing. I squat down and smile pulling at it a little.

"And who's is this?" I ask already knowing the answer. "It's yours! Yours!" He giggles standing proudly. "A little big on you" I point out seeing him in the red jersey.

"Mami says I'll go big and fit it! I be like you!" He giggles before he runs away yelling for 'sissy' I smiled wide again his cuteness already helping me so much. All negative energy is gone. I'm all good again. I don't even know why I got so upset it wasn't even that bad.

Turning my light on I get in about a half an hour of stretching before practicing a few tricks that were simple enough I just needed to perfect form. I kept a smile on my face because I knew it was going to be okay. I have a plan it can't possibly go wrong.

Father didn't come home for a bit and when he did I made sure I was the first one up there. "Hey papa!" I greeted him and he nodded towards me. "Hi..." he answers eventually walking towards his room. Javier heard his voice and came running out to hug him. "Papa!" He yells and papa sighs ruffling his hair before walking off again.

"I made a fwend! He- he- papa!" Javier chases after him and I slumped my shoulders. "Javier!" I call for my baby brother. My brother rounds the corner again looking back as if he was still waiting for him to come back.

"I go tell papa about Davnd- davi- fwend!" He shouts and I put a finger to my lips trying to quiet him.

"Can you just tell me about David instead?" I ask and he looks back toward the hall but nods. "Okie"