Chapter 17: Don't Lose It

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Practice is after school, from three to five-thirty on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Games are also on Fridays. After the bell rings, I change into my uniform. For practice, we start off with a full-body workout for the first thirty minutes, practice some drills for an hour and then play scrimmages. "How are you?" asks Chase. "I'm good." I say, even though all I want right now is Taco Bell, and a warm bubble bath.

I come home, dripping with sweat. I go to my bathroom, fill the tub up almost all the way and pour in some bath salts. Then I get in. The warm water relaxes every muscle in my body. I must have been in there for ten minutes. I let out the water and get out. Then I change into tights and a T-shirt. I ask Luke to drive me to Taco Bell. I order a chicken burrito and nacho fries. As the lady at the counter brings me my order, she pats me on the head. The gesture disgusts me. Patting me on the head may have been okay when I was eleven, but it's disrespectful now that I'm sixteen. I pay, but I don't leave any tip.

Why do people think short girls are "cute" because of their size? And when they say "cute" they're treating us like petite baby dolls? Is that really what the other boys on the team think of me? That I'm a petite baby doll. I head outside to the car. "Wow," says Luke as I slide into the passenger seat. "You look angry. What happened?" I sigh. "The lady who gave me my order, she patted me on the head. Like I'm eleven or twelve years old." "Height discrimination." Luke sighs. "Super tall girls, like girls above five foot six get made fun of. Short boys and girls also get discriminated too. But it doesn't matter. Why let something as stupid as your height stop you from living to the fullest?"

"You know, I like new Christina." Luke adds. "New Christina?" I say. "You know." Luke replies. "Shoot-your-shot Christina, not-scared-of-anything Christina. You've been way more confident ever since you made the team. Don't lose it." "You're right." I say. "I won't lose it."

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