playing for the other team (bxb)

[1] how to tick off a fragile southern boy

I think that the majority of people regret the decisions that they during high school. Because, really, if nothing else, high schoolers are stupid.

A lot of people look back on their high school experience and the thing that they regret the most is not getting involved enough. They say that they wish that they could've done more things, gotten to know more people, perhaps even made more of a name for themselves around the school.

For Jamie, things were the complete opposite. It was the "getting involved" that led to everything going to shit for him. Everyone knows everyone in a small town like this but there were certain people who were more well known than others. Everyone knew Jamie. He was one of the best players on the football team, and if that didn't make him stand out enough, he was one of the only black kids at our school. So when things went bad, there was no way that any of it would've gone unnoticed.

This big name of his came from being one of the best players on the football team. Jamie and I had both gotten put on the football team during our freshman year. It had never been something that either of us cared too greatly for but we were both decent at the sport and in a town as small as ours, the team was desperate to get more players. I'm in a graduating class of forty-which means that there's only (at most) twenty five guys who can play at this level. For a football team, that really doesn't give you that many options to pick from.

Jamie had never been too entirely passionate about the sport but it was something that he certainly had a gift for. For this reason, everyone knew who Jamie Wright was.

For a while, it was a good thing for him to be so known. For the most part, people liked Jamie. Even if they had an issue with him, they tended to keep their mouths shut. Jamie himself wasn't threatening in any way-in fact, he might just be the least threatening person that I know-but the rest of the guys on the football team would get defensive if someone shit-talked Jamie. The team was cliquey like that. They all collectively would like or hate someone, and it seemed that they all liked Jamie. So, for this reason, I had been quite confused about the scene that I walked in on during one rather unfortunate day (that would lead to many more unfortunate days) during what was our sophomore year.

On this particular day, I remember that I had to stay after practice to talk to the coach. I forget what specifically I had to see him about but I recall this particular detail because it meant that by the time that I got to the locker room, it was almost completely empty.

I didn't see anyone at first but I could hear something: loud crashing and booming voices seemed to fill the room.

"Get the fuck off of me!"

The voice was familiar but the tone was not. I recognized Jamie's voice right off the bat but he was speaking in a way that I'd never heard from him before. He spoke not only with anger but fear as well-and that shocked me. Jamie wasn't the type to shout. Even when he was angry, he handled things in a way that was far more subtle and civil than it was angry and confrontational.

I don't even remember choosing to investigate. All I remember is my feet forcing me over there. I rushed over to see what was going on and the scene that I witnessed was something that wouldn't be leaving my brain for a very, very long time.

Jamie Wright was down on the ground, still being relentlessly beaten up by our two teammates.

The scene in front of me was as confusing as it was horrific. The two people that were beating Jamie up were John Ostrowski and another boy named Ethan Thompson. Both people were friends with Jamie so I couldn't understand what I was seeing or why either one of them would have a bone to pick with Jamie of all people. None of it made any sense.