When all the lights came on, Brian felt like he was in a play. He guessed it would be called The Varsity Yearbook Picture or something. As he stood on the back row with the rest of the starters he could picture everything he said aloud written in a script. He supposed his character would be one of those seen at the bottom of the cast list with no particular name, like the last parts given out when his English teacher made them read Shakespeare aloud in class.

Newcomer: (quietly, with a touch of awe) Why doesn't the coach let us wear our uniforms in the yearbook picture? In these suits we might as well be the Math Club.

Danny Willis: (team star. He takes care to show how comfortable he is in his suit, as opposed to the fidgeting sophomore to his left. With a derisive chuckle) Aw man, don't you know anything? It's not the coach, it's the friggin' principal with her 'We will be Ladies and Gentlemen' crap.

Newcomer: (attempting a knowing smile) Oh yeah. No meathead jocks at this school. (He chuckles)

Danny: (fanning himself) No, they just want to fry our meat under these lights. Jesus, if I stand under here much longer, I’m going to be as dark as you. Or at least Cudaghy, huh? (with a playful nudge)

Newcomer: (weakly) Oh yeah, I guess it's pretty hot.

As Danny turned to share this bit of wit with Mike Beaudroux, Brian ran his finger around his collar, wondering why Troy and Yolanda were so psyched about the chance to be up under these lights for almost two hours. He tried to tell himself it was just the hot lights that were making him uncomfortable, but he knew Danny had done it to him again--put him on the spot by saying something Brian knew he should be mad at, but saying it in such a way that it would make Brian look like a jerk for standing up to himself. And he wouldn't let up, just before he turned back to Mike, Danny asked Brian about the varsity roster again. Brian mumbled a denial that slipped beneath the upperclassmens' laughter. The lights got hot again.

Brian had been hearing about that missing roster since the scrimmage. The varsity basketball team always scrimmaged in an open practice one afternoon the week before the first game.

In the past, it was a small affair, the spectators usually consisted of stragglers from club meetings held after school and one or two cheerleaders in street clothes. But since Danny had arrived two years ago, the event had grown from a scattered few to a crowd of regular fans, mostly Danny's and Mike's. It became a uniform day for the cheerleaders.

Anne had the junior varsity squad out in full force, standing in front of a group of sophomores that was mostly black. Maria Cierra waved from a middle bleacher.

By the first whistle it was apparent that word had gotten out about Brian and Richard. Whenever any of them did anything, the group in front of Anne and the JV squad yelled "C!" Anne made up a new cheer that day by bending over to the left while extending her arms over her head to make a lopsided C. Maria and her friends copied the gesture and they soon had their end of the bleachers standing up whenever Brian or Richard had the ball.

The rest of the scrimmage was a shouting match between the C contingent and hard-core Danny followers. Danny's fans had to resort to 'SENIORS!' when Anne and company continued to drown out their attempts to mock the new cheer by folding over into D's for their favorite player.

Since no real practice was getting done, Coach James let the players rearrange the teams, pitting Danny and the team's Seniors against a team led by Brian and Richard, much to the crowd's delight. The C group went wild, recruiting curious walk-ins, and doing a wave of sorts by standing up and making C's at various intervals.

The seniors grew adamant, staying on their feet. They shouted 'SENIORS!' during their side's offensive plays and screamed, 'Defense!'. The atmosphere was like a regular varsity game between heated rivals.

Over on the sidelines, Coach James stood with his arms folded and a grim expression. When he stopped the game in time for players and fans to catch late buses home, the Seniors were ahead by four points. The coach had to wait for the Danny side to subside to deliver his yearly speech about how all the players were on the same team, and that he hoped everyone would come out for the actual games. It was the speech he delivered every year--but his tone had a little more urgency. The warring factors came alive when the coach brought the teams' makeshift captains, Danny and Brian, in to shake hands and continued with their cheers until the team hit the showers.

Before the first practice, Richard had talked Brian into choosing a locker a few rows over from the other starters, closer to some wrestlers. Wrestling had the same season and practice days as basketball, so the two teams often shared the locker room. Apparently sophomores on the varsity team were not the unheard of innovation they were in basketball, so many of the wrestlers that had lockers by Brian and Richard were their age. Some of them had stayed after to see the scrimmage after their own practice and were congratulating Brianand Richard when Danny walked up, casually rubbing his wet hair.

"Hey guys, so this is where you're hiding," he said. Something in his tone and the way he barely nodded at the Sophomore wrestlers annoyed Brian.

"You guys JV?" Danny asked.

"No, varsity," said a friend of Richard's named Kevin.

"Ohhh..." Danny drew out the last syllable. "Well, we got a couple sophs this year too," he said. He actually winked at Brian.

"Yeah, we saw the game," Kevin said.

"You saw us get our butts kicked," Brian said.

"No, it was a good scrimmage," Danny said. He paused as Mike came over behind them.

"Yeah," Mike said with a look at Danny, "we sure did have a lot of people come out."

"Yeah, snagging the roster worked out for you man." Danny flipped his towel towards Brian.

"What?" said Brian.

"The roster. You know it's missing right?"

"Was that you?" laughed Richard.

Brian turned from his locker to face the snickering group around him.

"I didn't take the roster! I didn't even know it was missing," he answered, a little too emphatically perhaps, because everyone was taken aback. Danny lifted an eyebrow.

"You sure C? Sounding a little guilty there."

"What would I want with it?" Brian lowered his voice, trying to sound disgusted instead.

"I don't know, you tell us," Mike said.

"Aw shit man, I ain't take the damn thing," Brian said, turning back.

"Aw cool out man, he's just kidding," Richard said.

"C'mon C, I'm just messing with you. It was probably some of my friends anyway. Lighten up, rookie."

Brian turned around as Richard clapped him on the shoulders. Danny went back with Mike to their own lockers, having succeeded in making Brian look stupid again.

The photographer was still having problems with his equipment, the Varsity players were told to sit down and wait. Brian ended up next to Danny and Mike.

Danny was talking about his brother, Jay, who played Varsity ball two years ago. He had apparently risen to legend status in the minds of Danny and his friends for his social prowess, if not his playing.

"Yeah, so Jay sent me that Freshmeat list," Danny said. He opened his suit jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Mike.

Mike unfolded it. "Oh, is this that thing they're making the pledges do?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, they had to make it with every type on the list."

"Short girl, fat girl, tall girl, red-head.." Mike read. He laughed, "Butch?"

"Not a real one, just a girl that looks butch," Danny explained.

"I was getting ready to say, a real butch wouldn't let you touch her anyway. She'd probably kick your ass instead," Mike said.

"No lie," said Danny.

"So, they made it with all these types of girls?"

"No, I don't think they took it that far, they just have to kiss them or something." said Danny.

"Wait, so like, the frat guys don't want to go all the way with these girls, but they'll make a pledge do it?" Mike asked.

"Yeah man," Danny said with impatience, "that's what you do in a fraternity."

"Sounds stupid, I thought you joined a frat to bone sorority girls," Mike said.

"You do, this is just a test to get in," Danny said.

"Well, there are some hot red-heads. Do you know Julie Freeling?"

"Well yeah, but they mean like real pale carrot heads."

"And everyone has their idea of a butch," Mike said.

"You don't decide your own list; the brothers do," explained Danny.

"How do they prove you actually did it?" asked Mike.

Danny shrugged. "They trust you I guess, or make her sign something, I don't know. We should do this, it'd be cool."

Mike laughed and tossed the list back in Danny's lap. "Yeah right, like I'd trust you jerks. You'd pick out the biggest, sloppiest butch-lookin' girl and make me kiss her and then not do yours."

"Na-uh," protested Danny. "Besides, I'm not telling you to make it with anyone, I'm just showing it to you."

Brian shuffled in his seat, smothering a chuckle at Danny's weak retort. He agreed with Mike, the whole thing sounded dumb. Especially when he saw all the pretty girls that hung around Danny and his friends. If he were Mike he'd want to go after them too.

Out of the corner of his eye, Brian saw Danny turn slightly towards him. He had been hoping neither Danny nor Mike had noticed him listening. Not that he knew why he was listening anyway. Brian scanned a group of laughing players for Richard. When he caught his friend's eye he motioned for him to come over. Richard held up a finger, telling Brian to wait a second, and finished talking.

Danny folded up his list and put it in his pocket.

"Have you gotten to that slave revolt stuff American History yet?"

"Huh?" Mike said at this sudden change in the conversation.

"Yeah, that stuff about how those house slaves like listened to the white people and found out when they were going to be in the house alone, then told all the rest of the slaves?" Danny said.

"Oh yeah, what's that guy's name?" Mike snapped his fingers, trying to remember. "He lead that big one."

Nat Turner, Brian thought with rising anger. Unlike the last few incidents, Brian knew this was a direct insult at him. But now he was stuck, if he said something or walked off, Danny would know he had been listening. But the longer he sat there, the more Danny would keep trying to get a rise out of him. He tried to catch Richard's eye again.

Danny continued talking in a loud voice to Mike. "Yeah, the black slaves would like just sit there and act dumb until people ignored them, but like a lot of them could read and everything. They were just like spies."

Finally, Brian had had enough. Taking Danny's elbow, he said, "Are you calling me a slave?"

Danny looked down at his elbow. Brian let go. On Danny's other side, Mike shook his head and looked straight ahead.

Danny coolly took out a notebook with American History written on the cover.

"Not that I have to explain to you, but I was going to ask for his notes. Is that okay with you rookie? Can I use the word black without you getting in my face?"

"That's crap, you just started that because I was sitting here." Brian knew he was setting himself up. However, he decided it was better to say something than to just walk away with the tight feeling he had in his chest.

Mike asked the inevitable. "How would you know what he was talking about if you weren't listening?"

"Exactly," said Danny.

"You know you said the last part loud just so I would hear," Brian answered. It was a weak argument, but it was all he had.

"Hey, what's up Co?" Richard had left his group and walked up to them.

Danny said back and folded his hands as if he was bored with the whole conversation. "Don't wet your panties Coppenhagen, I was just trying to prove you were listening to us." To Mike he said, "Rookie thinks he Martin Luther King."

Mike snickered.

"Hey Brian, did you want to talk to me?" Richard asked, tugging at his friend's jacket.

Brian stood. "You're an asshole, Danny."

"You're an asshole, Danny," the older boy repeated in a child's voice. "Oh yeah, letting sophomores on as starters, great idea."

"C'mon man," Richard said, pulling Brian away.