I want to thank Kelev and Cody the Pikachu for their reviews last chapter. After what I felt were slower chapters to put some building blocks in place, this chapter will really put some things in motion. You'll see Milo start confronting his issues more head-on, both with the bullying, his conflicted feelings with his parents, and his interactions with the orphans and Sean. There are a lot of issues in play, so let's see where we can take this.
Nintendo owns Super Smash Bros. I own Milo Sullivan, his parents, his friends, and all other OC's in this story.
After a week of two uneventful preseason games where the team split their squad to play against other similar split-squad school teams, Milo was relieved to hear that he made the final cuts. While his hitting could still use some work, the coaches were convinced that he had enough speed and played good enough defense to warrant a position. "Right now, I'll most likely be used as a defensive replacement in late innings, when we're playing with the lead," he informed his fellow orphans at their usual lunch table.
Luckily for Milo, some of the hazing activities towards him also subsided. Milo guessed that the varsity team was busy with their practices and didn't have time for the junior varsity team, which gave him some reprieve. "At least they're not bullying us like crazy right now, so any break I get from them is a good thing," Milo added.
"Just because they're giving us a break doesn't mean they won't stop being so incredibly obnoxious," Haley spat, glaring at the tables in the centre of the cafeteria. To no one's surprise, the varsity captains in question were yacking it up like there was no tomorrow. There were a couple of cheerleaders swooning at Ralph the soccer captain, while Mick the baseball captain was in a food-stuffing match of sorts with the basketball captain. "If there's something more disgusting than what's going on there, then I haven't seen it yet," Haley commented.
"Come on, Haley," Scott chimed in with a grin, "Let them do whatever they want. It's the least that can happen with the big people of campus, right?" Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Scott leaned back and seemingly enjoyed the scene, almost like he had already forgotten what they did to him last week. How could he take such a nonchalant approach towards this?
Mark definitely caught on and chided his brother for it. "So just because they're the big people on campus, it means they can humiliate others and haze their younger teammates to the point of no return?" he retorted, crossing his arms and glaring at Scott, "I hardly call dumping you headfirst into the garbage appropriate. If I were you, I'd stay away from those guys."
"Guys, there's no use dwelling on it," Milo stated, trying to keep the peace between the two brothers, "When your own counsellor isn't willing to take action, then you know you're in a tough spot. Let's just try and find another way, okay?"
"What other way is there when you can't even trust your own counsellor to help you?" Haley snapped back. Milo told everyone his attempt to get Felton to help, only to be rebuffed by the counsellor who was more interested in keeping good relations with the athletics department. "Is there even anyone you can trust right now who you can turn to for help?"
"There's the student body president. She's the older sister of the ball boy, remember?" Milo suggested. He did have a word with Cassandra after his meeting with Felton, finding the student body president trustworthy and reliable enough to help him. "I told Sean I wanted to talk to him today to see if we can come up with something. I just have to convince him that this is serious and it should work out. Just trust me on this, okay?"
"Milo, I find it hard to trust anyone when the school itself is part of the toxic culture," Mark replied, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose, "I mean, I've heard of people who get caught up in the excitement and not actually wanting anyone to get hurt. We were kind of in the same situation when we were in the street gang, so we shouldn't be pointing fingers. But at least we got out of it and started cleaning up the toxic culture. With these jocks, not only do they not see this as a problem, they seem to enjoy every minute of it. They're not just into the toxic culture, they've become the problem itself! How can you say you're okay with it?"
Before Milo could respond, another freshman approached their table. "Hey Milo, sorry I was late. I kind of caused a spill in the food aisle of the cafeteria and when I helped them clean it up I ended up running into the drinks station," Sean stammered, rubbing the back of his head and showing off a goofy grin, "They just got everything cleaned up in there."
"And why am I not surprised you're behind the messes?" Haley muttered, palming her face and shaking her head. Sean's accident-prone reputation was beyond belief, to the point where some people wondered if the accidents he caused were even remotely possible. "Anyway, you're friends with Milo through the baseball team, right? How are things going over there?"
"Oh, it's fine," Sean responded with a wave of the hand, "The final rosters are set, and I just have to figure out how to juggle between practices. From what I heard, the varsity team wants me to be their ball boy at games, and that they take priority over junior varsity. Unless something changes, I think that's where I'll focus on for preparing their games."
All four orphans glanced at each other, knowing full well what this meant. "Uh, Sean, have you ever thought that perhaps the reason the varsity team is doing this is because they want to boss you around, not because they like you?" Mark suggested, tilting one eyebrow at the ball boy, "They just want someone to be there to act like their caddy, and that happens to be you."
"Guys, don't say that," Milo interjected, waving his fingerless-gloved hands at his friends. Turning to Sean, he announced why he brought the fellow freshman here. "Sean, I'm wondering if you can get Cassandra to help us with a couple of things. First, do you think she can let us talk to her about the hazing incidents and the thing that happened with Scott? That way, it doesn't look like we're purposely trying to get the varsity guys in trouble, but at least someone will know what's going on to give them a warning. Do you think she'll let us do that?"
Sean winced, the wide grin disappearing in a matter of seconds. "Milo, you know why I'm not sure about that idea," he stuttered, twiddling his thumbs nervously, "If word gets out that I got my sister involved, everyone will think I'm a suck-up to her."
"But we're not saying you should get involved. We're just saying let us get involved so we can tell her," Milo clarified, his hands gesturing animatedly, "Besides, we're not even sure if we want to take full action yet. This is just a case where we tell her about it so she can look out for us, not where we want to get those idiots in trouble. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Sean tilted his head back and forth, his cheeks now creasing in various ways. "I hear you and I get your point, but I'm just not sure right now," Sean replied. Even if no one got in trouble for their actions, word would still get out about this, which would then cause the jocks to point the finger right back at Sean. "I'll talk to her, but no guarantees, okay?"
"Look, you're a victim too, with the way those guys pick on you when you're setting up the field for them," Mark pointed out, "You're not going to be part of them because you're cool. They only put up with you because they don't want to offend your sister, who can probably do a lot of damage to them. If anything, I think they'll haze and bully you the same way they do to the junior varsity teams. Why can't you get that through your thick head?"
"Hey, relax," Scott chimed in, throwing his arm around Sean this time, "Just trust Sean to do the job for us, okay? It can't be that bad, given how those varsity guys pretty much leave us alone now. Besides, if you insult Sean, how can you get him to do us the second favour?"
Sean glanced over at the group again, prompting Milo to give Sean the rundown on their concert event. He informed Sean that the orphans still volunteered regularly at the orphanage they used to be in before they were adopted. They wanted to give back to by hosting a concert night there, but had relatively little luck getting the school band or any clubs to help them. "Can you tell Cassandra about this to see if she'll do anything to help?" Milo requested.
"That's probably easier to do than telling on the jocks, so I'll give that a try," Sean answered, the grin finally returning to his face, "I've never seen an orphanage before, so it sounds really interesting. If you want my help, I'll see if I can get involved too."
"The good news is that Milo made the baseball team, even though his role is mainly as a defensive replacement," Yoshi reported to his friends at the Smash Mansion. It was a sunny spring day, and most of the Smashers chose to spend it outside. Yoshi sat under a large tree with his two good friends Kirby and Pikachu, who inquired about Milo's situation. After following Yoshi to Milo's school, many Smashers were still concerned about Yoshi's cousin.
"So what's the bad news?" Kirby asked, hungrily chomping into an apple, "Don't tell me those bullies are still picking on Milo. Did Milo do anything about those guys?"
Yoshi's eyes waved before tilting to the grass. "Milo doesn't really want me to release too much info on that. He wants to solve it on his own, and I'm willing to respect his wishes," Yoshi responded, "All I'll say is that he promised me he'll talk to someone he trusts, and he's not having too much success so far. The only thing we can do right now is keep supporting him."
"Who was the person that Milo went to that he claimed he could trust, but then it didn't work out?" Pikachu wondered, giving the back of his ears a scratch with his hind leg, "Is it a staff member of the school? Shouldn't the school have known about this in the first place?"
"They should, and that's why I'm concerned about this," Yoshi explained, wrapping his arms around his knees, "I feel like the school isn't taking this as seriously as they should. It's like they're turning a blind eye to everything that's happened. That, or the school only pays this issue lip service, like what happened when Uncle Brendan and Aunt Ashley cornered the athletic director on the first day. Unless we can get someone in that school to realize that there's a huge problem with bullying and hazing, Milo is pretty much on his own."
The ever-happy Kirby immediately lost his insatiable appetite, doing nothing more than rolling the half-eaten apple around. "This is no different than what Milo had to go through when he was in the sewers. Heck, it might even be worse," he murmured. There was no reason that a school filled with children from middle-class families should subject any student to such abuse and harassment. Why was there such a huge problem now?
"What about legal options?" Pikachu suggested, "I remember you wanting to look at some legal options for Milo. What are the results from your research?"
Yoshi nodded before proceeding to describe what he discovered. A civil lawsuit was only possible if there was some evidence of an actionable cause, such as uttering threats or defamation via written or published messages. Criminal charges were even less likely, given there must be some discernable physical injury to the victim. "The only one that came even close was Scott, who was thrown into the garbage can. So unless Milo can convince Scott to press charges against those jerks, we won't be seeing any cops at the school," Yoshi concluded.
"Wait, Yoshi," Kirby interrupted, raising the limb holding the remains of his apple, "I know your uncle is friends with a police sergeant. They used to play baseball together before they both retired, and then the friend joined the police force. Have you asked the sergeant?"
"Oh, you mean Jack Riley," Yoshi pointed out. Jack Riley was Brendan's former baseball teammate and still close friend. When they retired, Brendan opened a grocery store while Jack joined the police force, positions that both individuals still held today. "I'll have to talk to Uncle Brendan about that, but Jack is definitely a resource for Milo."
"In that case, I think you should talk to Brendan about this and see if he can get Jack to talk to Milo," Pikachu proposed, shifting his position to lie on his stomach, "If you can get Milo to hear Jack out, then at least he knows there's another way out for him. I know Milo wants to solve it on his own, but he should at least have a contingency plan if things don't work out."
"For sure," Yoshi responded with gratitude, "I think Milo is approaching this the same way he approached the other orphans back when we first met him. Do you remember what he said when we asked him why he wanted to go back to the sewers even though it was dangerous? He said he wanted to give the orphans another chance, all because I gave him another chance. He took advantage of the chance I gave him to better himself, and he wants to orphans to do the same thing. I think Milo believes he can use the same approach to convince the varsity guys to stop hazing and reach out to the others." Yoshi truly admired Milo's idealism and tenacity, as those traits got Milo to where he was today.
"Let's move on for a second," Kirby chimed in, snapping Yoshi back to attention, "I know Milo and his buddies want to host that concert at the orphanage, and you said you wanted us to help him. Have you done any planning on that, and what can we do to help?"
"Ah, yes," Yoshi stated, proceeding to explain the progress made so far. The idea was to have the entire night be a mix between a dance, a community gathering, and a concert. Music would be provided by either school or community performers, although Yoshi left open the possibility that the Smashers performed as well. Ashley, who owned a restaurant, would do the food and catering, with the Smashers only having to help set up. "We're still trying to set some type of schedule to see how long each activity should go for, but Milo's willing to let you guys control that if it helps you set up better," the young dinosaur concluded.
"That's good to hear then," Pikachu agreed, sitting back up to an upright posture, "I think quite a few of us are musical. It won't surprise me if some Smashers offer to perform too. Have you asked any of them yet? Maybe we can perform with Milo and the orphans."
"Yeah, I hope so too," Yoshi responded. He took a gander at the field behind the Smash Mansion, where most of the Smashers now gathered. Mario was having tea and snacks with his brother Luigi and the two princesses, Peach and Rosalina. Link and Zelda were getting cuddly in the presence of Link's toon self, who was just a big ball of energy racing and prancing around. Fox and Samus were inspecting some materials for repairing the latter's spaceship, while Marth, a swordsman, sparred with Pit, an angel-like being holding a large bow. While Yoshi knew that more Smashers were likely to come, it was at least a peaceful enough scene for them all to enjoy. Deep down, he really wished Milo was here to enjoy it with him.
Turning to his two friends, Yoshi suggested they went back inside to grab a few more snacks. "It won't surprise me if Donkey Kong or some of the other bigger Smashers raided the fridge while we were gone," Kirby grumbled as the threesome headed inside.
"Hey, for two smaller Smashers, you and Yoshi can really eat too, so don't complain so much," Pikachu chided the pink Smasher in jest, "You're just lucky Milo isn't as big a glutton as you two, or we'll have to do groceries a lot more frequently."
"With baseball season starting soon, I won't be surprised if Milo ends up eating more," Yoshi added, opening the back door and allowing the others in before him, "If I find out when he'll start a game, I'll make sure as many of us attend as possible." Yoshi knew how much it would mean to Milo if the Smashers could attend his first game. If it would make Milo feel like he was being supported, then Yoshi would go whatever length possible to make it happen.
Milo didn't really want to speak to anyone after another stressful practice. With the first regular season baseball game coming up next week, his mind was only on how he could best contribute to his team. The only explanation the coaches offered on keeping Milo as a defensive replacement was team chemistry. "We'll be most productive if we play according to the roster," he recalled them describing, "No sudden changes will be made unless it's absolutely necessary."
Milo shook his head as he changed out of his uniform, grabbing his towel and his regular clothes before hitting the showers. He slipped into the closest stall and pulled the curtain close. Stripping off all his clothing, Milo turned the water on and just allowed it to pour over his head. Milo didn't make a single move, hoping the water could clean his mind of any negative thoughts. Throughout the practice, most junior varsity players kept his at arm's length, with very few conversations or words exchanged with him. It was like even when they were on the same team, Milo was still an outsider. There was no doubt that his orphan status was part of it.
Milo turned his body around so that his back was being poured on rather than his front. He certainly didn't feel it was a lack of effort on his part to reach out. In fact, ever since he got to this school, Milo's entire goal was to reach out to the student body, in hopes that they could hear the stories of him and his friends. Milo believed that if more people knew about the plights of orphans, then they were more willing to take action to help the orphanage. His own parents, Brendan and Ashley, had done lots for the orphanage even before Milo ran away with the street gang. If anything, Milo was only continuing his parents' philanthropic legacy.
After several minutes of standing under a waterfall, Milo finally reached for the bottle of soap in his belongings. Squirting out a liberal amount, he rubbed it in his palms before spreading it all over his body. Milo could only imagine the amount of soap Scott had to use when he was dumped into the trash by the varsity captains. In reality, Milo and his orphan friends all tried to reach out to the school, with Scott in band and Haley in the social justice club. Mark was the only one who was less trusting, but even then Mark tried to keep an open mind. It was just that the school's rigid social hierarchy meant anybody who was different would not be tolerated, and anybody on the lower rungs of the ladder had to climb their way up. "I wonder if those varsity guys have ever been in our spots, and if they had to earn their way up," Milo murmured.
After Milo made sure the soap reached all parts of his body, he scrubbed himself with his towel. He was lucky that he was amongst the last players to leave the field, meaning he had the shower room all to himself. He could only shudder to think what would happen if both the varsity and junior varsity teams had to compete for the showers. No doubt the varsity guys would proclaim their superiority and occupied the stalls first, leaving the junior guys out to freeze in their underwear or something. Assuming the varsity guys went through the same experience when they were in junior varsity, why would they think it was funny to make the current junior varsity players go through the same thing? The fact that those jocks never learned their lesson from experience drove Milo off the walls, and it only made Milo dislike them more. "Maybe Mark and Haley are right when we should go harder after these guys," Milo muttered.
A quick rinse of his body got Milo back to the original idea of why he was putting up with these guys in the first place. Perhaps it was because of this vicious cycle and the toxic culture of the school that got the jocks to keep acting moronically. Nobody gave them a chance to see that this was wrong, and in the process nobody gave them a chance to do the right thing. Milo was stuck in this very situation when he first met Yoshi, but Yoshi's determination and belief in Milo was what got Milo away from the street gang. Maybe Milo was too idealistic, but shouldn't these guys get at least a second chance? If Yoshi offered it to Milo, and Milo and his friends would offer it to other orphans, then maybe the varsity guys should get it too.
Milo let the water run over him for another minute before turning off the taps. Yanking the curtain open, Milo quickly dried himself off with his towel before changing into his clothes. He still had a bunch of planning to do with the orphanage event, with Yoshi now getting most of the Smashers involved. Milo was truly grateful that this great opportunity worked out, given the Smashers were considered somewhat celebrities in his world. If this would make the orphans happy, then Milo could say his mission was a success.
Milo pulled on his socks and slipped on his dark sneakers before turning to the final pieces of his attire, his trademark open-fingered gloves. Milo chose to leave his other trademark, his baseball hat, off at the moment, given his hair was still wet. Milo used to wear these items when he was still in the sewers, to the point where he felt unnatural without them. Even though his old hat and gloves were now replaced with new ones, Milo couldn't see himself without them. Even though his street urchin days was a period of time that Milo would rather not talk about, it felt like wearing these pieces of his attire meant Milo had come to terms with his past. If he could use this to help others in the future, how great would that be?
Just when Milo pulled the curtain the step out, he was nearly bowled over by another individual. Before Milo could even inquire what happened, said individual muttered some rather derogatory words relating to varsity soccer. "Who do those guys think they are? Why do they think they have the right to do this?" the voice spat.
Milo held his belongings close to his chest, inching forward to the adjacent shower stall. Craning his head into the stall, he saw a freshman wearing a similar ball cap soaked from head to toe in some mystery liquid. The closer inspection allowed Milo to identify the wet figure as Richie, the Hong Kong-born freshman who was part of the junior varsity soccer team. "This is inexcusable," Richie hissed, pulling off his red hat, "If they do this to me again…"
"Hey Richie, are you alright?" Milo turned his head to see another freshman, one with dark brown spikey hair, marching in with a towel and soap. It was Willis, Richie's best friend and another junior varsity soccer freshman. If Milo recalled correctly, Richie and Willis were the only two junior varsity soccer players who spoke up against the hazing by the varsity team. They were so upset when the varsity team continued mistreating them that they almost quit the team. "I got your towel here. Do you have an extra set of clothes to change into?" Willis asked.
"Uh, what exactly happened here?" Milo asked, his eyes tilting between Richie struggling with his clothes in the stall and Willis standing outside looking on in concern. With Richie's tone increasingly agitated by the second, Milo was downright worried.
Willis turned over to Milo, the former's eyebrows creased in worry. "Some varsity soccer guys thought they'd play a prank on Richie by placing molasses, honey, and other sticky liquids in Richie's locker," he explained, "They diluted it a bit so it can be poured, so when Richie went to open his locker, the stuff came out and Richie got showered."
"And it's all because I told them to go away when they invited me to an initiation party this weekend," the Chinese boy shouted from the shower stall. Richie stuck an arm out, gesturing to his friend for the towel while pulling the curtain close. "I thought the hazing ended when the soccer season was over, but looks like I guessed wrong."
Milo swallowed hard amidst the sounds of the shower in Richie's stall being turned open. Even though he had some success in gathering his thoughts on giving the varsity teams second chances for redeeming themselves, this incident just cast Milo back into the cloud of doubt.
"Are you excited for the baseball game next week? It's your season opener, and I'm sure you'll be just fine out there," Ashley stated, slipping another dish into the dishwasher. It was not common to see both Brendan and Ashley having dinner with Milo. Most of the time, at least one was absent due to their occupations. While Milo understood and assured social services that this would not affect his relationship with Brendan and Ashley, it was still awkward to deal with.
"You know, you don't have to limit yourself to playing just the outfield all because I did. The reason I had to was because I'm left-handed, and most infield positions except first base require right-handed throwers," Brendan pointed out, "Since you hit and throw right, you can give yourself some flexibility and gain more playing time that way."
Milo said nothing, leaning back against his chair at the dining room table and absorbed all of his parents' words. Milo knew that if requested, Brendan and Ashley would jump to his defence in a heartbeat. Just the fact that they both marched down to the school the day the varsity team drilled Milo in the ribs was evidence that they truly cared about Milo. In fact, Brendan and Ashley had been supportive of Milo even when Milo was part of the street gang. With their love, Milo truly felt guilty that he hadn't been completely clean with them.
At the same time, part of the awkwardness came from the fact that both Brendan and Ashley were busy with their work. Brendan was owned a grocery store while Ashley owned and served as head chef of a restaurant. Both jobs required the parents to be away from home most of their day, meaning it wasn't common to see both parents home with Milo. While Milo bonded well with each individual parent, he hadn't completely bonded with both at the same time. Add to how Brendan and Ashley stormed the school after the hazing incident, and Milo felt truly intimidated. Would the varsity guys even get a second chance if his parents got involved?
"Milo, are you still there?" Ashley's voice snapped Milo back to attention. Milo got a good look at his mother, who pushed her snout closer to his face. "You kind of dozed off for a while. Is everything alright? Are you feeling ill or tired?"
Milo tried to speak, but only managed a wince. He was still disturbed by the comments from Richie and Willis today, when the two junior varsity soccer players accused their varsity counterparts of sabotaging Richie's locker and damaging Richie's clothes. Based on their words, Milo was convinced that the varsity team wanted to continue the hazing despite soccer season's conclusion, and anyone who refused would be targeted another way. Milo wondered how long it would be before he was targeted again, mainly due to his association with his fellow orphans.
"Are those guys on the sports teams bothering you again?" Brendan chimed in, another face of concern entering Milo's vision, "If they are, you shouldn't hesitate in telling us. We'll go in there and make sure their so-called anti-hazing policy is strictly enforced."
That was when Milo realized he had to make a move. While he didn't want his parents to intimidate people, he also wanted to take this opportunity to come clean. "I wasn't the one being picked on today, but a couple of my friends are," Milo stated. He went on to explain what the varsity soccer team did to Richie, and he was concerned that the baseball team would be hit next. "It was a party held by the varsity soccer guys, and the junior varsity members were invited. The goal was to haze those players, and all Richie said was he didn't want to go," Milo described, "You know I'm never going to these parties, so what if they come after me?"
Brendan and Ashley glanced nervously at each other. Realizing this was the first time Milo made any comments about his interactions with varsity athletes, Brendan and Ashley decided to probe deeper. "Were you directly targeted by anyone?" Brendan demanded, his eyes narrowing significantly, "If they did anything to you, you have to tell us so we can help you."
"I know, and I appreciate it," Milo stuttered, the right words not coming to him easily, "I just don't want you to go in and tear a strip off of everyone. I want to try and do this on my own, and hopefully I can convince the varsity guys to give it up. If I can convince the varsity guys to stop this barbaric practice, then maybe we can end hazing and bullying altogether."
"Milo, I don't think you can do what you did with the orphans here with the varsity team," Ashley pointed out, "These varsity athletes aren't fighting for their lives. They think they own the whole school and expect everyone to worship them. How can you deal with that?"
"And if what you're doing hasn't worked, shouldn't you get other people involved?" Brendan added, "I know Yoshi wanted us to give you some room, but I feel you shouldn't shut your mom and me out. Is there anything we can do to help you out?"
Milo stuttered again. "I do appreciate it, and I do want your help, but I just hope you won't do what you did the first time," Milo requested, rubbing his temples nervously, "When you barge into the school like that, it really makes people see you guys as aggressive. I think you can help me by just listening and supporting me while let me solve this problem my way. I worked really hard to try to fit in without being part of the toxic culture, and I don't want to make it look like I'm just hiding behind you guys."
That got Brendan and Ashley stuttering, dropping their jaws, and widening their eyes. Sensing his parents' reaction, Milo took a deep breath and continued, "You adopted me and gave me a home, and I'll never forget you and Yoshi giving me a second chance. I feel like we're talking to each other, but we're not really getting each other, at least not completely. I don't want to feel like I'm completely dominated by you, to the point where I can't speak for myself."
It took nearly a full minute before either parent spoke. "Milo, why didn't you tell us about this?" Ashley eked out, her entire body shaky, "Did you tell the social services people about us not seeing eye-to-eye? If there's anything your father and I can do to make it up to you, you just have to tell us. You know how much we love you and want you around, Milo!"
"I know, and that's why we have to talk about this," Milo responded. Never in his fourteen-year-old life did Milo envision having this conversation that seemed more mature and sophisticated than he could take on. But if this could put his relationship with his parents on a whole new level, then it was worth it. "I just want you to know that I love you both, but I want to do what we did when we found out the street gang was go into attack Dad's store. I want you guys to support me, but let me convince those guys to change."
Brendan and Ashley glanced at each other before nodding reluctantly. In their previous conversation with their nephew, they were adamant that only giving Milo further space to deal with problems his way was the best way to continue building their relationship. "We'll let you do it your way for now, but you have to promise me to keep communicating with us," Brendan told Milo, "We are a family, and we have to talk to each other if we want to help each other. So if you want any other advice or options, don't hesitate to talk to us, okay?"
The first two regular season baseball games for the junior varsity team was almost as uneventful as practice itself. The team split the games with one win and one loss, each one coming at large margins. Because of this, Milo managed to get some playing time during the late innings as a defensive replacement. "At least I got to patrol the outfield, or else I'd be bored to tears," Milo pointed out to his friends at their usual cafeteria table.
However, Milo did not gain any confidence from the coaches. While they had no issues with his defensive play, praising his speed and ability to get to fly balls, they were worried about Milo's batting. "They think I'm not patient enough, and that I should take more pitches rather than swinging away," Milo explained, positioning his hands like he was holding a bat, "They think I should be less aggressive at the plate and stop trying to pull pitches."
"By pulling the ball, you mean hitting it to left field, right? This is because you're a right-handed hitter?" Mark clarified, "You're not talking to huge sports buffs here, so you might want to take it easy on the technical sports language on us."
"Yeah, but you're forgetting I'm part of the baseball team, and I can explain to you what those terms mean," Sean chimed in. After their awkward first meeting, the orphans decided to let Sean in on their lunch table. It was almost fitting that the most unpopular kid in school would be invited to eat with the most unpopular group of kids in school. But for this group of five, it was the best thing to happen. At least they could get support against the jocks from each other, even when Milo and Sean were hesitant to take drastic action against them.
"Let's forget about sports for a second and get back to the original topic," Haley called, snapping her fingers at the boys. Before the lone girl were her notes on the orphanage concert, with Haley's concern being the progress of their work. "Right now I've called the orphanage and they gave us the available dates," the pony-tailed girl described, showing a bunch of dates that were after the conclusion of baseball season, "So it's just a matter of availability and what we can do to help set up. How are we doing with performers, Scott?"
"That would be a negative, Haley," Scott responded, his optimistic tone tainted with a bit of pessimism, "I've still gotten no firm acceptance from any band people on performing at the show. Their main concern is the year-end pep rally and Athletics Awards and Appreciation Night at the end of the year, so our little concert is not a priority for them at all."
"Well, I guess that shows us where we sit on the school hierarchy, right guys?" Mark snorted, giving a side glance to Milo and Sean. Mark was still suspicious of how Milo and Sean still refused to hammer any jocks, and the current turn of events didn't make him feel better. "Is there any way we can keep going with this concert when we have no planners, organizers, or even performers? Don't tell me we're all on our own right now. Milo, what did the Smashers say about helping out? And Sean, did you get your sister to help us?"
"I told Yoshi and the Smashers and they're willing to perform," Milo answered, recalling his previous conversation with his cousin, "A few of the Smashers are musical, so they can put together a show if they want to. I'll just let Yoshi take control of the performance schedule."
That got impressed looks from Scott and Haley, seemingly relieved that Milo managed to find someone to perform at the show. "What about you, Sean?" Haley asked, "Did you get a chance to talk to Cassandra about our show? And what did she say about it?"
"Cassandra said she'll definitely gauge people's interest, but you know how it is with her," Sean replied with a nervous smile and his right hand rubbing the back of his head, "She's the student body president, so she's got a lot of balls to juggle. If there are other things that she has to pay attention to, then she'll have to deal with those things first."
"But she will vouch for us, right?" Haley insisted, her sharp eyes now resembling daggers aimed right at Sean's heart, "I'm having no luck with the social justice club. They seem more interested in their own little agenda than this worthy cause. If no one makes a move and no other club will be involved, it might boil down to your sister pulling some strings."
"I know, but Cassandra's being pulled from all sides, so her hands are tied right now," Sean replied, his eyes cast away from Haley's glare and his voice weakening by the second, "But I can help you as much as I can, even if Cassandra can't get anyone to help."
"See that?" Scott beamed, throwing his hands up in victory, "There is someone on our side. I'm sure Sean here will give it his all and then some. Welcome to the team, Sean! The whole orphanage gladly welcomes you to the show!" With that, Scott leaned over and gave Sean a playful punch on the shoulder, nearly sending the freshman onto the ground.
Sean winced, rubbing his shoulder before straightening out his pose. "I promise you I'll do everything I can, but right now I don't know how far we can get with Cassandra," he added, "Besides, if I hang too tightly onto Cassandra, then it'll look like I'm only getting what I want because of her status. I want to try doing some of this stuff on my own, you know."
"Sean, I'm all for that, but right now you're not in a good spot," Mark retorted, sending the ball boy an emotionless, unimpressed gaze, "I see you get picked on by varsity, where you're more their slave than their ball boy. Yet you're still nowhere near them, and they probably won't allow you to sit with them or hang out with them. Just face it, Sean. Those guys aren't laughing with you, but laughing at you. When are you ever going to understand that?"
"Geez, Mark. Do you have to make it sound that bad?" Sean responded meekly, finding the cafeteria floor very fascinating, "I know the varsity guys have their heads in the clouds at times, but they can't help it. Lots of those guys have athletic scholarship offers from colleges, and some can only get in through those scholarships. If it weren't for those, they probably won't get to go to college at all. If you ask me to rat on those guys, isn't that going to ruin their lives? I don't know if that's the right thing to do," Sean concluded with a whimper.
"And for that, you're willing to let these jerks ruin the rest of your high school life," Haley observed, crossing her arms and creasing her brows, "If they act like a bunch of idiots, I know I'll never offer them a scholarship. They don't deserve to be feted like heroes after what they did to Milo and Scott. If anything, they only deserve more punishment, and it is people like you who continue to put up with them that's making them bolder."
That comment only got an awkward silence to descend upon the table, almost like the corner of the cafeteria had become a black hole for sound. Uneasy looks were exchanged between Milo and Sean, both freshmen knowing that the comment was directed at them. Haley looked downright murderous with narrowing eyes and pursed lips. Mark seemed unimpressed and uncaring, staring at Milo and Sean with a tilted glance and his eyelids halfway down. Scott seemed downright worried, his body shaking and rubbing his arms up and down for comfort.
Finally, Milo spoke up by picking up his notes from the table. "I think that's a little too much excitement for today, so let's all just calm down first," he suggested, stuffing the notes back into his bag, "We can always come back to this another time." This conversation only reminded him of the tough chat he had with his parents last week, and it didn't make Milo feel any better. Was he losing the love and respect of all those who he cherished?
"It's not often I get a chance to play catch with you, Milo," Yoshi commented as he plucked the baseball out of his glove and hurled it in Milo's direction. The weekend couldn't come soon enough for Milo, who had his fair share of odd encounters with friends and family. After two difficult conversations with those closest to him, Milo really wanted some time to just calm down and be away from it all. At least playing catch with Yoshi in the community park meant he could count on someone who he could truly trust and rely on.
"Well, at least I get to practice outside school time. Now if only this can translate to getting me more playing time," Milo responded, throwing the ball back at his reptilian cousin. Another week meant another two games, where one was a close one where his team lost by a couple of runs. The coaches were more concerned with getting the tying run, so they focused completely on offensive players staying in the game as long as possible. Milo saw no playing time in that one game, leading to him getting even less playing time. "I swear, Yoshi, it's either I have to start hitting or someone has to get injured," Milo pointed out.
Yoshi threw the ball back before shading his eyes from the sun's glare. "That's not really nice of you to wish injury upon someone, Milo," he commented, shuffling into position to catch Milo's return throw, "Just don't despair. I'm sure something will work out soon. Besides, as long as the idiots on varsity aren't picking on you, I'm sure you'll get a chance to shine."
Yoshi's throw was short, leading Milo to run towards the dinosaur in order to catch the ball. "Well, let's just hope I'm not risking my friends and family for more playing time. I didn't have a good week with my parents and friends, and I hope I didn't come across to them as mean and disrespectful," Milo replied, sending the ball back at Yoshi with a snap throw.
Yoshi caught the ball but didn't throw it back. Instead, he tilted his head to the side, in the direction of a nearby park bench. "Come on, let's take a break," Yoshi suggested, leading Milo to the side, "Maybe we can talk out your problems from last week."
Yoshi and Milo plopped down on the bench, with Milo taking a few minutes to gather his thoughts. Yoshi stared eagerly at his cousin hunched over and rubbing his forehead with his right hand. "So, what's on your mind?" Yoshi asked gently.
Milo started off with the tough conversation he had with Brendan and Ashley, telling Yoshi that he requested for more personal space. Milo explained that he never intended this to be an ungrateful speech and that he loved both Brendan and Ashley dearly, but felt it would be best for the family if Milo got a chance to do things on his own. "Mom and Dad basically took down everything in the school, including the kitchen sink, when they heard someone threw a pitch at my ribs," Milo described, "I just think that'll be too intimidating and make people think that I always have to turn to them for help. I want to fit in and solve problems on my own, and prove to the student body that we orphans can stand on our own."
Yoshi nodded, his body swaying to the breeze. Milo could not judge what Yoshi was thinking with the latter's emotionless face, and the thought of Milo's actions coming across as disrespectful frightened Milo. Yoshi had done so much for Milo throughout his orphaned years, and while Milo knew Yoshi had an open mind, Milo also knew that his words were not easy for any individual to stomach. What if Yoshi took it negatively and cut all ties with Milo?
Thankfully, Yoshi turned back to Milo with softened eyes and facial expression. "I had a similar talk with Uncle Brendan and Aunt Ashley, and they did realize that they should give you some room," Yoshi responded, placing his free hand on Milo's shoulder, "I don't think they're offended by your words, although not every parent would have taken them as well as they did. They do realize that they can get overprotective, and they're willing to let you handle it on your own if need be. So if you're worried about insulting them, then I assure you they aren't."
Milo's posture relaxed at those words, his entire back straightening and a smile returning to his face. But before the boy could say anything, Yoshi continued, "You are aware why my uncle and aunt are that protective of you, right? They do this because they care about you, and they know your hardships when you were in the sewers. They want to make sure none of this ever happens to you again, so that's why they will get concerned when you get bullied."
"I know, and I promise you I won't shut them out of my life. Like what happened when we first met, you guys took a chance on me, and I'm forever grateful," Milo reassured Yoshi. With that, he moved on to the conversation he had with his fellow orphans, going over details on the lack of progress due to lack of interest from the student body in the orphanage concert. Then, he went on to the sensitive issue of Mark and Haley calling out Milo and Sean for their passive approach to dealing with the jocks. "I just want to give those guys as many chances as possible to change, but they either don't get it or they completely ignore it," Milo explained.
"Well, there's no contract written in blood between you guys to ensure that they always get the benefit of the doubt. If those jerks keep harassing you guys, and physically harms you again like they did with Scott, then my advice to you from last time about pressing charges or taking legal action will be viable," Yoshi articulated, one hand on his chin the whole time, "Are Mark and Haley just frustrated that the jerks aren't listening, so they want you to do more?"
"Sean mentioned that some of those varsity guys are offered college scholarships to play collegiate sports, and that's the only way some of them will get in," Milo responded. "I guess I don't want to ruin their lives by making them lose scholarships, but then Haley said they don't deserve them if they keep acting like this. You see why I'm stuck between them?"
"I do, but think back to when I photographed the bruises on your ribs. Remember what I said to you at that time?" Yoshi asked, gesturing his arm to the opposite direction, "I told you that having the evidence available is the most important thing. Even if you don't go to the cops or sue them, you at least have some protection. If you have some legal option to fall back on, it can scare those guys off. Besides, you're also helping anyone else who is a victim of bullying and hazing in the school. Are there other people being picked on in similar fashion?"
Milo nodded, going on to describe what happened to Richie and Willis. Even when those two kept a distance from varsity people, they were still targeted. It prompted Yoshi to comment, "Remember that the varsity guys won't see you as a gentleman just because you don't take action, so always be smart and alert during this time."
"I will, Yoshi," Milo promised his cousin, a small smile cracking across his face again, "I just don't want this to become bigger than it has to be, that's all. I do want to stop hazing in the school, but I want to do it in a way that allows the varsity guys to solve it on their own."
"There's nothing wrong with that, but you have to remember that you're not their parent or their teacher," Yoshi reminded Milo, listing off his points with the lifting of each finger, "You can't expect yourself to coach all these guys through their behaviours. You have to keep acting professionally, because how you act will influence how you come across in the long run. Maybe some of the varsity people who can find it in their hearts to change may be affected by this and will resolve to end hazing. But if they don't, then it's time to break out the legal methods."
Milo nodded thoughtfully, but his eyebrows became creased. Sensing Milo feeling unsure, Yoshi described it another way. "Lots of things have happened since you were adopted, some positive and some negative. All your actions and decisions go toward creating a world that you ultimately have to live in. Despite all your challenges, you're still here living in the world you've created. Whether the world is light or dark is up to your own actions, but if you remain positive and keep jealousy and hate out of your mind, I think you can conquer any obstacle."
Milo seemingly understood, thanking Yoshi once more for his words. Yoshi knew that Milo was still building his world, which would require patience and much trial-and-error. But if Milo could find the right path, there was no way he could be stopped. With that, Yoshi hopped off the bench and tapped Milo on the shoulder. "Now let's get back home," he suggested, "I can't wait to see what Aunt Ashley will be cooking for us tonight."
Here's another series of things I was inspired by when I wrote this chapter:
1.) It is my headcanon that many Smashers are musical, even when they didn't really show that in their games. I feel having them perform at the orphanage is a good way to build in their involvement with Milo. Even though I like this story's progress a lot, I don't want Milo (an OC) to dominate the screen time, so there will be more Smashers later on.
2.) The characters Richie and Willis are two of my older creations from an immigration project I did about a decade ago. That project was put on hiatus and my characters weren't used for anything else. So when I realize I can widen the scope of the school bullying, I thought I would bring them back, and here they are.
3.) Milo's conversation with Brendan and Ashley is modelled after Toph Bei Fong, with the difference being Milo's parents are more receptive than Toph's parents. Since Milo is adopted and spent significant time in horrendous conditions, it's not out of the question that his parents are more protective of him. What I'm portraying is that Milo wants to carve his own path while not forgetting his past and how his parents (and Yoshi) gave him a second chance. This is why his feelings are conflicted and he sometimes doesn't know what to do with his parents.
4.) Several ideas in this chapter (the school's toxic culture, difficulty in getting a remedy from the authorities, Yoshi's conversation with Milo at the end) are inspired by emails I had with Kelev. I can truly say that she is an absolutely amazing human being full of wisdom and mature beyond her years, and listening to her gave me many good ideas for this story. So thank you so much for you advice and I hope to keep working with you in this story.
Other than that, I feel like we have all the necessary pieces to move forward with this story. Basically put, Milo believes, based on what happened to Richie and Willis, that it's increasingly difficult to separate the varsity guys from the toxic culture. Now that he sees the varsity guys as part of the toxic culture, is there any way of reconciling with them? Or will more bullying occur, making things worse for Milo and his friends? Tune in next time to find out!
