HIGHS AND LOWS

They say that victory cures a lot of ills, and in Week 10, the "Mouse" team traveled to Utah and beat the TV Ad All-Stars soundly, 47-10. KP had another good game, catching passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, which made her very happy. Mickey was quite pleased, too, saying they had just played the best game start to finish of the season.

However, the era of good feelings did not last long. Returning home in Week 11, Disney took on the Fox All-Stars, and since this was the last home game before the opening of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Jack Sparrow was named honorary captain of the team. However, Fox made Disney walk the plank, handing the Mouse team a resounding 34-12 defeat, a game in which Kim had only 16 yards receiving; clearly the worst game of her career. Even though Mickey Mouse threw for more yards than Hank Hill (and most of those passes went to Minnie), Fox dominated the game in just about every other way.

Mickey, was to say the least, irate after the game. He praised Minnie, but as for the rest: "You all played like a bunch of zombies out there. Kim, you might as well not even shown up today." Kim, hearing that, hid her face in her hands. Mickey saw this, and regretted saying those words, and felt it best to pay her a visit after the post-game briefing.

When Mickey arrived at Kim's unit, he found the girl sitting on the edge of her sofa, beside herself. She had been crying. Kim's best friend, Monique had called, as well as Kim's mother; both wondered what was going on. In fact, Mrs. Possible had relayed this story: The family was watching the game on television when Kim's dad commented, "Kimmie-cub doesn't seem to have it today." Kim's younger brother, Timmy replied, "Yeah, she sucks!" for which he got a good talking to by his mother. "You shouldn't say things like that about your own sister. You know she's doing the best she can," Mrs. Possible had told Timmy. That news set Kim into a crying fit.

Mickey sat beside Kim and put his hand on her shoulder. Before he could say a word, Kim began, "Mickey, please don't take what I'm about to say personally." She paused a beat, then continued, "I guess Fox doesn't like me. It was almost a year ago that they took that touchdown away from me, which almost caused me to quit the team. Since then, I worked my butt off, and what h-happens?" Kim felt the frustration and anger with herself welling up again. "S-sixteen yards!" she exclaimed in another burst of tears. "S-sixteen lousy y-yards! M-maybe the t-tweebs are right, I-I do s-so s-suck! Y-you was right, Mickey, I shouldn't have even shown up t-today!"

"No, you don't suck," Mickey told the redhead gently. "You just had a bad game. That happens. Everyone has an off day. And I'm sorry I said you shouldn't have even shown up. I was just stunned by what happened. You understand what I'm saying?"

"Y-yes, sir," Kim said.

"Good, Mickey replied. "You're a good wide receiver. You don't just lose that. Oh, and, when you compose yourself, come on over to the film room. I have something to show you."

At the film room, Mickey put on the tape of the day's game. It showed the Fox defenses swarming all over Kim, while leaving Minnie relatively open all afternoon.

"You see what I'm talking about, Kim?" Mickey asked. "If I threw into that kind of coverage, I would have been intercepted a lot more than I was. I'm surprised they ganged up on you like that. In fact Kim, there's a silver lining in all this."

"Huh?" Kim said surprised. What's the sitch?"

"Indeed," Mickey said. "The 'sitch' is when they gang up on you like that, that means they realize that you're a good wide receiver. It used to be that they only went after Minnie like that. I told you in pre-season, that you were going to take some of the heat off Minnie, which you did today. I guess Minnie needs to work on taking some of the heat off you."

"Oh, I see what you're saying now," Kim replied. "I feel so much better now."

"I'm happy to hear that," Mickey said. "Just remember, just keep working hard and doing the things you do, and good things will come to you." Kim left the film room, not entirely happy, but satisfied by Mickey's explanation.

The following weekend, a quirk in the schedule found Disney playing Fox again, this time at their place. Not only was the home fields reversed, so was the score, Disney pounding Fox 42-17. Kim got her game back on track, catching passes for 98 yards and one touchdown. In fact after Kim scored her touchdown, she spiked the ball with extra vigor, saying, "Take that Fox! Hold me to sixteen yards, will you?" Mickey was happy with his team's performance, saying they had played textbook "road" football.