" How dare..."
" No, Mrs. Halliwell, how dare you. We are not bothering
you, and we don't even wanna talk to you. Now why don't you
go and piddle in your flowers and LEAVE US ALONE!!!!!"
" Dang, that girl's gone mental," Julian whispered to
Sunshine, watching Angel turn purple with rage.
Mrs. Halliwell puffed up like an angry rooster, turned on
one heel and marched into her house, still muttering about
what the neighborhood was coming to.
" All of the luck we have, we had to move in next to
Satan's sister." Angel said, wheeling her bike into the garage.
They all had a good laugh, and then Angel went inside.
Two days passed like a second. As soon as Angel knew it,
it was her first game this T.C. Williams High football season.
And she was nervous.
She got dressed, and pulled the red and white Titans
jersey over her head. She picked up her helmet, took a deep
breath, and walked down the hall, where the team was told to
meet to run out onto the field.
No one spoke. They had all come in and seen the
protestors. These people looked dangerous. The Alexandria
Police were out in full force, making sure that no one got out of
hand.
The Titans took the field at the same time that Southwest
High did. Angel saw that all of them were looking her way and
laughing. She could see the thoughts running through their
heads. Oh, they have a girl on their team, so they must suck.
The game started, Angel watching intensely from the bench.
By the time the first half was over, The Titans were up by
4 points, and Sunshine had been playing all the first half.
Angel saw hesitation turn to determination on Coach Boone's
face when he said, " Angel! You're in for Sunshine!"
Angel got her helmet on, and ran to her starting position
on the field. She crouched, waited for the whistle, and
suddenly felt the ball in her hands.
She saw that Rev, Gerry and Julian were open. She
spiraled the ball to Rev, who was in the most clear. Just as she
threw the ball, she was tackled hard. She rolled over, and hit
back.
In the end, Angel had played like a pro. Half the Titans
crowd was cheering, the other half, booing and hissing. But
Angel didn't care. She was happy with the way she had played.
She was hot, sweaty and dirty. She went to her own
personal locker room, which was about the size of a small
bedroom, and showered and changed.
Just then, there was a knock at her door.
" Come in." Angel said, running a brush through her wet
hair.
Gerry peeked in through a crack in the door. " Is it
alright?"
Angel laughed. " I'm decent Gerry, I promise. What do
you want?"
Gerry opened the door all the way, and Angel was
surprised to see the entire team, outside of the door.
" Whats...going on?" Angel asked curiously.
"Angel," Gerry said, acting all official, " For your
outstanding performance, and unbeatable team spirit and
unity, all of your fellow teammates and I have agreed to
present you with...the game ball."
He held out the grimy ball, a prize among teams. Angel
looked at the ball, back at Gerry, and said, " Gerry, I..."
" Take it." Gerry said firmly, taking her hand and
placing the ball in it. " You earned it."
Angel held the ball, and said, " Thank you."
She picked up her bag, and her and the team walked
outside to the bus together. Outside, the protesters were
growing more aggressive. Obscenities were being hurled left
and right, and reporters kept getting in their faces.
" Is it true, Miss McGuire, that your mother ran out on
you when you were three, and that's why you play sports? TO
prove some kind of sick point?" One reporter shouted as he
ran along side her, trying to keep up.
Angel did not dignify him with a response. The crowd
was getting thicker and more menacing, and she needed to
keep her wits about her. People were pressing in from all
sides, and it was getting nasty.
She made it on to the bus and sat down. She looked at
Lastic, who was sitting next to her, and said, "Dang. It's mean
out there."
" It'll get better. Don't even worry about it."
Just then, a brick came through the back door. Everyone
ducked, and Coach Boone yelled at the driver, " Back to
school now!!"
The driver sped to the school, almost running a few
people over on his way across town. When he jerked to a stop
and parked the bus, all was silent. Everyone was looking at
each other, waiting and wondering.
It was Coach Yoast that broke the silence. " Great game
everyone. Now, wait until your parents arrive before you exit
the bus."
With that, he took his daughter and he left.
Coach Boone left shortly after with his daughter, with
strict instructions to the driver not to let anyone off until their
parents arrived.
Everyone looked around at each other. Finally, Angel
said, " You guys can just go ahead and say it."
" Say what?" said Gerry.
" Oh, I dunno. That someone could have gotten really
hurt tonight, that all of those protestors would not have been
there hadn't been for me, I should probably just quit football, I
mean, take your fucking pick."
For a minute, there was more silence. Then Rev said, "
No one blames you for what happened..."
" We should." Ray said.
Then Gerry exploded. " Know what? We aren't blame
anyone for what happened. It was those people out there, who
don't know nothing about us. Now, if we are going to play all
season, we are going to have to pull together, like we did at
camp. Now that we are in the real world, people are telling us
that we can't be together as a team. If we wanna win, we are
gonna hafta be unstoppable."
Just then, Gerry's mom pulled into the parking lot. He
looked around at his team, and hopped off the bus.
One by one, the players got off. Finally, it dwindled down
to Sunshine, Ray and Angel.
" You know, it is your fault that all of those people were
there." Ray said nastily.
" So if I give into people like you, I can keep the peace,
is that what you are saying Ray?" Angel shot back.
" Alright, both of you knock it off. We are all tired, and
it's late." Sunshine said.
"No one asked you hippie boy."
"No one asked you either Ray." Angel said wearily.
Just then, Angel's dad showed up. Sunshine and Angel got
off the bus, because it had been arranged that Sunshine would
get a ride home from Angel.
As Angel stepped off the bus, she heard Ray say to
Sunshine, " Whipped by a half breed, huh Hippie boy?"
" Better a half breed rather than a racist white boy."
Ray gaped in amazement as Sunshine and Angel stepped
off the bus.
When Angel's dad pulled up in front of Sunshine's house,
he said, " Walk him to the door Angel. I'm not taking any
chances."
Angel hopped out of the car, and she and Sunshine
walked to his front door. They both stopped at the door, and
Angel said, " Good game, Sunshine."
" Yeah. Wish it were played under better circumstances
though. See you tommorrow, okay?"
" Okay. Goodnight."
Angel's moral was running down. It was almost
Christmas vacation, and life at school was really not much
better. Everyone still hated the Titans. Especially her. They
really hated her.
Angel started on her way to school on foot. Her father had
a rule: No riding the Harley in the snow. Then, Gerry pulled up
next to her in his Camero.
" Need a ride?" He shouted, popping the door open.
" Thanks Ger." She said, sighing as she threw her stuff in
the seat and closed the door.
" Where's your bike?"
" Dad has a rule. No riding in heavy rain and when it has
been snowing."
" Oh. So, any big plans for Christmas?"
" Not really. No family coming, nothing. Me, my dad and
my brothers. What about you?"
" Me and my mom. The guys were talking about getting
together, but I don't know..."
They pulled up in front of the school, and saw all the guys
congregating in front of the building. Angel found Sunshine,
and said " Hey! Merry Christmas."
" Hey. Yeah, Merry Christmas. Any plans?"
" Me, Dad and my brothers. What about you?"
" Me and Dad. Listen, since Christmas break starts
tommorrow, and Coach Boone doesn't have any in-the-snow
practices planned, I was wondering, if you weren't doing
anything, if you wanted to, you know, go catch a movie or
something."
Angel was floored. Some guy was actually asking her
out?
" Um...sure. Yeah, that sounds like fun. Tomorrow
night?"
" Yeah, I'll pick up about....6:30?"
Angel smiled. " Okay. I'll be ready."
He smiled back, and walked away. Then, Lastic, Rev,
Julius and Gerry walked over.
" Did we hear right? You are actually going on a DATE
with Sunshine?" Rev asked incredulously.
" Were you eavesdropping?" Angel asked, pretending to
be stern.
" Yes. Now, answer my question. Are you going out with
Sunshine?"
" Well, if you were listening to our conversation so well,
you figure it out."
" Whooohoooooo. Sunshine's got himself a date!!!!!!!"
Then they went off, to tell the entire team. Sunshine
walked back over smiling. " Did the guys just figure out that
you are actually a girl?"
" Amazing thought, isn't it?" Angel said, laughing.
" Well...not to me." He said, gazing at her.
Angel smiled, and blushed a little. She said, " C'mon
Sunshine. Don't give'm to much to gossip about, it might be
too much for them."
All day long, Angel heard nothing else but her arranged
date with Sunshine. The girls in her classes were mad at her,
the guys were giving Sunshine a hard time, and the teachers
kept trying to shut everyone up.
Angel threw her books in her locker after her third period
class, grabbed her lunch, and headed down to the cafeteria.
There, she looked around, until she saw Lastic and Sunshine
waving her over.
Angel dropped her lunch, and said, " Hey guys. What's
up?"
" You and Sunshine are like the talk of the school." said
Lastic, taking a huge bite of his triple bacon cheeseburger.
" Yeah, I noticed. You just can't have a love life in this
place, can you?" Angel said offhandedly, taking a bite of her
sprout sandwich.
Lastic laughed so hard that beef and bacon spewed out of
his mouth. " Ewww!" Angel said. " Could you go regurgitate
those poor murdered animals somewhere else please?"
Lastic chewed hastily, then swallowed. " Sorry. Did you
hear the news though?"
" What news?" Angel asked.
" Coach is thinking about moving you to left defensive
linebacker."
" WH--" Angel starting choking on her sandwich.
Sunshine gave her a few hard whacks between the shoulder
blades, and she recovered. "Left Defensive linebacker?? He's
nuts. I don't have the bulk to play defensive linebacker. Big
guys like you play that position Lastic."
" I know. But I heard him talking, and said that with your
speed and agility, you could make up the bulk with that. It's a
good opportunity to see what else you can do. I mean, QB is
nice and all, but I bet you could do other things."
" Wait a minute. If I get moved to defensive linebacker,
that means..."
Sunshine finished her thought, " Ray gets bumped
somewhere else."
Just then, Ray walked over. He was breathing hard, and
almost foaming at the mouth. " What the hell you think your
doing?"
" Ray, it was not my idea. I don't wanna play defensive
linebacker anyways."
" Well, you better make sure that you don't."
With that, Ray walked away. Angel stared after him,
getting angrier and angrier. That anger went with her until
that afternoon's practice, when Coach Boone said, " Angel, we
are going to try something a little different. I want you at Ray's
position for right now, okay? Just to see how you do."
Angel put on her helmet, and ran out onto the field. She
stepped in front of Lastic, and, before she put her mouthguard,
she said, " Don't hold back Lastic."
She waited, crouched and ready to go. She heard
Sunshine shout, " Down, set, hut!" After that, all the noise
seemed to fade. She knocked Lastic, all three hundred and
fifty pounds of him, over with amazing ease. She ducked under
Blue, who was trying to jump over her,spun around to avoid
Julius, and sacked Sunshine before he had even had the
chance to throw the ball. Everyone stopped, and stared.
" What's the matter, never seen a QB sacked before?"
Angel asked, spitting out her mouthguard.
Angel saw everyone looking at Lastic, who was still on
the ground, looking dazed, at Blue, who had taken a faceful of
mud, Julius, who was looking dizzy, and finally at Sunshine,
who was flat out on his back, the football laying beside him.
She then looked over at Coach Boone and Coach Yoast,
and was kind of pleased when she saw looks of outright shock
on their faces/
They walked over to her. Coach Boone opened and closed
his mouth a few times like a fish out of water, and finally,
Coach Yoast said, " Where did you learn to play like that?"
" I have 12 brothers Coach. You learn to play with them
or you get stomped on." Angel said.
Both coaches looked at each other, and Coach Boone
said, " How would you feel about playing linebacker for the
rest of the season?"
" Coach, if you are suggesting that I trade second string
QB for third string linebacker, I don't think so."
Coach Yoast smiled, and said, " Who said anything about
third string?"
Angel walked home that afternoon with a great sense of
triumph. She had no homework, she had a date the next day,
and she was the new strongside linebacker for the T.C
Williams Titans.
Yes, she thought, life is taking an upturn. She looked
behind her, and saw a group of the Titans walking toward her.
She stopped, curious. They looked really pissed about
something, which, although it wasn't unusual when it came to
her, they usually had a reason, and she hadn't done anything,
or she didn't THINK she had done anything.
" What's up guys?" She said, looking at the guys.
Ray stepped forward, and said, "Remember what I said
would happen if you stole my position bitch?"
Angel bristiled. " Look Ray, I know your big male macho
pride is wounded, and really, I feel for ya man. But the simple
fact is, I am better than you and you just need to get over it."
Ray lunged forward, and was pulled back by Lastic, Blue
and Julius. " Back up off her, man," Blue said, " She's right,
and you might as well get used to it."
" No, Mrs. Halliwell, how dare you. We are not bothering
you, and we don't even wanna talk to you. Now why don't you
go and piddle in your flowers and LEAVE US ALONE!!!!!"
" Dang, that girl's gone mental," Julian whispered to
Sunshine, watching Angel turn purple with rage.
Mrs. Halliwell puffed up like an angry rooster, turned on
one heel and marched into her house, still muttering about
what the neighborhood was coming to.
" All of the luck we have, we had to move in next to
Satan's sister." Angel said, wheeling her bike into the garage.
They all had a good laugh, and then Angel went inside.
Two days passed like a second. As soon as Angel knew it,
it was her first game this T.C. Williams High football season.
And she was nervous.
She got dressed, and pulled the red and white Titans
jersey over her head. She picked up her helmet, took a deep
breath, and walked down the hall, where the team was told to
meet to run out onto the field.
No one spoke. They had all come in and seen the
protestors. These people looked dangerous. The Alexandria
Police were out in full force, making sure that no one got out of
hand.
The Titans took the field at the same time that Southwest
High did. Angel saw that all of them were looking her way and
laughing. She could see the thoughts running through their
heads. Oh, they have a girl on their team, so they must suck.
The game started, Angel watching intensely from the bench.
By the time the first half was over, The Titans were up by
4 points, and Sunshine had been playing all the first half.
Angel saw hesitation turn to determination on Coach Boone's
face when he said, " Angel! You're in for Sunshine!"
Angel got her helmet on, and ran to her starting position
on the field. She crouched, waited for the whistle, and
suddenly felt the ball in her hands.
She saw that Rev, Gerry and Julian were open. She
spiraled the ball to Rev, who was in the most clear. Just as she
threw the ball, she was tackled hard. She rolled over, and hit
back.
In the end, Angel had played like a pro. Half the Titans
crowd was cheering, the other half, booing and hissing. But
Angel didn't care. She was happy with the way she had played.
She was hot, sweaty and dirty. She went to her own
personal locker room, which was about the size of a small
bedroom, and showered and changed.
Just then, there was a knock at her door.
" Come in." Angel said, running a brush through her wet
hair.
Gerry peeked in through a crack in the door. " Is it
alright?"
Angel laughed. " I'm decent Gerry, I promise. What do
you want?"
Gerry opened the door all the way, and Angel was
surprised to see the entire team, outside of the door.
" Whats...going on?" Angel asked curiously.
"Angel," Gerry said, acting all official, " For your
outstanding performance, and unbeatable team spirit and
unity, all of your fellow teammates and I have agreed to
present you with...the game ball."
He held out the grimy ball, a prize among teams. Angel
looked at the ball, back at Gerry, and said, " Gerry, I..."
" Take it." Gerry said firmly, taking her hand and
placing the ball in it. " You earned it."
Angel held the ball, and said, " Thank you."
She picked up her bag, and her and the team walked
outside to the bus together. Outside, the protesters were
growing more aggressive. Obscenities were being hurled left
and right, and reporters kept getting in their faces.
" Is it true, Miss McGuire, that your mother ran out on
you when you were three, and that's why you play sports? TO
prove some kind of sick point?" One reporter shouted as he
ran along side her, trying to keep up.
Angel did not dignify him with a response. The crowd
was getting thicker and more menacing, and she needed to
keep her wits about her. People were pressing in from all
sides, and it was getting nasty.
She made it on to the bus and sat down. She looked at
Lastic, who was sitting next to her, and said, "Dang. It's mean
out there."
" It'll get better. Don't even worry about it."
Just then, a brick came through the back door. Everyone
ducked, and Coach Boone yelled at the driver, " Back to
school now!!"
The driver sped to the school, almost running a few
people over on his way across town. When he jerked to a stop
and parked the bus, all was silent. Everyone was looking at
each other, waiting and wondering.
It was Coach Yoast that broke the silence. " Great game
everyone. Now, wait until your parents arrive before you exit
the bus."
With that, he took his daughter and he left.
Coach Boone left shortly after with his daughter, with
strict instructions to the driver not to let anyone off until their
parents arrived.
Everyone looked around at each other. Finally, Angel
said, " You guys can just go ahead and say it."
" Say what?" said Gerry.
" Oh, I dunno. That someone could have gotten really
hurt tonight, that all of those protestors would not have been
there hadn't been for me, I should probably just quit football, I
mean, take your fucking pick."
For a minute, there was more silence. Then Rev said, "
No one blames you for what happened..."
" We should." Ray said.
Then Gerry exploded. " Know what? We aren't blame
anyone for what happened. It was those people out there, who
don't know nothing about us. Now, if we are going to play all
season, we are going to have to pull together, like we did at
camp. Now that we are in the real world, people are telling us
that we can't be together as a team. If we wanna win, we are
gonna hafta be unstoppable."
Just then, Gerry's mom pulled into the parking lot. He
looked around at his team, and hopped off the bus.
One by one, the players got off. Finally, it dwindled down
to Sunshine, Ray and Angel.
" You know, it is your fault that all of those people were
there." Ray said nastily.
" So if I give into people like you, I can keep the peace,
is that what you are saying Ray?" Angel shot back.
" Alright, both of you knock it off. We are all tired, and
it's late." Sunshine said.
"No one asked you hippie boy."
"No one asked you either Ray." Angel said wearily.
Just then, Angel's dad showed up. Sunshine and Angel got
off the bus, because it had been arranged that Sunshine would
get a ride home from Angel.
As Angel stepped off the bus, she heard Ray say to
Sunshine, " Whipped by a half breed, huh Hippie boy?"
" Better a half breed rather than a racist white boy."
Ray gaped in amazement as Sunshine and Angel stepped
off the bus.
When Angel's dad pulled up in front of Sunshine's house,
he said, " Walk him to the door Angel. I'm not taking any
chances."
Angel hopped out of the car, and she and Sunshine
walked to his front door. They both stopped at the door, and
Angel said, " Good game, Sunshine."
" Yeah. Wish it were played under better circumstances
though. See you tommorrow, okay?"
" Okay. Goodnight."
Angel's moral was running down. It was almost
Christmas vacation, and life at school was really not much
better. Everyone still hated the Titans. Especially her. They
really hated her.
Angel started on her way to school on foot. Her father had
a rule: No riding the Harley in the snow. Then, Gerry pulled up
next to her in his Camero.
" Need a ride?" He shouted, popping the door open.
" Thanks Ger." She said, sighing as she threw her stuff in
the seat and closed the door.
" Where's your bike?"
" Dad has a rule. No riding in heavy rain and when it has
been snowing."
" Oh. So, any big plans for Christmas?"
" Not really. No family coming, nothing. Me, my dad and
my brothers. What about you?"
" Me and my mom. The guys were talking about getting
together, but I don't know..."
They pulled up in front of the school, and saw all the guys
congregating in front of the building. Angel found Sunshine,
and said " Hey! Merry Christmas."
" Hey. Yeah, Merry Christmas. Any plans?"
" Me, Dad and my brothers. What about you?"
" Me and Dad. Listen, since Christmas break starts
tommorrow, and Coach Boone doesn't have any in-the-snow
practices planned, I was wondering, if you weren't doing
anything, if you wanted to, you know, go catch a movie or
something."
Angel was floored. Some guy was actually asking her
out?
" Um...sure. Yeah, that sounds like fun. Tomorrow
night?"
" Yeah, I'll pick up about....6:30?"
Angel smiled. " Okay. I'll be ready."
He smiled back, and walked away. Then, Lastic, Rev,
Julius and Gerry walked over.
" Did we hear right? You are actually going on a DATE
with Sunshine?" Rev asked incredulously.
" Were you eavesdropping?" Angel asked, pretending to
be stern.
" Yes. Now, answer my question. Are you going out with
Sunshine?"
" Well, if you were listening to our conversation so well,
you figure it out."
" Whooohoooooo. Sunshine's got himself a date!!!!!!!"
Then they went off, to tell the entire team. Sunshine
walked back over smiling. " Did the guys just figure out that
you are actually a girl?"
" Amazing thought, isn't it?" Angel said, laughing.
" Well...not to me." He said, gazing at her.
Angel smiled, and blushed a little. She said, " C'mon
Sunshine. Don't give'm to much to gossip about, it might be
too much for them."
All day long, Angel heard nothing else but her arranged
date with Sunshine. The girls in her classes were mad at her,
the guys were giving Sunshine a hard time, and the teachers
kept trying to shut everyone up.
Angel threw her books in her locker after her third period
class, grabbed her lunch, and headed down to the cafeteria.
There, she looked around, until she saw Lastic and Sunshine
waving her over.
Angel dropped her lunch, and said, " Hey guys. What's
up?"
" You and Sunshine are like the talk of the school." said
Lastic, taking a huge bite of his triple bacon cheeseburger.
" Yeah, I noticed. You just can't have a love life in this
place, can you?" Angel said offhandedly, taking a bite of her
sprout sandwich.
Lastic laughed so hard that beef and bacon spewed out of
his mouth. " Ewww!" Angel said. " Could you go regurgitate
those poor murdered animals somewhere else please?"
Lastic chewed hastily, then swallowed. " Sorry. Did you
hear the news though?"
" What news?" Angel asked.
" Coach is thinking about moving you to left defensive
linebacker."
" WH--" Angel starting choking on her sandwich.
Sunshine gave her a few hard whacks between the shoulder
blades, and she recovered. "Left Defensive linebacker?? He's
nuts. I don't have the bulk to play defensive linebacker. Big
guys like you play that position Lastic."
" I know. But I heard him talking, and said that with your
speed and agility, you could make up the bulk with that. It's a
good opportunity to see what else you can do. I mean, QB is
nice and all, but I bet you could do other things."
" Wait a minute. If I get moved to defensive linebacker,
that means..."
Sunshine finished her thought, " Ray gets bumped
somewhere else."
Just then, Ray walked over. He was breathing hard, and
almost foaming at the mouth. " What the hell you think your
doing?"
" Ray, it was not my idea. I don't wanna play defensive
linebacker anyways."
" Well, you better make sure that you don't."
With that, Ray walked away. Angel stared after him,
getting angrier and angrier. That anger went with her until
that afternoon's practice, when Coach Boone said, " Angel, we
are going to try something a little different. I want you at Ray's
position for right now, okay? Just to see how you do."
Angel put on her helmet, and ran out onto the field. She
stepped in front of Lastic, and, before she put her mouthguard,
she said, " Don't hold back Lastic."
She waited, crouched and ready to go. She heard
Sunshine shout, " Down, set, hut!" After that, all the noise
seemed to fade. She knocked Lastic, all three hundred and
fifty pounds of him, over with amazing ease. She ducked under
Blue, who was trying to jump over her,spun around to avoid
Julius, and sacked Sunshine before he had even had the
chance to throw the ball. Everyone stopped, and stared.
" What's the matter, never seen a QB sacked before?"
Angel asked, spitting out her mouthguard.
Angel saw everyone looking at Lastic, who was still on
the ground, looking dazed, at Blue, who had taken a faceful of
mud, Julius, who was looking dizzy, and finally at Sunshine,
who was flat out on his back, the football laying beside him.
She then looked over at Coach Boone and Coach Yoast,
and was kind of pleased when she saw looks of outright shock
on their faces/
They walked over to her. Coach Boone opened and closed
his mouth a few times like a fish out of water, and finally,
Coach Yoast said, " Where did you learn to play like that?"
" I have 12 brothers Coach. You learn to play with them
or you get stomped on." Angel said.
Both coaches looked at each other, and Coach Boone
said, " How would you feel about playing linebacker for the
rest of the season?"
" Coach, if you are suggesting that I trade second string
QB for third string linebacker, I don't think so."
Coach Yoast smiled, and said, " Who said anything about
third string?"
Angel walked home that afternoon with a great sense of
triumph. She had no homework, she had a date the next day,
and she was the new strongside linebacker for the T.C
Williams Titans.
Yes, she thought, life is taking an upturn. She looked
behind her, and saw a group of the Titans walking toward her.
She stopped, curious. They looked really pissed about
something, which, although it wasn't unusual when it came to
her, they usually had a reason, and she hadn't done anything,
or she didn't THINK she had done anything.
" What's up guys?" She said, looking at the guys.
Ray stepped forward, and said, "Remember what I said
would happen if you stole my position bitch?"
Angel bristiled. " Look Ray, I know your big male macho
pride is wounded, and really, I feel for ya man. But the simple
fact is, I am better than you and you just need to get over it."
Ray lunged forward, and was pulled back by Lastic, Blue
and Julius. " Back up off her, man," Blue said, " She's right,
and you might as well get used to it."