21. What was the moment when 'it' hit you?
The smell of sweat was unmistakable - it had humidified the room to the point where I could swear I was sucking in the essence of 30 other sweaty dudes with every gasping breath. Squeaking floors and a general array of tribal chant and guttural cry filled my ears. This was a tradition I was quite familiar with, though not from practice. I am an observer by heart, though, and I have seen this time and again. A ritual dedicated to youthful masculinity. A rite of passage for some; a gateway to the future for others.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an orange globe striped in black. It was quite blurry - which is peculiar, as the object itself has a very distinct and clear design so to identify it quickly. Through careful and rapid study, I decided that the globe had a rather high velocity...and it was headed right for my timid face: a face so squishy you'd have to pinch the cheeks, as if you were my long lost aunt Myrtle.
I weighed my options. I could try and duck, but being 6 foot tall has its disadvantages, and I might not make it clear in time. Perhaps I could spin juke to the side? No, too flashy. A side-step would surely do the trick! Except I am far from a nimble man. My hands might make it in time to shield my precious featur-
That's when it hit me. My world was spun into pain, confusion, and malice. My nose stung as if one thousand bees had decided to snuggle up in it with their stingers. My lips were numb enough to the point where, if I had tried to speak at that moment, my words would turn to drool. My eyes were okay, seemingly protected by my nose, yet they were fixated on the point of origin from whence the ball came. All I could hear now was ringing accompanied by a chorus of, "ooooooh!"
This would not be the end of this war. My PE class had something much worse coming to them than a basketball to the face. If my face burns, they would burn with it.
