Second Down - Chapter 22

The little bell over the pharmacy door clinked as I pushed it open. After Dad had gone to work, Mom never came out of her room. I thought she was working, until I heard a noise from the back of the house and went to investigate.

She was lying there, listless, in the dark. Apparently, she called in sick again to work. The stuff I’d found for her last week had seemed to help, and she hadn’t had another attack except for a small one the day after I’d found her home on the couch. I’d actually thought maybe we’d found the solution, but apparently not.

So I was back at the pharmacy, hoping to find something else. I’d already gotten the extra strength pill with what looked like the highest dosage on the side of the bottle last time, but that only worked for like a week.

“Back again, Blake? How’s your mother doing?” Mr. Sullivan, the pharmacist, asked from behind the counter.

“Not great. The last ones didn’t help much. She’s taking more and more of them, but they’re barely touching the pain anymore.”

“Did she go and see Dr. Taylor like I suggested?”

“I think so, but I don’t think anything was prescribed.”

I actually knew she hadn’t. I’d heard her and Dad arguing about it a few weeks ago, and she’d blown me off last week when I’d suggested it.

Mr. Sullivan pursed his lips, considering. “There’s a newer medication we just got in. It’s not much different than the stuff you got before, but it’s supposed to be formulated for migraines, so it’s worth trying. But Blake, she really needs to see a specialist. These headaches aren’t normal.”

“I know,” I said, like she’d listen to me at all.

“Just..”

Whatever he was going to say was cut off when the front door burst open with such force the bell nearly flew off. A small Chinese woman stormed in, her shoes making a flapping sound like they were flip-flops as they tried to keep up with her stomping. Her black hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and she looked familiar. It took me a moment to realize she looked like what I imagined Li might look like when she got older.

Well, if she got older and shrunk by more than a foot.

She made a beeline for the counter, stopping right in front of me.

“Are you the boy who talked to my daughter?” she said, poking a finger at my chest. “Li is a good student. She does not have time to waste playing games. You need to stay away from my daughter!”

I took an instinctive step back, caught off guard by her intensity. Mr. Sullivan had paused mid-reach for the medication he’d been talking about from a shelf behind him and was just staring at us.

I also knew her last name wasn’t Zhu, like Li’s. She’d explained it to me the other day that married couples didn’t take each other’s last names, and kids usually had the last name of the father while the mother kept her maiden name. It seemed strange to me, having an immediate family with different last names, but who was I to knock how other people lived.

“Mrs. Sun, I wasn’t trying to…”

“No! I know boys like you. You all think because I have a tall, pretty daughter that she needs a boyfriend. That she needs sports. What she needs is to study!”

“That’s not what I—”

“You know what happens to girls who play sports? They spend all their time practicing or dating boys who play on other sports, and their grades start to slip. Because they’re good at sports, teachers think it’s fine to have students who get Bs or Cs. You know what those girls don’t do? They don’t go to Harvard!”

“Mrs. Sun, Li’s really talented. She told me about playing in Houston, how happy it made her. With her height and skill…”

“The only skill that matters is the one that will get her into a good college and give her a good job.”

“But she’s lonely. Until recently, she would spend all her time sitting by herself, not really talking to anyone.”

“Good! Less time talking means more time studying. You think friends will help her get into medical school? You think running around in a sweaty gym will help her become a doctor?”

“No, but—”

“No buts! You leave Li alone. She’s to study, get good grades, and go to Harvard. She’ll become a doctor like her father. I don’t want boys filling her head with silly ideas about sports.”

It was hard to really get a grip on the conversation. Li’s mom was like a tornado, just hitting you from every side. It did put a lot of why Li was the way she was in perspective, though. I’d only had to deal with this for sixty seconds, and it was already too much for me.

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live with this.

But... it wasn’t any secret what her mother actually wanted. That was one benefit to her approach. It was very clear what her goal was. It was even a good goal, although I worried how that would leave Li once she got out into the world, out from under her mother’s roof.

“Mrs. Sun, please. I understand you want what’s best for Li. But basketball scholarships can actually help with college applications. Schools like Harvard look for well-rounded students, and they’re not great on admissions even if you have perfect grades. No matter what a school’s policy is, though, they will put that aside for a good athlete.”

“You think I don’t know about American colleges? I’ve researched every top school.”

“I have no doubt. Then you know sports can open doors. Li is really tall for a girl and if she’s even half as good as she said she was, she’ll be able to open a lot of doors that might otherwise be closed to her. Give her not only a real chance at a good school, but options for several.”

“And what do you know about it?”

“I don’t know if she told you, but I play football, and I want to go to a good school, so I’ve spent a lot of time looking at sports scholarships. And I know Li’s unhappy and lonely, which could hurt her grades too, since it would make her unfocused.”

She didn’t say anything for a minute, just glared at me with such intensity I thought maybe she was going to hit me in the stomach or something for daring to talk to her daughter.

Instead, she said, “You will come to dinner tonight. Seven o’clock sharp. We will discuss this properly then.”

With that, she turned around and started to head for the door at the same speed she’d come in.

“I... what?”

“Seven o’clock. Don’t be late. And bring information about these scholarship programs!”

The bell jangled violently as she yanked it open and stomped out and down the street. To say I was shaken by the whole encounter was an understatement.

Mr. Sullivan, apparently found it amusing.

“She’s something, isn’t she,” he said, chuckling to himself as he handed me the medication and started to ring it up.

“No kidding,” I said as I paid for it.

I was honestly a little frightened I might not make it out of this dinner alive.

Several hours later, I found myself in front of Downing's Antiques, a building I'd seen in passing but had never actually been this close to. There was a closed sign in the window, and part of me just wanted to turn around and walk away.

Except I'd already committed to myself to do what I needed to do to make up for how she'd been treated in the dream life and how she was being treated by Elijah and the rest now. So instead of running, I pressed the small buzzer and waited, smoothing down the nicest shirt I owned.

I was so nervous, I felt like I was waiting for a first date. Or maybe an execution.

After about a minute, I saw Li through the window, weaving through the shelves of trinkets. Instead of unlocking the door and stepping back to let me in, however, she stepped through it, pulling the door shut behind her so we were both outside.

"I'm so sorry about my mother," she said as soon as the door was shut behind her. "I swear I didn't know she was going to…"

"It's fine," I said, cutting her off. "You told me what she was like, so I should have expected this. If I can help you get her to agree to let you play, it's worth a try."

"Thank you," she said, squeezing my arm for a moment before opening the door again and ushering me into the shop.

After locking the door behind her, she led me through the shelves, which were filled with small and medium-sized things of all shapes and sizes, from pots and picture frames to trinkets. The other half of the shop was cluttered with chairs, tables, and furniture I didn't even know what its purpose was.

The second floor was completely different from the shop below. It was just a modest apartment with a mix of simple self-assembly furniture and Chinese decorations.

The kitchen and dining area were both just at the top of the stairs, and Li's mom was by the stove still working on food when we got up there.

"Sit. You there. You there," she said, turning around and pointing at places across from each other at the already set table.

Li was avoiding eye contact as I sat down, clearly as uncomfortable with all this as I was. Her mom began bringing over dishes as soon as we sat down. A big bowl of steaming rice, vegetables in some kind of sauce, slices of beef and green onion, and a plate filled with buns that had some kind of meat thing inside.

"Now," Mrs. Sun said, sitting down after putting the last dish on the table. "Tell me about these sports scholarships. How do colleges choose which athlete to take? What are the requirements? What percentage of players receive these scholarships, and how good are the schools that offer them?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but she continued before I could speak.

"What kind of grades are needed if you have this scholarship? Which schools give most of the money? Do you just play and get them, or do you have to do something to apply for them?"

"Well," I began, fumbling with my chopsticks as she started spooning food onto my and Li's plates. "I can only speak for football, but…"

"Yes, I understand you play football, not basketball," she interrupted. "How different is the process?"

"The basic recruitment process is similar. But football and basketball have different…"

"What percentage of students get full rides? Li says Harvard has sports teams. Could she play there?"

I was starting to get flummoxed by all of the questions, and I didn't know how to use chopsticks, but there were no forks, and it felt kind of insulting to ask for one, so I was trying to do my best while paying attention to what she was saying. Which ended up with me trying to copy Li's movements and dropping one, which bounced off the plate and onto the floor.

Li hopped out of her chair, grabbed the dropped chopstick, and went to get me another pair.

"Thanks," I said as she handed it to me. "For Harvard…"

"First, tell me about the recruitment timeline," Mrs. Sun cut in. "When do scouts start watching? What grades must be maintained? How many games do they watch?"

"Māmā, ràng tā shuō yīxiàr la," Li said.

I didn't know what she said exactly, but I recognized the exasperated tone I sometimes used with my mom when she was embarrassing me.

"Fine. You answer now," she said, jabbing a chopstick at me.

"For football, and I'm pretty sure basketball too, colleges usually start looking at players in their sophomore or junior year, depending on how good they are. The very best players start getting attention their sophomore year, everyone else in their junior year. They evaluate players based on their performance in games, their physical attributes, and their potential for development. Scouts also usually attend tournaments where they can see multiple players at once, and it's a good place to get on their radar. Those players who they think will benefit their programs, either because of their ability to help them win or their popularity to bring attendance, will usually get offers, which is to say, asked to commit to going to that school and receive some kind of scholarship.

Mrs. Sun, who was clearly holding herself back until I stopped to take a breath, asked, "And what are the chances of getting these scholarships?"

"It varies by division and school. Division I schools offer the most full scholarships. I can't speak for women's basketball, but it's usually like a couple of thousand scholarships given out each year across all the schools in that division, which is less than in football and men's basketball. The competition is tough and there are a lot of kids who want them, but Li would have advantages. Her height, and from what she's told me about her skills..."

"And Harvard?" Mrs. Sun pressed.

It had been hard without the internet, but I did look up a few things before I came over because I knew this would be something she asked.

"Yeah, that's the tricky part. None of the Ivy League schools offer athletic scholarships but they do have a strong women's basketball program though, and being an athlete can ensure you get admitted even if they would not choose you otherwise. They want their team to be competitive."

"So why do it then?"

"Like I said, if you have both good grades, are a well-rounded student, and can help their teams, you will very likely get an offer to go there, sometimes even without directly applying. But, there are also very good rated teams like Duke, Notre Dame, and Stanford that do give full ride athletic scholarships and are still extremely good schools. So it gives you choices in both directions."

"But sports takes time away from studies. Time Li needs for AP classes and SAT preparation."

"I understand your concern, but I think she'll manage both. I've actually improved academically since joining football after years of being a terrible student. I'm getting all As for the first time, even with getting a lot of extra assignments to move up from remedial classes and I got promoted unusually fast to a higher team in the football program. And Li is much smarter than me. If I can handle it, she definitely can."

"You are doing well in school now?"

"Yes, ma'am. And from talking to my counselor, colleges want more than just good grades. They look for leadership and involvement in the school community."

"Like student government?" Mrs. Sun asked.

"Exactly. But that's mostly a popularity contest. You need a lot of friends and connections in the school to win those positions."

Mrs. Sun set down her chopsticks. "I have asked about you, Blake Sims. Your coaches say you have talent. Your teachers confirm you are a good and hardworking student."

After meeting me, it did not surprise me that she would call either coaches or teachers, although I had to wonder how she knew who my teachers were. The answer wasn't hard to figure out though.

I glanced at Li, who seemed to be trying to disappear into her chair, very pointedly not looking at me.

"My concern is not just academic," Mrs. Sun continued. "There are other ... social elements. Parties and boys that might distract her."

"That's a problem not being in sports too, but I've actually found sports help with focus and discipline," I said. "I think Li's already proven she's great at managing her time and if she's already very busy with everything, she won't have time for getting out of control. If she wants student government, she will need to go to some social functions to make the friends she'll need, but I think she can manage it. Plus, teams need their athletes to pass so they stay eligible, so the coaches help give them the resources they need to maintain those grades usually."

"Yes, I have researched this extensively since our meeting at the pharmacy. From what I have found, I believe you are correct in saying student athletes have better college acceptance rates. I will allow her to participate in basketball."

"Really?" Li asked, shooting up in her chair, looking from her mom to me and back again.

"Yes," she said, and then stabbed her chopsticks at me again. "You will Li prepare for basketball tryouts."

"I... what?"

"You know about sports and how to best prepare for athletic success, yes? You are very clearly a successful athlete, so you will help her practice and prepare. You too may work together after school when your homework is complete and on weekend days time permitting. You will call ahead and get permission to practice. You will provide a plan to get her ready to make the team by the end of the week."

"Māmā!" Li protested, but her mom held up her hand.

"You want to play, yes? Blake will help you succeed. He will also assist you in making the right connections to become class president by junior year."

"I'm not sure I can guarantee…" I started.

Her mom gave me a look that stopped me cold. "You convinced me basketball was worth pursuing. Now you will help ensure it benefits her future. Class president looks very good on college applications."

Li was staring at her plate, but I could see the smile she was trying to hide. I knew the feeling. The way we got there might be unorthodox, but she was being allowed to play a game she clearly loved.

How could I stand in the way of her getting it.

"Of course. I'll do my best to help."

"Good." Mrs. Sun, standing up. "Sit there. I have made sesame cake to celebrate this decision."

She brought over a plate with what looked like little fried balls covered in sesame seeds. They were actually really good - crispy on the outside and chewy inside with some kind of sweet filling.

After we finished eating, Li's mom announced it was time for me to go home. Li was really quiet as she walked me downstairs through the shop to the front door.

"I'm so sorry about all this," she said as she unlocked the door. "I didn't think she'd..."

"Make me your personal basketball trainer and campaign manager?" I laughed. "It's okay. I meant what I said about wanting to help."

"Still. Thank you. For everything."

"Li!" Mrs. Sun's voice carried down from upstairs, followed by a string of Chinese words I didn't understand.

Li winced and said, "I have to go. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

She gave a quick wave before disappearing back inside. I stood there for a moment, wondering what exactly I'd gotten myself into. Helping Eduardo, all the extra school work, now helping Li.

I had to be crazy.