Chapter 2

DENNIS’S MOTHER KNEW that if there was to be a girls’ basketball team, the Armor girls would be on it. Their older sisters never had the opportunity to play in high school, but were already making their mark at State. Mrs. Enders knew their parents supported their athletic endeavors but their pleas to the school board for a girls’ team had gone unheeded. If Coach Graves was successful in getting a team started at Bartley High, the Armor girls would be a part of it.

She also knew her son had a crush on the youngest, though she was equally certain the girl was completely oblivious to it. Ah, to be fifteen again. The first person she called to ask about the proposed team was Lily Armor. She hadn’t heard about the team yet, but was excited to get behind it and listened carefully to what Dot had to say about it.

“Natalie, Roberta, Daniella, please come to the living room for a family conference,” Lily called. John laid down the book he was reading and turned off the television. He’d agreed to the family conference after his wife’s conversation with Dennis’s mother. The three girls wandered into the living room and took their customary seats on the sofa. Family conferences weren’t unusual. They were thinking it might involve vacation plans for Christmas break. Maybe they’d get to go somewhere besides their grandparents’ house. When everyone had settled, Mrs. Armor began.

“I know you girls all have your eye on following your sisters to State. And you know I’ve petitioned the school board every year to get a high school team started. Their excuse has always been they didn’t have a coach or a budget for girls’ athletics. This year might be different.”

“Really, Mom? That would be so cool!” Roberta said.

“It’s not definite yet, but there is a coach now and she’s willing to go to the board to fight for a team.”

“Ms. Graves? She is so cool!” Natalie said.

“Yes. I spoke to her a few minutes ago and she’s enthused as well. You three might think you are a shoo-in for starting on the team, but you’ll need to prove yourselves. And remember, it takes more than three players on the court. You’ll need to truly work with a team and be sure everyone gets a chance to play.”

“We can do that, Mom,” Daniella said. “We’ll stop and see Coach Graves after school tomorrow. We’ll make sure she knows she can count on us.”

“Yes, I thought you would do that and that’s what I wanted to discuss.” The girls were almost comical in the way they cocked their heads at the same angle. Sometimes, Lily thought they must be triplets but one waited a year to be born. “When you talk to Coach Graves, you’ll also meet your team manager.”

“She has a team manager already? Who? Diane? She should be on the court. Who is she?” Natalie asked.

“She is a he.”

“A boy is going to manage the girls’ team?” exclaimed Daniella. Unlike her sisters, she had very little interest in or use for boys. “If one of those dumb jocks gets in my face, I’ll rip his balls out by the root.”

“You will do no such thing,” her father said. John hadn’t lived with six women for this many years without learning how they thought. His daughters were fairly predictable. “You will treat your manager with respect and he will treat you with respect.”

“Um ... who is it?” Natalie asked quietly.

“You might not know him. It’s Dennis Enders. He is not your average jock,” Lily said.

“I know Dennis,” Natalie said. “He’s been in my class for like ten years. He’s like almost invisible and sometimes gets picked on because he’s so little.”

“Please try to use fewer ‘likes’ in your sentences. Good English elevates your standing in the eyes of others,” Lily said.

“Isn’t he the guy who was getting picked on by Lee Smith and his cronies last year?” Roberta asked.

“Yeah. I never saw three guys turn tail and run like when the three of us stepped in,” Natalie said. “I just felt bad for Dennis. They picked on him just because he can’t defend himself.”

“That’s what this conversation is coming down to,” John said. “I expect you girls to set the example regarding not bullying. You’ve been raised to be better than that and stepping in to stop it last year was exactly what I expect of you. It takes a lot of courage for a kid like that to step into a role where he’s been bullied before. And as socially backward as he may seem, it takes a lot of courage for a boy who is small in stature to accept a position working with girls who are all taller and outweigh him.”

“This could be the opportunity we’ve been trying to create for all five of you girls,” Lily said. “We’ll go to the school board meeting Tuesday and back Ardith in getting this done. But if we hear of any bullying by the girls—on the boy or each other—we will just as quickly ask that it be disbanded. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Mom.” Daniella and Roberta looked to Natalie. Even though she was a year younger, they often deferred to her as their spokesperson.

“We’ll be responsible, Mom and Dad. Nobody deserves to be treated the way Dennis was last year and I’m glad Coach Rogers got canned for it. We’ll make sure the other girls get the message,” Natalie said.

“Okay,” Mrs. Armor said. “I knew we could count on you but we had to hear it explicitly stated. Now, remember, this isn’t public news yet, but knowing this town, I doubt there is a hermit left who hasn’t heard by now. Talk to Coach Graves and Dennis and see what you can do to help.”

The family conference was over and three very excited girls headed for bed.

By 2:30 when the final bell rang, the school was buzzing with the rumor that a girls’ basketball team was forming. Opinions ranged from excited enthusiasm to a shrugged ‘who cares?’ Dennis nearly came in his pants when Natalie looked at him in their English class and gave him a thumbs up. She’d never said a word to him since intervening on his behalf last year. The incident with Lee had been the spark that ended with Coach Rogers being fired and the three worst bullies getting expelled. Natalie and her sisters had shrugged it off as just being decent people and didn’t expect anything in return. They weren’t sure if there had been any bullying so far this year. They hadn’t heard of any.

All three arrived at Coach Graves’s office at the same time Dennis did. Dennis held his breath when he saw the three Amazons approaching. He quickly rushed to open the door and stood aside for them to enter.

“Ladies,” he said as he motioned them in.

“Thanks, Manager,” Natalie said. Dennis followed them into the office. There weren’t chairs for everyone so they stood in front of Ardith’s desk, almost at attention.

“Well, news travels faster in this town than wildfire,” Ardith said. “Dennis, we’ll get to our meeting in a minute. What can I do for you ‘ladies,’ as Dennis so politely called you?” Dennis could tell by the amused expression on Ardith’s face that she was playing with the girls. He still held his breath. Roberta and Daniella looked at their sister.

“We wanted to thank you for working at getting us a basketball team,” Natalie said. “And volunteer to do anything we can to help. We also wanted to let you know that we have no problem at all with Dennis being our team manager. Not that you need our permission, but we thought Dennis should know that he has our support.”

Dennis nearly melted as he managed to say, “Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” Ardith reaffirmed. “There can’t be much secret that I have my eye on you three to help get us started. But you have some others who have been playing in your scrimmages. We’re going to need a full team, not just three women. I’m glad you’re willing to help recruit. As you spread the word, be honest with the girls. It’s likely they’ll break a fingernail. This isn’t a place for beauty queens.”

“Yes, ma’am. When can we tell them we’ll have tryouts?”

“I don’t really have a schedule yet. I need to go before the school board Tuesday.”

“Coach?” Dennis said. “I checked the calendar and we could have tryouts two weeks from today. It fits the schedule and there is a precedent for having a new team begin practice ahead of the official date set by the IGHSAU.”

“Good work. Let’s make that our tentative date. Remember, you can’t post anything prior to the board meeting. They could shoot the whole idea down.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ve made a list of parents and boosters we can call to help us at the board meeting. I figured I was going to need the list for recruiting scorers,” Dennis said. Ardith pulled back in surprise.

“That’s ... good thinking, Dennis.” She looked at the girls. “Any doubts about why I want him as our team manager?” All three girls grinned and looked at Dennis. He could feel his face heating up.

“No, ma’am. Dennis, we could help by splitting up the list and making phone calls. I know our parents are already planning to attend,” Natalie said. Dennis wondered a bit about Roberta and Daniella having not said a word since they came into the office. Well, they were juniors and probably were just leaving things to Natalie because she was his classmate.