Mom pulled me in for a hug Nope she answered Remember We had to keep the competition fair since many of us have children that wanted to enter As the Sports Editor Mac is the only one who gets to read the essays and pick the winner When it’s time for the Arts Entertainment contest it will be my turn to judge What about the authors names asked Alana She shoved another cookie in her mouth Wouldn’t Mac see those I’m one step ahead of you Mom said The names were taken off of each essay before they were given to Mac So he had no clue who the authors were You see Fair and square I reached for a cookie but quickly decided to put it back on the plate Don’t be nervous said Cici You know everything there is to know about any kind of sport including the ones we don’t even play Plus 10
you’re the best writer in your entire grade No offense girls None taken Louie mumbled She huddled under a blanket with Alana Read us that last part again said Rana Yes agreed Mom Let’s hear the ending That will calm your nerves I reached into my jeans pocket Maybe they were right Maybe reading the essay would calm me down I unfolded the well-worn paper scanning the familiar words I had carefully chosen over a month ago The last few paragraphs were my favorite too I had been so proud when this final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place I cleared my throat and started to read A life on the sidelines is more exciting than you might think We know that players get all the glory And behind every star athlete is a fan cheering them on from the sidelines Sure my 11
siblings get the credit for the win But Mom Dad and I get the credit for my siblings Think of us as the starting support squad and I’m the captain For me the sidelines are anything but boring I don’t just watch I participate Over the years I’ve fallen in love with the world of sports I have learned the rules and studied the strategies Just as my brother and sister train their bodies for the big game I train my mind so that I am ready to play too Think about it How can I support my team if I don’t know the rules My life on the sidelines has also helped me discover my passion in life And by pursuing a career in sports broadcasting I’ll hopefully never have to leave my passion That last line is so good Rana admired Yeah I admitted I was pretty proud of that one too I mean this in the nicest way possible said Louie But you’re such a word nerd 12
I laughed folded the paper and tucked it back into my jeans The pumpkin aroma was too tempting to ignore and my stomach rumbled the tiniest bit Before I had a chance to take a cookie I heard the familiar crunch of gravel at the end of our street We all turned our heads just as the mail truck rounded the corner It’s here Cici shouted She sprinted down the driveway Easily the fastest girl in her grade Cici made it to the mailbox as the truck stopped I wanted to join her But my feet stuck like cement to the step Then Cici was walking back and the truck was driving away I realized too late that I didn’t notice who was behind the steering wheel I made a mental note to solve that mystery another day Cici leafed through the mail as she made her way closer to the porch Suddenly her hands 13
