"Ow! watch it OK!"
"Sorry. I'm just trying to help. Your knee is still pretty swollen."
Charlie crossed her arms over her chest - didn't say a word. Until Mike twisted her knee the other way – "OW!"
"Why did you wear these clothes today? It's hard to work you with this in the way." Mike tugged at a floppy pant leg.
"Well sorry - if their such a problem then take them off."
"What!? Take them off?"
"Oh please - I have sport briefs on." Charlie unsnapped her shorts and lifted her hips. Mike paused. "Geez 'Michelle' you've seen me wear less in the pool."
Mike flashed on a memory from many years back and smiled.
"What are you grinning at you big dork."
Mike smiled deeply, "I was just remembering the first time I came over to swim. You certainly shocked me with what you were wearing that day."
"You are such a jerk. My sister still bugs me about that. Gawd – I knew I was skinny then but how could you have thought I was a boy? That was so embarrassing – and in front of her friends too." Charlie playfully punched Mike shoulder.
"I told you I couldn't see – that I'd broken my glasses just before I met you that first time. C'mon Char – give a guy a break why doncha?"
Charlene thought back to that summer day. They had recently moved into a new house and as yet she hadn't met any kids her age. They were either older or younger, and what was worse none were interested in shooting hoops with her.
About two weeks into the new neighborhood she was at a local park practicing free throws when a skinny dark haired kid had walked up. He was squinting a lot and had that obnoxious problem that all boys seemed to have – they were alive and they had a galling need to state the absolute obvious.
"You shooting baskets?"
Charlene stared at the boy with her mouth open as she stood at the free throw line. She shook her head to herself and swished another basket. She retrieved the ball and prepared to shoot again. Swish.
"Nice shot."
"Thanks." She stood ready to shot again when she glanced over at the squinting boy. "Is there something wrong with your eyes?"
"Oh...no? Why? Oh…I get it."
"Well…is there something wrong with your eyes?"
"Oh…I broke my glasses while I was on vacation. We were at my cousins house and we were playing baseball and I was hitting my cousin hard I mean I was hitting the ball hard because he was pitching and he was getting pissed off and he said Michael you asshole stop hitting the ball so hard and…"
"Okay… I get it…thanks for the life story." Swish. "You play roundball?"
"Is the Pope religious?"
"What?" Charlene shook her head again - boys. Her sister raved about them - this boy or that one. 'He's so cute…he's so cool…he's so…he's so…' Charlene had yet to meet any boy that she didn't think was at best 'so-so.'
"Yeah. What's your name? I like to know that name of my victims."
Charlene flinched as she heard what was possibly the worst…no, no make that what was certainly the worst Dracula accent ever. "Charlene."
"Nice ta meetcha Charlie."
Charlene shook her head again. He can't see, he can't hear, and he probably can't shoot - lucky me.
An hour later Charlene ran her fingers through her short blonde hair. Sweat dripped freely from her face. She glared into Mike's squinty face. "Next shot wins – alright?" Swish. "I win." Charlene grabbed the ball and started to walk away.