The Maturation of J Reed: Vol. 7

My participation in the competition would have been a "feel good" story if we hadn't have come in 2nd place again. I think I was more upset with the loss then the jokes that came as a result of it. Of course the jokes came rolling in though. But by this time a was pretty numb to ridicule. It came from so many angles that joking back just seemed pointless. So I pretty much ignored it.

Another person that I had great admiration for in high school was Tyrone Adams. I really hate the use of the term swagger, because it sounds gay (no offense to anyone), especially when referring to another man, but T.J. reeked of arrogance. We were polar opposites. I was more reserved and quiet but T.J. was loud and flamboyant. I'm sure people wondered why we would hangout together. I honestly think it was because he represented what I wasn't. Deep down inside I wanted to have that confidence that he possessed. I would have to ask him why he hung out with me (lol). If I had to take a guess, I would say that it was probably my work ethic. I noticed that he would make sure he worked out with me. Whatever I was doing in the weightroom or on the field, no matter how counterproductive, he was right there with me.

In hanging out with T.J. I met a lot of his family. In fact, when I started growing my hair, it was his mother that would sit for hours braiding or re-twisting it. But one family member in particular I was glad that I was introduced to.

The summer going into my 11th grade year I was introduced to T.J.'s cousin, K.K. I remember being introduced to her in Coolidge's gymnasium and being speechless. She was beautiful. So beautiful that intially, I wouldn't even look her directly in the eye. The good thing about K.K. is that all though she was very pretty, she was also very humble. And if she wasn't, she made sure she appeared to be. I never heard her bragging on herself like some of the other girls around Coolidge. This made her even more attractive.

The start of 11th grade looked very promising for me. I switched positions on the football field from quarterback to fullback and linebacker, I had received numerous letters from colleges expressing interest in my athletic ability, and I was a captain on the football team. All of these things lead to a boost in my confidence. I was considered an upperclassman so I went from being ridiculed and scrutinized, to admired and looked up to. That felt great. People still had their jokes though, but by this time I wasn't really sweating it. I knew in my heart that at some point in the future I would have the last laugh.