The Never Ending and Horrible Game

             Author’s note: This is a word choice and content piece for an epilogue about Loser by Jerry Spinelli. The point of view is in Donald Zinkoff, the main character.

            “Zinkoff,” a team captain shouted. When I heard my name get called, the excitement inside me couldn’t wait to escape. I’ve been picked. I’ve actually been picked. I knew this day couldn’t get any better as if nothing could make my day bad. My entire soul was so excited I could do 10,000 jumping jacks. The only bad part is that we are playing football. My defense skills are the exact opposite of someone like Troy Polamalu. I wonder what I’m going to play. Right now my mind is a three year old's, excited and asking questions.

            “Alright everybody,” Gary, a student, screamed, “Let’s play”. As the first kickoff came with everybody’s heads staring straight up, the ball was coming in my direction. I’m finally got to play. As I caught the ball I was filled with confusion. Where should I run? I never actually got to play, so I didn’t know what to do. With everybody screaming at me, I figured I should just run. When I was running towards the never ending field, nobody was tackling me. Wow I must be pretty good. The touchdown lines passed me when I got to the end of the field. I scored! “Alright, way to go Donald,” I told myself. My teammates were rushing towards me. At first I was so excited, but my teammates looked way different than being happy. Uh oh, this can’t be too good. “You really don’t understand this sport,” the team captain said with raging fists, “You just scored for the other team”!

            Okay, so maybe I didn’t have a pleasant beginning, but that doesn’t mean I could save the game like a super hero saving the day. All I have to do is just make an outstanding, winning catch like the ones people do at a super bowl game. Also I could try to act like Troy Polamalu and do an awesome defensive interception. Although the game seemed like it was never ending, my team managed to only be down by three points. Time was running out and we had the ball. This is it. This is when I make the amazing, winning super bowl catch. When the ball swirled into the quarter back’s hands time seemed to go in slow motion. I was sprinting so fast it seemed like I was the wind. As the ball flew through the air, it was coming straight at me. The ball was descending in the air and I had to catch the ball. I lunged forward for the game, winning catch. Just before the catch the sun seemed to shine brighter. This is it. This is when I show everyone I’m good enough. The ball touches my fingers and I dropped it.

            Thanks to me, we lost the game. Everyone was seems to be using me as a scapegoat. “Why did you have to drop the pass,” someone would ask, or “Why did you have to play anyways.” The worst quote of all is something I would never forget. It’s true because if it weren’t for me, my team wouldn’t have lost. Then when I got to bed, the quote kept on haunting me. “You just scored for the other team!”