Short Story: Lacrosse Team

“Lyle, what are you doing? Handle the ball! Come on, focus!” Coach Brian’s roar thrusts through the sky. Lyle, a seventeen years old teenager from China, tall but thin, and he is one of the cutest players on the lacrosse team, curses to himself softly but with hatred, “Why can’t I handle the ball! I suck!!!!” After practice, Lyle goes back to his dorm quietly and slams his dorm door and abreacts his anger to his bed by his poundings. “I can’t keep playing like this,” he told himself. “I need to show my best to Coach so I will get more playing time this season. I don’t like to stay on the bench all the time!” says Lyle to himself. “Lyle, do you wanna go shoot outside?” Josh, a nineteen years old Canadian and one of the starting players on

“First of all, who are the possible people that are interested in the lacrosse ball?” Coach tries to solve the crime step by step in his mind. “I don’t think people who play soccer, tennis or basketball are interested, and they probably don’t even know who Paul Rabil is,” Brian analyzes. “Therefore the only possible suspects are Josh and Lyle???” He questions himself in mind because he does not believe that his lacrosse players would have done that to him. “I need to go ask them in person.” “Josh? ” yelled by Brian, no one answers. “Josh? Where are you?” Still no one answers. “Does he try to hide from me?” Coach infers. “Josh!!! Where are you??” Coach Brian shouts out. “What’s happened man?” Josh answers. “I was sleeping.” Brian goes upstairs into Josh’s room, “D-i-d y-o-u t-a-k-e m-y l-a-c-r-o-s-s-e b-a-l-l?” He tries to pronounce every word as heavy and clear as possible, like a police questions a

“Coach, I bet my whole life in it that I did not even have the idea of stealing your lacrosse ball.” Lyle does not even understand how could Coach ask him that question. “I trust you my man. Have a good night!” Brian goes back to his room full of struggle. He has no idea what he should do next to find out who is the criminal.

The next day, everybody in the village knows Coach Brian lost his the most important life achievement. Many people think the two lacrosse players took the ball because they are the only reasonable suspect; else think it must be someone who does not live in the village because it would be easy for Brian to find out who took the ball if the suspect lives in the village, and there are security cameras inside and outside of the houses, which will provide direct and crucial evidence. “Coach, maybe you should check the security cameras outside of your room to see who sneaked in yesterday.” Josh advices. “Oh, right! This is a good idea! Thank you man!” He sprints to the maintenance department to check out the tape from the security camera. It sounds like everyone can hear his heartbeat sound, “Why are you so nervous?” Mr. Bob, the maintenance guy,