Episode 25: Homecoming

You are standing in the bleachers at Thaddeus Stevens High School, where the Neighborful Station girls’ varsity soccer team is playing their Homecoming game. The opponents tonight hail from the town of Aberlin, on the other side of the county. Your neighbor Olivia is playing in the game, as the center back. Behind the bright stadium lights, you see the brilliant purples and oranges of the setting sun. Even with all of the noise in the stands, you can still hear the sound of the players’ feet making contact with the ball as they kick and pass. You smell the hot dogs cooking in the concession stand, and you take a deep breath.

As the first half winds down in extra time, Aberlin and Neighborful Station are tied, with one goal each. Olivia lofts a beautiful pass forward to Isabella, who is rocketing up the left side of the field toward the goal. She receives the ball on the run, taps it ahead of her, and fires a golazo into the back of the net, past the Aberlin goalie. The referee whistles the end of the half, as the Neighborful Station fans erupt with joy.

You happen to be standing next to the section where the visiting Aberlin fans have gathered. In the celebration happening on one side of you, a red-faced 9th grader jumps up and down, howling into the night with his friends. Suddenly, he windmills his arm toward the visitors section. From his hand, a paper cup full of birch beer sprays and splatters all over the Aberlin fans near him, and they get pelted with the ice from his cup.

The nearby fans from both teams are shocked into silence.

You hear a rush of footsteps clanging behind you, and you look back to see Mason and a few other juniors and seniors hurrying toward the scene. Mason pauses next to you and says under his breath, “We need to make this right. Will you come with us?”

You say, “Yes, Mason. I don’t know what to do, but yes, I’ll come.”

You follow Mason as he approaches the 9th grader and says, in a firm but gentle voice, “Hey, Noah. Let’s sit down and make a circle.”

Noah, his eyes downcast, says in a near whisper, “Now?”

Mason answers, “Yes, now. Don’t be scared. We are here with you.”

One of Mason’s friends, a shorter girl with a long ponytail, faces the Aberlin fans who were hit with the birch beer, and asks them, “Will you sit down in a circle with us for a moment? We want to figure this out together.” The fans nod, and follow her lead in forming a rough circle around the stairs in between the sections of bleachers. 

You sit down, taking in the sight of the group. Noah and the Aberlin fans are all staring at the floor. You notice the quiet of the crowd, everyone watching this moment, and as you relax your shoulders, you take a centering breath.

Mason holds up an oversized foam hand and says, “Hey everybody. This is a restorative circle. We will pass the foam hand around to whoever is speaking, to help remind the rest of us that we’re listening. Can I ask the folks from Aberlin if you could tell us how you’re feeling right now?”

A Dad from the Aberlin side clears his throat, and Mason leans over to give him the foam hand. The Dad takes it and says, “You know, I’m a little damp and sticky, to be honest. I’m also confused. I didn’t expect trouble here.”

Noah shudders, and his head sinks. The girl who organized the circle pats him gently on the back.

The Dad continues, “My kids got soaked, and that’s really embarrassing. It’s not like we brought a change of clothes here. This has really messed up our night.” He offers the hand back to Mason, who takes it with a sad smile.

Mason turns to Noah and says, “Can you tell us what happened?”

Noah, fighting back tears, takes the foam hand from Mason, and says, “I just got excited. I wasn’t thinking. It was a dumb thing to do, and I’m really sorry.”

The Aberlin Dad motions for the hand again, and Noah gives it directly to him, briefly making eye contact. The Dad fixes his gaze on Noah and tells him, “We know you didn’t really mean any harm. We’re excited, too. You need to treat your opponents with respect. We’re all here to see a great game, and so far, that’s what they’ve given us.” Everyone sighs in agreement.

Mason takes the hand back. While looking directly at you, he asks the group, “I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for what we should do for the rest of the game?”

You reach out to receive the foam hand, and you say, “Yes, I have an idea. What if we stand together down in front for the second half, and we cheer for both teams?”

The Aberlin Dad’s eyes gleam as he says, “Oh, I love that! Sorry, I don’t have the hand,” and he quickly covers his mouth.

Mason waves breezily toward him and says, “It’s all good! Noah, what do you think?”

Noah replies, “I would like that, too.”

The shorter girl who gathered the circle chimes in, “Sounds great to me. I’m Lily, by the way.”

As the group in the circle stands up again, the rest of the crowd makes space. Mason lingers at your side as Noah, the Aberlin Dad, and his kids start down the bleachers. You feel the cold metal of the railing at your fingertips, and you take a sip of your own birch beer, which you had tucked under your seat during the circle. As the game resumes on the field, and the owls keep watch from the forested hills above, you take an easy breath.

Mason asks you, “Did you just come up with that on the spot?”

You say, “Yes, I did. The answer came to me right away.”

Mason says, “It was perfect. Thank you.”

You tell him, “You’re welcome. Thanks for inviting me. I just wish those folks could warm up.”

Mason points down the stairs and says, “Oh, look. Our fans gave them some blankets.”