High school relationships can be challenging because of physical, hormonal, and emotional changes, increased responsibilities in and out of school, and the need to chart the next life phase, whether or not higher education is involved. They can be further complicated by the expectations laid on teens by parents and by society. That's the plight of the co narrators of Whitney D. Grandson's Playin' Hard.
DeAndre's father is a basketball legend, the winner of not one, but five, championship rings and determined that all of his sons follow in his footsteps. He's been training them for this destiny since early childhood. Nothing is to come before athletics: not friends, not romance, not even academics. He's the only parent in the house. The boys' mother ditched them when they were quite young.
Cree, whose mother died in childbirth, is the only child of a very disengaged and distant father and his second wife. He is, however obsessed with her weight, fearing that she will lose too much. He's always nagging her to cut down on the dancing that is both a passion and a safe space for her. She yearns for him to understand how much it means to her and take an interest.
"At Moorehead High School the Baller's Club was the cause of many female meltdowns. The club consisted of four boys who played on either the basketball or the football team. Tremaine Dickinson was one of them, along with Marcus Hamilton, Chris Casey, and DeAndre Parker. Together they went through girls like they went through Jordans."
The boys are as well known for their one night stands off the field as they are for their athletic prowess on it. They exude attitudes of toxic masculinity and entitlement. For this reason Cree and her bestie, Troiann, have avoided the group like COVID. Then Cree says something in class that intrigues DeAndre. He wants her as a friend, perhaps even more.
The road to potential love is rarely smooth. In this case it's punctuated with more potholes that Maine in February. Can two teens prevail against really steep odds? If you're anything like me you'll really be rooting for them.
On a purrrsonal note, I finally had a chance to attend fiber arts club for the second time this semester. They're really nice, super talented people. I usually have a conflict with my paparazzi responsibilities or I'd go more often. I'm working on a scarf that I started well over a year ago. I lost my Knitting skills because of the stroke and had to relearn them. The quality is back but not the speed.
A great big shout out goes out to UMaine's skilled and convivial Fiber Arts Club and those of who enjoy knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, and all the other fiber arts.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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