That's Not My Belt

“Hey Billy, wanna play kickball with us?” a boy in his class asked him at recess.

“Nah that’s ok. You play without me. I’ll just sit and watch,” Billy said as he looked down toward the ground.

“Come on Billy we need another player to even the teams,”

 Billy agreed to not make any trouble for himself and took the field.

The pitcher looked around the field to make sure his team was ready. He noticed Billy looking down at his pants. “Billy, pay attention,” he yelled

  The ball is rolled toward the batter as he took two steps and launched in the air in Billy’s direction. Billy looked up and saw the red rubber ball headed right for him. He froze as the ball flew right by him.

The players on his team started yelling at him to get off the field and saying they didn’t need him.

Billy walked off the field head down as he knew this was going to happen. As he headed back to the classroom, he saw her. Megan, the most popular girl in his class, met Billy’s gaze as he lowered his head back down and walked faster toward the building.

He got back to the classroom and told his teacher he wasn’t feeling good as she told him to go see the nurse.

The nurse saw the look in his eyes and let him lay on the couch in her office for the remainder of the school day.

Later that night after dinner Billy’s mother noticed the sad look on her son’s face.

“Billy honey what’s wrong?”

“Nothing I don’t wanna talk about it,” Billy said

“Are you sure maybe a little ice cream will change your mind?” his mother said and smiled

Billy grinned from ear to ear.

Mom grabbed the ice cream and two bowls. “What’s her name?

“Whaddya mean?” as the question stuttered out of Billy’s mouth.

“Mother’s intuition.”

“Well, there’s a girl in my class I want to ask to the dance next month, but I get nervous when she’s around. She even saw me embarrass myself in kickball today,” Billy said

“What’s the girl’s name?” his mother asked

“Grace,” Billy said

“You mean Grace, the girl who used to come to our house and play with you a couple of years ago?” his mother asked

“Yes”

“Then why are you nervous? She’s always been as friendly girl and you two always got along so well,” the mother said

“Yeah, but that was in our house when we played superheroes and I wore my yellow belt,”

“Your yellow belt?”

“Yes, Mom the yellow belt I wear when I pretend I am Superman,” Billy said

“Oh, that yellow belt. Does it give you special powers or something?”

“Yes, when I wear it, I feel like I can do anything,” Billy said

“Billy that’s ridiculous. You don’t need a special belt to feel like you can do anything,” Mom said

The next morning Billy was getting dressed in his room when his mother yelled from downstairs, “Billy when don’t you wear those light blue shorts that Grandma got you with the yellow belt?”

“No Mom those shorts are ugly, and the other kids will make fun of me,” Billy said

Billy came downstairs and grabbed his lunch from the fridge before heading out to the bus stop.

“Billy, could you do me a favor today?” his mother asked

Billy looked at her and smirked.

“When you see Grace today at school march right up to her and ask her to the dance,” his mother said

“Mom, I know she’ll say no, so why bother?”

“Just ask her. You don’t know what she’ll say,” Mom said

*     *   *     *

Billy saw Grace in the hallway between classes and slowly approached. Sweat began to form on his brow as his lips felt drier than a desert.

“Hey Billy,” Grace said

“Hhhhheeeeyyy Grace there is something I wanna ask you,” Billy said as the words stuttered out of his mouth.  

“What is it?” she said

Billy’s head was down as he looked for his belt and muttered, “Never mind, it’s nothing.”

The bell rings as kids rush to the lunchroom to eat. Billy goes to his locker to get his food from his book bag when he sees something strange in there.

He reached his hand in to find his yellow belt with a note that said, ‘Put the belt on under your shorts and go ask Grace to the dance. You can do it. Love, Mom’

Billy ran to the bathroom to do just that.

After lunch all the kids went to recess as Billy noticed Grace watching the kickball game that was going on.

Billy asked to be on one of the teams but one of the kids told him they don’t want someone who stinks like him. Billy strutted over to the kid, looked him dead in the eye and said, “I won’t stink.”

The team Billy was on took the field first. The pitcher rolled the ball towards the batter and bam, a line drive hit right at Billy. He barely had time to react as he wrapped his arms around it as the pitcher clapped.

A couple of innings go by as Billy is now up at the plate waiting to kick. The ball gets rolled to him and whack Billy crushes it over the outfielder’s head. He races around the bases and makes it all the way home.

The recess bell rang as Billy scored the winning run as his teammates surround him to congratulate him. He looked at the kid who he asked to play and said, “Told ya I wasn’t going to stink.”

Billy headed back to class and ran into Grace who was gushing about how good Billy did in the kickball game. Billy blushed a little and thanked for being so kind.

“Grace there is something I wanted to ask you. Do you have a date for the dance next month?”

“No, I don’t Billy,” she said

“Well would you like to go with me?” he asked

She flashed the biggest smile and said, “Yes I would.”

 Billy gave her the biggest smile as he walked back to class. He heard a voice behind him, “Hey Billy is this your yellow belt?”

Billy felt his waist under his shorts and noticed his belt was gone. “No that’s not my belt” as he knew he didn’t need it after all.