by Steven Tatum, age 14

This piece is one of a series written by students at the Hutch School. The Hutch School, which spans grades K–12, seeks to meet the educational needs of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance pediatric patients. On his trips to Seattle, Dave Eggers visits the school to work with students on various projects. During a recent trip, students wrote in response to Jamaica Kincaid’s short-short story "Girl." The students then read their stories aloud at a reading at the Elliott Bay bookstore, on October 2, 2002.

This is the second of three short pieces by Steven Tatum that we will be running this week.

Get to the side of the court faster! Dribble the ball first! Tie your shoe! Shoot the ball! Pass it! Why did you shoot, when you could pass it for a closer shoot! Get enough water! Do a lay-up! Don’t shoot threes! Sit-down! Get-up! Don’t shoot! Don’t trip! Don’t give up! Give up the threes! Don’t dribble, pass!