Sidelines

Sidelines(ˈsīdˌlīn)

INT: A KARATE(kəˈrädē) TOURNAMENT(ˈto͝or-,ˈtərnəmənt).

Mandy is standing outside the ring, watching two teenage(ˈtēnˌāj) boys fight(fīt).

MANDY

It seems so stupid that I used to go out with Danny. I mean, he’s aggressive(əˈgresiv), rude(ro͞od), hostile(ˈhästl,ˈhäˌstīl), and is constantly(ˈkänst(ə)ntlē) beating up people weaker than he is. I guess what I was looking for was the possibility, however small, of being noticed by my peers. Of being accepted. After all, you have to notice and accept Danny for who he is, otherwise he punches(pənCH) you. A lot. But what does that say about me, if I’ll just go out with a guy because he’s a big goon(go͞on) who throws his weight(wāt
) around? If he uses his karate skills to instill(inˈstil) fear in those around him?

And now Danny’s fighting Billy(ˈbilē). I never would have talked to Billy a few months ago. I mean, I’d seen him watching me, which was kind of creepy(ˈkrēpē), but he was just so nerdy(ˈnərdē) and spineless(ˈspīnləs). Would you want to befriend someone who was sort of apathetically(ˌapəˈTHedək(ə)lē) stalking(stôk) you? I sure didn’t. But then, I don’t know. He learned karate and he stopped Danny from beating(ˈbēdiNG) up that weird(wi(ə)rd) little kid in gym(jim) class. And I started to really examine(igˈzamən) my behavior. Like, why wasn’t I standing up for other people? Why was I perpetuating(pərˈpeCHəˌwāt) this belief that people like Danny deserve to be in charge? Billy started to be someone I could look up to. Someone I actually wanted to talk to.

I don’t even know if I like like Billy, but I’m guessing this champion(ˈCHampēən) competition(ˌkämpəˈtiSHən) will determine(dəˈtərmən) it. Either way, I should probably end up with one of these guys. I hope it’s Billy. But if he loses, I guess I’ll settle(ˈsedl) for Danny. The world rotates(ˈrōˌtāt), the seasons change, but everything stays the same.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/219/219-h/219-h.htm