The Magic Shoes

Miller Middle School was known for one common thing, sports. Pretty well every student played a sport at that school. The most popular sport was by far soccer. The school often had rallies to support all the sports teams. There were incentives to play on the teams such as free meals, movie tickets, and free equipment.

Enter Tim “Tubs” Bosco. He was different in that he hated sports whether it was playing them or watching them. He was also the new kid in the school as he had just moved to that area. He spent most of his time in front of the television watching cartoons with his hands always in a bag of chips. He had been nicknamed Tubs ever since he was five for being overweight and never active. He hated that name but never wanted to go out and make friends and play outside. For that reason he was often referred to as Miller’s Misfit.

After a month in his new school, Tubs’ nightmare would come true. Miller’s Principal who often defended Tubs from bullying retired to spend more time with her family. The new Principal was from a sports academy in a different district and was going to make it mandatory that each student play in a sport. Little did Tubs know that this would change him forever.

Tubs pondered which sport he should play. He decided basketball would be out of the question as he was short and his arms were stubby. He quickly out ruled hockey in that he couldn’t skate. Baseball was a good consideration but the practices were at the time his favorite T.V. Shows came. He definitely did not want to do any type of track and field because track required a lot of stamina. He could never imagine being a cheerleader as even though anyone who failed to make a team would become one, he considered it too girly. He was finally left with one choice, soccer.

Tubs first day of tryouts was a nightmare. He was unable to run more than one hundred meters without collapsing on the ground trying to catch his breath. The coach, Mr. Burke, decided to try him out for a goaltender due to his unwillingness to continue the sprints. This proved futile too as he was afraid to catch the ball or block it with his body. After the gruelling one hour tryout, Coach Burke finally said he would like to have a chat with Tubs.

“Bosco, I am concerned for you right now,” he said. “you seem to have some potential but are not willing to give it a try.” Tubs replied, “I am trying my hardest coach, but I don’t think I am meant for sports.” Coach Burke shook his head and told Tubs to come to tryouts the following day with a more positive attitude.

At lunch Tubs started to feel better about the day. He had packed a large soda along with three bags of chips, two donuts and a bacon cheeseburger. After lunch however, his peers tormented him for scarfing down such a large meal. One student, Steve, the star captain of the soccer team could not hold back how terrible Tubs was at soccer tryouts. He stated Tubs would be cut in no time, and if he did make the team he would never play a game.

This enraged Tubs who yelled out, “how does it feel to be a meat head Stephanie?” Steve not taken back a bit by that attempt at an insult said, “ I may be considered a meat head, but at least I am not a pile of lard.” That did it for Tubs, he drew back his left fist and caught Steve in his abdomen. Steve, unfazed, did not even so much as to flinch. To avoid detention, he walked off from Tubs and left a hoard of tormenters to taunt Tubs.

The following day, Tubs did not want to go to the soccer tryouts. He knew however he could not escape from it. Whether he faked sick or injured nobody would believe him. They knew all to well how he had used excuses like that to get out of gym class the previous month. Also the new Principal, Mr. Spalding, would get annoyed at Tubs and even put him in a detention, thus causing Tubs to miss an hour of time in front of his T.V.

The next practice was considerably much worse than the first. Not only could Tubs not run the laps, but he was terrible at kicking the ball. When they practiced passing, he would not be able to pass to his partner or would give away the ball to the opponent. When he tried to kick the ball on goal he could not kick far enough to reach the goaltender. Even more embarrassing was when his shoe flew off. Coach Burke told the squad that they would be separated into two groups the next tryout practice and that would decide who would make the team.

Tubs did the math. There were thirty players on the squad and only twenty eight spots. He knew he was the worst person trying out for the team. Fifteen people were shoe ins to make the team as they had played the year before. But, rather than practice his skills, Tubs went straight to the candy store to buy snacks to eat while he watched his favorite T.V. Shows. It was then it was that he met the strange man.

Tubs looked at the man, then looked away. However that man kept staring. Finally Tubs asked the man if he needed anything. The man replied,”I sense something is troubling you, don’t hesitate to ask me for help.”

Tubs stated,”if you can help me leave my school forever I will be in your debt.”

The man looked at Tubs and asked why he wanted to leave his school. Tubs told him about the mandatory sports and how he feared he would be ridiculed for being a cheerleader. He told the man about how he hated sports because he was not good at them. After telling the strange man about soccer tryouts, the man smiled satirically. The man then stated he had watched Tubs at tryouts and wanted to help.

“So you watched me lay an egg, huh?”, said Tubs. “I really wish I was invisible sometimes.”

“I can help you Tim, all you need to do is trust me”, the man replied.

Tubs was taken aback at how a complete stranger had called him by his name. Only his parents called him by that name. However he remained skeptical that anybody could help him. After a few moments of silence he asked what the man could do for him.

“Firstly do you think you have done everything you can to hone your skills in soccer?”, the man asked.

Tubs replied that he did not have time or energy to practice his skills at sports and when asked if he sought a magic bullet to make him better at them, he nodded.

The man stated his name was Malcolm and he wanted to make a deal.Tubs groaned but was intrigued by this offer. After a minute Tubs asked what the deal was. Malcolm stated “I will give you shoes that will give you speed, agility, and strength of a super human athlete, but you must promise to come to me after the game in your full uniform to my lab.”

“That’s it?”, asked Tubs. Malcolm replied that was all he wanted and handed Tubs the pair of shoes and the address to the lab.

The shoes had weird markings on them and Tubs had his doubts as to whether they would work. However, he was desperate for any sort of miracle. By the time Tubs got home his T.V. Shows were ending. He ate his snacks nonetheless and thought about how terrible it would be the following soccer practice.

The morning of the next practice brought anxiety to Tubs. He decided to eat a heavy breakfast in order to feel better. He did however wear the shoes Malcolm gave him. Something inside told him he should give the shoes a try. Instead of asking his parents for a ride to school like he usually did, he decided to run to school which was only two blocks away.

After packing a large lunch and and slinging his backpack on his shoulders, he stretched while wearing the shoes. Oddly he was able to stretch much easier than ever before. With a deep breath, he started to run. Tubs could not believe it. These shoes made him run fast without tiring. Not only that but they seemed to drag him in the direction of his destination, the school.

During class, Tubs could not focus. All he could think about

was making the team. For the first time in his life, he felt like nothing could stop him. He knew if he made the team, there was less of a chance the others would make fun of him. Most of all, he wanted to see the looks of the two boys’ faces who would be cut from the team. They would pay for all their taunting. Tubs felt that getting revenge would be the sweetest thing.

After a large lunch, Tubs went outside to watch people play soccer. He looked at his shoes and smiled. They would never guess that today was Tubs’ day. He would show them that all their hard work in soccer had been useless. He would be the star. After about five minutes of watching Tubs went to the cafeteria to buy himself a few donuts which he ate greedily. After a few more classes it was time for practice

Coach Burke split the squad into two and said the two players he did not think should make the team would be cut. He divided the hopefuls into the two teams he labelled as skins and shirts, skins had no shirts and shirts naturally kept shirts on. Everybody mocked Tubs when he was chosen as a skin and had to take his shirt off. There were chants of “look at the fatty” and “he has more chins than I can do chin ups”. These comments did not bug Tubs one bit. He knew that two boys would be sobbing after the game as they would most likely be cheerleaders.

Before the soccer match up started everybody stretched, everybody save Tubs who just glared at the boys trying so hard while he knew he would be the star. Finally the game began and as Tubs predicted he was the star. One minute into the game, Tubs managed to outrun the opponent and steal the ball, his shoes dragged him to pass it so he did. A few minutes later he grabbed the ball, easily beat the defenders and scored. All the boys gaped in awe when they saw this. Nobody laughed at Tubs for the first time. When the game finished, Tubs finished with seven goals. Had this been a real game, Tubs would have broken the state record. As he predicted, Tubs made the team and was even chosen as captain. However, none of the boys congratulated him as they were too stunned. The two boys who did not make the team walked away dejected. However Tubs could not help laughing at how Steve had lost his captaincy of the team.

As he normally did, after school Tubs bought some snacks for his favorite down time, watching television. It was just then he remembered he had to see Malcolm in his lab. He did not want to however for he feared Malcolm would take away his shoes. Perhaps he could just run away with them. Then he remembered it was Malcolm who found him. He dejectedly walked to the lab while indulging in a large bag of chips and soda.

When Tubs walked into the lab he was amazed. There were video games everywhere. He saw a hockey one, none of the players looked athletic in the game and their skates all had the weird markings on them similar to the ones on his shoes. He kept looking at all the video games, and realized they were all sports games. Finally he saw a soccer one which was not working. Next to the game was a circle with the markings on it and a soccer ball. Tubs decided to give the ball a kick, but before he could, Malcolm came.

Tubs told Malcolm how great a game it had been to which Malcolm only nodded. After a few silent moments Tubs stated he did not want to give back the shoes. Malcolm smiled and said they were his to keep, and he only asked one favor-for Tubs to kick the ball. Tubs obliged and in a second he was zapped into the soccer game which all of a sudden was now working.

Tubs is now in an arcade as a virtual player in a video game adored by many. The Founder of the arcade- Malcolm- is now a millionaire and has decided he would like to use his money for more of his “science.” None of the boys who were in Tubs soccer tryouts ever found out what happened to him. All they remember is how he shocked them all with his soccer abilities. They figured he must have moved again, others thought he might have signed with a bigger soccer league. But the real truth lies with Malcolm who never hesitated to scout boys who searched for magic answers to gain athletic abilities.