A High Five for Glenn Burke: Chapters 20–39

“I filled out your waiver online, but I didn’t get a confirmation, so if there’s an issue, have Webb text me and—”

“Seven and one heading into the bye week ain’t too shabby. That’s quite a first half to our season. Now we need to sustain it. No letdowns.”

“Seven and one heading into the bye week ain’t too shabby. That’s quite a first half to our season. Now we need to sustain it. No letdowns.”

“We take ’em one game at a time,” I say in my Webb voice.
“Here we go again.” Webb shakes his head and smiles. “Time for a Silas impersonation.”

“We bring our A-game to every game.” I step up onto the table. “We do the little things out there. That’s what sets the Renegades apart.”
“Number Three’s working all the baseball clichés,” Webb says.

“At last week’s games, you refrained from the monkey chants. I didn’t acknowledge it, and I should’ve acknowledged it. I didn’t acknowledge it at practices this week either, and I should have. That was wrong of me. Renegades, my apologies. I’m proud of you. Much respect.”

I run my finger along a curved groove in the table.

I grab our mics from the shelf next to the modem.

There’s also music playing, and on the kiosks in the plaza, there are gigantic posters of the different cast members.

“Same thing you’re doing here,” he says, motioning to the marquee and then holding out his fist.

The heat and humidity have sapped me of everything. The heat and humidity have sapped all the Renegades of everything.

“No! I don’t want to lower my voice. I’m tired of lowering my voice.” I flail my arms.

“I prepared for this conversation because...well, this isn’t necessarily my area of expertise, and I wanted to be sure I was doing right by you.”

“You be you, Silas. No matter what anyone tells you, no matter what anyone says, your existence—who you are—is not controversial.”

I roll my tongue around the inside of my cheek for a seed and spit it at the mug. It glances off the handle.

“Your coming out...your coming out is going to be extraordinary, Silas. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be extraordinary. And it’s a process. You already know that. It’s not something that’s going to happen over the course of a few days or weeks or months. It’s going to be exciting and embarrassing and frustrating and hilarious and tragic and empowering, and...it’s going to be a lot like life.”

“Silas, you deserve to be more than tolerated. You deserve to be accepted. You deserve to be loved for exactly who you are. Full stop.”

“I’m hoping we’re able to weather these storms in time for the playoffs,” Webb says.

I hold up a finger and tongue the seed out of my cheek. Then I size up the mug and launch one more high-arcing shot. It lands in the center of the mug.

“Sit,” Grace says, unhooking my arm and pointing me to the other chaise lounge.