Jack Packraft dug his hand into the safari had and pulled out a slip of paper. "Mikey Gibson!" he announced. "You'll be the first contestant to select a teammate. Step forward to the hat."
Mikey began squealing. His mom put a gentle hand on his back and whispered calming words, and the squealing died down to a chattering hum.
Who was Mikey going to be teamed with? He looked around. It would be cool to be on Jon's team. There were a few boys who looked like Jon's age, but were just bigger and stronger. Maybe that could be helpful in a teammate. Mikey supposed it would be okay to be on his mom's team, even if it might be embarrassing. He spotted a few kids from his class, including his best friend Jeremy Olson. It would be fun to be on a team with Jeremy, but strategically it probably wasn't the best idea for two 5th graders to be together.
All of this was swimming through his head as he approached Jack Packraft and dug his own hand into the safari hat.
"Gina Malucci!?" Mikey cried in shock and horror as he pulled out a slip of paper.
"And we have our first team!" Jack announced. "Gina, Mikey, come stand on spot number one." A spotlight turned on behind the host, illuminating a red circle about four feet across with a big number 1 in the middle.
"But I don't wanna be on a team with stupid tattletale Gina!" Mikey whined, even as his longtime classmate and personal nightmare stepped forward from the crowd.
"Hey," Jack looked down at the panicking child before him. "You're going to to great, kid. Trust the hat. It always works out in the end."
Mikey wasn't so sure. And he didn't trust the hat. But he did trust Jack Packraft. So he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted as he slowly made his way to the Team 1 spot with Gina.
"Make sure you don't whine like your crybaby brother when you get your teammate, Jon."
The voice came from behind him, and he hadn't seen her in the crowd, but there was no mistaking who the speaker was. Jon turned around to face Sarah McMillan.
"He's ten years old, Sarah," Jon bit back. "You don't have to be a bitch to everyone."
She smirked. "I just don't want to see you crying like a little baby before you even get a chance to lose."
"You know what?" Jon shook his head, willing himself not to rise to the bait. "I just hope you get paired with your own worst enemy."
"Sarah McMillan!" Jack Packraft announced, cutting off whatever comeback Sarah was about to dish out. "Come up and pick your partner for Team 2!"
She did manage to turn to Jon one last time, just quick enough to stick out her tongue and give him a stink-eye before she waltzed up to the hat in Jack's outstretched hand.
"Fuck!" Sarah shouted, causing Jon and Karyn to exchange a look with one another.
"Karyn Black," Jack smiled, taking the paper from Sarah's hand. "Welcome to Team 2!"
A look of horror flashed across Karyn's face. "No!"
A look of rage flashed across Sarah's face. "No!"
"Trust the hat," Jack Packraft intoned in his smooth, comforting voice.
Sarah turned sharply back up at him. "No. If this is what the hat wants, then its a dumb hat. I'm never going to be on a team with that--"
"Trust the hat," Jack said again, somehow even smoother, even more comforting than the first time.
Sarah blinked. Then she wavered. Then she let out a breath as her shoulders slumped forward. "Okay," she relented in a very uncharacteristic fashion. "I'm on Team 2 with..." the words almost wouldn't leave her mouth, but they eventually did, "with Karyn Black."
Another spotlight illuminated a red dot with the number 2 in the middle, and Sarah slunk over to it, even as Karyn said a last goodbye to Jon before joining. Jon could feel a magical aura radiating off of her. Mikey's wish was somehow enforcing these teams. Karyn really didn't have a choice.
Who would Jon not have a choice about?
